One year ago this month, a daunting era ended for Culver City and for the large region covered by the West Basin Municipal Water District. The much revered Ed Little retired, forced to the sidelines by failing health.
Ninety days later, on Aug. 16, he died at 87 years old.
Twenty-five years on the Water Board, Mr. Little’s shining star, is a record likely to survive deep into this century.
With a smile, Mr. Little absorbed good-natured kidding directed at him about his unique and abiding interest in keeping this section of Southern California generously replenished with one of nature’s most valued commodities.
Mr. Little possessed expert knowledge and ingrained interest in water and its distribution. He took a ribbing about his devotion to water because only he, among his peers, possessed a serious grasp of water.
Mr. Little will be remembered as long as there is a West Basin.
From the West Basin files:
The Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility is the largest water recycling facility of its kind in the United States. In 2002, it was recognized by the National Water Research Institute as one of only six National Centers for Water Treatment Technologies. The Little is the only treatment facility in the country that produces five different qualities of designer, or custom-made, recycled water that meet the unique needs of West Basin’s municipal, commercial and industrial customers.
West Basin’s transformation from imported water wholesaler to a leader in conservation and water recycling can be traced back to California’s severe drought period between the late ’80s and early ’90s. In 1992, West Basin received state and federal funding to design and build a world-class, state-of-the-art water recycling treatment facility in the City of El Segundo, with its own visitor’s education center. The facility produces 40 million gallons of water every day, conserving enough drinking water to meet the needs of 80,000 households for a year. West Basin’s Water Recycling Facility also houses a 60,000-square foot solar power generating system that has reduced emissions of carbon dioxide by over 356 tons in one year’s time. These emissions reductions are equivalent to planting nearly 100 acres of trees or not driving 890,007 miles. To date, $600 million in local, state, and federal funds have been invested in this effort.
Mr. Little was the reason that Steve Rose, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, ran for the Water Board last summer – until the board decided to fill the big Little seat in the general election.
“I probably met Ed for the first time in 1968 when I joined the Junior Chamber of Commerce,” Mr. Rose said this morning. At that time, Mr. Little had two more years to serve in his City Council seat, and Mr. Rose still was more than 30 years away from running for Council.
(To be continued)