Highlights from April 2025

Congratulations to the City of Fountain Valley Water Division for achieving first place in both the “People’s Choice” and “Best of the Best” categories at the American Water Works Association California-Nevada Section's Water Conference of the West 2025 – an impressive honor that showcases the quality of the city’s water supply. The “People’s Choice” award was determined by votes from conference attendees, while the “Best of the Best” was selected by a panel of esteemed judges based on taste, clarity, and overall quality.

We are proud to share that Fountain Valley’s water is sourced entirely from the Orange County Groundwater Basin, which OCWD manages. This reliable local supply plays a key role in delivering clean, high-quality drinking water to 2.5 million people in north and central Orange County, including the residents and businesses of Fountain Valley. In fact, the next time you visit OCWD’s office in Fountain Valley, you can taste this award-winning water for yourself – straight from the tap.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Orange County Groundwater Basin, visit our website at www.ocwd.com where you can learn more about how we manage the supply and quality of the groundwater basin. And, be sure to stay tuned for information about our Groundwater Adventure Tour this Fall, where you can visit some of our facilities and see first-hand how we manage and protect our local groundwater supply. 

The 2025 Children’s Water Education Festival, hosted by OCWD at Oak Canyon Park, welcomed approximately 6,000 students from across Orange County for two days of interactive, hands-on learning. Held on April 23 and 24, the event marked another successful year of engaging third through fifth grade students in water and science activities.

As the largest event of its kind in the nation, the Festival featured 60 presentations and activities led by cities, water agencies, and organizations such as Disneyland Resort, the California Department of Water Resources, Santa Ana Zoo, Ocean Institute, and more. In total, more than 7,000 people participated, including students, teachers, parents, and volunteers.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this year’s event successful, including our generous sponsors. Since its inception, the Festival has inspired more than 152,000 students, promoting a deeper understanding of water through STEAM/STEM-aligned education.

Stay tuned for more photos, which will be posted soon on OCWD’s communication channels.

We’re excited to announce that three new eaglets have been born in the Prado Wetlands, home to resident bald eagles Lucy and Ricky. The eaglets, now about nine weeks old, were banded on April 9 by a wildlife biologist, allowing researchers to 

track the birds as they grow, migrate, and eventually establish their own nests.

Their arrival marks a milestone in OCWD’s management of the Prado Wetlands. By operating the wetlands to naturally treat Santa Ana River flows and capture stormwater behind Prado Dam, OCWD helps protect water quality and increase local groundwater supplies for 2.5 million people in Orange County.

Lucy and Ricky have nested in the Prado Wetlands for several years. In 2024, they successfully raised three eaglets who later established territories of their own. To protect the nesting site and ensure the safety of the eagles and their young, the exact location will not be disclosed. Stay tuned for future updates from OCWD.

OCWD is proud to take part in the newly launched Exchange for Ukraine Program, a global knowledge-sharing effort coordinated by Leading Utilities of the World and the Mykolaiv Water Hub. This program brings together U.S. and Ukrainian water utilities to share technical expertise, operational insights, and lessons learned through moderated virtual and in-person meetings. Through this collaboration, OCWD is contributing its experience in groundwater management, treatment technologies, and utility operations to support water infrastructure development abroad.

As a recognized industry leader, OCWD is committed to advancing water reliability not only regionally, but also globally. We believe in the value of exchanging knowledge with peers around the world and learning from others while sharing our own best practices to support resilient and sustainable water systems throughout the world.

OCWD recently welcomed leadership from the Salt River Project (SRP) – one of the largest water and power providers in the Southwest – for a two-day knowledge exchange focused on sharing best practices in water supply and watershed management and exploring common challenges.

The visit began with briefings from OCWD’s executive team on the District’s mission and programs, followed by tours of the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS) and Anaheim recharge basins. The second day included a tour of the Prado Wetlands, where both agencies discussed topics such as sedimentation at Prado Dam, the use of digital twins for regulatory compliance, and capturing new sources of water supply.

We appreciate the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with agencies like SRP!

OCWD was honored by the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) with two awards recognizing excellence in public outreach and communications.

The District received the EPIC Award for creating a fun and engaging water recycling educational video, shown to middle and high school students as part of their GWRS tour - check it out below! An Award of Distinction was also awarded for the District's Prado bald eagles public outreach campaign, which shared the story of how Lucy and Ricky got their names, while educating the public about the connection between operating the Prado Wetlands and managing OC's groundwater supply.

Mark your calendar for May 29 and join OCWD for a webinar on the newly released Resilience Plan - a long-term roadmap to ensure a reliable and resilient water supply for generations to come.

The webinar will provide an inside look at OCWD’s strategic approach to strengthening regional water reliability and highlight key projects identified in the plan. Included will be an update from the Mesa Water District who will present on the Local Groundwater Supply Improvement Project, a feasibility study exploring the potential for brackish groundwater desalination to boost local and regional supplies.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how OCWD and its partners are planning for a sustainable water future.

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.