President's Message
Claudia C. Alvarez, ESQ.
The Orange County Water District celebrated a major milestone when the Groundwater
Replenishment System (GWRS) reached 100 billion gallons of ultra-pure water produced
since going on-line almost five years ago. 100 billion gallons of water is enough
to sustain 2.7 million Americans for one year (based on 100 gallons per person,
per day). The Orange County Water District (OCWD, District) operates the GWRS and
manages Orange County's groundwater basin.
The GWRS, a joint project of OCWD and the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD),
takes highly treated wastewater and purifies it through a three-step process that
includes microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet light with hydrogen peroxide,
resulting in near-distilled quality water. It is the world's largest advanced
water purification facility of its kind, currently producing up to 70 million gallons
of new water every day.
OCWD is currently expanding the Groundwater Replenishment System. The $142.7 million
project will create an additional 30 million gallons per day of new water supplies
to serve north and central Orange County bringing the total production of the GWRS
to 103,000 acre feet per year (AFY), enough water for 850,000 people. Construction
is estimated to be completed by late 2014.
The District is committed to providing a reliable, high-quality source of water
to recharge Orange County's groundwater basin and the GWRS helps accomplish this.
On behalf of OCWD I would like to thank the many project supporters, partners and
staff who made this project possible. Here's to another billion!
For more information about the project and to track the number of gallons produced,
please visit
www.gwrsystem.com.
100 Billion Gallons of Water Can: fill 1.4 million bathtubs with an average bath
draw of 70 gallons, fill 151,000 Olympic size swimming pools, or fill the Rose Bowl
stadium to the rim 1,185 times!
GWRS Installs Locally-Manufactured Membranes
The GWRS is operated in Fountain Valley by the Orange County Water District and
in part, relies on 15,750 reverse osmosis (RO) membranes to produce 70 million gallons
per day of ultra-pure drinking water. This is the largest collection of RO membranes
in the United States, therefore it was fitting that Orange County purchase locally-made
membranes for its facility.
Woongjin Chemical America opened a manufacturing facility in Anaheim in 2011 to
produce CSM reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes for municipal,
industrial and residential markets. Following a competitive bid process, the OCWD
Board of Directors authorized a purchase order of $414,299 to CSM (Woongjin Chemical
America, Inc.) for 1,050 membranes that are currently being rolled, assembled and
tested at its facility in Anaheim.
As membranes age, overall performance, including permeability and rejection, decline
and the membranes need to be replaced. The expected lifespan of membranes is five
years when operating in a municipal wastewater application like the GWRS, which
came on-line in 2008. The membranes being replaced were first used in a pilot facility
while the GWRS was under construction and have been in service for more than six
years. Installation of the new RO membranes is expected to begin in mid-January
2013.
OCWD Receives the "2012 Conservator of the Year" Award
The Bolsa Chica Conservancy honored the Orange County Water District with the "2012
Conservator of the Year" award at the annual Conservator of the Year luncheon on
December 7. This prestigious award is presented to an individual, business or organization
that promotes or sponsors the ideals of environmental conservation through innovative
ideas, scientific discovery, conservation projects, education, technological improvements
and breakthroughs.
OCWD was acknowledged for its leadership in environmental conservation in groundwater
quality, reliability and sustainability. It was also recognized for its commitment
and dedication to conservation through its highly acclaimed
Groundwater Replenishment System, the Children's Water Education Festival, the
Arundo donax removal program in the Santa Ana Watershed, habitat restoration and
water quality treatment at its Prado Wetlands and various groundwater clean-up programs
throughout Orange County.
Orange County Water District is honored to be recognized for its leadership in groundbreaking
technology and initiatives in water conservation, sustainability and youth education.
The Bolsa Chica Conservancy is a non-profit, non-political organization established
to ensure the preservation, restoration, and enhancement of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands
in Huntington Beach, Calif. For more information on the Bolsa Chica Conservancy,
please visit
www.bolsachica.org.
Collaboration with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
Orange County Water District is working with the Los Angeles Army Corps of Engineers
to pursue federal funding for the Prado Basin Feasibility Study (Study). The Study
provides an opportunity to develop comprehensive solutions for Prado Basin's ecosystem,
sediment and water conservation issues impacting the counties of Orange, San Bernardino
and Riverside and the cities of Ontario and Chino. It explores prospects for additional
stormwater capture using a comprehensive watershed approach. Costly and limited
imported water availability from the State Water Project and Colorado River has
heightened the need to enhance water supply by increasing local stormwater capture.
