An IRWD engineer and the Board of Directors were honored by the Southwest Membrane Operator Association with the 2013 Distinguished Service Award. The awards were presented to Carl Spangenberg, an IRWD 27-year employee, and the board at their June 24 meeting.

Spangenberg served on SWMOA’s Board of Directors from 2007 through 2012. He was a founding member of SWMOA and was instrumental in the growth and development of the organization. IRWD has maintained a presence within the membership of SWMOA since its inception and has hosted workshops and SWMOA board meetings.

The board was honored for their support of the use of membrane technology in many of the District’s projects.

SWMOA is an affiliate of the American Membrane Technology Association and dedicated to the Southwest United states region including Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah. The organization was formed to provide membrane operators a forum to exchange information, share experiences and knowledge and to obtain training.

IRWD has three water treatment plants that use membrane technology to purify drinking water. Two more facilities – the upgraded Michelson Water Recycling Plant and the future Baker Water Treatment Plant, will use membrane filtration when they go online.

The Deep Aquifer Treatment System (DATS) went online in 2002. This plant, located in Santa Ana, purifies water from the deepest portion of the Orange County Groundwater Basin. The process removes color from the water caused by ancient vegetation.

The Potable Treatment Plant went online in 2007 and removes salts from groundwater caused by many years of agricultural activity in the area. This plant provides 1.6 billion gallons of drinking water per year to our customers.

The well 21-22 Water Treatment Plant went online this year and recovers and treats local impaired groundwater for use in the drinking water system. Water from these wells and treatment plant is projected to produce approximately 6,300 acre-feet per year of drinking water.

The Michelson Water Recycling Plant is scheduled to be completed later this year and construction on the Baker plant to begin shortly thereafter.

More information about your sources of water is available on our website.

Irvine Ranch Water District Urges Support of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan; A Plan to Increase Water Supply Reliability in Southern California.

Over the past two decades, the Irvine Ranch Water District has successfully taken many steps to diversify the District’s water supply and reduce reliance on imported water. These supply diversification efforts have included investment in water recycling, water use efficiency, groundwater production, and water banking programs. Despite these efforts and like most of Southern California, IRWD continues to have some degree of reliance on imported water supplies including supplies from the Delta.

The Bay Delta provides water to 25 million Californians and three million acres of agriculture lands. The water the Delta provides supports California’s $1.7 trillion economy, and sustains 750 different plant and animal species. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) is a joint state and federal effort to develop and implement a 50-year comprehensive plan to fundamentally and systematically improve both the state’s water supply reliability and restore the Delta’s ecosystem. As part of the plan, a new water conveyance facility will be built to protect California’s water supply, habitat will be restored, and pollutants and invasive species will be removed to improve the health of the Delta ecosystem.

A reliable and high quality imported water supply is a vital component of the District’s and Southern California’s water resources portfolio. Implementing the BDCP is essential to ensuring a sustainable water supply for millions of Californians and the protection of the Delta as a unique natural asset.

For more information on Bay Delta Conservation Plan Policy Principles adopted by the IRWD Board of Directors, please click here.

Irvine Ranch Water District has received a PROTOS Award from the Orange County Public Relations Society of America in the community relations/institutional programs category for its Always Water Smart Outreach Campaign.

The IRWD Board of Directors honored the IRWD Public Affairs and Water Efficiency teams at its July 22 Board meeting. IRWD received the award at PRSA’s 38^th annual PROTOS Awards Ceremony on June 4, which honors the top Orange County public relations organizations and professionals for outstanding campaigns and achievements.

“The PROTOS awards recognize the best of the best,” said PRSA President Danny Craig. “It’s a major feather in IRWD’s cap, because it’s a very competitive process.”

Craig added that that the judging was conducted by public relations professionals in Tennessee, which promotes objectivity in the process.

PROTOS are the highest honor given to Orange County public relations practitioners who have demonstrated their understanding of the public relations and communications process including conducting research, defining objectives, and demonstrating measureable results of initiatives. Categories recognized in the PROTOS awards program are for Social Media, Collateral Materials, Media Relations and overall Program Awards in Crisis Communications, Event Planning and more.

Last year, IRWD won two Awards of Excellence from PRSA for the 2011 50^th Anniversary Celebration and for the resident tour program.

The IRWD Always Water Smart program is a resource for all things water efficient – tips, tools, rebates and information on events, webinars and workshops, free water-wise devices for the home, and much more. Please visit our website for more information.

Do you think taking shorter showers is the best way to reduce water use? How about fixing a pesky water leak?

In reality, the best way to save the most money on your water bill is to reduce outdoor water use.

Outdoor watering can account for up to 65 percent of your total home water use. That’s more than the water used for showering, dishwashing, laundry, and toilet flushing combined. Being smart about your outdoor water use is especially important during the warm summer months. IRWD offers you three key tips to reduce your outdoor water use and save the most money on your water bill:

Choose the right plants. Did you know that a California appropriate landscape uses up to 40 percent less water than a traditional grass-heavy residential landscape? There are beautiful and vibrant plants that can be used to create a colorful and water-efficient garden. IRWD’s garden website, www.irwdCALscape.org, offers plenty of options and ideas for customers who are looking for ways to develop an attractive, healthy and water efficient landscape. It’s a one-stop shop with garden tours, garden galleries, a searchable plant database and a garden resources section.

Use the right tools. Watering your landscape with efficient equipment, such as rotating nozzles and smart timers, helps you maintain your lawn properly. Checking periodically for leaks in your sprinkler system or for broken sprinkler heads will also help you save water and money. Rebates are available on our website for water-efficient devices, such as rotating spray nozzles (receive up to $4 per nozzle) and weather-based irrigation controllers (receive up to $385).

Reduce watering. With IRWD’s Irrigation Schedule(available on our website), you can program your sprinkler timer to adequately water your lawn and garden with the least amount of water needed. For example, throughout July and August, grass only needs to be watered four days a week for three cycles (spaced an hour apart) of three minutes each—a total of 36 minutes a week. Watering in the early morning helps reduce water lost to evaporation and wind, and watering in cycles allows maximum absorption into the soil where water is needed—at the roots. For more information and resources on saving money on your water bill and reducing your overall water usage, visit www.alwayswatersmart.com.