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A Message From Our Board President:
2022 Key Initiatives and Priorities
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Before I get into some of the exciting initiatives that we are planning this year, I want to thank staff for all their hard work in making 2021 such a successful year. I also want to take a moment to highlight our new Hydrospectives newsletter. We hope you enjoy the new look and welcome your feedback on future issues.
As we dive into the new year, I’m excited about the great programs we have in place for our communities. Our successful webinars will continue, offering the convenience of free, educational information presented in a virtual format, as will our GWRS virtual tours. The Children’s Water Education Festival, to be held April 25-29, will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year, featuring even more opportunities to engage with the District and our program partners. And be sure to save the date for Orange County’s premier water event, the OC Water Summit, scheduled for September 16 at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa in Anaheim.
Our work on PFAS will continue to be a top priority as we implement a robust effort to build treatment plants and advocate at the state and federal levels to protect our ratepayers. Over the next two years, 35 PFAS treatment facilities are being designed and constructed in Orange County and four facilities are already online and operating, including the nation’s largest at Yorba Linda Water District.
Construction will continue on the final expansion of the GWRS, the world's largest water purification system for potable reuse. Once operational in the first quarter of 2023, the facility will produce 130 million gallons of pure drinking water daily – enough water to meet the annual needs of one million residents.
From exploring ocean water desalination, expanding water reuse, to increasing stormwater capture, we are committed to developing more local water supplies. These efforts safeguard our communities from the impacts of recurring drought and reduced supplies from northern California and the Colorado River, ensuring regional and statewide water reliability for all.
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Congratulations to Director Cathy Green for being sworn in as Vice President of Association of California Water Agencies’ (ACWA), the nation’s largest statewide coalition of public water agencies. |
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Director Kelly E. Rowe, CFM, P.G., C.E.G., C.H., celebrated 5 years of service with the District and was honored during our January 2022 Board Meeting. Thank you for your leadership! |
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Children's Water Education Festival: Call for Presenters & Sponsors |
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Calling all water and environmental organizations! You can play a part in educating today’s youth during the Children's Water Education Festival, held virtually April 25-29, 2022.
This year, we are celebrating the Festival's 25th anniversary where we aim to educate students about water-related and environmental issues that support Next Generation Science Standards. Through interactive and engaging sessions, the Festival teaches youth that they can make a difference in protecting our resources today, tomorrow and for future generations.
Interested in Presenting?
Presenters are needed to bring this engaging content to life by creating a prerecorded video lesson that will be made available on-demand to registered teachers and their students. Have a predeveloped video or program that fits the parameters? That’s great! Content does not need to be original. Additional information, including presenter guidelines and an application are available on the Children's Water Education Festival website.
Sponsorship Opportunities Available!
Sponsoring the Festival provides organizations with unique opportunities to meet their strategic goals for environmental/green initiative, corporate philanthropy, community involvement, corporate responsibility, and increased positive brand recognition and exposure. Multiple sponsorship levels are available to meet organizations’ needs. Please call (714) 378-3257 or email [email protected] for additional sponsorship information.
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Congratulations to OCWD Employee of the 4th Quarter Julio Langarica! Read more about his recognition which includes responding to an after-hours operational challenge right before the Thanksgiving holiday.
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Congratulations to our staff celebrating service milestones (20 and 30 years) with the District. Check out this short video recognizing these incredible people who help the District run year after year. Thank you for your service!
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Did you miss our highlights video showcasing some of the programs and projects started or completed in 2021? |
OCWD is committed to working with the community to solve threats to groundwater. We've published our Quarterly Groundwater Cleanup update, featuring activities in and around the North and South Basin sites. |
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Check out this time lapse video showing GWRS Final Expansion construction from February 2020 through December 2021. |
Our Quarterly PFAS update was distributed to stakeholders in December 2021. Learn how OCWD is proactively and swiftly addressing PFAS in Orange County and sign up for our community updates. |
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Our Commitment to Environmental Protection |
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OCWD manages the largest constructed wetlands on the west coast in the Prado Basin to naturally remove nitrates and other pollutants from Santa Ana River water.
"Wild Secrets" is a recurring column that gives our readers a behind-the-scenes look into our work as we continue to uphold our environmental commitment and successfully implement our restoration and wildlife management program.
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Wild Secrets: Winter Hues and News
This month, we're showcasing a few 2021 highlights including habitat restoration, removal of invasive plants, and how our winter rains have resulted in beautiful greenery in Orange County. View this short video to see some of the common plants and trees that can be found on our trails at this time. Happy trekking!
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Sustainably Managing the OC Groundwater Basin |
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OCWD is one of the few groundwater management agencies able to track the groundwater basin’s “water budget” on a monthly basis. This information allows the District to make more informed management decisions about future water supplies and pumping. View the infographic below to see the groundwater basin’s storage, recharge, and pumping levels, through the end of December 2021. |
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Thirsty for More Information? |
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Explore how OCWD maintains one of the world’s most advanced aquifer recharge systems to manage our vast groundwater. |
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Learn how the Philip L. Anthony Water Quality Laboratory performs more than 400,000 analyses of approximately 20,000 water samples each year. |
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Invite a District representative to provide a presentation at your next community event, meeting, or industry conference. |
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The Orange County Water District is committed to enhancing Orange County’s groundwater quality and reliability in an environmentally friendly and economical manner. The following cities rely on the groundwater basin, managed by OCWD, to provide 77% of their water demands: Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster, and Yorba Linda.
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President Stephen R. Sheldon
First Vice President Cathy Green
Second Vice President Tri Ta
Denis R. Bilodeau, P.E.
Nelida Mendoza
Dina L. Nguyen, Esq.
Kelly E. Rowe, CFM, P.G., C.E.G., C.H.
Harry Sidhu, P.E.
Bruce Whitaker
Roger C. Yoh, P.E.
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