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President's Message:
OCWD’s Award-Winning PFAS Program
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OCWD had the distinct honor of accepting two awards alongside Yorba Linda Water District (YLWD) from the American Society of Civil Engineers Orange County (ASCE OC) – Outstanding Water Project and Project of the Year – for the Yorba Linda Water District PFAS Treatment Plant. This is a direct reflection of the great work by our professional staff who continue working with our impacted water suppliers to swiftly bring PFAS treatment plants online.
The YLWD PFAS Treatment Plant became operational in December 2021 and can treat up to 25 million gallons per day. Not only is this facility the nation’s largest ion exchange treatment plant, it is one of 36 treatment facilities being built over the next two years by OCWD and local water suppliers.
Bringing these treatment plants online means that we can rely on our local water supply in the groundwater basin. OCWD is committed to protecting our current water supply and exploring all options to increase local supply to combat cyclical droughts and ensure long-term reliability for future generations. I encourage you to learn more about our PFAS program by visiting the PFAS Education Center.
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Children's Water Education Festival Celebrated 25 Years |
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During April 25-29, the Children's Water Education Festival took place virtually and celebrated its 25th anniversary by facilitating water education and environmental stewardship presentations to third, fourth and fifth graders throughout Orange County. More than 5,500 students registered for this year's event from nearly 80 schools throughout Orange County.
This event would not be possible without the support of our wonderful sponsors and presenters. Nearly 30 organizations participated in the 2022 Festival, offering eight interactive live presentations. More than 45 on-demand videos that support Next Generation Science Standards, including nine videos from OCWD, were available to watch throughout the week, teaching youth that they can make a difference in protecting our water resources today, tomorrow and for future generations. Additionally, grab-and-go resources and activity worksheets accompanied the presentations and were available for students to download and continue their educational journey. Special thanks to Disneyland Resort who continues to be a key partner in the annual Festival.
Live presentations were offered by former NASA Rocket Scientist Kevin J DeBruin, founder of VirtualSpaceClass.com; young tech innovator, Gitanjali Rao; California Science Center; and Endangered Wolf Center. OCWD staff also took the virtual stage to provide four live presentations throughout the week featuring: a water recycling presentation, including a build-your-own water filter activity by our engineers; a demonstration of the science behind paper chromatography by our chemists; an in-depth presentation on the importance of wells, aquifers and the Orange County Groundwater Basin by our hydrogeologists; and a sweet and salty DNA extraction activity using strawberries and other household items by our research scientists.
Thanks to all who made our 25th anniversary a special one!
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Prestigious Recognition at ASCE OC Awards Night |
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Congratulations to General Manager Mike Markus, named 2022 award winner for Excellence in Promotion of Infrastructure by the American Society of Civil Engineers, Orange County! Mike is a globally recognized leader in engineering and water reuse, with more than 40 years of experience and expertise in large project implementation and water resources management.
The GWRS and other water supply projects that Mike has led serve as global models for enhanced water reliability. Thank you, Mike, for your significant contributions to the engineering and water industries.
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Honoring ACWA President Tobin and Vice President Green |
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Thanks to all who attended the reception honoring ACWA President Pam Tobin and Vice President Cathy Green. At OCWD, we are proud of Director Green’s leadership on ACWA, the nation’s largest statewide coalition of public water agencies. Her knowledge of the water industry will continue to serve us well as she works collaboratively with President Tobin and agencies across the state to implement water supply solutions to the challenges we face. |
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Celebrating Earth Day, Every Day |
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Every day, cities and water agencies work 24/7 to provide a sustainable water supply so our communities, our economy and our environment continue to thrive. The importance of our planet’s precious resources, like water, is brought to light as we celebrated Earth Day in April.
In Orange County, we are blessed to have access to a safe, reliable, and clean drinking water supply. In the north and central portion of the county, water comes from a large groundwater basin that provides 77% of the drinking water supply for 2.5 million residents. OCWD’s operations take place on a vast amount of land throughout the county. We make sure to balance operations while also protecting the natural habitat in and around this land.
We're pleased to share three educational videos featuring our Natural Resources department offering 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 in the Prado Basin and throughout OC.
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Bird Boxes in our Watershed |
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North & South Basin Quarterly Update Published |
OCWD is committed to working with the community to solve threats to groundwater. We've published our April 2022 Quarterly Groundwater Cleanup Update, featuring activities in and around the North Basin (near Fullerton, Anaheim and Placentia) and South Basin (near Santa Ana, Tustin and Irvine) sites.
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OCWD was a proud sponsor and co-host of the 11th International Symposium on Managed Aquifer Recharge (ISMAR), the world’s preeminent symposium on managed aquifer recharge. Conference attendees had the chance to tour the GWRS, connect with the many OCWD staff in attendance, and hear a presentation on OCWD's comprehensive PFAS program. |
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Congratulations to OCWD Employee of the 1st Quarter! |
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Congratulations to Julio Polanco, Scientist in the OCWD Research & Development department, who was named 2022 Employee of the 1st Quarter. Julio has successfully completed a major project to evaluate virus removal at OC San’s Plants 1 and 2. The District is now working with the California Division of Drinking Water to seek regulatory credit for virus log removal for GWRS because of this project. As the lead scientist for this project, Julio worked over two years in close coordination with OC San to perform plant sampling, including onsite filtration, and data analysis using complex statistical methods and software programs. He also provided an informative presentation about this project during OCWD's February webinar.
Now, Julio is lending his expertise and advice to a new research project led by San Diego State University that seeks to develop guidance for other water agencies to be able to execute similar projects. Congrats, Julio, and thanks for all you do!
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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 March 2022. |
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Thirsty for More Information? |
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Explore the PFAS Education Center to stay apprised of the latest PFAS issues impacting our communities. |
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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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See how OCWD is mitigating drought by increasing water supplies and securing long-term water reliability. |
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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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