Three Valleys’ treatment facility, the SGVMWD’s Hydroelectric Generator, Morris Dam, Santa Fe Spreading Facilities (water capture basins used for flood control and water conservation), USG-3 (the Upper District’s primary service connection for imported water from the State Water Project), and the Congressman David Dreier Treatment Facility. The tour began and ended at the Three Valleys’ headquarters with a lunch break at the Valley County Water District offices. Tour guests learned about water pumping systems, water treatment processes, energy needs to treat water, how water quality is checked, how water is disinfected, and how a dam works, among other facts Afterward, Three Valleys Board President Mike Ti thanked Rubio for coordinating the tour and said it highlighted the interconnection of so many water agencies and their need to work together. “It goes to show that having reliable water in our service area takes a lot of effort and cooperation from different agencies,” he said. “As a water district, Three Valleys is not operating alone here. No one’s working alone here, we all work together to make things work for our customers.” WQA Executive Director Randy Schoellerman echoed Ti’s sentiments, saying, “A tour like today’s really demonstrates how the different agencies can work together because it’s a huge basin and there are many facets to it. There are many aspects to how you bring water to folks in the Valley here. I think today you are seeing how water is brought into the basin, how it’s distributed to all the producers that need it, and the water retailers that clean and deliver it to the customers. The goal is to provide legislators with a water foundation on how our region works.”
Water 101 Lawmakers and Water Officials Take Daylong Educational Tour of Water Facilities By Amy Bentley S eeing is believing, and California Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio gave her colleagues a first-hand, comprehensive lesson about the state’s vast waterworks. Rubio is known for inviting her colleagues in the State Legislature to visit her district to show them – literally – how California’s water facilities are interconnected. On June 28th, a daylong tour was coordinated by the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District (Upper Water), along with Three Valleys Municipal Water District (Three Valleys), San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District (SGVMWD), the Main San Gabriel Basin Watermaster, and San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority (WQA). The tour, called the San Gabriel Valley Water Supply Tour, marked the second time Rubio has worked with Upper Water to help educate colleagues and their staff about her district’s local water supply and water quality issues. Education is a priority for Rubio, a former teacher who also previously served on the Valley County Water District board before her election to the Legislature in 2016 representing the 48th Assembly District. “I grew up with water. It’s important for folks to understand how our water is managed in our region. I want to be an
advocate for the water industry and our region,” Rubio said. Lawmakers and their staffs, Rubio said, especially new ones, are not always familiar with the state’s vast water infrastructure. Knowing how California’s water systems work will help people make more informed decisions regarding water policy as California plans for the Delta Conveyance Project, a new infrastructure project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to make Southern California’s water delivery system more resilient against climate change. Delta Conveyance will modernize and improve water deliveries via the State Water Project from Northern California. Patty Cortez, Upper Water Assistant General Manager, said her district coordinated the tour because, “Local agencies like ours are looking for creative and interesting way to educate our state and federal elected officials. We want to build relationships across the Legislature and be a valued resource for them.” The tour included stops at, or a drive-by of, several water facilities around the San Gabriel Valley that serve various functions such as flood control, water conservation, groundwater replenishment, and water treatment. Stops included the
The Samuel B. Morris Dam spans the San Gabriel River. Built in the 1930s as a water supply facility, it is now mostly utilized for flood control and flow regulation.
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