Large Haul Pulled from San Diego Creek
At first, the black, coiled item lying on the side of San Diego Creek resembled a snake. It turned out to be a flattened and weathered bicycle tire.
That item, along with construction debris that might have fallen off trucks on the freeway, was pulled out of the creek during Inner-Coastal Watershed Clean Up Day on Saturday, September 21. IRWD has hosted this site for the past 13 years in conjunction with Trails 4All, the event’s founder. The clean up coincides with Coastal Clean Up Day.
Unlike that clean up event, the goal of Inner-Coastal Watershed Clean Up Day is to clean trash from creeks and streams that empty out into bays and beaches.
“Grab it before it gets to the beach,” says event founder James Meyer.
Around 80 volunteers turned out to clean the creek of all manner of trash and recyclables and that they did. Both three-yard bins were filled.
Zach Simpson, 16, a Northwood High School student, would receive field service hours for his advanced placement environmental science class. Most of the volunteers were from the high school, but a Girl Scout troop and some private citizens participated as well. Over the years, more than 28,000 volunteers have cleaned up one million pounds of trash and recyclables at sites in Orange and Riverside counties.
Orange County Great Park Hosts Solar Decathlon 2013 and XPO
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013 and XPO is a FREE public event featuring two complementary attractions: the Solar Decathlon, where visitors can tour highly efficient, solarpowered houses designed and built by collegiate teams, 
and the XPO, an exposition featuring innovative clean energy companies, products, and educational opportunities.
Stop by the IRWD booth during the event to learn more about how the District is involved. For more on Solar Decathlon 2013 and XPO, please visit www.solardecathlon.gov or www.the-xpo.org.
Contact: Shannon Reed, Public Affairs Manager
reeds@irwd.com, (949) 453-5500
Irvine Ranch Water District Hosts Landscape Events
Just in time for fall planting, Irvine Ranch Water District is hosting a free landscape class on Friday, September 20 and another event at the Lake Forest Home Depot on Saturday, September 21.
The landscape class is scheduled from 6-9 p.m. on September 20 at the Irvine Ranch Water District offices at 15600 Sand Canyon Avenue. Come learn about creating a water-efficient landscape from the landscape experts.
Sign up at AWS@irwd.com with your name and the number of attendees.
On Saturday, Home Depot in Lake Forest is hosting a garden event in conjunction with IRWD from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The store is located at 20021 Lake Forest Drive.
Receive special discounts on select varieties of attractive water-efficient plants. Enjoy vendor displays, educational demonstrations, give-aways, and more.
Learn from local experts how to plan a water-efficient landscape, while saving money and beautifying your yard.
Experts will be on hand to assist customers with updating their landscaping to use less water, while maintaining a colorful, lively appearance.
As an added bonus, present your current IRWD newsletter, Pipelines, at the IRWD display and receive a special prize.
More information about garden-friendly landscapes is available at our website.
IRWD Financial Planning Keeps Customer Rates Low
IRWD has a solid financial foundation to ensure its tradition of excellent service and low rates for our customers. A key element of this foundation is setting aside funds now to pay for future expenses related to refurbishing and replacing the District’s infrastructure assets. These are the assets that enable IRWD to provide, both now and in the future, a highly reliable and cost-effective water and sewer service to more than 330,000 residents of Orange County.
IRWD serves about one fifth of Orange County and has capital assets worth over $1 billion that include more than 1,900 miles of drinking water pipelines, more than 900 miles of sewer pipes, 53 reservoirs and two large water recycling facilities. This year alone, IRWD will invest over $110 million for new facilities and replacement of facilities that have reached the end of their useful lives. Looking out over the next 20 years, IRWD’s future capital infrastructure plan has more than 500 active and planned projects.
All of IRWD’s facilities, whether it be the groundwater wells, pump stations, or pipelines, will need to be repaired at some point and eventually replaced. To prepare for both short-term and long-term expenditures for these projects, IRWD has planned extensively for the infrastructure needs of our customers by designating $404 million in restricted funds in accordance with General Accepted Accounting Principles and the Government Accounting Standards Board.
For many years, IRWD has honored its commitment to protect our customers from unnecessary and costly increases in rates through sound business practices, both technical and financial. Proactive planning for the future provides IRWD customers today’s gold standard in service and reliability at the lowest possible cost.
Contact: Shannon Reed, Public Affairs Manager
reeds@irwd.com, (949) 453-5500
The 411: What You Need to Know About Your Water in an Emergency
Emergencies come in all forms, whether they are fires, floods or earthquakes. Any of these could cause disruptions in water service, so it is best to be prepared. In honor of Emergency Preparedness Month, here are the top four things you need to know about your water
in an emergency:
1. CodeRED.The first step toward preparing for a water emergency is signing up for CodeRED, the IRWD high-volume, high-speed system for mass emergency notifications. Customers have the option of receiving voice, email or text messages whenever there is an emergency. To sign up for CodeRED, visit www.irwd.com and click on “Emergency & CodeRED.” From there, click on “CodeRED Community Notification Enrollment Form.”
2. Water Storage.A supply of stored water may be your most important survival item. Several
gallons of stored water per person can last two weeks. Commercially bottled water is one option. Containers of heavy, opaque plastic with screw-on lids are best if you bottle your own water. All stored water should be clearly labeled and replenished every six months.
3. Boil Water.After a disaster, tap water may be polluted. Water boiled for five minutes will usually be safe from contamination. If boiling is not an option, strain the water through paper towels, paper coffee filters, or several layers of clean cloth to remove any sediment. Treat the water with household liquid chlorine bleach. Add eight drops of bleach per gallon of clear water, or 16 drops if water is cloudy.
4. Safe Water.There are hidden sources of safe water in your home you may use without purifying. Turn off the energy supply to the water heater and let the tank cool. Let air into the tank by opening a hot water faucet, or disconnecting the hot water line at the top of the tank. Open the faucet at the bottom of the tank to drain water into a clean container. Melted ice cubes from your freezer and many canned foods are packed in water, like vegetables and
beans. Water from the toilet tank, not the bowl, can be a water source unless chemicals have been added for cleaning purposes.
Contact: Shannon Reed, Public Affairs Manager
reeds@irwd.com, (949) 453-5500
