ASSISTANCE FOR ANAHEIM BUSINESSES
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Much has changed in our community since our last newsletter, but we'd like to assure our Anaheim businesses that we're still here for you to provide essential electric and water services, programs, and assistance when you need it.
We understand the financial strains Anaheim businesses have endured over the past few months and we want to help you safely continue to operate or navigate through reopening. The City of Anaheim offers a
Coronavirus Small-Business Resource Guide
to help you with business loans and grants, employer assistance, marketing resources, as well as workplace health and safety guidance.
Anaheim Public Utilities is ready to tailor payment plans to help manage your utility bills and help you get back to business. We also offer energy and water conservation recommendations and a variety of resources to reduce your energy and water consumption to help lower your bills. For details on business utility offerings visit our
small business assistance
web page or call 714-765-4124 to identify a program that best meets your needs.
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ELECTRIC AND WATER SERVICE CONNECTIONS
If you are considering development activities or major renovations for your business, make sure to check in with us to discuss your electric and water service connections, temporary services, plan reviews, efficiency improvements, and other needs. We continue to offer business customers online services that minimizes person-to-person interactions. If you would like assistance, contact us at
714-765-5006.
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RE-OPENING BUILDING PROCEDURES: WATER
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Providing safe water is our number one priority and a responsibility we share with you. The closure or underutilization of buildings during California’s “stay-at-home” order could cause water quality issues within a building’s plumbing system and connected appliances. Stagnant water loses disinfectant over time and warms to temperatures that allow growth of mold and bacteria, which can cause hazards for returning occupants.
Each building has its own specific plumbing systems and design that need to be carefully inspected and monitored. Anaheim Public Utilities recommends building owners and operators customize a reopening plan to address four key areas:
- INSPECT – water fixtures and appliances for proper operation and potential mold; hotels are encouraged to test hot tubs, spas, and pools for safe return to use.
- CLEAN – sanitize devices and appliances such as faucets and showers, ice machines, refrigerator water dispensers, coffee makers, decorative water features, etc.
- FLUSH – the building’s water system (hot and cold) to remove stagnant water.
- SEEK ASSISTANCE – contact a plumbing expert or plumbing engineer for assistance on more complicated water systems, as needed.
While there are no national or industry standards for reopening buildings, the following resources provide additional details to help you develop a reopening plan for your building:
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As we gear up for wildfire season, Anaheim Public Utilities has partnered with Anaheim Fire & Rescue to develop a Wildfire Mitigation Plan to mitigate the potential for wildfire ignition that could result in Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). Fortunately, Anaheim is 98% underground in portions of Eastern Anaheim, where the terrain is considered a high fire threat zone that is more prone to wildfires. So, while a PSPS event is highly unlikely, Anaheim Public Utilities has hardened its systems, implemented high-speed automation, and is continuing to underground in areas where hazards exist. We recently sat down with our Assistant General Manager of Electric Services, Janet Lonneker, to discuss the topic.
What are Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events?
When extremely dry, low humidity, and windy conditions exist resulting in Red Flag Warnings, electric utilities may need to shut off power on those overhead electric lines posing a public safety risk that could lead to igniting a fire.
Can businesses in Anaheim expect to experience PSPS events, similar to those in neighboring cities?
No. In the extremely remote case that we would need to exercise a PSPS event, the fire threat zone area impacted by any PSPS event is located in a residential area that will only impact eight residential customers. Should you hear that neighboring communities are being shut off, please know this will not impact our power, unless a widespread, regional transmission issue occurs.
What is Anaheim doing to strengthen our system?
One of the most important strategies to mitigate wildfire damage is to have situational awareness so that resources can be deployed before a problem turns catastrophic. We’ve dramatically improved our situational awareness by installing high definition cameras and weather stations that are monitored by our operations staff as well as Anaheim Fire & Rescue dispatchers. We’ve seen the success of these cameras already in 2019, and we’re installing more.
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If you’ve been thinking about installing a solar rooftop system on your property, we want to let you know that our Net Energy Metering (NEM) program will undergo changes at the start of the new year. NEM 2.0 includes a time-based component that values solar energy that is equipped with energy storage. As a not-for-profit agency, NEM 2.0 helps Anaheim Public Utilities adequately recover our costs, while minimizing problems that can be caused on the grid when there is an oversupply of solar in the middle of the day.
If you already have a solar rooftop system, don’t worry these changes will not affect you.
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TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A FREE ENERGY ASSESSMENT
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An energy assessment is a great way of identifying operational and equipment improvements that will save energy, reduce utility costs, and lead to higher performance.
Whether you are looking for simple improvements to your business operations or long-term investments, an energy assessment is the first step toward reducing energy use and costs.
Business customers who take advantage of our
no-cost program
will receive a detailed report and can potentially reduce their electric use by implementing the recommendations. Our energy experts will schedule a site visit to help you with your energy efficiency goals.
For the safety of our customers, w
e offer this program under new precautionary guidelines that include conducting proper social distancing and wearing face masks and gloves. We look forward to continuing to serve our customers while making sure we keep everyone safe.
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We often take for granted the basic services we rely on to do business, like the water used to make our coffee, wash our hands, and irrigate our landscapes. At Anaheim Public Utilities, our employees are hard at work to provide safe, reliable, and affordable water service 365 days a year. For more than 100 years, we’ve served Anaheim residents and businesses, and by City Charter are only allowed to recover our costs. Included in those costs are responsibilities for maintaining water quality that meet state and federal regulations.
Regulations are in place to address chemicals known as PFOA and PFOS, which were used from the 1940s to the early 2000s in a variety of consumer products ranging from cookware to firefighting foam and industrial applications. These chemicals are no longer used in the United States, but they are persistent and have made their way into groundwater supplies.
The levels detected in water in Anaheim and other communities served by the region’s groundwater supply are equivalent to grains of sugar in an Olympic-size swimming pool. Anaheim has already taken our groundwater wells offline to ensure the safety of our drinking water and have brought in more imported water that has not been found to contain these chemicals. However, imported water is about double the cost of local groundwater.
To cover these costs, we are relying on our financial reserves that are held for emergencies, implementing a hiring freeze, reducing operating expenditures, reprioritizing capital projects, and working to buy lower cost imported water that we treat ourselves at the Lenain Treatment Plant. As we work to keep our water safe for all our customers, please know that we are maintaining affordable water rates by taking measures to mitigate expenses as much as possible.
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If you're a small business, non-profit, or school and are interested in learning more about our Small Business Direct Install Program visit our
website
.
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