Irvine Ranch Water District received top honors in the state for customer service and customer outreach from the California Municipal Utilities Association, which has recognized the district with two first-place awards this year.
IRWD’s Sprinkler Repair Program won the top spot for Customer Service Excellence, and its “Good Water. Great Neighborhoods” water quality campaign was the winner of the Excellence in Communication Award.
Customer Service Excellence Award
IRWD’s Sprinkler Repair Program provides professional help for qualified sprinkler system repairs and splits the cost with customers — making it easy and affordable to repair irrigation leaks. The program was launched in 2022 and saw a dramatic 300% spike in customer participation in 2023, thanks to a digital outreach campaign associated with the program.
To date, nearly 1,000 leaky systems have been repaired, potentially saving up to 45 million gallons of water.
“The program is quick, simple, worry-free, and has measurable savings for the District and our customers,” IRWD Water Efficiency Manager Amy McNulty said.
Customers can visit IRWD.com/sprinklerrepair for information about the program or to apply.
Excellence in Communication Award
IRWD’s “Good Water. Great Neighborhoods” campaign was honored for outstanding communication for its unique and integrated strategy of turning tap water into hometown pride.
Whimsical, Wes Anderson-style video shorts show neighbors swooning over delicious lemonade made by a young girl named Lucy. Her secret? IRWD water. It’s the minerals that make it crisp.
The campaign reflected both digital and in-person outreach, including a series of water quality workshops (including a lab tour and Q&A with experts), and an enhanced Water Quality Report making it easier to understand the data behind IRWD water.
To learn more about IRWD water quality, visit IRWD/com.quality.
