Southland Students Bring Together Water Conservation, Art

LOS ANGELES--(Business Wire)--
There is probably no more relevant wall calendar for 2009 in Southern California
than one loaded with water-saving tips. And 36 students from throughout the
Southland have contributed their conservation ideas and artwork for Metropolitan
Water District’s annual “Water is Life” student art calendar.

The colorful calendar debuts this Wednesday, Dec. 3, at a recognition program at
Metropolitan headquarters, 700 N. Alameda St. in downtown Los Angeles.

Artwork featured in Metropolitan’s wall calendar consists of 36 winning entries
submitted by students in grades K- 12 from throughout the district’s six-county
service area. The winners were selected last summer during the agency’s annual
water conservation poster contest, which drew close to 150 entries submitted to
nearly all of Metropolitan’s 26 member public agencies.

“A calendar which offers daily reminders of our precarious water supply
situation with helpful hints for conserving is both a practical statement about
an important message and a beautiful expression of art,” said Metropolitan
General Manager Jeff Kightlinger.

“The need for conservation is very real and Metropolitan’s education program has
brought that reality home to Southland students to share with their family and
friends,” Kightlinger said.

Metropolitan’s 2009 “Water is Life” calendar is part of the agency’s largest
on-going public outreach and advertising campaign aimed at reminding Southland
water consumers to be mindful of water waste and to take advantage of regional
incentive programs to replace outdated and water-wasting appliances and
irrigation systems.

Metropolitan’s main sources of imported water are facing unprecedented
challenges because of statewide drought, record-dry conditions for eight of the
last nine years along the Colorado River, and deteriorating environmental
conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

The student’s artwork will be on display at Metropolitan’s headquarters building
before heading out on a Southland tour of Metropolitan’s member agencies. Dates
for the artwork tour will soon be announced.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a cooperative of 26
cities and water agencies serving nearly 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.

2008~2009 Student Art Winners MWD “Water Is Life” Student Art Contest

Calleguas Municipal Water District

* Emily Alnwick, 4thArroyo West Elementary (Ventura County Waterworks)
* Arianna Hernandez, 3rdRio Del Norte Elementary (City of Oxnard)

Central Basin Municipal Water District

* Stephanie Haro, 6thLake Marie Elementary

City of Burbank

* Toni Tolentino, 10thProvidence High School
* Thorn Shaffer, 11thMonterey High School
* Emily Diaz, 12thMonterey High School

Eastern Municipal Water District

* Ulises Sanchez, 5thMoreno Elementary
* Alexandra Rosas, 5thPauba Valley Elementary (Rancho California Water
District)

Inland Empire Utilities Agency

* Alex Orozco, 8thBriggs Fundamental School (Monte Vista Water District)
* Jillian Larkin, 5thStork Elementary (Cucamonga Valley Water District)

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

* Victor Guillen, 8thGompers Middle School (Golden State Water Co.)
* Elizabeth Alfaro, 8thGompers Middle School (Golden State Water Co.)

Las Virgenes Municipal Water District

* Vera Weber, 5thLupin Hill Elementary
* Holden Chevalier, 5th Willow Elementary

Long Beach Water Department

* Joel Swiatkowski, 2ndPrisk Elementary
* Christian Yogi, K Prisk Elementary

Municipal Water District of Orange County

* Melody Lee, 5thCanyon View Elementary (Irvine Ranch Water District)
* Jin Ha, 4thCanyon View Elementary (Irvine Ranch)

San Diego County Water Authority

* Xcaret Gomez, 5thOtay Elementary (Sweetwater Authority)
* Sarah Shine, 4thBlossom Valley Elementary (Padre Dam MWD)
* Breanna Harmel, 5thRancho San Diego Elementary (Otay Water District)
* Jason Hopkins, 6thFlying Hills Elementary (Helix Water District)

Three Valleys Municipal Water District

* Mandy Hung, 5thMaple Hill Elementary (Walnut Valley Water District)
* Kiersten Yong, 11thWalnut High School (Walnut Valley)
* Sabrina Shyong, 1stWedgeworth Elementary (Rowland Water District)
* Denita Toneva, 8thAlvarado Intermediate School (Rowland)
* Cindy Lee, 8thLorbeer Middle School (City of Pomona)
* Joycelyn Camarena, 10thGarey High School (City of Pomona)

Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District

* Mayra Valenzuela, 11thNorthview High School
* Christina Yang, 7thJefferson Middle School
* Christopher Theung, 5thLongley Way School
* Veronica Chew, 11thRosemead High School (Golden State Water Co.)

West Basin Municipal Water District

* Roy Gonzalez, 6thCulver City Middle School

Western Municipal Water District

* Faith Speidel, 4thMurrieta Elementary
* Perla Navarro, 11thCorona High School (City of Corona)
* Carolina Gonzalez, 5thButterfield Elementary School

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Debra Sass, (213) 217-7230; (818) 726-0971 mobile
Bob Muir, (213) 217-6930; (213) 324-5213, mobile

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