Water Recycling Plant Expansion Reaches First Major Milestone
The largest construction project in IRWD’s history, expansion of the Michelson Water Recycling Plant (MWRP) reached a major milestone with completion of the new disinfection facility, which went online in late July. This facility will use sodium hypochlorite, or liquid bleach, as the disinfection agent and last step in the process of producing high-quality, tertiary treated recycled water.
Construction on the MWRP plant expansion began last September. The capacity of the plant will increase from 18 to 28 million gallons per day, producing more recycled water to meet the demands of our growing community.
Expansion includes a new headworks facility, primary clarifier, electrical building, ultra-violet disinfection facility, membrane bioreactor facility and modification to the influent trunk sewer line. Construction is anticipated to be completed in summer 2012.
Expansion of the plant was necessary as the IRWD service area continues to grow. Recycled water accounts for approximately 25 percent of IRWD’s water use and is primarily used is for landscape irrigation of greenbelts, parks, schools, homeowner association common areas, golf courses and agricultural crops. Additional uses are for industrial and commercial needs and toilet flushing in commercial buildings. It is projected that by 2025, the District will need a recycled water production capacity of 33 million gallons per day to meet demands.
IRWD is an established leader in water recycling. Water recycling efforts began in 1966 and by 1967, IRWD was delivering approximately two million gallons of recycled water a day to agricultural users.
Use of recycled water in the community reduces IRWD’s dependence on imported water and by doing so, helps to keep IRWD’s rates among the lowest in Orange County. For more information on recycled water or the expansion project please visit www.irwd.com.
Recycled Water Main Break on Bonita Canyon
IRWD completed the recycled water main break repairs in Bonita Canyon Road near the 73 Freeway and the road has been base paved, restriped and is open. Crews will monitor the roadway for a couple of weeks before completing the final paving and replacing the concrete curb and gutter. IRWD expects these remaining items to occur in early October. For updates, please visit www.irwd.com or call (949) 453-5300.
Monitor Your Landscape Irrigation, Save Water
IRWD makes it easy for customers, property managers and landscapers to save water with its web-based Landscape Water Management Performance Reports,which reflect IRWD’s current water rates and allocations.
This free online tool allows customers to track the efficiency of their irrigation systems by providing information on water use from previous years as related to the percentage of water allocation used. The report shows current use, year-to-date use and over-allocation use penalties, if any.
To sign up for this program, simply follow the link to the login page of the Landscape Water Management Performance Reports, located on the “Tools” page of the “Landscape” section of www.alwayswatersmart.com. Participants in the program will receive a monthly irrigation Performance Report.
Customers benefit from this program by reduced water bills, improved overall health and appearance of landscape, and reduction of urban runoff. Saving water and money has never been easier!
Volunteers Clean San Diego Creek of Trash
Plastic bags by the hundreds, cigarette butts by the thousands, soda cans and cups, fishing line, bottles and bottle caps, tennis balls and construction debris – all were pulled out of San Diego Creek during Inner-Coastal Watershed Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 25.
More than 175 volunteers braved triple-digit heat to comb the banks of San Diego Creek for trash outside the gates of IRWD’s Michelson Water Recycling Plant. After four hours, two trash bins were brimming over with all manner of trash and recyclables.
IRWD has hosted a cleanup site for the past 11 years. Inner-Coastal Watershed Cleanup Day held in conjunction with Coastal Cleanup Day, is in its 14th year. The goal is to clean garbage from creeks and streams before it reaches the shore. The IRWD site was one of 23 countywide.
The majority of IRWD’s volunteers were students from Northwood High School, whose environmental science teachers award extra credit for participation in the cleanup. Everyone fanned out within the span of a mile along the creek banks. It’s not unusual to find shopping carts in the creek, along with tires, construction barricades and vehicle parts. Some volunteers did find a shopping cart, but it was submerged so deep in muck they couldn’t dislodge it. One couple even found an unopened bottle of cabernet sauvignon. Another group found a mattress.
Dylan Thomas, 17, is a senior at Northwood High School who found a long board he braced next to the trash bin. After filling up one bag with trash, he was headed back out to pick up more.
“This is just a good thing to do,” he observed. “I would be here to help out whether or not I was getting credit.”
IRWD employee Scott Beltran participated with his children, Christian, 10, and Madison, eight. He has brought the children to the event since they were very young to teach them about environmental stewardship.
IRWD’s Water Tapping Team Places First
Four members of IRWD’s Construction and Repair Department took first place at the Orange County Water Association’s annual Water Tapping Contest. Nine teams from various water agencies and city water departments competed in the contest, held at Irvine Lake on September 15.
This award demonstrates that IRWD crews performing maintenance or repair tasks in the field are highly trained and work efficiently, assuring minimal interruptions in water service, while saving customers money.
The timed competition involves three team members who tap into a pressurized water pipe using specialized tools. Copper pipe is then connected and run to a faucet. When all connections are made, the faucet is turned on, replicating connection from a water main to a domestic water meter. Speed and precision are important. The fourth team member serves as the coach, who not only advises, but cheers the group on. At the end of the drill, the raw time is given, then judges score the teams based on adherence to contest rules, use of safety equipment and if there are any leaks present.
Teams competed in two rounds each. Immediately, IRWD’S team, the Turbo Tappers, was the one to beat, finishing in two minutes and two seconds with no penalties to detract from their score. In the second heat, the Turbo Tappers finished in two minutes and eight seconds.
The team was composed of captain Colt Martin, coach David Perez, Matt Daniel and Carlos Collazo. They were honored by the IRWD Board of Directors at the September 27 Board meeting. Next, the team will compete in the regional competition, the American Water Works Association Cal-Nevada contest, held next spring in Long Beach.
This was the second year of competition for the Turbo Tappers. Last year the team placed a respectable fourth in a field of 11.
For more information about the work the IRWD crews do on a daily basis, please visit www.irwd.com.
