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

MET Executive Committee Mtg:
March 25 @ MET
700 North Alameda Street, L.A.

MWDOC/OCWD Joint Board Mtg:
March 26 @ MWDOC
18700 Ward Street, Fountain Valley

MWDOC Board & MET Directors Mtg:
April 2 @ MWDOC
18700 Ward Street, Fountain Valley

*Please note new time - 7:30am

WACO Mtg:
April 4 @ MWDOC
18700 Ward Street, Fountain Valley

MET Committee Mtgs:
April 7-8 @ MET
700 North Alameda Street, L.A.

MWDOC A&F Committee Mtg:
April 9 @ MWDOC
18700 Ward Street, Fountain Valley

MWDOC P&O Committee Mtg:
April 14 @ MWDOC
18700 Ward Street, Fountain Valley

MWDOC Board Mtg:
April 16 @ MWDOC
18700 Ward Street, Fountain Valley

O.C. Water Camp 2007

Costa Mesa Skyline

Mesa Consolidated Water District's Ozone Generator

MWDOC Board Unanimously Appoints Linda Ackerman to Represent MWDOC on Metropolitan Water District Board of Directors

To read the press release, Click Here.

By David Cordero, MWDOC Director of Governmental Affairs

California water and wastewater districts are again facing a potential raid on the property tax revenue they receive as the state struggles to bring its $16 billion budget deficit under control.  The state Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) released in February an alternate budget proposal (the governor released his budget in January) that included a number of recommendations to help reduce the deficit.

Among the recommendations is realigning the state’s parole supervision program to shift responsibility from the state to the counties for supervising lower-level criminals released from state prison.  A Public Safety Realignment Account (PSRA) would be created to fund indefinitely the $495 million program.  Funding for the account would include $188 million from water and wastewater special district property taxes.  Under this scenario, the LAO has estimated that water and wastewater districts statewide would lose about 50 percent of the property tax revenue they presently receive – revenue that is typically used to fund the districts’ infrastructure investments and other capital projects.

Adding insult to injury, the LAO has also recommended that during the next few years the State Legislature authorize county boards of supervisors to decide whether the remaining 50 percent of water and wastewater districts’ property tax revenues should also be reallocated to fund other local government programs.

To read the entire text, Click Here.

By Jessica Hanley, MWDOC Programs Analyst

The O.C. Water Camp committee is excited to announce O.C. Water Camp 2008.  O.C. Water Camp is a free, water education and outreach program for Orange County students entering grades 8 and 9 in the fall.  The primary goals of the program are to educate students about water/wastewater and the environment, and to teach students to become environmental stewards.  The program is also designed to encourage students to pursue careers in the water and wastewater industries.

The O.C. Water Camp committee is seeking both sponsors to support the program and students to attend Water Camp.  Supporting O.C. Water Camp is a great opportunity for your organization to reach out to the local community, and your support makes it possible for us to educate young adults about our water resources and the environment.  You can support the program by sponsoring a local student to attend camp, donating funding (cash or in-kind), or providing lunches or prizes.  O.C. Water Camp is funded entirely by grants and community donations, so your help is key to making O.C. Water Camp a success.

The Water Camp committee is currently accepting applications for students interested in attending Water Camp 2008.  To apply, students are asked to fill out a brief Water Camp application form and submit responses to a few short answer questions.  The current application deadline is April 4, 2008.  For additional information regarding O.C. Water Camp and how to apply, please visit our website at www.ocwatercamp.org.  For sponsorship information, please contact Jessica Hanley at (714) 593-5029 or jhanley@mwdoc.com.

To read the entire text Click Here.

By Paul Sanudo, MWDOC Water Use Efficiency Intern

On Tuesday, February 26, 2008, the “H20 for HOAs” Water Forum took place at The Bell Tower Regional Community Center in Rancho Santa Margarita.  The Water Forum was a collaborative effort by MWDOC and south Orange County cities and water agencies to address the water shortage – currently a hot topic of discussion in the media.  In Orange County, 50-60% of our potable water is used for landscape irrigation, and much is wasted - often running over sidewalks and into the gutter.  The rising costs of water and constrained imported supplies make it imperative that our limited supply of water be used efficiently. 

The objective of the Water Forum was to provide a venue for homeowners associations, property management companies, and landscape contractors to learn about water conservations programs available to them.  Rebates and incentives for water conservation programs allow homeowners associations to save water, lower their water bills, and reduce irrigation runoff into local creeks that lead to the ocean.

To read the entire text, Click Here.

By Amanda Gavin, Mesa Consolidated Water District Public Information Specialist

Mesa Consolidated Water District (Mesa) prides itself on the many services it provides to the community it serves, including a variety of Water Use Efficiency (WUE) Programs, which are offered at no cost. Mesa is committed to the preservation and protection of local water sources and ensuring water for the future. Mesa’s WUE Programs, which have been very successful, are well-received and in high demand among our customers. The popular WUE Programs offer several ways to assist with saving water and saving money, both of which are extremely important issues among our conscientious customers.

Mesa’s dedicated staff works very closely with organizations that are forward-thinking in their efforts to conserve water for the future. Several organizations have taken advantage of the excellent rebates that are available. Organizations such as the John Wayne Airport, City of Costa Mesa, Orange County Fair and Event Center, and Newport Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) have taken advantage of rebate programs to install water efficient toilets, urinals, and irrigation timers. The NMUSD recently received a rebate of nearly $59,000 for the installation of synthetic turf at one of its high schools.

Mesa is proud to have such vigilant organizations in the community who are determined to make a difference to our environment and for our future. These organizations are models for businesses and agencies all over on how we can work together on a vital issue such as water conservation. For additional information on Mesa’s Water Use Efficiency Programs, please call (949) 631-1205 or visit the Conservation section of our website at www.mesawater.org.

To read the entire text Click Here.

By Jessica Hanley, MWDOC Programs Analyst

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is currently seeking grant proposals for agricultural and urban water use efficiency projects.  This program will support projects that provide water savings or in-stream flows that benefit the Bay-Delta and other regions of California, as well as projects that address water quality and energy efficiency.  Approximately $35.3 million in funding is available for this grant program through Proposition 50.  An additional $3 million is also available through the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR).

There are two components of this grant program: Section A - Implementation Projects, and Section B - (Other) Projects. Section A projects should focus on improving agricultural and urban water use efficiency by promoting water savings, increased in-stream flow and/or water quality, and increased energy efficiency. Section B projects will support research and development, feasibility studies, pilot/demonstration projects, education and public outreach, and technical assistance programs related to water use efficiency.

Of the $35.3 million in funding available through DWR, approximately $15 million will support urban water use efficiency projects and $20 million will support agricultural water use efficiency projects. For this program, DWR is utilizing a two step process, with step one concept proposals due April 29, 2008, and step two full proposals due July 22, 2008.

To read the entire text, Click Here.

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

At the January 2008 meeting of the Water Advisory Committee of Orange County, Chief Chip Prather of the Orange County Fire Authority spoke regarding the Santiago Fire of October 2007. He stated, “Murphy will always stick his nose in your tent.” Everyone in the room had a good chuckle, undoubtedly because no one has escaped a visit from Mr. Murphy.

Mr. Murphy has been present during many emergencies throughout time, but is he to blame for these disasters going from bad to worse, or was someone caught unprepared? Consider the possibility that “Murphy” is actually each and every person who is making decisions during a disaster. The outcome of disaster response is being determined by our knowledge (or lack thereof) of all possible outcomes and their impacts. I will concede that not all outcomes are foreseeable, but to blame him for all disasters is to invite Mr. Murphy to dinner. I challenge that planning and some good old pessimistic forethought can help us recognize all possible outcomes and make the right decisions.

To read the entire text, Click Here.