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Southland water consumers to be mindful of water waste and to take advantage of regional incentive programs to replace outdated and water-wasting appliances and irrigation systems.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, 4^th Arroyo West Elementary (Ventura County Waterworks)
• Arianna Hernandez, 3^rd Rio Del Norte Elementary (City of Oxnard)

Central Basin Municipal Water District

• Stephanie Haro, 6^th Lake Marie Elementary

City of Burbank

• Toni Tolentino, 10^th Providence High School
• Thorn Shaffer, 11^th Monterey High School
• Emily Diaz, 12^th Monterey High School

Eastern Municipal Water District

• Ulises Sanchez, 5^th Moreno Elementary
• Alexandra Rosas, 5^th Pauba Valley Elementary (Rancho California Water District)

Inland Empire Utilities Agency

• Alex Orozco, 8^th Briggs Fundamental School (Monte Vista Water District)
• Jillian Larkin, 5^th Stork Elementary (Cucamonga Valley Water District)

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

• Victor Guillen, 8^th Gompers Middle School (Golden State Water Co.)
• Elizabeth Alfaro, 8^th Gompers Middle School (Golden State Water Co.)

Las Virgenes Municipal Water District

• Vera Weber, 5^th Lupin Hill Elementary
• Holden Chevalier, 5^th Willow Elementary

Long Beach Water Department

• Joel Swiatkowski, 2^nd Prisk Elementary
• Christian Yogi, K Prisk Elementary

Municipal Water District of Orange County

• Melody Lee, 5^th Canyon View Elementary (Irvine Ranch Water District)
• Jin Ha, 4^th Canyon View Elementary (Irvine Ranch)

San Diego County Water Authority

• Xcaret Gomez, 5^th Otay Elementary (Sweetwater Authority)
• Sarah Shine, 4^th Blossom Valley Elementary (Padre Dam MWD)
• Breanna Harmel, 5^th Rancho San Diego Elementary (Otay Water District)
• Jason Hopkins, 6^th Flying Hills Elementary (Helix Water District)

Three Valleys Municipal Water District

• Mandy Hung, 5^th Maple Hill Elementary (Walnut Valley Water District)
• Kiersten Yong, 11^th Walnut High School (Walnut Valley)
• Sabrina Shyong, 1^st Wedgeworth Elementary (Rowland Water District)
• Denita Toneva, 8^th Alvarado Intermediate School (Rowland)
• Cindy Lee, 8^th Lorbeer Middle School (City of Pomona)
• Joycelyn Camarena, 10^th Garey High School (City of Pomona)

Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District

• Mayra Valenzuela, 11^th Northview High School
• Christina Yang, 7^th Jefferson Middle School
• Christopher Theung, 5^th Longley Way School
• Veronica Chew, 11^th Rosemead High School (Golden State Water Co.)

West Basin Municipal Water District

• Roy Gonzalez, 6^th Culver City Middle School

Western Municipal Water District

• Faith Speidel, 4^th Murrieta Elementary
• Perla Navarro, 11^th Corona High School (City of Corona)
• Carolina Gonzalez, 5^th Butterfield Elementary School