City Council is considering the purchase of a water well and water rights from Monrovia at a cost of $200,000. An additional $100 thousand will be needed to construct a pumping station.
The City Council approved a mandatory water conservation program that requires a 10% decrease in water use by all residents, as well as the use of penalties if residents use more than their share of water.
One of Arcadia's water wells, located on Camino Real Ave. between First and Second Avenues was pumping sandy water into the city's water distribution system. The well was shut down and will be carefully checked. The sandy water was not contaminated or harmful to drink.
Although two of Arcadia's 14 water wells have been contaminated by industrial solvents for years, a purification system installed by the city last December is reportedly working well, allowing the water from these wills to be used.
Arcadia residents saved 22% more water over the past seven months than they did in the same period last year. Arcadia Water Manager Eldon Davidson attributed the mandatory 10% reduction program implemented by the City in February.
Longden Well No. 1 has been taken out of service as levels of TCE (trichloroethyene) in the water have risen in excess of the limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency. TCE is an industrial solvent used for cleaning purposes.
The south lake of the Los Angeles State and County Arboretum has dropped from three acres in surface area to about two acres. In 1958, the center depth was nine feet. Now it is two feet.
Despite California's third consecutive dry year, Arcadia pumped 5.56 billion gallons of water from its wells in 1988 setting the city's third highest year on record.
Residents will no longer pay penalties for using too much water starting in January, after the City Council decided Tuesday that the existing system was unfair.
Arcadia and Sierra Madre city councils met to discuss their joint water system seismic reliability project which includes what the cities can do to ensure water in the event of a major earthquake.
The City Council will increase water rates on a year to year basis for the next five years. Funds will thus be accumulated for predictable major replacement projects. These projects are outlined in the article.