Once again this year, Orange County surpassed other regions in the state with top water-quality marks on Heal the Bay’s annual Beach Report Card. Irvine Ranch Water District is proud to be part of efforts resulting in A+ grades for two top-ranked beaches: Los Trancos and Muddy Canyon.

IRWD uses diversion pump stations at these Crystal Cove sites to divert polluted urban runoff to sewers, where it is later treated and recycled as part of Orange County Water District’s Groundwater Replenishment System. This decreases the amount of pollution that makes its way to our beaches from activities such as washing your car or hosing off a sidewalk.

“Los Trancos and Muddy Creek were heavily polluted before IRWD’s involvement,” said Ian Swift, IRWD’s Natural Resources Manager. “The extensive work of staff over recent years has contributed significantly to the improvement in water quality.”

District staff from various teams — including Collection Systems, Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation and Natural Treatment Systems — collaborate daily to operate the pump stations 24/7. It’s just one of many examples of our longstanding commitment to sustainability.

Other examples include the San Joaquin Marsh and 45 other wetland sites, which naturally treat urban runoff in the San Diego Creek Watershed before it makes its way to the Upper Newport Bay and ocean.

Learn more about Heal the Bay’s annual Beach Report Card and read the full report here.

Learn more about IRWD’s Natural Treatment System at IRWD.com/nts.

IRWD is proud to be part of water quality efforts resulting in A+ grades for two top-ranked beaches: Los Trancos, seen here, and Muddy Canyon.

IRWD uses diversion pump stations like this area of Los Trancos near the Crystal Cove Tunnel to divert polluted urban runoff to sewers, where it is later treated and recycled as part of Orange County Water District’s Groundwater Replenishment System. This lessens the amount of pollution that makes its way to our beaches from activities such as washing your car or hosing off a sidewalk.

Congratulations to our newest WaterStar certified business, Newport Beach Marriott Bayview.

IRWD’s WaterStar program recognizes local businesses and restaurants for their sustainable practices and responsible water use that betters our community.

Newport Beach Marriott Bayview is an upscale hotel overlooking waterfront views of Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve. This upscale hotel is conveniently located within easy reach of Orange County's pristine beaches, UC Irvine, Fashion Island, South Coast Plaza and John Wayne Airport. The picturesque hotel combines beauty with responsibility, utilizing high-efficiency toilets and showerheads throughout its guestrooms and common areas. Its attention to sustainability doesn't stop indoors — Newport Beach Marriott Bayview also irrigates all outdoors areas with weather-based irrigation controllers to more responsibly allocate water use and throughtfully designed the hotel's surrounding landscape with water-efficient plants, saving water resources daily.

Thank you to Newport Beach Marriott Bayview for its commitment to efficient use of water and caring about our community now and for generations to come!

The Newport Beach Marriott Bayview is located at 500 Bayview Circle in Newport Beach. Enjoy a tranquil retreat offering the very best combination of tech-savvy yet cozy accommodations with gorgeous waterfront views. Learn more at marriott.com.

If you’d like to learn how your business or restaurant can get WaterStar certified, visit IRWD.com/waterstar.

Congratulations to our newest WaterStar certified business, Holiday Inn Express & Suites — Lake Forest.

IRWD’s WaterStar program recognizes local businesses and restaurants for their sustainable practices and responsible water use that betters our community.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites — Lake Forest is a modern hotel located conveniently within a 15-minute drive of Irvine Spectrum Center and the Great Park and less than 15 miles away from University of California, Irvine, and the John Wayne Airport. The Holiday Inn Express in Lake Forest prides itself on offering convenient, practical services catered to business travelers and short-term stays, all while keeping water efficiency a regular part of its operations. Management recently installed new water-efficient showerheads in all 60 of their rooms, which conserves water for our community and reduces overall energy consumption.

We applaud Holiday Inn Express & Suites — Lake Forest for its commitment to efficient use of water and caring about the community it is a part of!

Holiday Inn Express & Suites — Lake Forest is located at 20768 Lake Forest Drive in Irvine. Recharge, get a little work done and get yourself where you need to go next with comfort and ease. Learn more at ihg.com/holidayinnexpress.com.

If you’d like to learn how your business or restaurant can get WaterStar certified, visit IRWD.com/waterstar.

For the fourth straight year, global data analytics company J.D. Power has awarded Irvine Ranch Water District its top honor for Customer Satisfaction.

Customers surveyed independently by J.D. Power rated IRWD the best midsize water utility in the Western United States. Nationwide, only eight water agencies earn that top honor, and IRWD received the highest customer reviews of any water agency in the nation.

“Our customers have high expectations of Irvine Ranch Water District, and this recognition reflects our commitment to exceeding our customers’ expectations,” IRWD General Manager Paul A. Cook said.

Contributing to the overall first-place finish, the customer survey ranked IRWD No. 1 in seven of eight categories: Quality/Reliability, Ease of Doing Business, People, Trust, Resolving Problems, Information Provided, and Digital Channels.

“That means a lot to us,” Cook said, “and it all starts with the people of IRWD. Every day we strive to deliver top-notch service to our customers, starting with ensuring that the safety and quality of our water is second to none. Keeping our customers well-informed is a big part of that too.”

IRWD is the only agency in the nation with four straight top awards.

According to J.D. Power’s May 7, 2025, news release, the U.S. Water Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study measures satisfaction among residential customers of 91 utilities that deliver water to populations of at least 400,000. Results are reported for eight geographic regions in two size categories: Midwest Large; Midwest Midsize; Northeast Large; Northeast Midsize; South Large; South Midsize; West Large; and West Midsize. Overall satisfaction is measured by examining eight core dimensions on a 6-point rating scale. Individual dimensions measured are (in order of importance): information provided; level of trust; quality and reliability; ease of doing business; total monthly costs; people; resolving problems or complaints; and digital channels.

Irvine Ranch Water District provides high-quality drinking water, reliable sewage collection and treatment, drought-proof recycled water, and environmentally sound urban runoff treatment to 445,000 residential customers. IRWD serves all of Irvine, most of Lake Forest, and parts of Newport Beach, Orange, Costa Mesa, Tustin, and unincorporated areas of Orange County.

When compared with agencies providing similar services in Orange County, IRWD’s rates are consistently among the lowest.