Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) will be hosting its first online Webinar, entitled “New Ways for Smart Landscape Watering” to provide simple, practical tips to help local residents learn how to water their landscapes more efficiently, reduce runoff and prevent water pollution.

The Webinar, a free seminar delivered over the internet, will take place at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 30, 2009. Participants will be able to join IRWD’s conservation and landscape experts for an informative, interactive session from the comfort of their homes, by simply logging on.

The Webinar will cover:

• Five easy steps to tune up your irrigation system
• Three “must use” features of your irrigation timer
• Simple ways to manage your landscaping
• Q & A with IRWD’s experts

As space is limited, attendees can reserve their Webinar “seats” by visiting IRWD’s water conservation site, www.alwayswatersmart.com and clicking on the SIGN UP NOW button.

IRWD has successfully converted the Robertson’s Ready Mix Concrete batch plant to recycled water use, the first such use for recycled water in Orange County.

“From the first phone call Robertson’s was enthusiastic and collaboration on the project was outstanding,” said project coordinator, Greg Herr. 

Added Mark Tettemer, IRWD’s recycled water development manager, “This project should set a trend for future industrial uses of recycled water. This is an important project to IRWD as we work to expand the industrial uses of recycled water.”

The project went live on July 8. Industrial use of drought-resistant recycled water costs 40 percent less than domestic water, significantly reducing operational costs for customers. The plant uses approximately 20,000 gallons per day to process concrete.

Construction on the 738-foot pipeline that would connect Robertson’s to IRWD’s recycled system began last October. The connection was made to the recycled water distribution mainline located in Warner Avenue and the new pipeline was constructed in Construction Circle. A recycled water meter was provided near the entrance to the plant. Robertson’s approved an IRWD design concept for the on-site pipeline and decided to construct it along an existing aerial catwalk serving the recycled water into two 500-gallon tanks. Because the pipeline was open to visual inspection, additional costs to trench and bury it were avoided, and cross-connection control was assured.

“Anytime we can take advantage of using recycled water, we take every opportunity to do so,” said Christine Geoyvaerts, property manager for the Corona-based company. “We save money over the long-term and it’s especially important during times of drought to save water.”

IRWD has been a leader in promoting recycled water use for landscaping and agricultural needs for about 40 years. Wastewater is collected and treated using tertiary treatment, producing high quality water that earned the District the first unrestricted use permit in the state in 1991. Recycled water is delivered through a completely separate pipeline system throughout the community.

IRWD's 2008 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) has received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association. This is the fifth consecutive year IRWD has received this recognition.

This award is the highest form of achievement in the area of government accounting and financial reporting. IRWD’s CAFR was judged by an independent panel to meet the high standards of the program including demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to communicate its financial story.

“This recognition represents a coordinated effort by the IRWD financial team to exercise transparency in financial reporting,” said IRWD General Manager Paul Jones. “Our employees have the highest standards of professionalism.”

The Government Finance Officers Association is a nonprofit professional association serving more than 17,500 state/provincial and local finance officers in the United States and Canada. The certificate program is designed to recognize and encourage excellence in financial reporting by state and local governments.

Each year, the district judges water-related projects at the Irvine Unified School District Science Fair and selects those worth of recognition. Selection of the winning projects was based on the use of the scientific method, creativity, relevance, completeness of research and evidence of problem solving.

 Winners this year included:

• David Ho, 11^th grade, University High School – “The Effect of Various Modern Chemical Hazards on the Taxis Behavior and the Regenerative Agility of Dugesia Tigrina”
• Jacob Torrey, 7^th grade, Plaza Vista School – “Fertilizer, a Naughty Nutrient”
• Karen Yang, 6^th grade, Brywood School – “Salt in the Humidifier”
• Ben Roznos, 6^th grade, Deerfield School – “Evaporation”

The students were honored at a recent meeting of the IRWD Board of Directors and each received a certificate. In addition, IRWD donates $100 in honor of each student to their school for the purchase of science equipment or books.

Every year, IRWD judges water-related projects at the Irvine Unified School District’s Science Fair and selects winners. This year’s four winners are from left, Jacob Torrey, Karen Yang, Ben Roznos and Dave Ho.