Irvine Ranch Water District prides itself on the dedication of the employees who keep the water flowing. There are 14 employees who have logged from 30 to 36 years. They include department directors, principal engineers, water maintenance supervisors, the District secretary, operations supervisors and managers and accountants, to name a few.

The latest employee to reach the 30-year milestone is among those who keep the water flowing – Frank Tessers. He is a Water Maintenance Supervisor in Construction and Repair and oversees a crew of three. They receive the calls in the middle of the night whenever there is an emergency – such as a leak or pipeline break.

They will be seen during the day doing any variety of work to ensure that the IRWD infrastructure maintains its integrity.

Tessers has worked his entire IRWD tenure in Construction and Repair and remains the District’s answer to the Energizer Bunny. After pulling an 18-hour shift for an emergency repair, he can keep going.

“Life is too short to be sitting around,” he said.

Tessers grew up in Huntington Beach, attending high school with future co-worker, John Palomares (who retired from IRWD in 2011 after 33 years). Because he earned so many credits, Tessers graduated early and soon after, he went into the construction business.

In 1983, he was working on a site on Armstrong in Irvine when his old friend, Palomares, drove up for a chat. He informed Tessers there was an opening at IRWD in Construction and Repair and he should apply.

“The construction industry is feast or famine,” Tessers said. “There is a lot more reliability and stability at IRWD.”

He enjoys his job because he is working outside in a different location every day. And there are those challenges – like the standby calls in the middle of the night.

“Sometimes we pull all-nighters,” he said. “But that’s what we’re here for.”

Tessers has always enjoyed cars and restores classics in his spare time. He has 13 vehicles in various stages of repair on his property in Fallbrook. Yes, he commutes to Irvine from Fallbrook every day. His Ranger has 242,000 miles on it – and he keeps it in top shape.

More IRWD information is available at our website.

Sample exotic fruit, see the composting process, purchase low-water-use plants and attend discussions about every facet of gardening at the Fifth Annual Residential Demonstration Landscape Open House and Vendor Fair on Saturday, October 5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Irvine Ranch Water District and the University of California Cooperative Extension are co-hosting this event, as they have for the previous four years, at the UC South Coast Research and Extension Center located at 7601 Irvine Boulevard, Irvine.

Learn how easy it is to:

• Reduce water use
• Improve the quality of water runoff entering local waterways
• Turn green waste into garden gold
• Grow low water use plants
• Save money

Visit the South Coast Research and Extension Center website, or contact Tammy Majcherek at (949) 733-3970 for more information.

Over the past several years, fire season in Southern California has not been limited to the hot summer and fall months. Fires have been reported in winter and spring, as well.

Irvine Ranch Water District customers who live in the foothill and canyon areas are more vulnerable to fires and would benefit from including fire resistant plants in their landscaping plans. Two things many of these plants have in common – they use little water and are attractive.

Below is a small sample of options for homeowners to consider when planting:

• Monkeyflower – this entire species is endorsed for use by the Orange County Fire Authority. Be sure to check out the drought-tolerant varieties.
• California lilac - the California lilac is a large shrub with a dense mass of dark green, one-inch leaves, with dark blue clusters of flowers appearing in spring. It requires good drainage, can tolerate summer water and grows to six feet.
• Autumn sage - nothing evokes California quite like a sage-scented hillside. Beloved by hummingbirds and firefighters alike, the autumn sage is endorsed for use by the Orange County Fire Authority.
• Common yarrow - this appears on fire-resistant lists for the California Native Plant Society and the Orange County Fire Authority.
• French lavender - although not a true California native, this attractive drought-tolerant plant makes fire-resistant lists for Orange County.
• Coast live oak – a handsome shade tree. Round-headed with dense foliage, it grows 20-70 feet tall. It has smooth, dark grey bark, with leathery dark green leaves. It is native to coastal central and Southern California.
• California sycamore - sycamores have delighted generations of Californians, and this particular variety is endorsed for use by the Orange County Fire Authority.
• Toyon - a classic California native, it has white flowers in the summer and berries in the winter. It gets good marks from the Orange County Fire Authority.

For more information about water-efficient planting, check out our website.

An IRWD engineer and the Board of Directors were honored by the Southwest Membrane Operator Association with the 2013 Distinguished Service Award. The awards were presented to Carl Spangenberg, an IRWD 27-year employee, and the board at their June 24 meeting.

Spangenberg served on SWMOA’s Board of Directors from 2007 through 2012. He was a founding member of SWMOA and was instrumental in the growth and development of the organization. IRWD has maintained a presence within the membership of SWMOA since its inception and has hosted workshops and SWMOA board meetings.

The board was honored for their support of the use of membrane technology in many of the District’s projects.

SWMOA is an affiliate of the American Membrane Technology Association and dedicated to the Southwest United states region including Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah. The organization was formed to provide membrane operators a forum to exchange information, share experiences and knowledge and to obtain training.

IRWD has three water treatment plants that use membrane technology to purify drinking water. Two more facilities – the upgraded Michelson Water Recycling Plant and the future Baker Water Treatment Plant, will use membrane filtration when they go online.

The Deep Aquifer Treatment System (DATS) went online in 2002. This plant, located in Santa Ana, purifies water from the deepest portion of the Orange County Groundwater Basin. The process removes color from the water caused by ancient vegetation.

The Potable Treatment Plant went online in 2007 and removes salts from groundwater caused by many years of agricultural activity in the area. This plant provides 1.6 billion gallons of drinking water per year to our customers.

The well 21-22 Water Treatment Plant went online this year and recovers and treats local impaired groundwater for use in the drinking water system. Water from these wells and treatment plant is projected to produce approximately 6,300 acre-feet per year of drinking water.

The Michelson Water Recycling Plant is scheduled to be completed later this year and construction on the Baker plant to begin shortly thereafter.

More information about your sources of water is available on our website.