President's Message – Investigating Water Supply Options
The Orange County Water District (OCWD; the District) board of directors recently
convened a special board meeting to consider approval of a term sheet, which would
be another step forward toward a possible agreement with Poseidon Resources to purchase
50 million gallons of water a day (56,000 acre-feet annually) from its Huntington
Beach Ocean Desalination Plant. With a vote of 7 ayes and 3 noes, the board approved
the term sheet.
In January, the board voted to begin negotiating the term sheet with Poseidon Resources
and since then, it has done its due diligence to analyze the project and acquire
input. During March and April, the District established and engaged a 20-member
citizen's advisory committee, which met on multiple occasions with OCWD staff and
an independent facilitator, to provide input about the term sheet.
This input helped District staff in its negotiations and resulted in changes made
to the term sheet.
Read More...
Mid-Basin Injection Project: Now Online
As Orange County's groundwater authority, the Orange County Water District (OCWD;
the District) performs many functions to protect and replenish the groundwater basin.
Among these activities, OCWD recharges water via spreading grounds and prevents
seawater intrusion through the use of injection wells.
Demonstration MBI Location and 2014 Principal Aquifer Groundwater Levels
Due to the concentration of production wells operated by various retail water producers
within a relatively small geographic area of OCWD's jurisdiction, there is a
groundwater depression in the central portion of the basin near the cities of Santa
Ana and Costa Mesa.
OCWD has plans to address this local groundwater depression through a Mid-Basin
Injection (MBI) program.
Read More...
May Marks the 25th Anniversary of American Wetlands Month
Prado Wetlands
This May marks the 25th anniversary of American Wetlands Month, a celebration of
the importance of wetlands to the nation's economy, ecology and social health.
American Wetlands Month was created in 1991 by the United States Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and its federal, state, tribal, local, non-profit, and private sector
partners.
During this month, Americans are encouraged to discover and educate others about
the critical role that wetlands play in the environment and the significant benefits
they provide — increased water storage and supply, improved water quality, reduced
flood and storm surge risk, opportunities for recreation and cultural pursuits,
and critical habitat for plants, fish, and wildlife.
OCWD operates the largest constructed wetlands, the Prado Wetlands, in Southern
California upstream of the Prado Dam in Riverside County.
Read More...
OCWD: Doing Its Part to Conserve Water
The Orange County Water District has received approval for a rebate of $347,000
for removal of turf grass along La Palma Avenue near the Warner recharge basin in
the City of Anaheim. The refund is provided through a partnership between the Anaheim
Public Utilities and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's
SoCal Water$mart program, which provides turf removal
rebates to assist customers, including businesses, with further reducing their water
use.
Read More...
Safety Pays Off for OCWD
Association of
California Water Agencies/Joint Powers Insurance Authority (ACWA/JPIA) Chief Executive
Officer Andy Sells (second from right) and ACWA/JPIA Executive Committee member
Melanie McDonald (holding check at left) presented the OCWD Board with a Retroactive
Premium Adjustment check for $62,638, a reimbursement of premiums paid on liability,
property and workers' compensation insurance through ACWA/JPIA. The ACWA/JPIA
is refunding monies from the Rate Stabilization Fund. These monies are returned
to members when they exceed -50% of the current years' Liability Basic Premium.
The JPIA's Liability, Property, and Workers' Compensation Programs are pooled
programs and any excess amounts are returned to members.
Out in the Community
As part of its standard to forge and maintain long-term, positive and proactive
relationships with members of the community and be transparent about its operations
and programs, OCWD board members and staff participate, regularly, at community
events and speak before civic groups. Below are a few of which OCWD participated during
April.
•
OCWD staff hosted a table and distributed information at a public meeting hosted
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The purpose of the meeting was to present information
regarding the preliminary plans for the mural restoration at Prado Dam. Directors
Stephen Sheldon and Jan Flory were present and spoke in support of the restoration.
OCWD Communications Specialist Crystal Nettles, Director Jan Flory and Director
Stephen Sheldon
OCWD in the News
- OCWD General Manager Mike Markus provided an update to OC Register Reporter Aaron
Orlowski regarding OCWD's exploration of ocean desalination. Here is a link
to the full article:
Desalination could provide O.C. an infinite water supply, but at a steep cost
- KTLA's Chip Yost interviewed OCWD Director Denis Bilodeau about the drought
and OCWD projects and operations.
- Newsweek Writer Elijah Wolfson toured with and interviewed OCWD General Manager
Mike Markus about the GWRS for a story about technologies that have been used and
will be used to increase local water supplies. The link to the article is below
and the GWRS is featured under the subheading "Drinking from the Toilet."
Drying Up: The Race to Save California From Drought
Read More...
OCWD Employees
OCWD's employees are its most valuable resources. It is committed to recruiting
the best and enriching their lives to grow within the water industry and the District
family.
Appointments
GWRS Program Manager Mehul Patel has accepted an invitation to serve as a member
of the Civil Engineering Industry Advisory Council at his alma mater California
State Polytechnic University, Pomona. The appointment is for a three year term of
service (2015-2018). The Industry Advisory Council is a critical part of the school's
Civil Engineering department. Its mission is to assist the department in maintaining
and continually improving its programs.
Retirees
Hua "Flora" Chang, Senior Chemist,
retired after 26 years of service
New Hires
Craig Foster, Research &
Development Lab Intern
Tyler Crossno, Multi-Media/
Graphic Design Intern
April Tours
Thank you to the nearly 300 guests that toured OCWD's facilities in April:
Students from the West Coast University Nursing Program; participants in the American
Society of Civil Engineers Environmental and Water Resources Institute; students
from the California State University, Fullerton Nursing Program; students from Loma
Linda University; students from California State University, Fullerton; students
from Pomona College studying public policy analysis; students from the Vanguard
University Nursing Program; students from Golden West College; students from the
California State University, Long Beach Nursing Program; members of the Palmdale
Water District; participants of the Prado Wetlands spring tour; and participants
of the GWRS public tour.
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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