The Irvine Ranch Water District Board of Directors selected Steven E. LaMar to serve as President and Mary Aileen Matheis to serve as Vice President at its organizational meeting on January 14.

LaMar was appointed to the board in February 2009 to fill a vacancy and was subsequently elected to a four-year term in 2010. He is a water policy and planning expert with more than 20 years of experience on statewide business and industry committees and has directly participated in many major water policy forums. He has served on statewide task forces and advisory committees on drought planning, desalination, the California Bay-Delta, the California Water Plan on water reliability and conservation issues.

La Mar is president and owner of LegiSight, LLC, in Tustin. He is also a principal for Spinner LaMar Associates since 1993. He has served as a water policy leader in the California Building Industry Association for 20 years.

Matheis has served on the board since 1988 when she was appointed to fill an unexpired term.  She has successfully run in the general election years. She served as President in 2001. She has served on several standing committees and currently is the Chairman of the Water Resources, Environmental and Government Policy Committee.

Matheis also represents the District on the Southern California Water Committee and on the Board of the Urban Water Institute. She is a member of the Advisory Committee to the University of California Urban Water Research Center. She is President of Shadetree Partnership, an environmental non-profit dedicated to distributing and planting native trees and shrubs throughout Orange County. She was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for the Water Education Foundation

A practicing lawyer, Matheis is a member of the Orange County Bar Association and a member of the Orange County Association of Realtors.

The IRWD Board meets on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 5 p.m. at IRWD headquarters, 15600 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine.

On January 23, 2011, the Irvine Ranch Water District will celebrate “50 Years of Value.” For half a century, responsiveness, caring, and customer satisfaction have been the hallmark of IRWD’s approach to customer service.  Providing 50 years of value to our customers through innovation, vision, and accomplishment has been a top priority and will continue for the next 50 years and beyond.

“Every turn of the tap tells a story about the history of IRWD,” said IRWD Board President Steve LaMar.  “This golden milestone is an opportunity for IRWD to reflect on its vibrant history as an industry leader, our tradition of high quality customer service, and an unwavering commitment to provide the best service at the lowest possible cost to our customers.”

IRWD is well known for its unique budget based rate structure, stable water rates, cutting-edge water efficiency programs, while ensuring a diverse, reliable and safe water supply. The District’s pledge to recognize the value of responsible environmental stewardship and its robust public education program demonstrate how IRWD plays a significant role in providing for the future of our community.

IRWD was formed in 1961 and initially served 300 mostly agricultural customers. Today, IRWD customers total more than 300,000, spanning an area of 181 square miles from the foothills to coastal Orange County.

Please join us as we commemorate the first 50 years with a year-long celebration. Each month IRWD will spotlight innovative programs that give value to our customers on our website, our Facebook page and on Twitter.

Please visit www.irwd.com to learn more about the District’s historical roots, major milestones, programs and the people that helped shape IRWD into the dynamic, committed, innovative agency it is today.

Irvine Ranch Water District was formed in 1961 under the provisions of the California Water District Act within the California Water Code in response to the increasing water needs of the region. IRWD initially served mostly agricultural customers. The District was created to secure a water supply for domestic and irrigation use from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). The District’s boundaries encompassed 38,500 acres, roughly from the Santa Ana Freeway to the San Joaquin Hills. Today, IRWD customers total more than 300,000, in an area spanning 181 square miles from the foothills to coastal Orange County.

The first few years were spent getting funding for infrastructure. In 1961 and 1963 the District sold $6.4 million in bonds to help build the San Joaquin Reservoir and the East Orange County Feeder No. 2, a 24-mile pipeline reaching between the MWD Diemer Filtration Plant in Yorba Linda and the San Joaquin Reservoir. By the summer of 1964 the District had nine customers. The District acquired its first major facilities from the Irvine Company’s water system, including some of its reservoirs, various water rights, and two water companies, the Barranca Mutual System and the Francis Mutual System.

In the beginning, IRWD did not provide sewer service and in March 1965 voters authorized the District to collect, treat and dispose of sewage. The first phase of the Michelson Reclamation Plant, today known as the Michelson Water Recycling Plant, was constructed in 1966. Pipelines, reservoirs, wells and treatment plants are only part of the IRWD history. The system would quickly run dry without the expertise and commitment of the District’s employees. IRWD began with a handful of people with an engineering dream. Today the District employs over 300 staff.

IRWD will commemorate its 50-year milestone with a year-long recognition focusing on the many accomplishments and firsts achieved by the District. Each month will spotlight innovative programs that give value to our customers – such as our award-winning conservation program and conservation rate structure, sound financial management, environmental stewardship, historical preservation and state-of-the-art methods for ensuring the quality and reliability of your water.

Please visit www.irwd.com to learn more about the District’s historical roots, major milestones, programs and people that helped shape IRWD into the dynamic, committed, innovative agency it is today.

Irvine Ranch Water District is embarking on a project to become more energy efficient and to reduce its carbon footprint. It takes a significant amount of energy to treat and deliver water, so becoming more energy efficient will ultimately result in IRWD continuing to keep customer water rates low.

“IRWD is not a large contributor to green house gases, but we have identified strategies and developed a plan to make District-wide energy efficiency improvements, reduce green house gas emissions and invest in cost effective renewable energy programs,” said Paul Weghorst, Principal Water Resources Manager for IRWD.

Over the years, IRWD has been a leader in implementing energy efficient programs by developing local water supply projects, promoting use of recycled water, encouraging water conservation and water-use efficiency, installing solar panels on the roof of the IRWD Sand Canyon office building in Irvine, replacing equipment with high efficiency motors and placing efficient lights and motion sensors in offices.

By developing an Energy and Greenhouse Gas Master Plan, IRWD is taking an additional proactive stance in preparing to respond to regulatory requirements such as the California Global Warming and Solutions Act of 2006.  This legislation set a target to significantly reduce green house gas emissions statewide by 2020.

For more information about IRWD environmental programs, please visit our website at www.irwd.com.