President's Message
- Responding to the Grand Jury Report
The 968th Quartermaster Company, US Army Reserves based
in Tustin toured recently. They are members of the water purification unit and are
shown here with Board President Shawn Dewane. OCWD thanks you for your service to
our country.
In May, the Orange County Grand Jury released a report titled
Sustainable and Reliable Orange County Water Supply: Another Endangered Species?
As the region's groundwater sustainability agency, the Orange County Water District
commends the Grand Jury's efforts to investigate and report on the complex issue
of water supply and reliability in Orange County.
At the District's board of directors meeting on August 20, the board approved
an official response to the Grand Jury, an action it is legally obligated to perform.
OCWD's responses to the report findings and recommendations recognized that
the first priority for sustainable water resource management should be to maximize
the recycled water supply and the District is doing just this.
In Southern California alone, 1.3 billion gallons of treated wastewater is lost
to the ocean every day. Working together with the Orange County Sanitation District,
the two agencies are maximizing this resource as OCWD expands the world's (already)
largest water reuse project, the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS). The project
uses a three-step advanced purification process to treat sewer water to drinking
water standards.
In 2015, the GWRS will bring 100 million gallons of water per day to the region—enough
water for 850,000 people annually. And we aren't stopping there; the District
is also exploring the feasibility of a final expansion in an effort to provide continued
water reliability to the region. If voters pass a water bond in the November 2014
election, $750 million will be available to, possibly, fund the final expansion,
as well as other similar projects throughout California.
OCWD's responses to the Grand Jury also emphasized its support for additional
actions that would bring water reliability to the region, including restoring imported
water supplies to Southern California, exploring alternative water supply projects
like ocean desalination, implementing additional water recycling projects throughout
the region, and improving the coordination and integration of groundwater and imported
water supplies in Orange County.
These responses underscore OCWD's commitment to appropriately invest in and
plan for a high quality and reliable water supply for Orange County; a function
it has been successfully doing since 1933. Through this endeavor, collaboration
with other agencies, stakeholders and dedicated citizens, such as the members of
the Orange County Grand Jury, is critical. In fact, the new Grand Jury that began
its term July 1 already toured OCWD, the GWRS and the Advanced Water Quality Assurance
Laboratory in early September.
The District appreciates its engagement in an effort to advance water reliability
for the region. To read the Grand Jury's report, please visit the
Orange County Grand Jury
site. Click on
OCWD's Grand Jury Response
to read the Districts official reply.
Governor Brown Signs Historic Groundwater Legislation
Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. has recently signed historic legislation to strengthen
local management and monitoring of groundwater basins to help protect, maximize
and sustain the state's groundwater supplies.
The three bills signed by the Governor—AB 1739 by Assemblymember Roger Dickinson
(D-Sacramento) and Senate Bills 1168 and 1319 by Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills)
– create a framework for sustainable, local groundwater management for the first
time in California history. The legislation allows local agencies to tailor sustainable
groundwater plans to their regional economic and environmental needs.
California was the only Western state not officially managing its groundwater and
there was a pump-as-you-please approach in many locales. The new bills will address
over drafting, or over pumping of the groundwater that can lead to contamination,
damaged aquifers, seawater intrusion, and subsidence, or collapsing lands. The bills
are intended to take a balanced approach—to protect property rights and incentivize
local control while ensuring and protecting a sustainable supply of groundwater.
The new laws take effect in January and call for aggressive goals—for locals
to adopt an approved plan by 2020 and to have groundwater sustainability by 2040.
According to OCWD Board President Shawn Dewane, "This historic step is a solid
starting point that will help safeguard groundwater supplies, throughout the state,
for future generations." OCWD General Manager Mike Markus added, "The
Orange County Water District has long-ago adopted management plans for our groundwater
basin. We have been called to the state capitol regarding our expertise and we applaud
this much-needed legislation."
Director Cathy Green was invited to be a part of the historic signing. Under the
new law, OCWD will continue to be the region's Groundwater Sustainability Agency
responsible for managing the Orange County Groundwater Basin.
