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:
April 21, 8:30 am @ MWDOC

MWD Executive Committee Mtg:
April 22 @ MWD
700 North Alameda Street, L.A.

MWDOC/OCWD Joint Board Mtg:
April 23, 8:30 am @ MWDOC

O.C. Water Summit:
May 2 @ 7:30 am

Westin Hotel, Costa Mesa

MWDOC P&O Committee Mtg:
May 5, 3:30 pm @ MWDOC

MWD Committee Mtgs:
May 12-13 @ MWD
700 North Alameda Street, L.A.

MWDOC A&F Committee Mtg:
May 14, 7:30 am @ MWDOC

Colorado River Aqueduct Tour:
May 16-18

MWDOC PAL Committee Mtg:
May 19, 8:30 am @ MWDOC

*MWDOC offices are located at:

18700 Ward Street, Fountain Valley

Desalination Project Site Map

Calculate your home water use!

Oroville Dam

Oroville Reservoir

*Photos courtesy Dr. Anthony Smart, Tour Participant

By Darcy Burke, MWDOC Director of Public Affairs

If you have lived in Southern California for any period of time and have traveled the freeway system, you undoubtedly are familiar with the term, “SigAlert.”  But what is a SigAlert?  A SigAlert, as defined by the California Highway Patrol is "any unplanned event that causes the closing of one lane of traffic for 30 minutes or more, as opposed to a planned event like road construction, which is planned separately."  California is in the middle of a critical Water SigAlert. 

Think of the Bay Delta as the 91 freeway.  Imagine closing a lane of the 91 freeway for at least half the year.  When you are sitting in traffic for hours next to this empty lane that has no construction activity and is simply empty, you find that your commute is lengthened by hours, day after day.  There is no relief.  How long would it be before you called your elected officials and demanded action?  Would you wait indefinitely for the SigAlert to end? A Water SigAlert is in effect, and the route to California Water Reliability begins on May 2, 2008 at the Orange County Water Summit.  Will you be there to make a difference?  Are you willing to do what it takes to end the Water SigAlert and find the route to California Water Reliability?

But how did the Water SigAlert happen? To find out the rest of the story …..

Click Here to find out more about the Summit.

By Richard Bell, MWDOC Principal Engineer

Since 2002, the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) has been investigating the technical, environmental, economic, and institutional feasibility for the planned Dana Point Ocean Desalination Project. This project is part of an overall water supply reliability program for Orange County and the region. It is part of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s Integrated Resources Plan and Seawater Desalination Program. 

The proposed project location, which is adjacent to San Juan Creek, was determined to be the best desalination site in south Orange County.  An ocean desalination plant will enhance water supply and system reliability to an area that is over 95% dependent on imported water supply. One of the major project challenges is to find an appropriate, cost-effective, and environmentally acceptable means to supply the desalination plant with ocean water.

Click Here to find out more about the desal project.

By Jenna Voss, County of Orange Environmental Resource Specialist

Every year on Earth Day people across the globe come together to celebrate the environment and renew their commitment to its protection.  However, living in an environmentally responsible way does not have to be limited to April 22nd.  There are many activities you can do at home to improve the health of our creeks, rivers, bays, and ocean.

Urban runoff is the excess water from activities such as outdoor cleaning, irrigation, or car washing. Runoff carries litter, lawn clippings, motor oil, pet waste, and other pollutants into the storm drain.  Unlike water that enters the sewer (from sinks and toilets), water that enters the storm drain is not treated before entering our waterways.  If you are not careful, everyday household activities such as watering your lawn can produce runoff that leads to water pollution.  Make a pledge this Earth Day to reduce the quantity and improve the quality of the runoff from your property.

To learn more about protecting our environment, participate in an Earth Day celebration.  There are several events scheduled in Orange County.  For more information, visit www.ocwatersheds.com.

Click Here for more info.

By Joe Berg, MWDOC Water Use Efficiency Program Manager

As a result of the passage of AB 1881 in 2006 (Laird), the California Department of Water Resources is in the process of updating the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (Model Ordinance).  Why is this important?  The County of Orange and local Cities will need to update their local ordinances by January 1 2010.  How is this different than AB 325 in the early 1990’s?  AB 1881 contains an “at least as effective as” provision that requires agencies to adopt ordinances similar to the updated Model Ordinance or have a really good reason for not doing so.

Click Here to learn more about AB 1881.

By Nathan Adams, City of San Clemente Principal Management Analyst

Building upon the successful H2O for HOA Water Forum template that is now moving north through the county, the Tri-City Water Savers Team is planning to host a Plumbing Forum next month on Thursday, May 29th.  The first-ever Tri-City Plumbing Forum is free to plumbers, facilities managers, and retail managers who operate within the cities of Dana Point, San Clemente, and San Juan Capistrano and the South Coast Water District.

The purpose for the Plumbing Forum is two-fold:  1) Reach out in partnership to the plumbing sector, which is oftentimes the only point of contact and information for customers regarding matters of indoor water use and 2) Expose them to the reliable, high-performance, and efficient new plumbing fixtures (like High Efficiency Toilets) and the rebates associated with them.  Our hope is that this plumbing forum will provide an opportunity for local plumbers to expand their business and expertise while promoting the indoor plumbing rebate programs that MWDOC and MWD administer.

Click Here to find out more about the Forum.

By Warren Greco, MWDOC Resource Analyst

On the weekend of April 4th, I was the guest of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) and MWDOC Director Susan Hinman on a two-day inspection trip of California’s State Water Project. Each year, members of the public who are interested in learning about their water resources are invited to attend these tours of water facilities throughout the state, which also include the Colorado River Aqueduct and Diamond Valley Lake. The trips are a great opportunity to learn about our regional water supply system and the issues involved in delivering and managing these resources. Anyone is welcome to apply.

Saturday morning, we departed from the Hotel and began our journey through the River-Delta. Our bus rolled along atop a levee, following the Sacramento River as it snaked back and forth across seemingly endless expanses of farmland. We continued south, crossing Brannan Island towards the San-Joaquin River. Brannan Island is exceptionally low, sitting like a submerged tea-cup beneath the two rivers. As the islands were exposed to air, the peat soil began to oxidize and then sink. The overall Delta floor has sunk by a million acre-feet worth of soil. If the levees were to break at Brannan Island, salt water from the Bay would come rushing in, creating an inland sea and permanently spoiling our water supply.

Click Here to read the full story.