ANAHEIM, CA (June 1, 2007) - Anaheim Public Utilities is asking residents and businesses to help maximize existing regional water supplies by voluntarily conserving water, in concert with the record dry year and recent temporary shutdown of the State Water Project pumps to protect an endangered fish.

The California Department of Water Resources on Thursday voluntarily and temporarily shut down State Water Project pumps that deliver water from the San Francisco/Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta (Delta) to protect Delta smelt that are currently clustered in the immediate vicinity of the pumping plants. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) currently relies on the State Water Project for as much as 60 percent of its total imported water supplies for 18 million southern Californians. Correspondingly, Anaheim relies on MWD to provide over 25 percent of its total water supply. The remainder of Anaheim’s supply is from the Orange County groundwater basin.

Due to years of planning and storage development, MWD is adequately prepared to withstand this temporary pump shutdown. Although not anticipated, if MWD was to cut back water supplies to its retailers during this temporary pump shutdown, Anaheim Public Utilities has other short-term water supply options, such as increased groundwater production and use of over 950 million gallons of water storage. Therefore, this temporary pump shutdown is not expected to impact Anaheim.

“Although Southern Californians have increasingly become more efficient with their water use, a stable State Water Project system is important to the vitality of Southern California, one of the largest economies in the world,” said Marcie Edwards, Anaheim Public Utilities general manager and MWD board vice chair. “I cannot overemphasize how important it is to have our Delta issues fixed in a timely manner. Even a hint that we may be facing serious issues that could threaten water supplies can create alarms that have far-reaching impacts on our economy.”

MWD officials support the temporary pump shutdown as a prudent, preventative measure to help protect Delta smelt. However, they also indicate that other causes contribute to the decline of the Delta smelt, such as invasive species, diversions from Delta farmers and predatory fish. They are therefore urging state leaders to act quickly to fix the problems facing the Delta.

Earlier this week, MWD launched an intensive advertising campaign aimed at offering consumers easy-to-follow examples of how they can save water and stretch supplies. More ...

For more information on how you can help conserve water during this record dry year and temporary pump shutdown, visit www.anaheim.net and click on Public Utilities. Then click on Help Us Save Water under “The Latest.”