Water-Saving Effort Brings Youths Cash

Flushed with pride, two local youth groups received checks worth nearly $7,000 from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California at a City Council meeting, their payment for convincing residents to switch to water-saving toilets.

The youths, from the San Fernando Police Explorer Post and the city’s recreation department, spent weeks going door to door in selected neighborhoods to offer residents free low-flush toilets. For each household they signed up, the youths received $5.

Doude Wysbeek, who represents San Fernando on the district’s board of directors, said the conservation program was funded by the water district, the U.S. Bureau of Recreation and the city.

Monday evening Wysbeek handed over two enormous, bogus checks and thanked the groups for their participation.

“This is not a gift. They made this the old-fashioned way, they earned it,” he said, presenting $4,882.50 to the Explorers and $2,092.50 to the recreation department group.

Twenty-four young men and women from the Explorer Post, all neatly dressed in their uniforms, attended the meeting to receive their check.

“It was a very good experience. The money is good, but we really did it to help out the community,” said Jorge Cervantes, 15.

Sgt. Jim Martinez, who with his daughter, Officer Kathy Martinez, runs the Explorer program for the San Fernando Police Department, said the group spent long days walking in the summer sun to enroll people in the program.

“It was hot and nasty outside,” he said. “They really worked their butts off for this money and they’re thrilled to death to be recognized by the council.”

The low-flush toilets use 1.3 gallons of water per flush, compared with five gallons or more for most toilets. With 1,400 toilets installed as a result of the youth’s efforts, the city will save an estimated 10 million gallons of water per year, said San Fernando Mayor Rosa Chacon.