SELMA – As heat begins to creep into the Valley, the California Water Service (Cal Water) is turning up the pressure on community outreach.
The Cal Water Selma District hosted its annual Water Awareness Festival at Lincoln Park on May 7 to show Selma residents how their water is delivered and how they can save on their monthly bills. External Communications Specialist Maria Rodriguez said Cal Water wanted to emphasize to customers the importance of water as a resource, especially as summer approaches.
“We want to make sure that right now that it’s spring we equip our customers with the knowledge of programs that we have available that not only help conserve water but save them money,” Rodriguez said.
Specifically, Cal Water highlighted its Customer Assistance Program (CAP), which provides a monthly discount of up to $10 on the customer’s service charge, Rodriguez said. Eligible customers are those who meet income guidelines specified on the Cal Water website or who are already enrolled in a qualified public assistance program like CalFresh, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and the Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC).
Cal Water also offers a variety of conservation programs and tips that, by encouraging reduced water usage, can lead to lower bills. One such program is the lawn to garden program that helps Cal Water customers transform their landscape into a garden with native plants resistant to the heat, Rodriguez said.
At the Water Awareness Festival, Cal Water offered free food, including root beer floats and agua fresca, as well as family-friendly games and face painting for kids. Also at the festival was the Selma Fire Department, which works closely with Cal Water as it uses Cal Water’s water to put out fires.
Selma Local Manager Mike Andrada said the festival was to show the community how Cal Water is working to be good stewards of the water in Selma. He said Cal Water tries to provide education about rebates, assistance programs and conservation throughout the year to ensure that everyone has an adequate water supply in the future.
When it comes to water conservation, Andrada said residents should always pay attention to their irrigation and toilets that are leaking. If customers have an unexpectedly high water bill, they should reach out to Cal Water, which will come out and help the customer locate the leak.
Andrada said a toilet with a serious leak can often use tens of thousands of gallons in one month. Other ways to conserve water inside the home include checking for leaky faucets, upgrading to water-efficient toilets and washing machines and taking shorter showers. Customers replacing their home appliances with high-efficiency models may be eligible for rebates with Cal Water.
External Communications Manager Laura Florez-McCusker said Cal Water customers can also take advantage of the service’s conservation kits, which are free for single-family residential customers while supplies last, according to the Cal Water website. The kits include high-efficiency shower heads, toilet leak tablets, a garden hose nozzle, faucet aerators and a Practical Plumbing Handbook.
Selma customers can also learn more about conservation through the Cal Water Adopt-A-Plant event on May 24. Customers who RSVP to the event will receive a free California native plant and can hear from an expert about native plant options for residential landscaping. The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 24 at Lincoln Park in Selma. Only those who RSVP will receive a free plant.
When it comes to conservation, Andrada said one of the most important things customers should keep in mind is that any efforts help.
“I would like to stress that a little bit goes a long way in a community,” Andrada said. “If all of us are conserving just a little bit of water, it adds up; it becomes a very influential number.”
