Free field trips are available to students who attend a school within the service area of Irvine Ranch Water District only. The following tours are available:

• Michelson Water Reclamation Plant - Irvine Ranch Water District has been a leader in the field of water reclamation (recycling) for decades. Free group tours are available to students in the fifth grade or older only. Tours include a visit to IRWD's state-of-the-art water quality laboratory, an opportunity to view the biological process of wastewater treatment under a microscope, and a walking tour of the recycling plant itself. Students will learn what happens to water after it goes down the drain. No sandals or open-toed shoes allowed. Please wear tennis shoes or other sturdy walking shoes for safety. Approximately 90 minutes.

• San Joaquin Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary - Irvine Ranch Water District has built a constructed wetlands at San Joaquin Marsh in Irvine to treat urban runoff before it reaches environmentally sensitive Upper Newport Bay. Plants such as bulrush and cattails in the wetlands naturally remove 50-70% of the nitrogen from the water. Sediment and phosphorus are also reduced in the treatment process. The cleaned water returns to San Diego Creek to continue its journey to Upper Newport Bay and the ocean. Open to students in third grade or older. Approximately 45 minutes.

To book a field trip, call (949) 453-5500.