Wastewater Treatment, Wells, Urban Runoff Management, it’s All Part of the Plan

Over the past 50 years, Irvine Ranch Water District has planned, constructed, operated and maintained an expanding and evolving water and sewage system. IRWD provides water, wastewater collection, recycled water and urban runoff management services to a population of 332,000 in Irvine, Tustin Ranch, Portola Hills, Foothill Ranch, Santa Ana Heights, Orange Park Acres and portions of Lake Forest, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Orange and unincorporated Orange County.

“The list of key IRWD projects built in recent years includes the Deep Aquifer Treatment System, the Irvine Desalter Project, the San Joaquin Reservoir Conversion and the Michelson Water Recycling Plant Expansion,” said IRWD General Manager Paul Cook.

The Deep Aquifer Treatment System came on-line in 2002. This facility purifies drinking water from deep within the Orange County Groundwater Basin. This process removes impurities and discoloration left from ancient vegetation in the aquifer and produces more than seven million gallons of drinking water each day.

The Irvine Desalter Project cleans, restores and makes use of an important part of the Groundwater Basin. This project, which went online in 2007, produces two new supplies of very high quality water and yields an additional 3,900-acre-feet of water -  enough for 1,300 acres of landscape annually. It also provides 5,100 acre-feet of drinking water – enough for 50,000 people per year.

The San Joaquin Reservoir, located in Newport Coast, was originally built to store drinking water in 1966. In response to new laws prohibiting the storage of drinking water in open reservoirs, IRWD converted the San Joaquin Reservoir to story recycled water in 2004. The reservoir now stores nearly one billion gallons of recycled water for future irrigation use, reducing the need for importing more expensive drinking water for irrigation and other recycled water uses.

The Michelson Water Recycling Plant was built in 1966 and is the District’s primary source of recycled water. The plant converts an average of 18 million gallons of wastewater each day to recycled water. Currently, the plant is undergoing an expansion. When completed in 2012, the plant will produce nearly 28 million gallons of recycled water per day. Recycled water comprises about 21 percent of the IRWD current supply, enough to provide landscape irrigation for 80 percent of the District’s business and community customers, including parks, school grounds and golf courses. Every gallon of recycled water used for irrigation saves a gallon of drinking water, an equation that helps keep IRWD water rates among the lowest in Orange County.

In addition to these large-scale projects, IRWD is addressing the needs of customers through the installation of several drinking and non-potable water wells throughout the IRWD service area. Likewise, ongoing construction projects like the Orange Park Acres Water System Improvements, and future projects such as the Newport Boulevard Water Line Relocation, the Baker Water Treatment Plant Project and the Main Street/Gillette Sewer Replacement will improve existing infrastructure to meet the District’s future water and sewer system needs.

Please visit our website to learn more about IRWD current and upcoming capital projects.

Waterworks Way Entrance Closed

The Sand Canyon Avenue entry to the IRWD Sand Canyon administrative office building has been re-opened. At the end of the day November 14, the Waterworks Way entrance will be closed to traffic for approximately two to three months.

In addition, the payment drop box has been moved and reconfigured as a “drive-through,” similar to the post office.

While visiting the IRWD office building on the corner of Sand Canyon and Waterworks Way please use the Sand Canyon entrance. If arriving from the direction of Irvine Center Drive, please make a u-turn at the Waterworks Way signal, and then turn right into the driveway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. Please visit our website for further updates.

PAUL COOK APPOINTED GENERAL MANAGER OF IRVINE RANCH WATER DISTRICT

The Irvine Ranch Water District Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Paul A. Cook as the District’s General Manager.  IRWD is known as a national leader among water and wastewater agencies for innovative water supply projects, creative water management solutions and ground-breaking water conservation programs.  Cook has served as IRWD Interim General Manager since July 2011 and is a registered civil engineer with over 21 years of experience with water and wastewater systems in the public and private sectors.

“Paul Cook brings a high level of creative leadership, institutional knowledge and industry expertise that will ensure our customers will continue to have a reliable and safe water supply at the lowest possible cost,” said IRWD Board President Steve LaMar.  “We are confident that Paul Cook will continue the tradition of leadership that is the hallmark of the Irvine Ranch Water District. 

“I am honored to be selected by the IRWD Board of Directors for the position of General Manager,” said Paul Cook.  “IRWD is an outstanding agency that provides exemplary service to the communities we serve.  I look forward to working with our excellent team of employees and visionary Board of Directors to further enhance the water resources, environmental stewardship, and customer service that our customers and others have come to expect from IRWD.”

Cook joined IRWD in 2004 as the Assistant General Manager and his responsibilities included the District’s operations, finance, engineering, water quality and administration.  Prior to joining IRWD, Cook served as the Manager of Engineering for Central and West Basin Municipal Water Districts in Carson, California.  There he was responsible for a $350 million, five-year capital improvements program that included one of the largest water recycling projects in the nation.  Cook also served as the District Engineer for Los Alisos Water District in Lake Forest where he developed and implemented projects to improve the operating efficiency of the agency.

In the private sector, Cook held engineering and project management positions with BFI Constructors and Turner Construction Company.  He was responsible for many projects ranging from high-rise office construction to various water treatment, storage, and conveyance projects.  In 2000 he received the Young Engineer of the Year award from the Orange County Engineering Council.

A long-time resident of Irvine, Cook was elected to the Orange County Water District Board of Directors in 2002 to represent communities in Irvine, Tustin and Newport Beach.  As a member of the Board of Directors, Cook was responsible for policies and decision making for the Orange County groundwater basin that supplies water to more than 2.3 million Orange County residents.  He served on the OCWD Board through 2005, including a term as Vice President.

Cook received his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from University of Pacific in Stockton, California.  He went on to earn a Master of Science degree in civil engineering from California State University Long Beach and an MBA degree from University of California, Irvine.  Cook is a Registered Professional Civil Engineer.

The Care and Feeding of Fire Hydrants

Customers who notice Irvine Ranch Water District crews working at fire hydrants and see water running into the street may think that the District is ignoring its own water conservation philosophy. This is quite the contrary - the periodic process of “flushing” fire hydrants is an important step in preventive maintenance.

“Although it may appear to waste water, this process is part of a routine maintenance program necessary to maintain the integrity of the water system and to continue delivering the highest quality water possible to our customers,” said John Hills, director of water quality.

Flushing the water system on a routine basis removes sediment from lines and keeps the entire distribution system refreshed. IRWD began this preventive maintenance program in 1993. During the first full cycle it took two years for crews to travel through the entire District flushing hydrants in one neighborhood at a time. IRWD maintains some 900 miles of drinking water lines throughout its service area from the foothills to the ocean.

All fire hydrants and water mains more than 12 inches in diameter are flushed annually. Water mains that are less than 12 inches in diameter are cleaned every three years.

During the flushing procedure, residents in the immediate vicinity of the work might experience a temporary discoloration of their water. This is primarily because of harmless silt and does not affect the safety of the water. Crews post signs in the areas in which they are working to help make customers aware of the preventative maintenance activity. If you experience discoloration in your water after crews have been flushing in your neighborhood, clear the pipes in your home by running all of the water faucets for a minute or two.

More water IRWD quality information is available on our website.