This past Sunday, October 5, saw a small gathering of local voters interested in a down ballot race on a vital office – The Board of the West Basin Water District. Candidate Scott Houston spoke to a coffee crowd hosted by Madeline and Paul Ehrlich at their home in Culver City, giving his stump speech and answering questions as the temperature rose outside and a dry breeze sifted through the fruit trees.
While Houston spoke about his experience with local politics in El Segundo, he also emphasized the very broad reach of the West Basin. “This water district runs from Malibu to Lennox, and incorporates a lot of very different needs among residential and industrial customers. ”
Discussing the showcase facility of the Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility, he offered that “there have been people coming in from all over the world to tour this plant and see how we are recycling water. We are very, very lucky to have this because with the current drought, this puts our district in the fortunate position of being far more prepared than many other parts of the state.”
Being more prepared does not make the district immune, and if the drought continues through this winter, there is only an 18 month supply of water left. Houston noted that this will require allotments for both business and residential customers.
While the West Basin Board may seem look like one more small race at the end of a long ballot, there is nothing more important than water. How we use it may be up to the board, and filling this seat is one that requires attention to be paid.
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