PWP Workshops are Plentiful and Free

Spring is in the air and shovels are in the ground! Gardeners across Pasadena are putting on their gloves and sprucing up their yards.

PWP is helping them do it the water-smart way with its 2009 series of free lawn and garden workshops at the Salvation Army Pasadena Tabernacle, 960 E. Walnut St.

Discover the best choices for Pasadena's dry climate at the new Trees and Shrubs Workshop. Learn effective ways to prune, water and develop healthy root systems on April 4 and May 30 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Get professional instruction on the latest water-saving irrigation technology, including smart-sprinkler controllers and drip irrigation systems, at our Efficient Irrigation Workshop on March 12, April 9, May 7, June 18 and July 16, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

At the new Water-Smart Garden Workshop, learn how to choose and maintain native and drought-tolerant plants for a beautiful, easy-care garden that requires minimal watering. Sessions are set for June 27 and July 25 from 9 a.m. to noon

And don’t miss the “California Friendly” Landscaping Workshop, a great class that covers the basics for beginning to intermediate gardeners and for those considering re-landscaping with drought-tolerant plants. A certified professional will give you an overview of sprinkler systems, types of soil and fertilizers, and garden design on May 2 and June 13 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Reserve a spot today at www.cityofpasadena.net/savewater.

You’re Invited to a Groundbreaking Ceremony

You’re invited to join PWP, NASA, civic leaders and neighbors for a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating the start of construction of the Windsor Reservoir Groundwater Treatment Plant on Tuesday, March 17, at 10 a.m. at 2696 Windsor Ave. near the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The groundbreaking festivities will include a tree-planting, refreshments and remarks by Pasadena’s mayor, PWP’s general manager and NASA officials.

Four city-owned wells near JPL have been shut down for many years due to the presence of perchlorate, a salt used as an oxidizer in rocket propellants, and volatile organic compounds in the groundwater. When construction of the treatment plant is completed late next year, the treatment plant will remove those chemicals.

PWP will then have an additional supply for delivering clean and safe water to the community that will meet or exceed all state and federal water quality standards. As we face long-term challenges to Pasadena’s water supply as a result of drought and other issues, the timing couldn’t be better for bringing these wells back into our vital stock of natural resources.

Construction and operation of the plant are being funded by NASA, which has worked closely with the city of Pasadena on development and design of the facility with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, California Department of Toxic Substances Control and Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Board.

In the event of rain, the ceremony will be in the main auditorium at Five Acres School, 760 W. Mountain View St. in Altadena.

"Power of 10 Challenge" Continues

The numbers are in: More than 15,000 Pasadena households took advantage of PWP’s offer for $75 in free energy-saving light bulbs. In all, 222,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) were ordered by 29 percent of our residential customers, who together will see a savings of up to $1.5 million on their energy bills this year alone. When all those bulbs make it out of their boxes and into sockets, 48,300 tons of carbon dioxide emissions will be avoided over the bulbs’ lifetime. Thank you, Pasadena! Your switch to CFLs lets us all breathe a little easier.

The free CFL offer expired on Jan. 31 but the goal remains to get 100 percent of Pasadena to participate in the “Power of 10 Challenge”. Switch 10 bulbs, tell 10 Pasadena friends to do the same, and together we will cut 10,000 tons of CO2 emissions every year. Visit www.cityofpasadena.net/CFL to learn more.

Have Your Say on Pasadena’s Energy Plan

PWP will present its 20-year energy resource plan to the Pasadena City Council in late March or early April. The plan is strategically balanced to provide our customers with electricity in a reliable, environmentally sensitive manner, while minimizing costs. Specifically, the plan calls for:

• Reducing coal power purchases from a Utah plant by at least 35 MW by 2016;

• Replacing old technology at our local plant on Glenarm Street with a more efficient and reliable natural gas combined cycle plant;

• Implementing aggressive energy efficiency and load reduction programs;

• Increasing the proportion of green power in PWP’s mix to 40 percent by 2020;

• Achieving 19 MW of local owned solar photovoltaic power by 2024;

• Purchasing 10 MW of renewable energy from sources within Pasadena, ie. private solar installations;

• Cutting carbon dioxide emission by 40 percent by 2020.

The estimated cost increase to PWP customers would be six percent more than what is already projected if PWP resources remain the same.

Visit www.cityofpasadena.net/IRP to read the full 2009 Integrated Resource Plan and check for the exact date and time of the public hearing.