Weather-Based Irrigation Technology: In 2007, IRWD successfully sponsored AB 566 (Plescia) to develop and enhance existing technology providing weather based data for optimal watering schedules. This bill helped to expand the use “smart sprinklers,” across the state; saving not only precious water resources but also reducing urban runoff which pollutes our waterways.

Conservation Rate Structures: In 2008, IRWD successfully sponsored AB 2882 (Wolk) which laid the groundwork for more agencies to voluntarily implement allocation based conservation rate structures, like the rate structure used by IRWD. Allocation based conservation rate structures provide customers with economic incentives for efficient water usage and in turn, effectively reduce water consumption.

Statewide Conservation Policy: IRWD was instrumental in developing the conservation portions of the historic Delta / Water Legislative Package passed by the California Legislature in 2009. The strong and fair statewide water conservation policy established in the package will move California toward meeting then-Governor Schwarzenegger’s goal of a 20% reduction in per capita water use across the state by 2020.

Indoor Recycled Water Use: AB 1406 (Huffman), successfully sponsored by IRWD in 2007, changed the California Water Code to allow recycled water to be used for indoor uses such as toilet flushing and cooling towers in multi-level condominium complexes. This legislation brought indoor recycled water use standards for condominium buildings in line with the standards for commercial buildings and will expand the use of recycled water across the state.

California Plumbing Code: SB 283 (DeSaulnier), successfully sponsored by IRWD in 2009, paved the way for the adoption of California Plumbing Code provisions setting forth design standards for the safe plumbing of approved buildings with both potable and recycled water systems allowing. These provisions allow more recycled water projects to move forward to help reduce demand on our drinking water supplies.

Water Softeners: AB 1366 (Feuer/Caballero/A. Strickland) was successfully sponsored by a coalition of water agencies including IRWD in 2009. This bill provided water agencies in specified areas of the state with a critical tool for managing controllable salts discharged by self-regenerating water softeners and will help to offset the need to build costly treatment systems in order to provide adequate water supplies.

Delta / Water Package: In 2009 the state Legislature passed a comprehensive package of legislation related to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and statewide water supply reliability. IRWD worked closely with a coalition of water agencies to develop and enact this historic legislation.

Clean and Renewable Water Bonds: At the federal level, IRWD is a member of the New Water Supply Coalition, working to identify revenue sources for innovative water supply projects and facilities across the country. An example of these efforts is the authorization of Clean Renewable Water Supply, or CREWS, bonds which could be used to finance water recycling, desalination, and groundwater contamination clean-up projects. If enacted by Congress, this financing tool will stimulate the use of new technologies, speed up the construction of new water infrastructure facilities, and reduce the future costs of the development of needed new water supplies. 

Water Resources Development Act: IRWD is seeking federal authorization in the 2011 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) for the Syphon Reservoir Recycled Water Storage Project. Syphon Reservoir, located in the northern portion of the City of Irvine, is an existing reservoir currently used to store a small amount of water for irrigation purposes. This project will increase the storage capacity of this facility from 500 acre feet to up to 5,000 acre feet by reconstructing the existing dam, originally constructed in 1949, to modern standards and installing piping to convey recycled water in and out of the reservoir. By providing additional storage, this project will allow IRWD to recycle 100% of the District’s wastewater and will further reduce the District’s dependence on imported supplies from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

Authorization by Congress in the 2011 WRDA bill will allow IRWD to partner with the United States Corps of Engineers on this exciting project. Further, a WRDA authorization would provide up to a 75 percent federal cost share allowing IRWD to maximize our local capital infrastructure dollars. For more information on the Syphon Reservoir Recycled Water Project, click here.

Bond Financing: SB 613 (Harman), introduced by IRWD in 2009 and signed into law in 2010, provides IRWD with the authority to use the District’s overall strong credit in obtaining general obligation bonds. SB 613 will help reduce the District’s cost of debt by millions of dollars and, in turn, save our customers money without any additional risk to the District or our ratepayers. By using the authority in SB 613, IRWD expects to save more than $1.5 million in our cost of debt in 2011 alone.

Federal Appropriations: Public Law 108-233, enacted by 108th Congress in 2004, authorized IRWD's Irvine Basin Groundwater and Surface Water Improvement Act. This law authorized the Federal Government to fund up to a 25% or $20 million of the design, planning and construction of the project through the United States Bureau of Reclamation Title XVI program. The authorized project included three components - the IRWD Natural Treatment System, the Irvine Desalter, and the Orange County Regional Brine Line. IRWD received a total of approximately $1.5 million in appropriations from Congress in FY 2007 and FY 2008 and then received the remainder of the authorized federal funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This funding goes directly to local IRWD projects that improve and expand our water supplies and protect our precious water resources.