• Water Quality
• Water Supply
• Sewer / Wastewater
• Recycled Water
• Backflow Prevention
• Urban Runoff
• Facilities
• Urban Water Management Plan
• Research Business Plan

National Leader. Innovative Practices.

The Vision

IRWD is a national leader in recycled water. Our long history of recycled water achievements began in 1963 when our forward-thinking Board of Directors implemented their vision to integrate water recycling into the overall design of our community. The goal was, and continues to be, to enhance our water supply reliability through a comprehensive recycled water program.

As a result, IRWD’s scope of services was expanded to include wastewater collection and treatment services for the purpose of producing recycled water. The district began delivering recycled water to its agricultural customers our service area within four years of its initial commitment. Today, IRWD’s nationally recognized recycled water program encompasses a wide variety of uses such as landscape irrigation, industrial processes, and toilet flushing in commercial buildings.

The Process

Recycled water production uses natural biological treatment to duplicate nature’s own cleaning processes. Wastewater from the community is collected and treated to tertiary standards at the Michelson Water Recycling Plant located in Irvine and the Los Alisos Water Recycling Plant located in Lake Forest. Tertiary treatment is a high level of treatment that results in excellent quality recycled water that can be reused in the community for state-approved non-drinking water purposes such as irrigation and toilet flushing.  Currently, we deliver more than 23.5 million gallons of recycled water per day to more than 4,000 customers.

The Distribution System

The cornerstone of IRWD’s extensive recycled water program is the development of a “dual distribution” system – one set of pipes for potable water and another set for recycled water. IRWD’s recycled water distribution system reaches most of our service area and continues to grow with the community. Beneath many streets in our service area lie three pipelines – one for drinking water delivery, one for wastewater collection, and the third – also known as the “purple pipe” – for distribution of recycled water. In fact, IRWD pioneered the use of purple piping which has become the international symbol for recycled water. 

The Result

IRWD’s recycled water consistently meets or exceeds the California Department of Public Health’s stringent water quality criteria for water reuse. As a result, IRWD has been a leader in all aspects of recycled water including research and design as well as policies and regulation. The high-quality, polished recycled water that leaves the Michelson Water Recycling Plant in Irvine can be used for almost every purpose except drinking.