Attachment 7: Disadvantaged Community

The Project meets the requirements of Table 9 in the 2016 Water Energy Guidelines and PSP as described below.

Part A – Project Location

Question 1: Does the project provide water and energy use efficiency incentives or other services that reduce energy use to water users located with a physical address in a DAC Census Tract?

West Basin has utilized the CalEnviroScreen tool to determine which Disadvantaged Communities (DAC) fall within our service area boundaries. The West Basin DAC Water-Energy Savings Initiative Project (Project) will provide direct, meaningful, and assured benefits to numerous communities.

SB 535 provides a list of zip codes and cities for the 25% highest scoring census tracts. In evaluating West Basin’s service area in relation to these, several cities were indicated as having concentrated Disadvantaged Area Communities, including: Carson, Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, and the unincorporated Los Angeles County area of Lennox.

The Project will help meet the economic needs of disadvantaged communities while developing more sustainable communities by targeting these DACs. Comprehensive indoor surveys will identify opportunities to install measures aimed at reducing water and energy use. Through installation of water and energy efficiency devices, water and energy efficiency device rebates, education and customer assistance, West Basin will equip customers with the resources they need to reduce their water and energy bills, and improve their finances for other important life costs. Trained, bilingual surveyors will have knowledge of current EnergyStar and WaterSense rebates available to customers to effectively convey the benefits that can be realized from participation in the program.

The Project will prioritize DACs within our service area by ensuring that at least 75 percent of participants are from such communities utilizing databases available from the project partner, SBESC. West Basin will develop marketing materials for customers physically located within selected community census tracts. The marketing materials will include door hangers and direct letters that will be used in targeting residents.

According to recent census data, approximately 20% of our target audience is Spanish speaking. As such, marketing materials, program resources, and surveying services will be provided in both English and Spanish. West Basin will also work closely with its cities, water retailers and energy utility agencies to brainstorm other strategies that can be implemented directly in the community. By doing so, West Basin and its vendor will be able to communicate the Project more effectively and change out more devices.

Question 2. If the answer to Question 1 is no, will the project improve, repair or replace water system infrastructure for water and energy savings within a DAC?

No, not applicable.

Question 3. If the answer to Question 2 is no, does the project include recruitment, agreements, policies or other approaches that result in at least 25% or project work hours performed by residents of a DAC?

No, not applicable.

Question 4. Does the project include recruitment, agreements, policies or other approaches that result in at least 10% of project work hours performed by residents of a DAC participating in job training programs which lead to industry-recognized credentials or certifications?

The Project will be competitively bid and therefore it is unknown at this time if the installation work will be conducted by residents of a DAC participating in job training programs.

Part B

Question 5. What is the community need your project addresses?

The disadvantaged communities within West Basin’s jurisdictional boundary are subject to a variety of factors that both increase potential exposure to pollutants and result in increased vulnerability to pollution. According to CalEnviroScreen, the parcels in West Basin’s boundary that are considered to be DAC are, on average, in the 80th percentile for pollution burden indicators and 76th percentile for population characteristics indicators. Of particular concern is the high level of poverty and unemployment faced in these areas, resulting in low-income levels. The community need that this Project addresses is the replacement of older, inefficient water and energy efficiency devices in the homes of low-income residents. These homes will typically utilize older, inefficient devices that waste water and energy, resulting in higher water and energy bills. There is a need to reach into these low-income houses to replace these devices.

Question 6. How did you identify the community need? Choose from the list below. A. Considered the factors in CalEnviroScreen that caused an area to be defined as a DAC. This is the method that West Basin used to identify the community need. B. Hosted community meetings to solicit local input from a DAC. C. Received documentation of DAC support D. Referred to the list of common needs in Table 2-2 as outlined in ARB’s Funding Guidelines.

Question 7. Describe how your project and the resulting benefit will address the community need.

The replacement of these devices with new, water and energy efficient devices will not only save water and energy, but will reduce the residents’ water and energy bills. It is also assumed that these low-income houses have more than the typical 4 person household, so the water and energy use is even greater. Combine this greater usage from inefficient devices, then you have potential for immediate, direct and assured water and energy savings.

1. Narrative Description

The Project will help meet the economic needs of disadvantaged communities while developing more sustainable communities by targeting these DACs. Comprehensive indoor surveys will identify opportunities to install measures aimed at reducing water and energy use. Through installation of water and energy efficiency devices, water and energy efficiency device rebates, education and customer assistance, West Basin will equip customers with the resources they need to reduce their water and energy bills, and improve their finances for other important life costs. Trained, bilingual surveyors will have knowledge of current EnergyStar and WaterSense rebates available to customers to effectively convey the benefits that can be realized from participation in the program.

The Project will prioritize DACs within our service area by ensuring that at least 75 percent of participants are from such communities by utilizing databases available from the project partner, SBESC. West Basin will develop marketing materials for customers physically located within selected community census tracts. The marketing materials will include door hangers and direct letters that will be used in targeting residents. At least 75 percent of the grant funds will be allocated to the DAC area within the West Basin service area, although the goal is to reach 100% participation and 100% of the grant funding.

The community need that this Project addresses is the replacement of older, inefficient water and energy efficiency devices in the homes of low-income residents. These homes will typically utilize older, inefficient devices that waste water and energy resulting in a higher GPCD for the residential water user as well as higher water and energy bills. There is a need to reach into these low-income houses to replace these devices.

The Project addresses Question 1 in Table 9: it provides water and energy use efficiency incentives or other services that reduce energy use to water users located with a physical address in a DAC Census Tract.

2. Project Location Map The map below shows the West Basin jurisdictional boundary outlined in blue with the DAC areas in red, per the CalEnviroScreen 2.0 Tool. The Project location is represented by the West Basin jurisdictional boundary. As described above, the Project will prioritize DACs within our service area by ensuring that at least 75 percent of participants are from such communities.