IRWD Receives 2008 Flex Your Power Award
IRWD was recognized this week as a 2008 Flex Your Power Award recipient in the electricity Peak Demand Response category. Flex Your Power is California’s energy efficiency campaign. The campaign honors recipients in this category for their efforts to reduce peak power use and protect California’s power grid during times of high demand by shifting loads, shutting down systems and taking immediate conservation action.
Recognizing the high energy requirements of pumping water, IRWD has taken steps to become more energy efficient through implementation and installation of solar power and motor upgrade projects. Cumulative energy efficiency projects over the last year provided IRWD with more than $529,000 in energy efficiency incentives, 4.05 million kilowatts in avoided cost savings, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing more than 8,000 cars from the road.
“IRWD’s efficiency projects not only help conserve California’s valuable natural resources, but ultimately reduce the cost of water and sewer service for our customers.” said IRWD General Manager, Paul Jones, “We are proud to be honored by Flex Your Power.”
IRWD has installed nearly 700 solar panels on the roof of its headquarters building on Sand Canyon Avenue in Irvine. The 100 kilowatt system provides up to 20 percent of the total energy needs for the building. In addition, IRWD installed four solar mixers at its Los Alisos Water Reclamation Plant to help reduce peak demand. Using the Consumer Powerline and the Southern California Edison Base Interruptible Programs, IRWD is able to provide the California Independent Systems Operator with up to 4,087 kW of demand reduction during when needed and a maximum peak demand savings of 26 percent at these facilities.
In addition to the California Public Utilities Commission, Flex Your Power Award winners were selected by representatives including: The Silicon Valley Leadership Group; the CA Energy Commission; Sacramento Municipal Utility District; CA Independent System Operator; the Building Owners and Management Assoc.; League of CA Cities; and Southern California Edison.
Flex Your Power is California's statewide energy efficiency marketing and outreach campaign. Initiated in 2001, Flex Your Power is a partnership of California's utilities, residents, businesses, institutions, government agencies and nonprofit organizations working to save energy. The campaign includes a comprehensive website, an electronic newsletter and blog, and educational materials. Flex Your Power has received national and international recognition, including an ENERGY STAR Award for excellence.
Steve LaMar Appointed to IRWD Board
The IRWD Board of Directors has voted unanimously to appoint Irvine resident Steven E. LaMar to fill the unexpired term of former director Darryl Miller, who resigned in December 2008. LaMar will stand for election in 2010.
LaMar is a water policy and planning expert with over 20 years of experience on statewide business and industry committees and has directly participated in many major water policy forums. He has served on statewide task forces and advisory committees on drought planning, desalination, the California Bay-Delta, the California Water Plan and on water reliability and conservation issues. LaMar is president and owner of LegiSight, LLC, located in Tustin, CA, and is also a principal for Spinner LaMar Associates since 1993. He has served as a water policy leader in the California Building Industry Association since 1993.
The new IRWD board member comes to his position with extensive water policy service. He was a member of the California Water Plan 2009 Advisory Committee and a member of the Delta Vision Stakeholders Coordination Group. He was Chair of the Economic Work Group for the 2006 California Landscape Task Force. He served as member of the 2005 State Water Desalination Task Force, the 2000 Governor’s Advisory Drought Planning Panel and Chair of the California Building Industry Association’s statewide Water Resources Subcommittee and Task Force.
LaMar has been honored for achievements and was the recipient of the 2001 Ernest Hahn Achievement Award from the California Business Properties Association, and the Building Industry Association of Southern California's Gary Anderson Memorial Award.
LaMar holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Kansas State College and a certificate from the Environmental Management Institute, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency environmental training program administered by the University of Southern California. He is involved in the local community and is past President of the Orange County Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
"We feel that Steve LaMar will prove an excellent addition to the IRWD Board and because of his experience will be able to immediately make significant contributions,” said Board President Doug Reinhart. “He was among 41 local citizens who submitted applications for this appointment. Because of the high quality of all of the applicants the other board members and I had a difficult choice to make, but we feel that Steve’s diverse background and years of water policy, planning and environmental experience will serve the residents and businesses of our district well.”
Landscape Workshop Sprouts Again
“Love your garden…and your water bill” is the theme of a free landscape workshop taking place on March 27, from 6-9 p.m. at the Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD). By attending this workshop, residents served by IRWD can learn how to have colorful and water-efficient yards and gardens while also lowering their water bills.
This popular seasonal event features live plant displays and fact-filled presentations by conservation, irrigation and landscape design specialists. Ron Vanderhoff, nursery manager of Roger’s Gardens, will give an encore performance of his informative and timely “Gardening Green in Orange County” lecture. Attendees will also receive a free sprinkler adjusting tool with instructions on how this handy little device saves water and money while helping to protect the ocean from runoff-related pollution.
The workshop will take place at IRWD’s headquarters, 15600 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine. Seating is limited, so reservations are required. Reserve your seat online at http://www.irwd.com/FreePrograms/workshops.php, or call (949) 453-5327.
IRWD Embraces Latest Web Technology To Help Residents Save Water
Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) will be hosting its first online Webinar, entitled “New Ways for Smart Landscape Watering” to provide simple, practical tips to help local residents learn how to water their landscapes more efficiently, reduce runoff and prevent water pollution.
The Webinar, a free seminar delivered over the internet, will take place at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 30, 2009. Participants will be able to join IRWD’s conservation and landscape experts for an informative, interactive session from the comfort of their homes, by simply logging on.
The Webinar will cover:
- Five easy steps to tune up your irrigation system
- Three “must use” features of your irrigation timer
- Simple ways to manage your landscaping
- Q & A with IRWD’s experts
As space is limited, attendees can reserve their Webinar “seats” by visiting IRWD’s water conservation site, www.alwayswatersmart.com and clicking on the SIGN UP NOW button.
IRWD Provides Recycled Water to Concrete Batch Plant
IRWD has successfully converted the Robertson’s Ready Mix Concrete batch plant to recycled water use, the first such use for recycled water in Orange County.
“From the first phone call Robertson’s was enthusiastic and collaboration on the project was outstanding,” said project coordinator, Greg Herr.
Added Mark Tettemer, IRWD’s recycled water development manager, “This project should set a trend for future industrial uses of recycled water. This is an important project to IRWD as we work to expand the industrial uses of recycled water.”
The project went live on July 8. Industrial use of drought-resistant recycled water costs 40 percent less than domestic water, significantly reducing operational costs for customers. The plant uses approximately 20,000 gallons per day to process concrete.
Construction on the 738-foot pipeline that would connect Robertson’s to IRWD’s recycled system began last October. The connection was made to the recycled water distribution mainline located in Warner Avenue and the new pipeline was constructed in Construction Circle. A recycled water meter was provided near the entrance to the plant. Robertson’s approved an IRWD design concept for the on-site pipeline and decided to construct it along an existing aerial catwalk serving the recycled water into two 500-gallon tanks. Because the pipeline was open to visual inspection, additional costs to trench and bury it were avoided, and cross-connection control was assured.
“Anytime we can take advantage of using recycled water, we take every opportunity to do so,” said Christine Geoyvaerts, property manager for the Corona-based company. “We save money over the long-term and it’s especially important during times of drought to save water.”
IRWD has been a leader in promoting recycled water use for landscaping and agricultural needs for about 40 years. Wastewater is collected and treated using tertiary treatment, producing high quality water that earned the District the first unrestricted use permit in the state in 1991. Recycled water is delivered through a completely separate pipeline system throughout the community.
