Irvine Ranch Water District officials congratulate Hyatt House Irvine on becoming a Certified WaterStar Business. From left are Mary Aileen Matheis, IRWD board director; Brett Ambrose, Hyatt House general manager; Allan Pasqual, IRWD senior water efficiency specialist; and Gabe Vargas, IRWD recycled water project specialist.

The newly constructed Hyatt House Irvine is scheduled to open in January— and it’s already a WaterStar. The seven-story building, at 2320 Main Street near John Wayne Airport, is the first California hotel to be dual-plumbed so guest toilets flush with recycled water. Its 149 extended-stay suites are equipped with high-efficiency water fixtures. Landscape is irrigated with recycled water.

On Nov. 9, Shimano American Corporation also earned WaterStar Certification for installing high-efficiency indoor water fixtures and using recycled water to irrigate the grounds of its two-building facility in Irvine.

Learn all about IRWD’s WaterStar Business Recognition Program at rightscapenow.com/programs/waterstar-business-recognition.

Douglas J. Reinhart, left, and Steven E. LaMar.

The Irvine Ranch Water District Board of Directors has selected Douglas J. Reinhart to serve as president and Steven E. LaMar to serve as vice president for 2018. The selections were made at the Dec. 11 board meeting.

Reinhart has served on the board since 2004. He is the current 2017 president, serving on the Finance and Personnel Committee, the Supply Reliability Programs Committee, and several ad hoc committees. Reinhart served as president in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2013, and vice president in 2006 and 2016. He is a registered civil engineer and a registered control systems engineer with more than 30 years of experience in the private sector, directing projects in water, wastewater and other infrastructure.

LaMar has been on the board since 2009. He served as president in 2011, 2014 and 2015 and vice president in 2013. LaMar serves on the Engineering and Operations Committee and the Water Resources Policy and Communications Committee, as well as various ad hoc Committees. In 2018 he also will serve as vice president of the Association of California Water Agencies.

Looking for an original gift for your friend, neighbor or family member? We’ve got you covered! These water-efficient presents will bring a holiday smile to anyone eager to conserve water.

5-minute shower timers and low-flow showerheads. It’s never too late to develop the good habit of conserving water. With either of these gifts, your loved one can enjoy a full-force shower while saving water and cutting the energy bill. They’re available at online shopping sites and local retail or home-improvement stores.

Holly shrubs. These Yuletide classics tolerate low watering and add a festive pop to a yard, with red berries in the winter and white fl owers in the spring. Among drought-tolerant species that thrive in Orange County are burford holly and toyon, which attract butterfl ies and birds. (Learn about them on rightscaperesources.com.) Be careful though, because eating holly berries can be dangerous to people or pets.

Rebates. Give the gift of water savings, and keep a little money in your pocket too.

A high-efficiency clothes washer uses 55 percent less water than a standard washer, saving about 75,000 gallons over its lifetime. Save up to $250 on your purchase.

Are you dreaming of a new landscape? Get $2 for every square foot of grass you replace with drought-tolerant landscaping.

Other rebates include $150 for high-efficiency toilets, $255 for weather-based irrigation controllers, $35 per rain barrel, and $2 for sprinkler nozzles.

See details at rightscapenow.com/rebates.

Irvine Ranch Water District Director Steven E. LaMar has been elected vice president of the Association of California Water Agencies.

“It’s an honor to be selected by colleagues throughout the state,” said LaMar, elected to a two-year term last week at the organization’s 2017 Fall Conference & Exhibition in Anaheim. “I’m looking forward to applying some of the same innovative approaches learned at IRWD to statewide water issues.”

Brent Hastey, chairman of the Yuba County Water Agency, was elected ACWA president. He and LaMar will take office in January.

ACWA – the statewide association of public water agencies – has guided water policy since 1910, helping members to economically and responsibly serve California’s cities, farms and businesses.

“Despite significant differences in water sources and demands for ACWA’s 440 member agencies, I am excited to have an opportunity to work in a united fashion to meet California’s future water needs,” said LaMar, who has been a member of the IRWD Board of Directors since 2009, serving multiple terms as board president. “Urban water agencies need to support agricultural water deliveries to ensure sustainable food supplies, and we all need to work together to address changing climate projections.”

LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP HONORED

Also at the conference, ACWA presented IRWD with the association’s Most Compelling Case Award, for outreach work promoting long-term water efficiency legislation. IRWD shared the honor with the Sacrament area’s Regional Water Authority, its partner in the effort. The award was accepted by Government Relations Manager Christine Compton, who spearheaded the effort for IRWD. 

IRWD Government Relations Manager Christine Compton, center, shows off the Most Compelling Case Award at the ACWA conference. With her, from left, are IRWD Board President Douglas J. Reinhart, IRWD Executive Director of Finance and Administration Cheryl Clary, IRWD General Manager Paul Cook, Regional Water Authority Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Program Manager Adam W. Robin, IRWD Board Vice President Peer Swan, IRWD Director Mary Aileen Matheis, IRWD Executive Director for Water Policy Paul Weghorst, IRWD Public Affairs Manager John Fabris, and IRWD Director Steven E. LaMar.