Like getting your hands dirty while working outdoors? Do you like being around other volunteers from the community? Do you need to earn community service hours?

Shadetree Partnership has all of these opportunities and more. Volunteers are needed once a month at Shadetree’s nursery events. Come out and prune and weed the extensive stock of trees and shrubs. Help plant seedlings. Stake, rake, replant and enjoy camaraderie with others.

The nursery event for July is scheduled for Saturday, July 13 – 8:30-11 a.m. at the UC Irvine nursery site. No experience is necessary because staff will be available to train volunteers.

A continental breakfast in the morning will be offered to thank the volunteers.

Go to www.shadetreepartnership.org/events/ to register, or contact Leslie Bonkowski at Irvine Ranch Water District (949) 453-5312. The nursery is located on Anteater Drive, next to UCI’s recreational area. Parking is limited. Wear comfortable clothing and closed-toed shoes. Bring a hat, sunscreen and work gloves if you have them.

If you are unable to attend the July event, there are plenty of opportunities. Mark your calendar for the rest of the year – August 10, September 21, October 19, November 9 and December 7.

Contact: Shannon Reed, Public Affairs Manager
reeds@irwd.com, (949) 453-5500

The 2008 Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) Student Art Exhibit is making its way to the IRWD headquarters at 15600 Sand Canyon Avenue in Irvine and the exhibit will feature the winning artwork of Kris Kong, an Irvine Plaza Vista Elementary School third grader.

Kris’s artwork and several of the 38 pieces of winning artwork will be displayed in IRWD’s lobby and will be available for public viewing Jan. 23-25 and Jan. 28-31 during regular business hours: 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday.

Artwork by students from all over the region was entered into the 2007 “Water is Life” poster contest sponsored by MWD. Kris was one of IRWD’s five semi-finalists, whose artwork was chosen for publication in the 2008 MWD calendar, which features 38 posters. The students, their parents and teachers were invited to a ceremony at MWD’s Los Angeles office in December 2007. The winning artwork was framed and on display. 

The traveling art show began at the Diamond Valley Lake Visitor’s Center in Riverside County and will conclude in June in Ventura. Kris will be honored at a future IRWD board meeting and be presented with his winning artwork at the conclusion of the region-wide art exhibits.

IRWD and AccuTemp Products have announced a new initiative that will allow food service operators to trade in old, inefficient steamers and rinse sprayers for newer water-saving units. The program is limited to the first 50 qualifying food service establishments.

Under the program, a flat fee of $750 per unit is charged, plus the cost of installation and old equipment removal. The food service operator receives a connectionless steamer for the kitchen, plus a 1.2-gallon-per-minute pre-rinse spray. Connectionless steamers do not require water or drain connections. They will operate for hours on less than three gallons of water and deliver the cooking speed and production capacity of conventional compartment steamers, saving hundreds of gallons of water each production day. Conventional boiler-type steamers have been found to use an average of 407 gallons of water per day, compared to less than 14 gallons per day for connectionless models.

IRWD received an enhanced conservation grant from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), which makes this new program possible.

The retail price for this new equipment ranges from $6,000-$8,000, not including installation. Food service providers can realize a water savings of approximately 80,000 gallons per year and energy savings of around 75 kilowatt hours per day.

To qualify for the Restaurant Retrofit Package Program:

• A food service establishment must be located in the IRWD service area (Irvine, portions of Lake Forest, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Tustin, Orange and unincorporated portions of Orange County)
• Have one or more operating boiler-based or steam generator model compartment steamers that are connected to a water and drain line
• Have a pre-rinse spray used for vegetable preparation or pre-cleaning of dishes before they are placed in the dishwasher

While saving water is the focus of the IRWD Restaurant Retrofit Package Program, participating operators will see lower water and sewer bills and energy cost savings, while reducing waste water.

IRWD's annual Water Quality Report has recently been mailed to all customers with an IRWD water account and is available online at the District's Web site.

The report details the quality and safety of tap water provided by IRWD and provides information  on the sources of water and testing results for calendar year 2008. IRWD's report shows that the water  provided to customers continues to be of high quality and meets, or is of better quality than required by, all state and federal standards.

While all IRWD customers have already received their report in the mail, the District does not have mailing addresses for apartment residents, employees of local companies, or others who don't have an account with IRWD. Anyone who lives or works within the District's boundaries (Irvine, Tustin Ranch, Foothill Ranch, Portola Hills, Santa Ana Heights, Newport Coast, Silverado, Modjeska and Williams Canyons, Orange Park Acres and portions of Lake Forest) may request a free report by calling (949) 453-5500.

On request, IRWD will make copies of the report available to apartment managers for distribution to their tenants. The report is also available in PDF format on the District's Web site at www.irwd.com.