IRWD Financial Plan Includes Infrastructure Repair and Replacement Funds
IRWD has established a solid financial foundation to continue its tradition of excellent service and low rates for our customers. A key element of this foundation is setting aside funds annually to pay for future expenses related to refurbishing and replacing the District’s infrastructure assets. These are the assets that enable IRWD to provide, both now and in the future, a highly reliable and cost-effective water and sewer service to more than 380,000 residents of Orange County.
IRWD serves about one fifth of Orange County and has facilities worth over $1 billion that include more than 1,500 miles of drinking water pipelines, more than 900 miles of sewer pipes, 53 reservoirs and two large water recycling facilities. In fiscal year 2014-15, IRWD will invest over $150 million for new facilities and replacement of facilities that have reached the end of their useful lives. Looking out over the next 20 years, IRWD’s future capital infrastructure plan has more than 500 planned projects.
All of IRWD’s facilities, whether it be the groundwater wells, pump stations, or pipelines, will need to be repaired at some point and eventually replaced. To prepare for both short-term and long-term expenditures for these projects, IRWD has planned extensively for the infrastructure needs of our customers by designating over $350 million in restricted funds for this purpose.
For many years, IRWD has honored its commitment to protect our customers from unnecessary and costly increases in rates through sound business practices, both technical and financial. Proactive planning for the future provides IRWD customers today’s gold standard in service and reliability at the lowest possible cost.
Get all of the Answers on the IRWD Website
- How Do I Find? This section is your place to go for your water bill. “Customer Login” gives you complete access to your IRWD account. Quick access to other services you can do online includes starting or stopping your service, requesting a variance, and how to check for leaks.
- Payment Options. There are several ways to pay your bill. You can pay online through eBill, by smartphone with the Check Mobile App, over the telephone or computer with BillMatrix (for a $3.25 fee), by mail, in person or through the drop box located in the parking lot of our offices at 15600 Sand Canyon Avenue in Irvine.
- Payment Questions. This gives answers to all of your water bill questions, such as, “Why is my bill so high” and advice on how to avoid interruptions in your water service.
- Rates and Charges. Wondering about the IRWD budget based rate structure? This section will help you understand how your bill is calculated, whether you are residential customer or industrial/commercial customer.
- Start/Stop Service. Are you moving? You can start or stop your service from the convenience of your computer.
- Save Water and Money. Single family homeowners, apartment residents and business owners can benefit from IRWD’s specially designed sections tailored to your individual needs. Information is available on money saving rebates, watering schedules and advice on how to save water and money.
blaska@irwd.com, (949) 453-5500
Circular Clarifier was the First Phase of the Water Recycling Plant Expansion
A few years before ground was broken on the massive expansion of the Irvine Ranch Water District Michelson Water Recycling Plant, the first phase of that expansion was underway.
In 2007, work was begun on the Harvard Area Trunk Sewer Project that would expand the collection system to divert sewage from the Harvard Avenue and Main Street area to the Michelson Plant. Previously, sewage from that area was sent to the Orange County Sanitation District for treatment.
Expanding the trunk line would allow for treatment at Michelson, which would also save IRWD the costs incurred by sending it to OCSD. This would also allow for the production of more recycled water for use in the community. Work took place from late spring 2007 to spring 2008.
Another project was done in tandem with the Harvard Area Trunk Sewer Project to accommodate an increase of approximately five million more gallons of sewage flowing into the plant daily. This was construction of the circular clarifier at the Michelson plant, a 100-foot diameter, 16-foot deep tank. Ground broke on this project in 2006 and it was completed in the summer of 2008. It serves the same purpose as the nearby rectangular clarifiers, using activated sludge, or a high concentration of microbes to clean the sewage for converting into recycled water.
Phase Two of the expansion began in 2009 to increase flow capacity into the plant by an additional 10 million gallons per day. Final touches on that project are underway now. The new features of the plant include a new headworks facility, four new primary treatment tanks, a membrane bio-reactor, high-rate clarifiers, updated disinfection with sodium hypochlorite (bleach), and an ultraviolet disinfection system.
Recycled water produced by the plant is used for irrigating landscaping on golf courses, schools, parks, greenbelts, street medians, and for toilet flushing in commercial buildings, air conditioning cooling towers in high-rises and some industrial uses, such as concrete batch mixing.
Please visit our website for information on our Michelson Water Recycling Plant.
Summer is Here – IRWD Advises How to Fight Mosquitoes
Irvine Ranch Water District takes many steps to prevent mosquitoes at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine. These steps include maintaining a constant flow of water to prevent stagnation, using mosquito fish in the ponds and maintaining good access for Orange County Vector Control crews to do their work.
Although West Nile virus has primarily been found in birds, it can be transmitted to humans via a bite from an infected mosquito. IRWD offers these simple steps to help prevent the spread of West Nile virus in Southern California:
- Eliminate standing water in your yard, which can include water in cans, buckets, flowerpots, pet bowls, old tires and gutters.
- Guard against mosquito bites by minimizing time spent outdoors at dawn and dusk when insects are most active. When outdoors, wear long pants and long sleeves and apply mosquito repellant containing DEET.
- To report a dead bird, call the Orange County Vector Control District at (714) 971-2421, Ext. 117, or email wnsurv@ocvcd.org.