The Prado Basin is located behind the Prado Dam, which is the primary flood control
facility along the Santa Ana River. When the dam was built, the Corps, which owns
and manages the dam, considered conservation an incidental function of it. Initially,
the water conservation level behind the dam was limited to a small amount, which
has increased through time. OCWD uses part of the water captured behind the dam
to recharge the groundwater basin it manages. This saves water users millions of
dollars in imported water purchases.
OCWD and the City of Ontario successfully secured support for the Study from Orange
and San Bernardino County congressional members and local elected officials. District
staff has worked closely with the USACE local and regional offices to align the
project more closely with the Administration's agency objectives. OCWD is committed
to working with the USACE to develop solutions for Prado Basin's ecosystem,
sediment and water conservation issues and to expedite the Study.
Support the Nation's Largest Water Education Festival!
The Orange County Water District, Disneyland Resort, National Water Research Institute
and the OCWD Groundwater Guardian Team will present the 17th annual Children's
Water Education Festival March 27-28, 2013, at the University of California, Irvine.
The event is the largest water festival of its kind in the nation and will educate
nearly 7,000 Orange County third, fourth and fifth grade students about water and
the environment.
The mission of the Festival is to educate students about water-related and conservation
issues that correspond to California Science Standards. The Festival teaches youth
to think about our environment and make a difference in protecting our natural resources
for today, tomorrow and future generations.
The Festival is provided at no cost to schools, making public and private financial
support crucial to the success of this educational event and its continued growth.
In addition to monetary and in-kind donations, the Festival requires more than 400
volunteers, staff and presenters. To sponsor, donate supplies, present an activity
or volunteer, please contact Amanda Gavin at (714) 378-3202 or
agavin@ocwd.com.
Visit
www.childrenwaterfestival.com
to learn more and watch a brief video about the event.
December Employee of the Month
Congratulations to Linda Koki, Senior GIS Analyst, who was recognized by OCWD as
the December employee of the month. In addition to her workload, Linda assumed the
responsibilities of a staff member who recently left OCWD. She also assisted with
the review and interview process to fill the vacant position and trained the new
hire. Linda has worked for the District since 2004 and has always maintained a positive
attitude and produced high-quality work.
The OCWD employee of the month program was established to recognize outstanding
District employees and to acknowledge their contributions to OCWD. The program recognizes
employees for high quality work, promoting team work, cost saving ideas and a high
level of dedication to their work. The District recognizes that OCWD employees are
the source of its strength, reputation and innovation. Great job Linda!
Welcome OCWD New Employees
In late October Stephen Strand and Jeremiah, "Jerry," McDonald became members of
the OCWD family. Stephen was hired as a GIS Analyst in the Department of Hydrogeology.
He is responsible for generating maps and reports using GIS software, in addition
to developing, analyzing, and maintaining GIS data and associated applications.
Jerry is part of the purchasing department and was hired as a temporary part-time
warehouse technician. He is tasked with performing various warehouse activities
including receiving deliveries, monitoring inventory and helping to maintain and
organize the warehouse.
November Tours
OCWD hosted more than 260 guests for tours of the GWRS. The District would like
to thank these guests, which included staff from the Los Angeles Department of Water
& Power; students from Coastline Community, Orange Coast and Cypress Colleges; the
public tour; delegates from the Seoul City Development Division in Korea; a delegation
from Vietnam and staff from CDM; nursing students from California State University,
Fullerton and Long Beach; a legislative analyst from the State Water Resources Control
Board; students from California State University, Dominguez Hills and a group from
the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
Public tours of the Groundwater Replenishment System are offered at
10 a.m. on the first Friday of every month; reservations are required. Tours may be scheduled for other days of the week, depending on staff availability. To schedule a tour or to request more information, please contact Becky Mudd at (714) 378-3362 or
bmudd@ocwd.com. To schedule a speaker, please contact Rose Wilke at (714) 378-3206 or
rwilke@ocwd.com. You may also visit
www.ocwd.com to schedule these activities online.
CONTACT US
www.ocwd.com
18700 Ward Street
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(714) 378-3200
info@ocwd.com
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