MWDOC Board of Directors
Wayne A. Clark, President
Joan C. Finnegan, Vice President
Ergun Bakall, Director
Brett R. Barbre, Director
Larry D. Dick, Director
Susan Hinman, Director
Ed Royce, Sr., Director
Kevin P. Hunt, General Manager
Calendar of Events
MWDOC PAL Committee Mtg:
May 19, 8:30 am @ MWDOC
MWDOC Board Mtg:
May 21, 8:30 am @ MWDOC
MWDOC Executive Committee Mtg:
May 22, 8:30 am @ MWDOC
MWDOC/OCWD Joint Board Mtg:
May 28, 8:30 am @
MWDOC
MWDOC P&O Committee Mtg:
June 2, 3:30 pm @
MWDOC
WACO Mtg:
June 6, 7:30 am @ MWDOC
MWD Committee Mtgs:
June 9-10 @ MWD
700 North Alameda Street, L.A.
MWDOC A&F Committee Mtg:
June 11, 7:30 am @
MWDOC
*MWDOC offices are located at:
18700 Ward Street, Fountain Valley
| Metropolitan's Long Range Financial Plan |
As part of Metropolitan's efforts to manage the rising costs of water and unpredictable supply constraints, staff from Metropolitan and the member agencies are working together to update its Long Range Financial Plan (LRFP). Over the next few months, this workgroup will update Metropolitan’s assumptions in the areas of future sales and supplies, uses of funds, Capital Improvement Plan costs, debt management policies, cost management strategies, financial risk factors, and reserve levels – all in an effort to forecast future water rates and charges over the next ten years. A draft LRFP is expected to come to the Board later this fall for review. |
| Become a Sponsor of O.C. Water Camp! |
The O.C. Water Camp committee is currently seeking sponsors of Water Camp 2008. Your sponsorship will ensure that Orange County students are able to attend Water Camp, where they'll learn all about our most precious natural resource, water. For more information or to become a sponsor, please contact Jessica Hanley at (714) 593-5029 or jhanley@mwdoc.com. |
Click Here to view the results of our O.C. Water Summit surveys, which gauged the opinions of both attendees and the general public on key water-related issues.
Winning Slogans (3 of 15)
"Turn off the shower and the sink, we'll save our water, it's what we drink!
By Tiffany Nguyen, Grade 6
Nohl Canyon Elementary School
City of Anaheim
"When there's no water, it's a drought. A single flower doesn't bloom or sprout."
By Jason Kim, Grade 3
Laguna NIguel Elementary School
Moulton Niguel Water District
"If water could speak, it would tell you to stop that leak."
By Claire Reidy, Grade 6
Springbrook Elementary School
Irvine Ranch Water District
By Keith Lyon, MWDOC Principal Analyst
Southern California is a semi-arid region in which local water resources are far less than what is needed to meet the demands of residents and businesses. To balance supply and demand, water must be imported from other parts of the state and county into Southern California. These imports are then stored in surface and groundwater reservoirs until they are needed for consumption. The storage process is managed by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Metropolitan) in conjunction with its member agencies and local groundwater basin agencies.
The Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC), Orange County Water District (OCWD), and the groundwater producing agencies entered into a contract with Metropolitan through a new program called the Supplemental Storage Program to store additional surface water in the Orange County Groundwater Basin that could be extracted, when needed, within five years. In fiscal year (FY) 2005/06, 16,000 acre-feet (an acre-foot is the amount of water it take to cover an acre of land to a depth of one foot; one acre-foot is enough water to meet the annual needs of two typical California families) was stored (in addition to normal storage) when surface supplies were abundant, and Metropolitan called for extraction during FY 2007/08 because surface supplies were limited.
The Supplemental Storage Program is just one beneficial component of Metropolitan’s Replenishment Program. The Replenishment Program provides for storage of surplus supplies, when available, to store in groundwater basins to refill and maintain water levels in the basins. When surface supplies are less than needed, groundwater basins are expected to continue pumping groundwater and avoid increased purchases of Metropolitan’s surface water. In the case of the Supplemental Storage Program in Orange County, the result has been reduced purchases of Metropolitan surface water during FY 2007/08. These programs essentially convert a non-firm, wet-year supply to a firm, dry-year supply. MWDOC and water users throughout Orange County thank Metropolitan, OCWD, and the groundwater producing agencies for assisting in this process.Click Here to get the whole story.
By Darcy Burke, MWDOC Director of Public Affairs
For water utilities, elected officials, farmers, community leaders, and concerned citizens, the current water supply situation and outlook in central and southern California is grim at best. Given the regulatory drought currently in effect and the promise of more restrictions to come, not a lot of positive outcomes have been identified. But, there is hope - in the form of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, or BDCP. The purpose of the BDCP is to help recover endangered and sensitive species (and their habitats) in the Delta in a way that will also provide for sufficient and reliable water supplies.
Why Is a Conservation Plan Needed in the Delta?
The Delta remains a center of controversy in a long-standing conflict over how best to use and conserve its resources. The need to address the issues in the Delta has become increasingly apparent over the last six months, and here is part of the reason why:
- Several fish species have reached the lowest population numbers in their recorded history
- Levees and the Delta infrastructure they protect are at greater risk as lands subside and sea level rises; water supplies are increasingly unreliable
- Last year a federal court ordered a massive reduction in water supplies – up to nearly 33 percent – from the state’s two largest water delivery systems, with a possible greater reduction coming in the future
- Mandatory water rationing is under discussion in much of the state
The BDCP will address these issues by providing an ecosystem-based approach that will help restore fish and wildlife species in the Delta, while providing for sufficient and reliable water supplies. This effort cannot move forward without your input, support, and public comment.
