Eighteen Years of Water Festival Fun and Learning
More than 7,000 third through fifth grade students from all over Orange County converged on Aldrich Park at UC Irvine for the two days of the annual Children’s Water Education Festival, and around 300 of them were able to “Get the Groundwater Picture” at the Irvine Ranch Water District’s activity.
Students learned about the local groundwater basin, the aquifers, what they can do to prevent water pollution and conserve water during the drought and every day.
A total of 612 students from the IRWD service area attended the two-day event held March 26-27. This was the second year the event was held at Aldrich Park and organizers agree this venue provided a back-to-nature feeling.
The event had been held at the Nixon Library and Birthplace for four years previously and before that, at the Hidden Valley Event Center in Irvine behind the former Wild Rivers location. IRWD has participated in the event all 18 years of its existence.
For more information on IRWD educational programs, please visit our website.
Student Art Show Arrives at Irvine Ranch Water District
The 2014 Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Student Art Exhibit has arrived in the lobby of the Irvine Ranch Water District headquarters office at 15600 Sand Canyon Avenue in Irvine and features the winning art work of Grace Jung, a Stonegate Elementary fourth grader.
Grace’s art work and the other 35 winning posters will be displayed in the IRWD lobby and available for public viewing through April 22 during regular business hours: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The students, their parents and teachers were invited to a ceremony at Metropolitan’s Los Angeles office in December. The winning art work was framed and on display in the building’s rotunda. Winning posters were published in the 2014 Water is Life calendar.
The traveling art show began in January and is making its way around various water agencies all over Southern California. The show will conclude in July and the framed art work returned to the participating agencies. Grace will be honored at a future IRWD board meeting and be presented with her winning art work.
More information about IRWD education programs is available on our website.
Biosolids Project Open House Meeting Scheduled
The Biosolids project team is hosting a Project Open House on Wednesday, April 16 at 6 p.m. at the IRWD Learning Center at the San Joaquin Marsh. Project team members will be on hand to provide a status update and answer any questions you may have.
The Biosolids Energy & Recovery Facilities Project integrates a new state-of-the-art organics-handling system at the Michelson Water Recycling Plant. This new system includes biosolids processing, biogas management, and energy recovery systems. The system makes efficient and sustainable use of locally generated renewable resources by putting to beneficial use the biosolids and biogases that are produced during the sewage treatment/recycling process.
The project is expected to save IRWD customers an average of $10 million annually over the next 20 years. The project is located at the existing MWRP, at 3512 Michelson Drive, Irvine, CA 92612 and is being constructed within a 4.6‐acre rectangular‐shaped site.
Work began early last year and is expected to be completed by fall of 2016. Check our website for project updates.
Contact: Shannon Reed, Public Affairs Manager
reeds@irwd.com, (949) 453-5500
You’re Invited: IRWD Hosts 2014 Blood Drive
Irvine Ranch Water District will be holding its annual spring blood drive on Wednesday, April 9, 2014, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The UC Irvine bloodmobile will be located in the parking lot adjacent to IRWD headquarters at 15600 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine. The public is invited to participate. IRWD has held blood drives for more than 20 years.
This drive will benefit Orange County’s only Level I Trauma Center. All donors will receive their choice of a t-shirt or a pint of Baskin Robbins ice cream.
In order to donate, donors must:
- Be 17 years of age or older and weigh more than 110 pounds
- Have a valid photo ID (driver's license, passport, employee or student ID are acceptable)
- Be in good health
- Eat a healthy meal and drink plenty of fluids prior to donation
- Finish all antibiotics prior to your donation and be symptom-free from any infection or illness
All prospective donors will complete a donor history questionnaire and blood work each time they donate. They must not have had a tattoo within the past year and provide a list of specific destinations and time periods they have traveled outside of the United State in the previous year.
Potential donors may go to https://www.healthcare.uci.edu/blooddrive/Default.aspx?id=irwd to register. Appointments are available every 15 minutes.
How to Prepare Your Emergency Water Supply When Zombies Attack
As zombies crawled the streets of Orange County early Tuesday morning, IRWD took this time to remind customers on how to take precautionary measures with their water supplies.
“The first 72 hours following an emergency are critical,” said a top IRWD official. “We are urging customers to always be prepared with their water should zombies invade the water supply.”
Here are the top ways to prepare your water supply in case of an emergency:
- You should store about one gallon of water per person per day. Three gallons is a decent starting point.
- Water should be stored in carefully cleaned, non-corrosive, tightly covered containers.
- All stored water should be clearly labeled and replenished every six months.
- Water may be polluted after an earthquake or zombie attack. Water that is boiled for five minutes will usually be safe from contamination.
- If boiling is not an option, strain the water through paper towels, paper coffee filters, or several layers of clean cloth to remove any sediment. Treat the water with household liquid chlorine bleach. Add eight drops of bleach per one gallon of clear water, or 16 drops if the water is cloudy. Allow water and bleach to stand for 30 minutes. Purify only enough water at a time to last a maximum of 48 hours.
- You should also learn how to shut off gas, water, and electricity meters.
For more information on how to prepare in case of an emergency and to sign up for emergency notifications, visit irwd.com/emergency-codered.
Photo Credit: AMC Media
