One of the Irvine Ranch Water District’s greatest assets is its employee base and the District can surely demonstrate longevity among its workforce. Three employees will reach a 30-year milestone of employment with the District this year and 11 of them have logged more than 30 years. One of them is Lester Busald, who achieved 35 years of service in early January. Busald is an Operations Supervisor at the Michelson Water Recycling Plant.

“I was 20 when I started, so I can honestly look back and say I grew up here,” Busald said.

He began his long IRWD career as a Utility Worker at the plant. This involved doing any job asked of him - even if it meant climbing into the four small circular clarifiers and scrubbing the algae off the walls before the peak wastewater flow came in.

“In those days, the plant was at four million gallons per day,” he recalled. “Peak flow would be a little more than seven million.”

For all of his 35 years, Busald had worked in wastewater treatment. When he was hired in 1979, there were three shifts working at the Michelson plant. Emerging computer technology eventually rendered three shifts unnecessary. Stand-by plant operators now respond to problems at the plant from home with the click of a mouse.

As the new employee, Busald spent his first eight months on the graveyard shift. Prior to IRWD, Busald worked for an aerospace company in Anaheim, where he grew up. Coming to work at IRWD allowed him to get married later that year.

Over the years, Busald has moved up from the entry level position to the one he holds today – Operations Supervisor. He has been involved in every plant upgrade since that time, including development of the Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, construction of the circular clarifier, to the current expansion of the plant which will process 28 millions of wastewater per day.

As various aspects of the new plant infrastructure go online, Busand and all of the operators undergo extensive training. The plant currently processes 20 mgd. He has received training on the new headworks and the high-rate clarifier. He and his fellow operations supervisor, Dave Hayden, oversee various portions of the plant. Busald and his five operators are responsible for the new headworks, high-rate clarifier and the older section of the plant. He is looking forward to training on the new membrane bioreactor.

Construction at the plant, which began in 2009, is expected to wrap up in May. More information on MWRP and the construction progress may be found on our website.

FOG refers to fats, oils, and grease, which are commonly found in such things as meat fats, lard, cooking oil, shortening, butter and margarine, food scraps, baked goods, sauces and soups and dairy products.

When FOG is poured down the drain, it solidifies and sticks to the insides of sewer pipes (both on your property and in the collections system) causing obstructions and eventual blockages.  Once these blockages are formed they can cause sewer overflows in which raw sewage enters the streets, storm drains, streams, businesses, yards, and even homes.  Such spills pose a risk to public health, adversely affect aquatic life, and are costly to clean up.

Businesses and food establishments that discharge FOG into the IRWD sewer system must comply with the new FOG program. This is a comprehensive program mandated by the State of California. Businesses will be issued a permit that identifies the general program requirements and any special conditions that have been indentified for each facility.

For more information about FOG, please visit the IRWD website. If you have questions about FOG, you can call 949-453-5852 or email us at FOG@irwd.com.

Up to 60 percent of your home’s total water usage is used outdoors. This year, save money and water by turning your yard into a CALscape, a California Appropriate Landscape, because it’s the right thing to do for California.

A recent study of Irvine Ranch Water District single-family customer water use revealed:

• 20% of a household’s total water use is attributed to over-watering
• Up to 60% of your home’s total water usage is used outdoors

You can be on your way to saving money and water by turning your water-thirsty landscape into a water-efficient CALscape. Reducing your outdoor water use starts with the right plants, schedule, and equipment.

The Right Plants: A California appropriate landscape starts with the right plants that are perfectly suited for our mild winters and warm, dry summers. They’re low maintenance, use little water and don’t need soil preparation or fertilizing. Visit www.irwd.com/calscape to view garden tours, garden galleries, a searchable plant database, and a garden resources section.

The Right Schedule: Keep your plants hydrated and healthy using the right amount of water with a CALscape Watering Schedule, available on our website (and on the back of this newsletter).

The Right Equipment: Water your garden efficiently and get the most from every drop of water with water-efficient equipment, such as rotating nozzles. We offer resources and rebates to help you water efficiently and effectively.

To help you transform your landscape into a CALscape, www.irwd.com/calscape offers resources, such as:

• Garden Galleries
• Searchable Plant Database
• Planting Guide
• Efficient Watering Schedule
• Rebates on Sprinklers, Weather-Based Irrigation Controllers, Rain Barrels and more.