Public participation is a high priority in developing the BDCP. The BDCP process is open and transparent. A number of scoping meetings have been held throughout the state, and public comments will be accepted on the website until May 30, 2008. Please take a moment and visit the website to express your support for a comprehensive, long-term solution to the Bay Delta that equally addresses water reliability and ecosystem restoration. For more information, please visit: www.resources.ca.gov/bdcp/.Click Here to find out more about the BDCP.
By Elizabeth Clatfelter, MWDOC Water Use Efficiency Program Specialist
The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) recently notified MWDOC that its grant proposal to expand the pilot Industrial Process Water Use Reduction Program (Pilot Program) was selected to receive $100,000 in Federal funds. This Program Expansion (Expansion) will build on the established momentum of MWDOC’s Pilot Program in order to achieve meaningful water savings and a reduction in wastewater flows in the industrial sector.
MWDOC’s Pilot Program, funded by a grant from the California Department of Water Resources, began in late 2006 to assist the industrial sector in reducing its water use. Industrial businesses want to use water efficiently, but frequently do not have the staff, time, or capital to identify and implement the measures required. The Pilot Program provides industrial businesses in MWDOC’s service area with engineering surveys to identify water-saving process improvements, and also offers financial incentives to help implement the recommended changes. The Pilot Program has been well received and has helped industrial customers reduce their water use. To date, a total of 33 engineering surveys have been completed which identify water saving opportunities that companies had not previously considered.Click Here to find out more about the Pilot Program.
By Darcy Burke, MWDOC Director of Public Affairs
Southern California’s water supply is in jeopardy. Currently, the 25 million residents that call Central and Southern California home have experienced a regulatory drought of significant proportions. Something must be done to address the situation, but what?
The Municipal Water District of Orange County, the Orange County Water District, and the Orange County Business Council took the first steps in addressing this issue - they presented the first Orange County Water Summit. Over 400 community leaders, elected officials, water professionals, and concerned citizens gathered at the Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa on May 2, 2008 to hear, first hand, the state of Southern California’s water supply situation. Topics ranged from where our water comes from, to how a water shortage will impact Orange County’s economy.
A critical message that was conveyed was the importance of water conservation efforts and how these efforts can make the difference in the short term. Summit presenters also made a call for organizations to adopt water conservation resolutions and implement water saving practices. It was also noted that this is the first time in Metropolitan's history that they do not have sufficient supplies under average water conditions to meet demand. Jeff Kightlinger, general manager of Metropolitan, also noted that Metropolitan and the state water contractors are ready to fund the necessary conveyance facilities that would increase the amount of water available to Southern California via the Bay Delta, as soon as they are given approval to proceed.
The on-site program included information on rebates for residents, businesses, and the public sector. For a copy of the complete O.C. Water Summit program, as well as presentations, please visit, www.mwdoc.com, and click on the OC Water Summit icon. For information on water-use efficiency, rebates and water saving tips, please visit, www.mwdoc.com/wue.
Click Here for more info on the Water Summit.
By Jessica Hanley, MWDOC Programs Analyst
Each spring, MWDOC holds its annual Water Conservation Poster and Slogan Contest. The Contest encourages Orange County elementary school students to submit posters and slogans that reflect ways to save water. The theme of our 2008 contest was "The environment needs help, it's true. Conserving water starts with you!", a theme inspired by our 2007 grand prize slogan winner. This year's contest drew over 1,100 entries from throughout the County. A judging event was held on April 30 and 30 students - 15 posters and 15 slogans - from throughout Orange County were selected as winners. These winning entries reflected creative and thoughtful ways that we can use water wisely at home, work, and school.
A special awards ceremony will be held at Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana on Thursday, May 29 to recognize the winners and their parents and teachers. Winners will receive a custom trophy, a t-shirt with their poster or slogan imprinted, a certificate, and a goodie bag. Their work will also be featured in the 2008-09 MWDOC Water Education School Calendar, which will be distributed to Orange County elementary schools in the fall.
Click Here for a complete list of Contest winners by water provider. The list of winners, with links to the winning posters and slogans, will be posted on the MWDOC website within the next week.
By Darcy Burke, MWDOC Director of Public Affairs
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and its member agencies sponsor a high school educational program each year called Solar Cup. Solar Cup is a seven month program in which participating high school teams, totaling about 900 students build and race solar-powered boats while learning about conservation of natural resources, electrical and mechanical engineering, problem solving and much more.
This year’s solar cup is scheduled to take place May 16th-18 at Lake Skinner in Temecula Valley. Solar Cup started in 2003 with eight teams and grew to 43 teams in 2008. The Municipal Water District of Orange County is proud to sponsor El Toro High School’s Solar Cup 2008 team. Admission is free for the three-day event. Why not come on out and root for El Toro High? The weather is predicted to be Southern California beautiful and the students would appreciate your support. How do you get there? It’s easy. Take I-15 to Rancho California Road, Temecula, head east. Travel on Rancho California Road for approximately 10 miles.
Click Here to find out more about the Solar Cup.
Municipal Water District of Orange County
18700 Ward Street
P.O. Box 20895
Fountain Valley, CA 92728
Phone: (714) 963-3058
Fax: (714) 964-9389
www.mwdoc.com