Whittier

Whittier is located in Los Angeles County, about 12 miles southeast of the City of Los Angeles. A five Member City Council under the Council-Manager form of government directs the City. Whittier is a charter law city and was incorporated in 1898. The Charter form of City government was ratified in 1955. The City covers 14.8 square miles and has an estimated population of 87,369 as of January 1, 2018. Businesses and industries in the area include 436 professional services, 845 retail stores, 200 family-type restaurants, 37 manufacturing plants, 7 hotels and motels, 2 new automobile dealerships and over 303 specialty shops and boutiques, predominantly located in Uptown Whittier, the Quad shopping mall, as well as the Whittwood Town Center.

In 1784 Manuel Nieto, a retired captain who served in the Portola Expedition was granted 300,000 plus acres of land by the King of Spain. The land grant, in what is now California, stretched from the hills north of Whittier to the sea, and from the Santa Ana River to the San Gabriel River. By 1822 Mexico had achieved political independence from Spain, recalled the Spanish-appointed Governor from Alta California and appointed its own. In 1834 Mexico began to “secularize” the missions and issued land grants to individual rancheros. Juan Crispin Perez received a grant for Rancho Paso de Bartolo in 1835 for land that had initially belonged to the San Gabriel Mission. Perez eventually sold five parcels of the Paso de Bartolo land to Pio de Jesus Pico (1801-1894), a ranchero who had already served as Governor once (1832-33) and was to become last Mexico-appointed Governor of California (1845-46). Pico built his home east of the San Gabriel River and South of Whittier Boulevard (El Camino Real), now the Pio Pico State Historic Park. The Park underwent extensive renovations and re-opened in September 2003.

Modern Whittier roots can be traced to 160 acres of public land acquired in 1868 by Jacob Gerkens. Gerkens was a German immigrant who paid $234 to the U.S. government for the land under the auspices of the Homestead Act. Mr. Gerkens built a small cabin on the property which stands today as Jonathan Bailey House. The land changed hands several times before 1,259 acres were acquired in 1887 by a group of Quakers interested in founding a new community in California. The group acquired the land as the Pickering Land and Water Development Company. Many “Friends” on the East Coast bought lots from the Company sight unseen, but all “fair-minded people” were invited to settle here. Farmers in the area planted barley, beans, cabbage, corn, oats, peanuts, tomatoes and citrus. The town was named after fellow Quaker John Greenleaf Whittier, a famous poet, writer and newspaper editor. John Greenleaf Whittier never had the opportunity to visit the town that bears his name but he did write and dedicate a poem in honor of the new City

WHERE DOES WHITTIER CITY WATER COME FROM?

During 2017, the City of Whittier pumped 100 percent of our source water from four (4) active deep wells located in the Whittier Narrows area. These wells draw water from the Main San Gabriel groundwater basin and the Central groundwater basin. This water is then treated, pressurized and delivered to the City of Whittier’s eleven reservoirs for your use. In addition, the City of Whittier assists in the operation of a groundwater treatment facility located in the Central Basin and receives treated water from the Central Basin Plant as a drinking water supply. The treatment facility removed Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs) to non-detectable levels.

ARE THERE CONTAMINANTS IN WHITTIER CITY WATER?

The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the layers of the ground it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animal and human activity.

Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.

Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment

plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.

Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production or mining activities.

Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban storm runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining and farming.

Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gasoline stations, urban stormwater runoff, agricultural application, and septic systems

SHOULD I DRINK AND BATHE WITH WHITTIER CITY WATER STRAIGHT FROM MY FAUCET?

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised people, such as those with cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have had organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly persons and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised people, such as those with cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have had organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly persons and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

https://www.cityofwhittier.org/home/showdocument?id=2448

Complete Plumbing recommends installing a Catalytic Carbon Whole house water filtration system by Aqualistic Water Products to remove most of the harmful chemicals in your city water, leaving you with bottled quality water at every faucet in your home.

WHITTIER PLUMBING TIPS

Fix leaky faucets. For every leak stopped, you can save 20 gallons of water per day.

Develop a watering schedule for your irrigation system.  To learn more, visit www.bewaterwise.com/calculator.html.

Use native plants in your landscaping. Planting and maintaining beautiful California native and water-friendly plants can save between 1,000 and 1,800 gallons per month.

Install a high-efficiency toilet or clothes washer. A temporary rebate program is still available. Other rebates are also available for sprinklers and artificial turf. To learn more, visit www.ocwatersmart.com.

