WATER WATCH: Conservation Efforts Helping City Refrain From Expensive MWD Purchases

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The Glendora Water Commission reported some good and bad news regarding the everlasting drought parching the city and state at their October 22 meeting.

The good news: officials have not had to purchase expensive water from the Metropolitan Water District to help supply Glendora. The bad news: a major sub-basin supplying the area continues to dry up, reaching historic lows.

The sub-basin in question is the Main San Gabriel Sub-Basin Baldwin Park Key Well dropped at a rate of three-tenths of a foot per week, with each week recording a record low, said Glendora Water Division Manager Steve Patton.

The city this year has reportedly not purchased water from the Metropolitan Water District, citing stability in one of Glendora’s two sub-basins: the Canyon Basin. The stability is attributed to water conservation efforts and deliveries from the Main San Gabriel Basin Watermaster, Patton said.

The MWD’s reinstated a drought allocation plan of Level 3 in July, which, if Glendora was forced to purchase MWD water, would have come at a cost of $3,000 per acre feet; about two to three times more if the city exceeded the 1,800 AF limit, Patton said.

The deliveries have kept Glendora’s water supply at 100 percent well water and no MWD water, Patton said.

“We’re looking forward to the winter months ahead. The ‘Godzlla El Niño’ is still on the way, but hopefully at a more moderate rate,” Patton said.