For full text of the bills, visit:
Fourteenth Biennial Symposium on Managed Aquifer Recharge
The 14th annual Biennial Symposium on Managed Aquifer Recharge took place on July
31 and August 1 in Orange, Calif. It was hosted by the Groundwater Resources Association
of California (GRA) and the Arizona Hydrological Society. Orange County Water District's
Recharge Planning Manager Adam Hutchinson, who is a GRA board member, chaired the
planning committee for this event. The symposium included two field workshops, one
to the Groundwater Replenishment System and one to OCWD's surface spreading
system. A total of 136 people attended from 12 states and three countries. Director
Cathy Green introduced the keynote speaker, Lester Snow of the California Water
Foundation, at the Herman Bouwer Awards luncheon on July 31. OCWD Principal Hydrogeologist
John Bonsangue, presented on the "Practical Approaches to Maintaining Well
Efficiency" and Senior Scientist Grisel Rodriguez presented on "Monitoring
the Effectiveness of Sediment Removal Ponds in Reducing Suspended Solids Concentrations
Prior to Recharge."
Regular collaboration with other experts in the field is important to keeping the
District abreast of potential and emerging problems and developing innovative and
efficient solutions to aquifer management.
Children's Water Education Festival - Registration is Now Open
The 19th annual Children's Water Education Festival will take place March 25-26,
2015 at the University of California, Irvine. The Festival, the largest of its kind
in the nation, is presented by the Orange County Water District, Disneyland Resort,
National Water Research Institute, and the OCWD Groundwater Guardian Team. The Festival
educates third, fourth and fifth grade Orange County students about local water
issues and helps them understand how they can protect water supplies and the environment.
Nearly 7,000 students will learn about the interdependence of water, soil, plants,
trees, animals, and humans through more than 60 interactive and fun-filled presentations.
This educational and empowering event would not be possible without our family of
supporters! Registration is now open for schools, presenters and
volunteers. A variety of sponsorship opportunities are also
available. Please visit the
Children's Water Education Festival
site to learn more.
OCWD $3.2 Billion Economic Impact
According to the National Economic and Labor Impacts of the Water
Utility Sector technical report published in August 2014 by the Water Research
Foundation and the Water Environment Research Foundation, the Orange County Water
District's operations and capital plan investments contribute significantly
to the local economy, in terms of both output ($) and employment (jobs).
OCWD's estimated economic contribution to the region totals $3.2 billion over
the next decade, supporting 1,500 jobs per year.
"Making appropriate investments in managing the groundwater basin has long
been a core value of the District. To have this affirmation of our positive impacts
on Orange County strengthens our resolve to continue on our current path,"
stated OCWD General Manager Mike Markus.
The District provides water services to 2.4 million people across 358 square miles,
supplying 286 million gallons of water per day. OCWD was one of 30 utilities featured
in this analysis.
National Economic & Labor Impacts of the Water Utility Sector Technical Report
OCWD Sound Planning and Investment Projects
Sound planning and investment are among key standards that drive
the decisions and activities of OCWD to provide a reliable, high-quality water supply
to Orange County citizens and businesses in a cost-effective and environmentally-sensitive
manner. The District's proactive approach to planning and investment has already
resulted in a groundwater basin that is protected against seawater intrusion and
has doubled in yield over the last 10 years. Work has recently begun on two regional
water reliability projects.
Santiago Creek Pipeline Project
The Santiago Creek Pipeline runs underneath the cities of Anaheim and Orange to
transport water between two critical groundwater basins: Burris and Santiago Creek.
Pumping water away from Burris Basin enables it to hold more stormwater and runoff,
ultimately increasing the county's water supply.
Construction is underway near the intersection of Collins Avenue and Tustin Street
in Santa Ana to install a manhole above the Santiago Creek Pipeline in order to
access the pipeline for routine maintenance. This month-long project is important
to maximizing the performance of OCWD's recharge operations.
Burris Pump Station Phase II
The Orange County Water District owns and manages more than two dozen recharge basins.
Four are deep recharge basins, including Burris Basin in Anaheim, that are vital
components of collecting surface water to replenish groundwater supplies.
The second phase of the Burris Basin Pump Station Replacement Project began this
month and, barring inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances, is due for
completion at the end of November 2016. The project includes building a new pump
station in Burris Basin - an artificial lake along the Santa Ana River between Lincoln
Avenue and Ball Road in Anaheim. Additionally, the project will demolish the existing
pump station, which has reached the end of its useful life span.
The water level in Burris Basin will be lowered to varying elevations during construction
and will be refilled to its normal operating level in fall of 2016 upon the project's
completion. As part of its commitment to environmental stewardship, OCWD invested
$130,000 to create a floating island in the basin to minimize the impact to nesting
birds. One can watch the birds from Anaheim Coves, a park built by the City of Anaheim
and OCWD that meanders along the west side of Burris Basin.
