CSU Dominguez Hills Receives Award from West Basin Municipal Water District For Water and Energy Efficiency Efforts

California State University, Dominguez Hills received one of the first Water Reliability 2020 Awards given by the West Basin Municipal Water District (WBMWD) for the university’s ongoing efforts in water and energy efficiency.

“The University’s leadership, not only in academics and education, but environmental stewardship, is to be commended,” said WBMWD director Ronald C. (Ron) Smith, who presented David Gamboa, director of Community and Government Relations at CSU Dominguez Hills with the Water Reliability 2020 award in October at West Basin’s Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility. “This West Basin and CSU Dominguez Hills relationship will continue to engender more water and energy savings as it matures.”

Earlier this year, CSU Dominguez Hills participated in West Basin’s Green Living for Apartments and Condos Program. Partnering with South Bay Environmental Services Center, Edison and the Gas Company, West Basin retrofitted 164 student apartments with 224 high-efficiency toilets, 164 high-efficiency showerheads, and energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs. An estimated 3.4 million gallons of water every year is being saved through this effort.

The project was one of many created from $681,000 of grants aimed at water conservation that was awarded to WBMWD by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

“As we continue to grow as an institution it is important that we enhance our “green projects” by preserving our university’s natural resources,” says Gamboa. “Our university will be embarking on some very big green projects in 2010 that would lead to exploring research methods for our students and I am glad West Basin has decided to acknowledge us for our efforts.”

- Joanie Harmon

Photo above: David Gamboa, director of Government and Community Relations (at left) receives the Water Reliability 2020 Award from Ronald C. (Ron) Smith, director, West Basin Municipal Water District.