Ventura County Public Works Agency recognized Imagine a Day Without Water awareness campaign

MOORPARK, Calif. - Oct. 9, 2015 - PRLog -- Last week,  the Ventura County Public Works Agency’s Department of Water and Sanitation joined the national campaign Imagine a Day Without Water to spread awareness about the precious resource and the challenges facing water and wastewater systems, and the need for improvements.  Part of their participation included open house tours of its Water Reclamation Facility in Moorpark. Fifth graders from Pinecrest Elementary, as well as people from the public, were invited to an exclusive opportunity to explore the Moorpark Water Reclamation Facility to learn how the District provides high-quality water and sewer services in an efficient, cost-effective manner, and in an environmentally sustainable way.

The morning kicked off with a meet-and-greet between the students and the Water and Sanitation Director David Sasek.  The students were then guided on private tours of the facility where they had the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of the process that reclaimed water goes through before it can be safely recycled and used for irrigation.  VCPWA immediately caught their attention with the Biolac System, which is part of the secondary treatment that the wastewater goes where microorganisms are introduced to remove ammonia and reduce Biological Oxygen Demands, suspended solids, and odor.  As the students entered the water testing laboratory, they became extremely fascinated with the various tubes and beakers and watching the testing process up close.

Later in the morning, Sasek presented information on California’s drought, how it directly affects Ventura County, and some of the future projects the department has in the works.  “The Moorpark Water and Sanitation Department is working on innovative projects such as the new Office and Laboratory building under construction to LEED Gold standards, and the Moorpark Desalination Plant currently in the planning and design phase,” explained Sasek.  “Projects such as these will allow us to secure our water supply and protect it for generations to come.”

A display was set up to demonstrate the value of $10.00 of water delivered to your tap by comparing it to store bought beverages.  For example, the VCPWA water truck displayed held 2,000 gallons of water, costs the public about $10.00 and would provide enough water to an average family of four for about three days.  On a table in front of the truck were a number of items that could be purchased for about the same amount.  For the same $10.00 you would only get  two gallos of milk, three cans of an energy drink, a few bottles of water, or two large café coffees.

The Chief of Staff for Supervisor Peter Foy, Brian Miller, made a few remarks to the students to encourage them not to take water for granted.  “Our goal here today was to help give you a better understanding of how the water is treated before it ends up at your front door and how wastewater is treated and released back so it doesn’t harm the environment, to give you a better appreciation for the hardworking men and women who work at the Moorpark Water and Sanitation District,” said Miller.

The community event culminated with Miller’s presentation of a certificate of recognition from the Ventura County Board of Supervisors celebrating “Imagine a Day Without Water” on October 7, 2015.