2014 Water Conservation Regulations in the News
By now you have seen the news, the statewide drought is getting worse, water storage levels are dropping and it’s time for all Californians to get serious about saving water. While IRWD customers are accustomed to doing the right thing by saving water, now more than ever, everyone is encouraged to find new ways to save. Everyone can always do more.
To encourage California residents to save more water, the state of California has implemented outdoor water use prohibitions and given local water agencies the tools to implement penalties for customers who continue to waste water.
What are the new Statewide Water Restrictions?
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1. The application of potable water to outdoor landscapes in a manner that causes runoff such that water flows onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, private and public walkways, roadways, parking lots, or structures;
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2. The use of a hose that dispenses potable water to wash a motor vehicle, except where the hose is fitted with a shut-off nozzle or device attached to it that causes it to cease dispensing water immediately when not in use;
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3. The application of potable water to driveways and sidewalks; and
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4. The use of potable water in a fountain or other decorative water feature, except where the water is part of a recirculating system.
Will IRWD be Issuing Fines for Water Restriction Violations?
At this time, IRWD will utilize an alternative method to discourage water wasters. Customers that exceed their monthly budget will pay significantly more for their water use. The price increases will be assessed through the budget based rate structure. For example:
Will IRWD Limit Outdoor Watering to 2 Days Per Week?
No. IRWD will use the budget based rate structure to limit outdoor watering. Rather than specifying which days a customer can water their yard, IRWD will assign each customer a monthly water budget. This approach complies with the new state emergency drought regulations and promotes long term behavior changes by sending a strong price signal that something is wrong, maybe a water leak or broken sprinkler timer. Customers are able to fix these problems and understand how they cause water over use.
What if I Notice My Neighbor has a Water Leak or is Over-Watering?
IRWD encourages neighbors to work together to save water. Your neighbor may not be aware that IRWD has water use efficiency experts available to answer questions or meet with customers to help determine the best ways for them to track down water leaks. If you see inefficient water practices, please let your neighbors know that IRWD experts can be reached at 949-453-5494 or at calscape@irwd.com.
How Can Customers Further Reduce their Water Use?
There are many ways we can help customers to manage water usage to stay within monthly water budgets and keep rates low.
- Check Your Sprinklers & Adjust the Schedule: Over-budget water use is typically due to landscape over-watering or a leak. Please see the suggested monthly watering schedule. Checking your sprinkler timer is a great place to start
- Free Home Water Use Survey: IRWD water use efficiency experts are available to answer questions or to meet with you to help determine the best ways for you to save water. We can be reached at 949-453-5494 or calscape@irwd.com .
- Check for Leaks: Did you know that a silent leak in a toilet can waste 40 gallons of water per day? You can easily check your toilet by placing a dye tablet or food coloring in your toilet tank. If, after several minutes, the color begins to seep into your toilet bowl, your toilet has a leak. For more tips on checking your home for leaks, visit this page.
- Get a Rebate: IRWD offers rebates on water saving indoor and outdoor appliances. Check out the latest rebates .
- Take the Pledge! Check off the right combination of water-savings actions and pledge to reduce your water use.
Want to Know More Details about the Statewide Water Regulations?
IRWD understands the importance of preserving California's water supplies, especially in times of drought, and has taken many steps over many years to encourage water use efficiency and the wise use of water including the implementation of innovative conservation measures. A key component of the District's efforts has been the use of the budget based rate structures which discourage overuse while providing for significantly reduced outdoor water use through meaningful tiered pricing for any inefficient water use. This rate structure, implemented in 1991, in response to drought conditions, has since achieved a 25% reduction in per capita water use for residential customers. The current average residential water use per person per day is around 85 gallons - far below the state average.
The IRWD Water Shortage Contingency Plan
Budget based rate structures are the foundation of IRWD’s Water Shortage Contingency Plan, which is submitted to the state as part of the Urban Water Management Plan. The budget based rate structure allows the District to quickly respond to limited supplies through strong price signals, which subsequently result in the greatest conservation response from our customers.
The IRWD Water Shortage Contingency Plan meets State requirements and uses the budget based rate structure at all drought levels, except the most severe situation, to achieve necessary water use reductions. Only in the event of an extreme shortage, such as a system outage when supplies are only available for public health and safety needs, will IRWD use mandatory outdoor water restrictions.
How do the New California Emergency Water Conservation Regulations affect Agencies?
Recently, the State Water Resources Control Board enacted new water conservation regulations due to the ongoing drought conditions throughout the state. These new regulations are effective August 1, 2014 and prohibit certain outdoor water uses and require urban water agencies to do one of two things:
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1. Implement mandatory outdoor water use restrictions that restricts outdoor watering to two days a week or implement outdoor water restrictions as dictated by their water shortage contingency plans, OR
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2. In lieu of number 1, agencies like IRWD who have budget based rate structures may submit a plan that shows that the level of water conserved due to the rate structure is superior to that achieved by restricting outside watering to two days a week.
Which Option will IRWD Implement?
IRWD will be implementing Option 2. Due to hard work by IRWD customers and the implementation of a budget based rate structure in 1991, IRWD per capita water use has declined 25% since 1991. IRWD can demonstrate that the IRWD budget based rate structure achieves excellent water saving results with an average residential water use per person per day around 85 gallons – far below the state average. IRWD will not be implementing option 1.
How Can Customers Further Reduce their Water Use?
There are many ways we can help customers to manage water usage to stay within monthly water allocations and keep rates low.
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