For more information about these or other regional water reliability projects, please
call the OCWD Construction Hotline at (714) 378-8244 or email
info@ocwd.com.
For updated project information, please refer to the
OCWD's Construction Updates
page.
Out in the Community
•
Director Jan Flory and General Manager Mike Markus gave a presentation to the North
Orange County Legislative Alliance about the Orange County Water District, the Groundwater
Replenishment System, and the North Basin Groundwater Protection Plan.
•
Director Vincent Sarmiento and Principal Hydrogeologist David Bolin provided a presentation
to the Santa Ana North Rotary Club about OCWD, GWRS and the South Basin Groundwater
Protection Plan.
•
Director Phil Anthony spoke to the Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce about the District,
the GWRS and upcoming projects in the City of Seal Beach.
Photo caption: Cypress Chamber Board Chairman David McDonald (second from right)
with Director Anthony (right), Executive Director John Kennedy and Public Affairs
staff member Diane Pinnick
•
Directors Anthony and Roger Yoh, with OCWD Executive Director of Engineering &
Local Resources John Kennedy, presented to the Cypress Chamber of Commerce about
groundwater, the Groundwater Replenishment System and the drought.
•
President Shawn Dewane gave a presentation to the Rotary Club of Laguna Beach that
included information about OCWD, the GWRS and the drought.
•
Director Denis Bilodeau presented information to the Rotary Club of Orange about
OCWD, the GWRS, area projects, and a drought update.
•
Public Affairs staff participated in a Green Fair for the employees of Alcoa Fastening
Systems located in Fullerton. They hosted a table on behalf of the District where
they distributed information and spoke to guests about OCWD and the GWRS.
Upcoming Community Events
We encourage you to mark your calendars for the following
water supply briefings in your community:
- Oct. 8, 7 p.m. City of Westminster—Speakers: Director Phil Anthony and General
Manager Mike Markus
- Oct. 14, 8 a.m. City of Newport Beach—Speaker: Director Steve Sheldon
- Oct. 16, 7:30 a.m. Kiwanis Club of Greater Anaheim—Speakers: Director Harry Sidhu
and Prinicipal Hydrogeologist Dave Mark
- Oct. 22, 5 p.m. Anaheim Public Utilities Board—Speakers: Director Harry Sidhu
and General Manager Mike Markus
- Oct. 28, 5 p.m. City of Irvine—Speakers: Director Steve Sheldon and General Manager
Mike Markus
- Oct. 30, 8 a.m. City of Costa Mesa—Speaker: Director Steve Sheldon
For additional information or to book a speaker, please contact Rose Wilke at (714)
378-3206 or
rwilke@ocwd.com.
In the News
OCWD Employees
September 2014 Employee of the Month Frank Simone
The OCWD Board recognizes Frank Simone as the District's
September 2014 Employee of the Month.
The OCWD employee of the month (EOM) program was established to recognize outstanding
District employees and to acknowledge their contributions to OCWD. The program commends
employees for high-quality work, promoting teamwork, cost-saving ideas, and a high
level of dedication to their work. The District recognizes OCWD employees as the
source of its strength, reputation and innovation.
Buyer Frank Simone, OCWD employee of the month for September, does his job with
"extreme buying POWER," according to his manager Bonnie Howard. Frank
is admired for his calm, cool and determined attitude to get any request fulfilled.
Among his many accomplishments, Frank located a new vendor for the supply of helium
and nitrogen for the lab resulting in a savings of approximately $40,000 per year.
He also set up the liquid argon for bulk delivery, which saved the District $13,000
annually and increased safety.
He is a purchasing team member that negotiates the best prices and timeliness of
delivery and researches and promotes product safety—all part of OCWD's
commitment to sound planning and cost-effective investments. Congratulations Frank!
August Tours
Tours of the Groundwater Replenishment System for the month of August included members
of the City of Los Angeles Harbor Department; CDM Smith, Inc. Engineering Consulting
Firm staff; Chinese scholars visiting Cal Poly Pomona, Metropolitan Water District
of Southern California interns; nursing students from California State University,
Fullerton; nursing students from Vanguard University; students from the University
of California, Irvine's extension program; a Japanese delegation from the Water
Resources Department of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism;
a public tour; a Japanese delegation of exchange students from the University of
California, Irvine; a group from UC Riverside and Mokpo National University; Jacquelyn
Gonzalez and Eduardo Lerma, staff members to Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez; the
968th Quartermaster Company, US Army Reserves; and the Association of California
Water Agencies Joint Powers Insurance Authority.
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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