You volunteered to take a vacation to look after the kids during their spring break from school, but you realize that after the week is over, you're going to need another week off to recover. As you make your way through bedrooms picking clothes up off the floor, you remember that your daughter has a soccer game this afternoon. You load the basket with her uniform, among other things, and prepare to wash a load of laundry...

At 9:08 a.m., Matt Menezes descends a ladder to inspect a new storage tank before it is filled with water. Company-wide, we have 520 tanks that can store a total of 267 million gallons of water, enough water to fill the Rose Bowl to the rim more than three times. At a capacity of 165,000 gallons, this one is relatively small, but it is equipped with a new check-valve system that promotes circulation of the water, which in turn enhances water quality. Investing in new tanks, and maintaining existing ones, enables us to store water for delivery during times of day when customer usage peaks. It also provides an emergency supply that can be used to fight fires or continue providing water if a power outage affects the operation of our wells and pumps. That means when you hit the “start” button on your washing machine, you know that you'll have a clean soccer uniform ready in time for the game, no matter what time of day it is.