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Highlights from March 2026

Protecting our water supply involves more than building treatment plants and advancing research. It also means ensuring that policymakers understand the challenges local water agencies face as we work to provide safe and reliable water for our communities.

On March 23, Orange County Water District (OCWD) General Manager John Kennedy represented our District in Washington, D.C., at a congressional briefing titled “PFAS Policy and Practice: The Role of Local Government and Essential Public Services.” The briefing brought together leaders from government, research institutions, and public utilities to discuss how communities across the country are responding to PFAS contamination while continuing to safeguard public health.

PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that were widely used in products such as firefighting foam and industrial materials. Today, water providers nationwide are working to remove these compounds from drinking water sources.

During the briefing, John shared OCWD’s experience addressing PFAS in the Orange County Groundwater Basin, which supplies up to 85% of the drinking water for 2.5 million people in north and central Orange County. Since 2019, OCWD has partnered with 19 cities and retail water districts to monitor groundwater, build treatment systems, and safely return wells to service.

Agencies like OCWD are often referred to as “passive receivers.” We did not manufacture PFAS, yet we are responsible for removing it from our water supply. Although we did not cause the PFAS issue, we remain committed to solving it. At the same time, it is important that the manufacturers responsible for producing these chemicals are held accountable, so the financial burden does not fall on local communities and ratepayers.

OCWD will continue working with federal, state, and local partners to advance practical policies that protect public health, support local water agencies, and maintain a reliable water supply for the communities we serve.

Volunteers are needed for the upcoming Children’s Water Education Festival (Festival), hosted by the Orange County Water District on April 15–16 at Oak Canyon Park in Silverado. This event will welcome more than 6,000 Orange County students in third, fourth, and fifth grades and relies on volunteer support to help ensure a smooth and memorable experience for participants. 

Individuals who are at least 15 years of age are encouraged to volunteer and assist with a variety of roles, including festival guides, registration attendants and activity aides. Volunteer opportunities are also available on April 14 to help set up for the event. Your support will play a key role in helping deliver the nation's largest water education event for young students.

GWRS Brew, The First True Pure Water

During the conference, OCWD, along with its project partners the Orange County Sanitation District (OC San), also unveiled GWRS Brew, a commemorative, limited-edition beer made with purified recycled water from the GWRS. Produced by Anaheim-based Brewery X and sponsored by H2O Innovations, the beer served as a creative way to highlight the innovation and public engagement behind the GWRS.

The GWRS is the world’s largest water purification system for indirect potable reuse, producing up to 130 million gallons of purified water each day to replenish the Orange County Groundwater Basin. OCWD leads GWRS operations and outreach and has welcomed more than 60,000 visitors from around the world to see the purification process firsthand. Since coming online in 2008, GWRS has produced more than 500 billion gallons of water and earned nearly 100 state, national and international awards.

Lisa Haney, OCWD's executive director of planning and natural resources, has been appointed to serve on the advisory committee for the California Water Plan update. The committee will help guide development of the plan, a statewide effort led by the California Department of Water Resources to strengthen long-term water reliability and resilience across California.

This initiative includes establishing the first statewide water supply target of nine million acre-feet by 2040 and bringing together experts from across the state to help close projected supply gaps. Lisa’s appointment recognizes OCWD as an important voice representing groundwater management and will help ensure the perspective of local groundwater agencies is reflected in statewide water planning.

Thank you to the more than 450 guests who participated in 33 tours of OCWD’s facilities in March. Visitors included numerous student groups from local high schools and universities, representatives from water agencies and organizations, and members of the public. OCWD also hosted international visitors from Australia, Switzerland and Singapore, as well as state and regional representatives from Ohio, Texas and Washington. These visits highlight continued global and national interest in the District’s facilities and programs, which serve as a model for water management, groundwater recharge, and water recycling.

We have many opportunities available and welcome visitors from the general public, schools, colleges, water agencies, community organizations, elected officials and international groups. Learn more about the various tour experiences by visiting the OCWD tours webpage.

Three new eaglets have hatched in the nest of resident bald eagle pair Lucy and Ricky at the Prado Wetlands. The eaglets are estimated to be approximately three to four weeks old and are expected to remain in the nest for about 12 weeks before they are ready to take flight.

Lucy and Ricky have nested at the Prado Wetlands for several years, successfully raising eaglets that eventually fledge to establish territories of their own. The wetlands provide valuable habitat for a wide range of critical habitat and endangered species, demonstrating how OCWD’s water management operations support both the region’s drinking water supply and local ecosystems.

The latest quarterly PFAS update has been published, providing an overview of ongoing efforts to address PFAS in the Orange County Groundwater Basin. The update highlights continued progress on treatment infrastructure, with 53 impacted drinking water wells restored to service and additional treatment systems under construction or in planning to further expand restoration efforts across the county. To date, more than 86 billion gallons of water have been treated through PFAS removal systems.

The report also outlines recent federal, state, and local developments related to PFAS, including proposed federal regulatory actions, statewide efforts to evaluate the cost of compliance for water agencies, and OCWD’s continued leadership in the national PFAS conversation through research, collaboration, and policy engagement.

"Operational Strategies for Maximizing Stormwater Capture" provides an in-depth look into OCWD's decades-long partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and how the agencies coordinate to safely store stormwater behind Prado Dam.

This water is eventually released at rates that can be sent down the Santa Ana River and be captured for recharge into the Orange County Groundwater Basin that OCWD manages.

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.