Metropolitan Water Launches Eighth Annual Solar Cup; Teams from 36 Southland High Schools Participating

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Students Build, Race Solar-Powered Boats in Seven-Month Program Highlighting
Natural and Renewable Resources

LOS ANGELES--(Business Wire)--
Students from 36 Southland high schools will begin building solar-powered boats
this Saturday (Nov. 7) that they will race in Metropolitan Water District`s
eighth-annual Solar Cup next May.

The Solar Cup program combines hands-on engineering lessons with environmental
awareness, teaching students practical application of mechanical and electrical
engineering with tutorials in renewable resources and water-conservation.

"Solar Cup started in 2002 with eight teams," said Metropolitan General Manager
Jeffrey Kightlinger, "and eight years later, the program has 36 teams
participating and is the largest solar-powered boat program in the nation, if
not the world.

"Students who have participated in Solar Cup have told us it was the high-point
of their high school years," Kightlinger said, "and that it convinced them to go
to college and to pursue careers in engineering, science or environmental
protection.

"A special benefit," Kightlinger added, "is that these bright young leaders get
an overview of California`s water-supply system and renewable energy. Learning
about water and green power will prepare these students to contribute for the
future."

The seven-month program kicks off Saturday at Three Valleys Municipal Water
District headquarters in Claremont, where about 20 teams will build their
identical, 16-foot one-person hulls. A second boat-building session for the
remaining teams will be at TVMWD Nov. 21.

Julie A. Miller, a credentialed teacher with Metropolitan`s Education Programs
and eight-year Solar Cup coordinator, said, "We enhance the water-conservation
message by awarding points to teams for preparing water-conservation messages in
the forms of videos, radio spots or brochures. The results are always creative."

Metropolitan sponsors the program, providing teams with tool-chests and pre-cut
boat kits of marine-grade plywood; Saturday technical workshops; and the final,
three-day competition May 14-16, 2010 at Lake Skinner near Temecula in southwest
Riverside County.

Individual teams are sponsored by Metropolitan`s member public agencies, and
some teams are co-sponsored by local water utilities and civic organizations.
New teams receive $4,000 with which to equip the canoe-like hulls with
solar-collection panels, batteries, electrical and steering systems, as well as
motors. Returning teams-which can re-use equipment from previous boats but must
build new hulls-receive $2,500.

For the second year, Solar Cup`s technical advisor is Dr. Adrian Hightower,
assistant professor of materials science at Occidental College, assisted by
Occidental students. Dr. Hightower and the Oxy students host Saturday technical
workshops for both teachers and students in December and January.

During the May 14-16 Solar Cup event, the boats compete in 90-minute endurance
races around a 1.4-kilometer course, and in 200-yard sprint races. Veterans and
newcomers compete in separate divisions. Winners have highest number of points
from the competitions, plus points awarded for attendance at workshops, three
technical reports, and the public information campaign project.

The 2010 Solar Cup roster has 27 veteran teams and nine newcomers. Returning
teams include the first-place winners of the 2009 competition, Canyon High
School and Savanna High school, both of Anaheim, which won the veteran and
newcomer divisions, respectively. Canyon High School also won first-place in the
competition in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

A video of the 2009 Solar Cup competition and other information about the
program is at Metropolitan`s Web site, mwdh2o.com.

The roster of Solar Cup high schools, cities and sponsoring agencies for 2010 is
attached.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a cooperative of 26
cities and water agencies serving 19 million people in six counties.The district
imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement
local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation,
recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.

2010 SOLAR CUP SCHOOLS, SPONSORS

City Team/School Name Member Agency Sponsor Co-Sponsor Agency
Anaheim Anaheim High School Anaheim Public Utilities
Anaheim Canyon High School Anaheim Public Utilities
Anaheim Savanna High School Anaheim Public Utilities
Chino Hills Ayala High School Inland Empire Utilities Agency City of Chino Hills
Claremont Claremont High School Three Valleys MWD
Covina Charter Oak High School Three Valleys MWD
Downey Warren High School Central Basin MWD
Duarte Mountain View High School* Upper San Gabriel Valley MWD
El Monte El Monte High School Upper San Gabriel Valley MWD
Fullerton Sunny Hills High School City of Fullerton
Hacienda Heights La Puente High School Upper San Gabriel Valley MWD
Inglewood City Honors High School West Basin MWD
La Cañada Flintridge La Cañada High School Foothill MWD Valley Water Company
La Mirada La Mirada High School* Central Basin MWD
La Puente Los Altos High School Upper San Gabriel Valley MWD
Lake Forest El Toro High School Municipal Water District of Orange County Irvine Ranch Water District
Lawndale Environmental Charter High School* West Basin MWD
Los Angeles Academia Avance* Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Los Angeles Roosevelt High School Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Lynwood Firebaugh High School Central Basin MWD
Menifee Paloma Valley High School Eastern MWD
Mira Loma Jurupa Valley High School Western MWD Jurupa Community Service Dist.
Murrieta Murrieta Mesa High School Eastern MWD Rancho California Water District
Nuevo Nuview Bridge Early College High School* Eastern MWD
Pasadena John Muir High School City of Pasadena
Perris Citrus Hill High School Western MWD
Pomona Walnut High School Three Valleys MWD Walnut Valley Water District
Riverside Patriot High School Western MWD
Rolling Hills Estates Palos Verdes Peninsula High School West Basin MWD
San Diego Scripps Ranch High School* San Diego County Water Authority Blue Chip Machine & Fabrication
San Diego School of Science & Technology (SciTech)* San Diego County Water Authority San Diego Miramar College Advanced Transportation Technology & Energy (ATTE) Center; Johnson & Johnson; and San Diego High Foundation
San Jacinto San Jacinto High School Eastern MWD
Santa Monica Santa Monica High School City of Santa Monica
Torrance West High School* West Basin MWD/City of Torrance MW
Walnut I-Poly High School* Three Valleys MWD City of Pomona
Wildomar Elsinore High School Western MWD Elsinore Valley MWD
* New Team MWD Municipal Water District MW Municipal Water Official List as of 11/05/2009

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Rob Hallwachs, 213-217-6450

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