Irvine Ranch Water District will host a cleanup site at San Diego Creek for the 15^th consecutive year on Saturday, September 19. Drop by the site on Riparian View, just off Michelson Drive, to do your part in helping the environment.

The site is one of 23 such sites that span the foothills to the coast. IRWD joins forces with Trails 4All, which conceived the idea of Inner-Coastal Watershed Clean-Up Day in conjunction with Coastal Clean-Up Day 19 years ago.

Over the years, more than 28,000 volunteers have participated in cleaning up one million pounds of trash and recyclable materials.

Nearly all of inland Orange County is covered, much of the Coyote Creek Watershed along the Los Angeles and Orange County border, and expansion continues upwards along the greater Santa Ana River Watershed.

While Coastal Clean-Up Day focuses on cleaning trash from the beach, Inner-Coastal Watershed Clean-Up Day concentrates on getting trash out of the tributaries before it hits the beach. Trash dropped on the street ends up in storm drains and eventually finds itself on the coastline.

IRWD’s site will be located off Michelson Drive on Riparian View, adjacent San Diego Creek and the San Joaquin Marsh. Please wear closed-toed flat shoes, hats, sunscreen and insect repellant. The entire family is invited to learn about environmental stewardship and students can receive community service hours for their participation. No reservations are required.

More information on IRWD environmental programs is available on our website.

FINAL UPDATE 8/24 1:00pm:  Road paving is complete and all traffic lanes will be reopened at approximately 4pm today. 

UPDATE 8/20 1:39 pm: Final repairs to asphalt and concrete are expected to be complete by late evening on Saturday, August 22nd.

UPDATE 8/19 4:27 pm: Water from the flooded parking structure was completely pumped out as of 2:15 pm. Tonight, traffic will be diverted around the water line repair area, with the opposite side of the street remaining open. The excavation site has been temporarily back filled with slurry. Permanent restoration of the asphalt in the road will be scheduled as soon as possible.

UPDATE 8/19 11:39 am: The broken water pipe has been repaired and water service has been restored to the affected buildings.

UPDATE 8/19 10:24 am: All buildings in the area now have water service except for the building impacted by the water in the parking garage.

ORIGINAL POST: At approximately 2:00 AM today, a 10-inch water pipe broke in the vicinity of 4100 MacArthur Blvd, near the corner of MacArthur and Von Karman in Newport Beach.

IRWD crews responded immediately to the site and began working to find and isolate the broken section of pipeline, minimizing the loss of water. Water from the break flooded a nearby parking structure and crews are currently in the process of pumping out the flooded areas.

The water has now been shut off to the site and repairs to the pipeline are expected to begin soon. Repairs are expected to be complete at approximately 11:00 AM. Three out of the four adjacent traffic lanes are currently open.

Summer is in full swing, temperatures are up and so is pool use. Irvine Ranch Water District would like to remind you that water evaporates from a pool at about the same rate as a lawn uses water.

That’s right, that pool or spa in your backyard evaporates, especially on during hot weather. Here are a few ideas of how pool and spa owners can reduce their water use:

• Cover the pool or spa when it’s not in use. This can save both water and energy. There are many different styles, from floating bubble wrap types to automatic units or hard covers that may be useful where children or animals are present.
• Avoid splashing water onto the surrounding lawn or concrete surfaces.
• Consider a patio cover or shade trees that shield your pool or spa from the sun.
• If you have an automatic refill unit, check it for proper operation.
• Check your filter system for leaks.
• If possible, defer emptying and refilling your pool or spa.

For more water-saving ideas, check out our website.

The drought has many of us wondering how we can survive this fourth year of extreme dry weather. Come to the Irvine Ranch Water District’s Drought Survival Expo and learn how!

The event is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the District’s headquarters office – 15600 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine.

Learn how to install a beautiful, drought-tolerant garden and reduce your water use and ultimately, your water bill.

Workshop sessions include “Converting Sprinkler to Drip,” “Gardening with Natives,” and “How to Check for and Fix Leaks.”

Also included are vendor displays, landscape demonstrations, garden tours, family activities and prizes. Take a stroll through our colorful drought-tolerant demonstration garden for ideas – we have more than 80 different types of plants that are thriving.

So save the date – September 12 – and join us for a great, drought-busting event!