Learn to plan and design your Yardtopia
Thinking of redoing parts — or all — of your yard? Get tips and inspiration from landscape design experts at IRWD’s Designing Your Yardtopia™ workshop.
Designing Your Yardtopia is Sunday, May 16, 10–11:30 a.m. at IRWD Sand Canyon headquarters.
This free workshop will guide you from big‑picture goals to a drafted plan. The event includes hands-on guided activities, simple drawing techniques and worksheets.
Presentations will frame the concepts, then quickly transition into interactive exercises that will help you analyze a site, explore ideas and create a personalized, functional landscape design.
To ensure guests have the most interactive and engaging experience, spots are limited for this workshop and every participant must register individually. IRWD workshops are free for IRWD customers, but registration is required. Participants must be at least 16 years old. Service address verification may be required.
The event will fill — sign up at IRWD.com/events today.
Backyard style on the rise with raised planters
Raised planters are an easy and beautiful way to define outdoor spaces.
Bring harmony to your backyard with elevated planters that come alive with living pops of color.
Raised planters for flowers, herbs or vegetables can serve as gentle guides to help define and balance the flow of activities in your yard. Choose the style that best reflects the architectural style and feel of your backyard:
—Planters that are made of timber lend themselves best to a vegetable or herb garden, blending the organic qualities of wood with the nourishment of plants you can eat.
—Rock and stone planters yield a sense of ageless stability. They can be rugged, like in nature, or manicured as a granite or slate veneer, brick or stucco to match the style of other features in your yard.
—Metal beds come in a variety of colors and textures. Some prefer the simplicity and sheen of galvanized steel, while others lean toward the more sophisticated rust patina typical of Corten steel.
—Planters composed of two or more of these materials can yield dramatic results.
Position your planter to draw the eye and define the flow between the spaces in your yard.
Shop around or DIY it?
A variety of raised planters are available for purchase online or at most home improvement stores.
Or, search the web for ideas and videos to build your own. You can also hire a professional to plan the layout and create something that complements your style.
Sign up for a springtime Bird Walk at the Marsh
Take in springtime at the San Joaquin Marsh while enjoying a guided bird walk led by an expert from the Sea & Sage Audubon Society. Guests will learn about the Marsh, walk the trails, and watch for the sights and sounds of various bird species both migrant and resident. Seasonal shorebirds include ducks, grebes, herons and egrets that frequent the bay.
The walk, which is open to interested birders 16 years and older, will meet at the Learning Center in the San Joaquin Marsh. All guests ages 17 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. This interpretive walk will go at a moderate pace along level ground. A limited number of binoculars will be provided, but guests are encouraged to bring their own as well.
This event is free for IRWD customers, but registration is required. All registrants are limited to one additional guest per RSVP.
Sign up at IRWD.com/events.
IRWD wins Collection System of the Year award
Mostly underground and out of sight, IRWD’s sewer system doesn’t get much notice in the community — but in industry circles, it’s gold.
This month, the California Water Environment Association presented IRWD with its first-place Gold Award as the Collection System of the Year for the Santa Ana River Basin Section. The District took second place for its size at the state level.
The Gold Award was based on the District’s outstanding record of safety, regulatory compliance, preventive maintenance, training and data management.
Key accomplishments contributing to the award included:
- No accidents or injuries reported in the past year
- Exceptional regulatory compliance
- An impressive root, vermin and odor control program
- A data-driven asset management system and CCTV inspection program
- A corrective maintenance program supported by continual updates to IRWD’s sewer master plan
- Real-time odor control using remote telemetry
- Extensive training for employees
“This award acknowledges the hard work of our team, and we are very honored to receive it,” said Collection Systems Manager William Kleinau. “It takes a lot of coordination to maintain our 1,536 miles of sewer pipeline, 18 lift stations and other infrastructure needed to serve a daytime population of more than 600,000 people.”
Most people don’t think about sewers when flushing their toilet or running the dishwasher.
But the people who keep these systems flowing are unsung heroes: maintaining critical infrastructure that protects public health and the environment.
Pictured above: Collection Systems Manager William Kleinau and Collection Systems Supervisors Brandon Joseph and Jeremy Hartoog (second, third and fourth from the left) accept the award on behalf of IRWD.
Join IRWD at Earth Day events in the community
Irvine Ranch Water District will be in your neighborhood this spring, ready to answer your questions and share helpful information at local community events.
Stop by our booth to say hello and learn more about indoor and outdoor rebate programs, upcoming events and what IRWD is doing to support a reliable water future.
Check out the events below for a small sampling of where we’ll be in the coming months:
—Earth Day at the Bay: Saturday, April 18, Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve
—City of Irvine Earth Day Event: Saturday, April 18, Quail Hill Community Center
—Lake Forest Woods Earth Day Event: Saturday, April 25, Sun & Sail Clubhouse
—Sea and Sage Earth Day Event: Sunday, April 26, San Joaquin Marsh
For information on IRWD-hosted workshops and events, go to IRWD.com/events.
