Ginny Ceballos
Staff Writer

The pipeline that imports about 75 percent of La Verne’s water was shut down on April 16 for emergency repairs. 

The Rialto feeder pipeline was expected to be shut down for nine days but the pipeline was repaired ahead of schedule and began supplying water to La Verne again on Saturday said City Treasurer Jeannette Vagnozzi.

The Metropolitan Water District inspects the pipelines every January and came to the conclusion that the Rialto feeder pipeline was damaged and needed to be fixed as quickly as possible before the next maintenance check in January.

The city took steps to maintain water service to customers.  They filled the reservoirs to their maximum capacity and they requested that top customers and La Verne residents reduce water consumption throughout the duration of the repairs.

La Verne also did its part in conserving water by shutting down the irrigation systems in public places, such as the sprinklers in the park.

Many steps could be taken by residents to help conserve water, such as hand-washing cars, suspending watering of lawns, filling swimming pools or hosing down driveways and sidewalks, Janelle Grey customer service said.

La Verne residents were also encouraged to take shorter showers, run only full loads of clothes washers and dishwashers and not let water run while brushing teeth or washing dishes.

The University of La Verne also took steps to preserve water while the pipeline was being repaired.   Assistant director of management Robert Beebe said that ULV turned down the irrigation system to an absolute minimum. 

He said that the watering of the landscape could not halt completely because the vegetation would dry out.  Beebe began to see some stress spots but was optimistic the rain would help the vegetation stay alive. 

Communications major Diana Castillo was glad that the ULV was doing its part to help conserve water while the pipeline was being repaired.  She also agreed that the irrigation system could not be turned off completely because then the grass and flowers would die.

Vagnozzi was thankful to La Verne residents and said they did their part to conserve water.

“We had a wonderful response,” Vagnozzi said.

Other cities were also affected by the shutdown of the Rialto feeder pipeline, such as Rancho Cucamonga, Claremont, Upland, Montclair, Pomona and San Dimas said Vagnozzi.

Ginny Ceballos can be reached at gceballos@ulv.edu.