The three major issues facing the water industry today are: WATER QUALITY, WATER SUPPLY and WATER RUN-OFF. Of course, some of these issues meld or merge together as the District attempts to address each issue in our own service area. However, IRWD has been a leader in recognizing pending water issues and has instituted policies and programs to address each one.

WATER QUALITY:

For over 20 years, IRWD has been reporting to our community the quality of the water served to our customers. Before there was Federal and State mandated requirements to issue a "water quality report." IRWD compiled and mailed to all ratepayers the report on district water consumed in our area. IRWD has a state-wide recognized water quality laboratory where biologist and scientist collect, examine and record the water in all parts of our service area on a regular basis. Our interest in water quality reaches beyond drinking water, and extends to our concern for the quality of our oceans and particularly Upper Newport Beach. The District instituted a program by which the San Diego Creek water is diverted to our wetland ponds in the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary circulated through a series of ponds where Nitrogen and Phosphorous are removed then returned to the creek where it continued it way to Upper Newport Bay and on to the ocean with 60 pounds less nitrogen content.

WATER SUPPLY

IRWD addresses waster supply in a number of ways. Our first efforts in conserving water began in the 1960's when the District was the first agency in California to begin recycling water for use in irrigation. That use has been expanded over the years to include the use of recycled water in high-rise buildings, carpet dying, as well as all public landscaping and golf courses.

Conservation is a major part of water conservation. Through our monthly newsletter mailed to customers, we have encouraged the use of low flow toilets, showerheads and electronically controlled irrigation programs that control and reduce water use in the homes. Our latest effort is to encourage the use of clothes washers that save hundreds of gallons of water a year, is a cooperative program with the Metropolitan District of Southern California awarded rebates for the purchase of "conservation washers."

Expanding water supply is the third major project to ensure water for our customers. The Deep Aquifer Project enabled the District to add to our Dyer Road Well Field, by developing wells that reach two thousand feet into the earth for a new source of water. This water that is drawn from the deep aquifers was originally colored water, but through a stripping process, the District was able to remove the color and add substantially to our groundwater supply. IRWD is also interested in "water banking" and our engineers are exploring opportunities in that area.

WATER RUN-OFF

The latest program to address the quality of oceans and beaches is the Natural Treatment System, which will go online in late 2005. The process is adapted from our very successful San Diego Creek diversion and will consists of a series of "mini-wetlands" constructed throughout the county. In cooperation with the Orange County Water District and the County of Orange, IRWD will construct and manage about 35 areas through the county to capture and clean the "urban run-off" thus preventing highly polluted water from flowing into the ocean.