September 2020
Save Water, Energy, Money, & the Environment
Industries Honored for Being "Good Corporate Citizens"

(LACSD) recognized 432 companies with certificates for being “good corporate citizens” for the year 2019. These companies have met their limits for wastewater discharge for at least a year, maintained their environmental equipment, and fulfilled all permit requirements. Of these companies, eighty-five have received this recognition for five or more consecutive years.

“To protect public health and the environment, our agency works closely with our industrial dischargers to ensure their wastewater meets or exceeds regulatory requirements. The treatment that these companies provide before discharging wastewater to our sewer system allows the Sanitation Districts to operate more effectively for all ratepayers,” remarked Robert C. Ferrante, Chief Engineer and General Manager of the Sanitation Districts. “We commend these companies for their commitment to being good environmental stewards,” added Mr. Ferrante, who announced the certificate awardees at the meetings of the Sanitation Districts’ Boards of
Directors. 
Food Waste Program
September 19, 2020 @ 9:00 AM

Palmdale Water Reclamation Plant  
October 10, 2020 @ 9:00 AM

For more information about these upcoming FREE virtual tours of LACSD's facilities,
click the image below.
Dare 2 Care

During this campaign the City of Torrance asks the community to participate by wearing masks in public and demonstrating acts of kindness to show that goodness always wins over hate and kindness is contagious. The goal of the campaign is to spread kindness, not COVID-19. Join the City to vocalize and show your support by:
  • Covering your face for everyone’s safety
  • Embracing Diversity
  • Celebrating Differences
  • Promoting Kindness and
  • Challenging someone you know to do the same
LADWP Urges Customers to Continue Conserving Energy
As Southern California continues to experience extreme heat, LADWP is calling on customers to continue conserving energy to help the state grid and reduce the strain on neighborhood distribution systems. Extreme heat conditions, including nighttime temperatures that provide little relief to strained equipment. The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) continues to issue statewide flex alerts typically between (3 p.m. to 10 p.m.) in response to these conditions. A flex alert is a call for voluntary electricity conservation during peak hours to lessen the strain on the state’s grid.
SoCalGas Introduces Contactless Enrollment Option for Energy Savings Assistance Program in Response to COVID-19 Social Distancing Guidelines

SoCalGas announced a virtual enrollment option for the Energy Savings Assistance Program, which continues to provide eligible customers with an average of $705 worth of energy-efficiency home upgrades at no cost to help improve the safety and comfort of customers' homes.  

"The safety of our customers, employees and contractors is of the utmost importance and, keeping in mind that social distancing is a very important component of helping to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are pleased to offer a virtual enrollment option for our Energy Savings Assistance Program" said Jeff Walker, vice president of customer solutions at SoCalGas. "During this challenging time, it's critical that we continue to support our customers and communities by providing reliable and affordable energy, while also maintaining the health and safety of our customers, employees and contractors."
Metered Savings Program

California has an ambitious goal of doubling energy efficiency by 2030. At the same time, public agencies need resources to improve their aging buildings and infrastructure and contribute to statewide efficiency goals. Existing energy efficiency programs require bringing facilities above Title 24 standards, which can deter public agencies from acting due to financial constraints and leave below-code facilities with the largest energy efficiency opportunities “stranded.” The Metered Savings Program offers a new way to unlock “stranded” savings and access SoCalREN’s energy efficiency project delivery services at no cost.
West Basin General Manager Discusses Water Scarcity, District Programs on National Podcast
On August 21, West Basin's General Manager was the featured guest on the Talking Under Water podcast. During the broadcast, he discussed water scarcity, recycled water, desalination, stormwater, conservation, and the District’s ongoing public outreach and education efforts. Much of the interview centered around West Basin’s recycled water program, which has produced more than 225 billion gallons since 1995. These efforts have saved enough drinking water to meet the annual water needs of nearly 8.3 million people.
WRD Summer 2020 Newsletter
Find out about WRD's outreach efforts in securing a locally-sourced, sustainable water supply for the central and west coast groundwater basins.
WRD offers virtual tours of its newest advanced water treatment facility, the Albert Robles Center for Water Recycling and Environmental Learning (ARC) here.
Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste Collection Events

The Household Hazardous Waste and Electronic Waste Collection Program (HHW) gives Los Angeles County residents a legal and cost-free way to dispose of unwanted household chemicals that cannot be disposed of in the regular trash.

Upcoming events in the South Bay:
S.A.F.E. Center locations and days/hours of operation in Los Angeles can be found here
TAP is Now on iPhone & Apple Watch
Metro have some exciting news. Metro and riders on 25 other transit systems in Los Angeles County can now add TAP cards to their iPhone or Apple Watch beginning today. Here is the announcement made via Facebook Live by L.A. Mayor and Metro Board Chair Eric Garcetti and Metro Chief of Staff Nadine Lee. This is a safer, contactless way to pay fares and it means no more having to go to a station to purchase a TAP card or load fares from a TAP vending machine or a vendor. Using your iPhone or Apple Watch as a TAP card means you no longer have to dig a TAP card out of your pockets, purse, knapsack, etc.

Also, learn about other Metro programs such as Vanpool and ExpressLanes.
On the Go
News for Southern California Commuters: September / October 2020
Learn about opportunities for ridesharing, public transportation, and the benefits that an Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC) can offer your workplace. This monthly newsletter addresses the broad audience of commuters that rely on transportation agencies from Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside & San Bernardino Counties, and Ventura County.
Census 2020
There is Still Time to Respond
The 2020 Census is happening now. You can complete your questionnaire online, by phone, or by mail. Please note that if you are responding online, you must complete the census in one sitting, as you don't have the ability to save your progress. You can see the questions the census asked. Even if you did not receive an invitation to respond from the Census Bureau, you may respond online or call the U.S. Census Bureau's phone line.
SBCCOG General Assembly 2020 Sponsors
SBCCOG is Hiring
SBCCOG is currently hiring for the following position:

  • Project Manager I (Energy Efficiency Programs)

To learn more and apply, please follow this link
Learn more about South Bay sub-region & its member cities/areas here
Interested in becoming a volunteer at SBESC? Fill out an application here
 Links to Partner Resources En Español:
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