City of Cerritos honored with Green Leadership Award from Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

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STAFF REPORT

The City of Cerritos was honored with a Green Leadership Award from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in recognition of the City’s Reclaimed Water Expansion Project. The Board of Supervisors presented the award to Mayor Naresh Solanki and Councilmember Jim Edwards at the April 23 Board of Supervisors meeting. 

The Green Leadership Awards recognize outstanding efforts by individuals, cities, businesses and public agencies that raise the bar in improving the County’s environmental sustainability through water conservation, expansion of urban forestry, infrastructure improvements, development and promotion of non-motorized transportation, and programs and initiatives that reduce reliance on fossil fuels and sustain the region’s rich biodiversity.

Cerritos Mayor Naresh Solanki said, “The City of Cerritos is proud to receive the Green Leadership Award. Cerritos is committed to preserving natural resources and protecting the environment.”

The City of Cerritos operates and maintains one of the largest reclaimed water operations in the region. In 2016, the City of Cerritos entered into a partnership with the Forest Lawn Memorial Park to address and reduce Forest Lawn’s reliance on potable water for the irrigation of its extensive landscape. The project, coordinated with multiple jurisdictions across Los Angeles and Orange County, included the construction of 2.5 miles of underground reclaimed water pipeline to the memorial park. In its first year of service, the project provided Forest Lawn with 245 acre-feet of reclaimed water, or a savings of 80 million gallons of potable water. Annual savings is estimated at 80-130 million gallons of water.

“The County’s Green Leadership Awards are about honoring residents who have gone above and beyond to improve L.A. County’s environmental sustainability. Whether it is discovering new ways to conserve water, planting trees, or utilizing renewable energy, this year’s winners inspire us to make every day Earth Day,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn.