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

"H2O for HOAs" Water Forum:
February 26 @ The Bell Tower Regional Community Center

22232 El Paseo, Rancho Santa Marg.

MET Executive Committee Mtg:
February 26 @ MET
700 North Alameda Street, Los Angeles

MWDOC/OCWD Joint Board Mtg:
February 27 @ MWDOC
18700 Ward Street, Fountain Valley

MWDOC P&O Committee Mtg:
March 3 @ MWDOC
18700 Ward Street, Fountain Valley

WACO Mtg:
March 7 @ MWDOC
18700 Ward Street, Fountain Valley

MET Committee Mtgs:
March 10-11 @ MET
700 North Alameda Street, Los Angeles

MWDOC A&F Committee Mtg:
March 12 @ MWDOC
18700 Ward Street, Fountain Valley

MWDOC PAL Committee Mtg:
March 17 @ MWDOC
18700 Ward Street, Fountain Valley

MWDOC Board Mtg:
March 19 @ MWDOC
18700 Ward Street, Fountain Valley

Exterior view of the new Groundwater Recovery Facility

A high pressure pump forces groundwater through RO vessels

By Darcy Burke, MWDOC Director of Public Affairs

It is with deep sorrow and a tremendous sense of loss that the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) Board of Directors and staff announce the passing of Director Steve Anderson, who passed away on January 16, 2008 at the age of 55.  Director Anderson made significant contributions to the water industry during his career and was highly respected as an expert and leader in water and wastewater. 

He began his water career with California Water Service Company, and then worked as a water engineer with the City of Anaheim.  Director Anderson was currently serving as General Manager of the Midway City Sanitation District at the time of his passing, as well as serving as one of the MWDOC representatives on the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Metropolitan).  He was recently appointed Vice Chairman of Metropolitan, an amazing accomplishment for the freshman director, but is confirmation of how respected he was and a testament to his knowledge and expertise.  Steve served on the Board of Directors for the Orange County Sanitation District for twelve years, and served as Vice Chairman in 2002 and as Chairman in 2005 and 2006.  In addition to his public works career, he was also a businessman and entrepreneur, running Anderson Consulting for a number of years and providing construction inspection services for public works projects. 

To read the entire text, Click Here.

By Darcy Burke, MWDOC Director of Public Affairs

On February 12, the Metropolitan Board of Directors approved a Water Supply Allocation Plan.  The Plan, if implemented, provides reduced allocations to all of Metropolitan’s service area, which encompasses all six Southern California counties. The intent is to share the burden of reduced water deliveries.  The Plan incorporates elements including past conservation efforts, local water supplies and penalty fees.  Since the early nineties, Metropolitan has been working toward drafting a plan based on this guiding principle adopted by the Board of Directors - “Metropolitan will encourage storage of water during periods of surplus and work jointly with its Member Agencies to minimize the impacts of water shortages on the region’s retail consumers and economy during periods of shortage.”

To read the entire text, Click Here.

By Beth Fahl, MWDOC Water Use Efficiency Programs Coordinator

As public agencies promoting a water conservation ethic, we have an obligation to practice what we preach. And now, after the driest year on record in Southern California, wise water use by public agencies is even more crucial. In order to assist public agencies in setting a good example, MWDOC and Metropolitan have allocated funding to create a new Accelerated Public Sector Incentive Program specifically designed to assist public agencies with water conservation.

There are three ways a public agency can participate:

1. Request a Free Indoor/Outdoor Water Efficiency Audit.

2. Receive Upfront Incentives to purchase and install water saving devices.

3. Receive Incentives for reducing a facility’s annual water usage at least 10 percent over a one-year period.

To provide public agencies with more information about this Program, MWDOC is holding an informational session on Thursday, February 28, from 9 am to 11 am, at the District’s offices in Fountain Valley.  If you are interested in attending, simply RSVP to Paul Sanudo at (714) 593-5033 or psanudo@mwdoc.com.

To read the entire text Click Here.

By Linda Homscheid, South Coast Water District Public Information Officer/Strategic Planning

South Coast Water District added the first drops of local water to its distribution system in December 2007 from its new Groundwater Recovery Facility in Dana Point.  Approximately 10% of the District’s potable water now comes from the San Juan Groundwater Basin, rather than the State Water Project or Colorado River.  Initially, the facility will yield 800 acre-feet or 260 million gallons a year of potable water.  Ultimately, the District will add a second well to produce 1,500 acre-feet or 489 million gallons a year.  The District provides water to Dana Point, South Laguna and areas of San Clemente.

Located on two acres of District property near San Juan Creek, the groundwater recovery facility employs state-of-the-art reverse osmosis (RO) technology to remove impurities and dissolved solids from the raw water pumped from the 128-foot deep well.  The heart of the facility is a 2,650-square-foot plant that houses the reverse osmosis system. The facility recovery rate is approximately 76%.

Construction of the plant began in 2005, finished in 2007 and cost $5.8 million. Funding came from $8.8 million in bonds sold in 1998 by predecessor agency, Capistrano Beach Water District.   Operating costs are projected at $717,000 per year.  The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California will give the District $250 per acre-foot of water produced, approximately $5 million over 20 years.

To read the entire text, Click Here.

By Kelly Hubbard, Water Emergency Response Organization of Orange County Programs Manager

A high-rise building collapses in Costa Mesa. Ten entire city blocks in Anaheim catch on fire. There are an estimated 1.5 million Southern Californians without water. This is not the result of an earthquake in Orange County, but rather a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on the San Andreas Fault Line. To understand the enormity of such an event, consider that an epicenter 148 miles away at the Salton Sea is causing a building collapse in Costa Mesa. Consider that the Northridge Earthquake lasted approximately six seconds. This earthquake is estimated to last two to three minutes. This is not a story of fiction or the next Hollywood plot, this is the scientifically researched “Big One” most likely to occur in our lifetime.

The State of California has entitled this disaster exercise “Golden Guardian 2008”, and the Earthquake Country Alliance has entitled their campaign “Shift Happens; Dare to Prepare”. This exercise is an opportunity to test our emergency plans, our communications, our assumptions, and our comfort level. We will be testing if Southern California can respond effectively to not just a disaster, but a catastrophe. All government agencies are being invited and encouraged to participate.

Representatives of multiple water utilities have come together to create a WEROC Planning Committee to coordinate how Orange County water utilities will participate in this exercise. We expect that as many as eight utilities will test their emergency operation centers, and that two to three of those will conduct field exercises as well. If your utility would like to get involved, contact the city you serve, the county emergency management group, or contact me directly.

To read the entire text Click Here.