MWDSC has its own water conservation website. To find out more information on water saving plants and other useful tips, visit www.bewaterwise.com.source: 2016 La Habra consumer confidence report. https://www.lahabracity.com/DocumentCenter/View/7789/2018-Water-Quality-Report?bidId=

WHITTIER RESIDENTS should make sure that their plumbing systems are in good working order and are leak free. This is important, not only for saving money on your water bill and limiting damages to property, but it is our responsibility to provide clean fresh water for future generations.

DID YOU KNOW?

Water Leaks:

  • Nationwide, more than 1 trillion gallons of water are lost annually due to household leaks. That’s equal to the annual water use of more than 11 million homes.
  • The average household can waste more than 10,000 gallons each year due to correctable leaks. That’s enough to wash 270 loads of laundry!
  • Ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day! Common sources include toilets, faucets, showerheads, and landscape irrigation. But you should also consider less obvious sources of leaks: water heaters, ice makers, dishwashers, and filtration systems. Many of these are easily correctable, and fixing them can save about 10 percent on the average water bill.
  • Be sure to check your toilet for leaks at least once a year. Put food coloring in the tank. If it seeps into the bowl without flushing, there’s a leak. And if your toilet flapper doesn’t close properly after flushing, replace it.
  • Remember, one drip a second adds up to five gallons lost per day!
    So regularly check your faucets and showerheads, as well as all hoses and connectors.
  • Many household leaks can be solved with simple tools and a little education — and fortunately, Do-It-Yourselfers have access to multiple resources. But even if you must pay for repairs, you will still save money in the long run. For more information on water conservation, visit ocwatersmart.com.
  • Complete plumbing provides leak detection of even the smallest amount of water which could prevent costly water bills and possible damage due to water leaks

Complete plumbing utilizes automatic water shut off valves that detect leaks, automatically shuts off the water to your home then sends you an alert via a smartphone app. You can turn the water on and off, monitor water usage and temperature right from your phone!

WHITTIER SEWER DRAINAGE SYSTEM

The Sewer Maintenance Division maintains 210 miles of sewer lines within the City. The Division routinely cleans these sewer lines once over twelve months and some areas on a more frequent basis. The City’s sewer system is operated in compliance with various laws and regulations. Sewer service charges are based on measured water usage and are collected on the County property tax bill.

Low income, single-family property owners may be eligible for a discounted sewer rate. Renters are not eligible for the discount since the sewer fee is paid through the property tax bill. Applicants must apply and be eligible for the City Utility Users Tax Exemption to receive the discounted sewer rate.

It is the responsibility of the property owner to maintain and repair their own sewer lateral (the sewer line running from the home to the sewer mainline). Before the issuance of a permit, a sewer lateral inspection video (with distance measurements shown on video) must be provided to the city for inspection of the condition of the sewer lateral.

  • Most Whittier homes have just one main sewer pipe that connects the sewer system from their house to the city’s main sewer system. Homeowners are required to maintain that sewer pipe up to and including the middle of the street and may be responsible for repair costs should a problem occur.
  • Complete Plumbing can use a sewer drain camera and location device to inspect sewer lines for breaks, cracks root intrusions. This simple examination of your sewer system may save thousands of dollars in repair costs.

What is Storm Water Pollution?

Stormwater is water from rain that does not soak into the ground. It flows over paved areas like streets, sidewalks, and parking lots, as well as roofs and sloped lawns. As it flows, the stormwater collects and carries pollutants such as litter, pet waste, pesticides, fertilizers, and motor oil. This “toxic soup” then flows through a massive system of pipes and channels directly into our local waterways and the ocean.

What is the difference between the storm drain system and the sanitary sewer system?
The storm drain system and sanitary sewer system are both large conveyance systems of underground pipes. This leads to the misconception that the systems are one and the same. They are in fact separated and serve different purposes.

The sanitary sewer system transports domestic sewage to a treatment plant. Domestic sewage includes wastewater from household and commercial plumbing, such as toilets, showers, and sinks. In Whittier, sewage travels from private plumbing pipes into the City’s sanitary sewer system, which eventually carries it to the Los Coyotes Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in the City of Cerritos and the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant in the City of Carson. There, contaminants are removed from the sewage through a multi-stage process, which includes settling, filtering, and biological and chemical treatment. The treated water is then discharged into local waterways or used as reclaimed water.

The storm drain system, on the other hand, was designed to prevent cities from flooding. Its purpose is to quickly transport rain runoff (stormwater) away from the city and into the nearest waterway, without treatment. And so, any pollution carried by stormwater also enters our waterways untreated.

We have been serving Whittier Residents for over 30 years and know a lot about Whittier water filtration systems, Whittier Plumbing Systems, Whittier heating, and air conditioning systems, Whittier tankless water heaters Whittier drain cleaning

Call and ask about our Whittier residents specials

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