Highlights from December 2024

Happy new year! 

As the newly appointed president of the Orange County Water District (OCWD) Board of Directors, I am honored to serve and build on our tradition of excellence and innovation in managing Orange County’s groundwater supply. I also want to thank past president Cathy Green for her tremendous leadership these last two years. 

As we look ahead, I’d like to reflect on this past year, which has been monumental for OCWD. We replenished a record-breaking 90 billion gallons of water into the groundwater basin, the percentage of groundwater our local cities and retail water districts can pump to meet their water demands is at a record high at 85%, and we’ve safeguarded water quality through our rigorous monitoring, sampling and testing programs, while continuing to remove PFAS from impacted groundwater wells. 

We also captured 20 billion gallons of Santa Ana River stormwater that will eventually enter the basin and increase Orange County’s drinking water supply and the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS), which can produce up to 130 million gallons of purified recycled water every day, continues to play a key role in our water supply portfolio.

These achievements reflect the dedication of our staff and board, and I am proud to lead OCWD into 2025, ensuring water reliability for our 19 cities and retail water districts, and the 2.5 million residents they serve.

Check out our 2024 highlights video below to see a recap.

The OCWD Board of Directors elected Denis R. Bilodeau, P.E., to serve as board president for 2025-2026, alongside Van Tran, Esq. and Erik K. Weigand as 1st and 2nd vice presidents, respectively. The elections occurred during the December 18 board meeting.

President Bilodeau has been a board member since 2000, serving multiple terms as president and vice president. He represents Division 2, covering Villa Park and parts of Orange and Tustin, and serves on the Orange City Council.

1st Vice President Van Tran has represented Division 4 since 2022, covering Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and parts of Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Westminster, and Buena Park. A seasoned attorney, Tran has also served in the California State Assembly and Garden Grove City Council.

2nd Vice President Erik K. Weigand, who joined the board in 2024, represents Division 7, which includes Costa Mesa and parts of Irvine and Newport Beach. He brings over two decades of legislative and public policy experience and is a current member of the Newport Beach City Council.

Denis R. Bilodeau, P.E.

Van Tran, Esq.

Erik K. Weigand

At the December board meeting, Directors Roger Yoh and Dina Nguyen were acknowledged for their significant contributions to the board, marking 20 and 10 years of service, respectively.

Director Yoh, who joined the board in 2004, has held positions such as chair of the GWRS Steering Committee and 2nd vice president. Director Nguyen, who served as a councilmember for Garden Grove before being first elected to the board in 2014, was successfully re-elected in 2022. Both directors are highly valued by OCWD for their dedication and impact in advancing the District’s mission and vision.

OCWD extends its gratitude to outgoing board member Director Bruce Whitaker for his many years of dedicated service to the District and the community. Representing Division 10 (Fullerton), Director Whitaker served on the board during three terms beginning in 2012, contributing to the District’s mission to manage, replenish, and protect the Orange County Groundwater Basin.

Under his leadership, OCWD garnered accolades for innovation, financial management, public outreach, and excellence in engineering. In addition to his OCWD role, Director Whitaker made significant contributions to regional water initiatives, including leadership positions with the Orange County Sanitation District, GWRS Steering Committee, Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, the Santa Ana River Flood Protection Agency, and many others. 

We thank Director Whitaker for his outstanding leadership and commitment to service!

Join us at the upcoming Children's Water Education Festival on April 23 & 24 at Oak Canyon Park (Silverado). More than 6,000 OC elementary students will attend to learn about protecting water, STEM, and more. Hosting an event of this size is made possible by many generous supporters. Each year, we take great pride in partnering with such dedicated organizations and individuals and we encourage you to get involved.

Sponsor: Hosting an event of this magnitude is made possible by many generous sponsors. Multiple sponsorship levels are available to meet your organization's needs. Donations are tax-deductible and may be made online or by mail.

Presenter: The Festival presents a unique opportunity to educate third, fourth and fifth grade students through hands-on presentations and activities. Activity lessons will focus on educating students about water, the environment and what they can do to protect our precious natural resources. 

Volunteer: The Festival would not be possible without volunteer participation. Hundreds of volunteers are needed to support this exciting event. All shifts will be scheduled based upon a volunteer's availability and the needs of the Festival. Volunteers must be at least 15 years of age at the time of their volunteer shift.

Visit www.childrenwaterfestival.com to learn more or sign up today!

We are proud recipients of the prestigious Excellence in Water Reuse Performance Award from the International Desalination & Reuse Association (IDRA) for the GWRS. This global recognition highlights operational efficiency, water quality, sustainability, innovation, and community impact. As the world’s largest advanced water purification system, the GWRS sets the standard for water reuse and resilience.

OCWD Director Van Tran accepted the award amongst an international audience at IDRA’s World Congress. Director Tran was also an invited speaker on a panel about innovation and regulations within water reuse, highlighting the world-renowned GWRS and the District's groundwater recharge efforts.

The District continues to lead in the water reuse industry with two of its team members taking on significant roles within the WateReuse organization, further solidifying our commitment to advancing water reuse in the region.

Ben Smith, OCWD’s Director of Recharge and Wetland Operations, has been named vice president of the Orange County Chapter of WateReuse California. In this role, Ben will help guide collaborative efforts to increase recycled water use, reduce reliance on imported water, and promote water reuse as a safe, reliable resource.

Additionally, Gina Ayala, OCWD’s Director of Public Affairs, has been selected as chair of the WateReuse California Communications Collaborative Group, where she will lead discussions and strategies to elevate public understanding and support for water reuse projects.

These leadership roles reflect OCWD’s commitment to education and collaboration in addressing water challenges locally and beyond. 

We are proud to be featured in a recent article on the innovative work being done to leverage improvements in atmospheric river forecasting to increase local water supply. The article highlights OCWD’s collaboration with the Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) program, which uses advanced forecasting tools to optimize water management and flood protection.

OCWD’s pilot study at Prado Dam was recognized as a success story, demonstrating how accurate forecasts can increase water supply while maintaining safety. This approach has allowed the District to capture more water for the Orange County Groundwater Basin, bolstering local water reliability. We are honored to be part of this cutting-edge effort and remain committed to leveraging science and innovation to support our mission of providing a reliable water supply for Orange County.

Learn about OCWD's role in providing a safe, reliable, local water supply by attending an event, webinar or tour. Individuals and groups are invited to tour the award-winning GWRS and other District facilities.

Through our active speakers bureau program, you may request for our staff to come speak to organizations and schools, as well as conferences and events.