Board selects new president, vice president
The Irvine Ranch Water District Board of Directors has selected Steven E. LaMar to serve as president and Karen McLaughlin to serve as vice president for 2022. The selections were made at the Dec. 13 Board meeting.
LaMar has served on the board since 2009. He was president in 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2019 and vice president in 2013 and 2018. He currently serves on the Water Resources Policy and Communications Committee and the Finance and Personnel Committee. In 2020 and 2021, he served a two-year term as president of the Association of California Water Agencies.
McLaughlin was elected to IRWD’s Board of Directors in 2020, representing Division 4. She serves on the Water Resources Policy and Communications Committee and the Engineering and Operations Committee.
LaMar is a water policy and planning expert with more than 25 years of experience on statewide business and industry committees. He has participated in many major water policy forums and served on statewide task forces and advisory committees on drought planning, desalination, the California Bay-Delta, the California Water Plan and on water reliability and conservation issues.
McLaughlin, Ph.D., is an environmental scientist with extensive experience in water research projects associated with biogeochemical cycling and contaminant source tracking in coastal waters. She is a senior scientist with the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, a public agency providing impartial science for water quality management, where she serves as the regional monitoring coordinator, facilitating implementation of the Southern California Bight Regional Marine Monitoring Program.
The Climate Registry Honors IRWD With ‘Gold’ Status
Irvine Ranch Water District has been distinguished with a gold-level status from The Climate Registry for demonstrating exceptional leadership in meeting rigorous voluntary greenhouse gas reporting criteria.
The recognition was bestowed after nine years of verified greenhouse gas inventories reported through 2019. IRWD’s 2020 greenhouse gas inventory is being processed for approval and will soon qualify the District for 10 years of verified reporting.
In addition, IRWD received Water-Energy Leader Gold status for its participation in the organization’s Water-Energy Nexus Registry, a consortium of agencies that communicate the importance of tracking and reducing carbon emissions connected to California’s water systems.
“These are especially meaningful honors for IRWD, because they underscore so many of our values as a District,” said General Manager Paul Cook. “This includes environmental stewardship, transparency, accountability, and collaboration – all of which are essential to maximizing renewable resources and minimizing our impact on the environment.”
The Climate Registry oversees North America’s largest voluntary greenhouse gas registry, empowering organizations and public agencies to act on climate change by reducing their carbon emissions.
“Organizations that become Climate Registered are the leaders in a growing movement to address climate change by managing and reducing emissions at the subnational level,” said Amy Holm, executive director of The Climate Registry. “We have just over a decade to take action that will ensure we avoid the worst effects of climate change. This kind of leadership is needed now more than ever.”
IRWD’s history of sustainability began in the 1960s, when the District pioneered the reuse of an important resource: water. Today, recycled water makes up 28% of all water use in the District.
IRWD also operates several facilities to help meet the goals of its Energy and Greenhouse Gas Master Plan, which is being updated this year:
Biosolids and Energy Recovery Facility: Completed in 2021, this plant closes the loop on the recycled water process. Organic solids left over from the water recycling process are converted into a soil amendment and fuel. Biogas produced from the biosolids process generates energy to power the plant. Heat from the turbines and sludge dryer boosts efficiency.
Renewable Energy: In addition to the biogas used at the biosolids plant, IRWD uses solar power to help meet the District’s energy needs. This includes:
- A 1-MW array of 2,360 solar modules at the Baker Water Treatment Plant.
- A 100-kW solar power array at the District’s Sand Canyon Avenue headquarters, which provides 20% of the building’s energy needs.
- A 250-kW system at the District’s Zone 3 reservoir.
Energy Storage Project: IRWD boasts one of the nation’s largest networks of high-efficiency lithium batteries that store energy and provide on-site power to District operations. The batteries provide power stored during off-peak hours for operations. That energy can also be used by Southern California as a Demand Response resource to provide resilience to the energy grid during periods of high usage – reducing the need for additional power plants to meet regional energy demands.
Meeting rooms open for reservations
IRWD is pleased to announce the reopening of the Duck Club and Community Meeting Room. We are now accepting reservations for dates through Dec. 31, 2022. Due to current COVID-19 protocol, until further notice, meeting room capacities will be limited to 50%, masks will be required for unvaccinated guests, and a two-hour window will be implemented between reservations. To make a reservation, please visit IRWD.com/community/meeting-rooms.
Making the most of our energy resources
Since 1961, IRWD has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to protecting, sustaining and restoring the environment. Innovation in energy is a part of that vision.
• Our new Biosolids and Energy Recovery Facility converts organic solids into fertilizer or fuel. Biogas from the process is harnessed to generate energy for the plant.
• Our Energy Storage Project uses a network of high-efficiency batteries to store on-site power at six locations districtwide, saving money and taking demand off the grid.
• Solar power supports several of our facilities, including the Baker Water Treatment Plant, Zone 3 Reservoir, and our Sand Canyon Headquarters.
For more information on our energy programs, visit IRWD.com/doing-business/energy-saving-programs.
Public Hearing on Redistricting IRWD Board Division Boundaries
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
IRVINE RANCH WATER DISTRICT
Public Hearing on Redistricting of the Irvine Ranch Water District Board of Directors Division Boundaries
NOTICE is hereby given that the IRVINE RANCH WATER DISTRICT (IRWD) will hold a public hearing, before drawing a draft map or maps of proposed division boundaries regarding the District’s redistricting process, and the composition of divisions in accordance with Elections Code Section 22001. The purpose of the hearing will be to invite and solicit public comment on the criteria for and the composition of the redistricted divisions.
Election Code Section 22000 requires IRWD to adjust division boundaries after each federal decennial census, and using that census as a basis, adjust the boundaries of its Board of Director divisions so that the divisions are, as far as practicable, equal in population and in compliance with Section 10301 of Title 52 of the United State Code. Additional information on IRWD’s redistricting process and/or the public hearing may be obtained by contacting Leslie Bonkowski, District Secretary at (949) 453-5312 or on the IRWD Web site located at www.irwd.com/about-us/district-election-process.
The Board of Directors of IRWD will hold the hearing on Monday evening, December 13, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as is reasonably practicable, in the Board Room of the offices of IRWD located at 15600 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine.
Dated: November 29, 2021
Leslie Bonkowski, District Secretary,
IRVINE RANCH WATER DISTRICT
and the Board of Directors thereof
