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                     NEWS RELEASE FROM THE

                  CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION


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For Immediate Release:  Thursday March 23, 1995


                  ALAMEDA COUNTY WATER DISTRICT 
                  HONORED FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY


The Alameda County Water District has been named an Energy 
Efficiency Showcase by the California Energy Commission, which 
praised the district's resourcefulness in saving energy.

Located in Fremont, the district is one of only 10 water 
suppliers to be selected for the Commission's Energy Showcase 
project.  Sixteen wastewater districts were also selected from 
the more than 4,000 water and sewer agencies in California.

"The Showcase program was designed to reward and spotlight energy 
efficient water suppliers like this one," explained Commissioner 
Jananne Sharpless of the Energy Commission.  "With their 
dedicated approach to energy use, the operators of the Alameda 
County Water District serve as models for other water 
professionals around the state."

Operating 17 wells and 11 storage reservoirs, the district 
furnishes water to 280,000 customers in Fremont, Newark and 
Union City, an area of 96 square miles.  Its state-of-the-art 
treatment plant is capable of processing more than 21 million 
gallons of water a day.  Incorporated into the facility's 
design was an on-site hydroelectric plant that generates 
electricity for plant operations, significantly cutting 
operations costs. 

As a participant in the Energy Showcase project, the Alameda 
County Water District will serve as a demonstration site, 
allowing other water suppliers to learn from its accomplishments.  

"The Energy Commission is encouraging every water supplier and 
every wastewater agency in the state to become as energy 
efficient as possible," said Sharpless.  "It makes good business 
sense.  Californians spend over half a billion dollars a year 
to pump and treat their water and sewage.  If every agency 
could cut its energy bill by 10 percent, the savings statewide 
would result in an additional $50 million a year that could be 
used to replace old pipes and aging infrastructure, improve 
water quality, and increase the amount of water recycling."

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For more information, contact:

Greg Watson
General Manager, Alameda County Water District 
(510) 659-1970 extension 484
	
Rob Schlichting, California Energy Commission, (916) 654-5159



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FILE NAME: 95-03-23_Alameda_Water_Award