Water Awareness Festival set for May 25 in Selma

This Water Awareness Month, Cal Water will host a free community festival on Thursday, May 25, in Selma, to help customers and their families learn about their water and celebrate the work that has made Selma one of the utility’s top 10 water-saving districts in the state. Attendees will also learn, amid these times of record inflation, how further conservation efforts can save them money and whether they qualify for financial assistance, monthly discounts, and more.

“We want to thank our customers for all of the hard work that they have been doing to make conservation a way of life in California,” said Stuart Skoglund, Selma Operations Manager. “At the same time in this financial climate, we want to support our customers, some of whom are struggling to make ends meet. We want them to know about programs available to them, so nothing stands in the way of enjoying safe, clean, reliable, and affordable water.”

The family-friendly event, which will take place from 4-7 p.m. at Lincoln Park Plaza at the corner of Mill Street and McCall in Selma, will be a celebration with music, food, face-painting, and more. It will also include opportunities for attendees to learn about water quality, their water system, conservation programs, and customer assistance programs. The utility is encouraging eligible customers who meet maximum income limits to apply for a one-time benefit of up to $15,000 per household for past-due or current bills from the California Department of Community Services & Development’s (CSD) Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). There will also be a mini-conservation garden-building station and an opportunity-drawing for a high-efficiency clothes washer (high-efficiency washers use 35-50 percent less water and approximately 50 percent less energy than traditional washers).

In March, Cal Water’s Selma district reached water savings of 27.8 percent and was the eighth top water-saving district out of 26 districts in California. Cal Water, together with its customers, has reached water savings of 24.4 percent as of March 2023 compared to March 2020, with 17 districts saving—some significantly more than 15 percent.