The document discusses the water-energy nexus and Irvine Ranch Water District's (IRWD) efforts to promote greater efficiency. IRWD serves over 500,000 customers across six cities in Orange County, California. Energy costs comprise 12% of IRWD's operating budget, so the agency focuses on water use efficiency, supply diversification, resource recovery, and demand response to reduce energy usage. IRWD also generates some of its own power and partners with other utilities to implement cost-effective projects. The document calls for engaging with state regulators on policies that encourage water and energy agencies to adopt renewable energy and pursue infrastructure funding to further improve efficiencies.

1. Water Energy Nexus
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California Contract Cities Association
Southern California Water Summit & Fall Conference
November 8, 2014
Patrick Sheilds
Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD)

2. IRWD Service Area
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6 Cities
Irvine
Lake Forest
Tustin
Newport Beach
Orange
Costa Mesa
Unincorporated Orange County
20% of Orange County
Percent of the county covered by
IRWD
181 square miles
Size of District

3. IRWD Services & Customer Base
Drinking Water
4 Water Treatment Plants, 27 wells,
36 reservoirs, 1,500 miles of water
pipeline
Sewage Collection
1,000 miles of collection pipeline
Recycled Water
2 recycled water plants
500 miles of recycled water pipeline
500,000 District’s Daytime Population
340,000 Residential Customers
105,688
Service connections
93,037
Acre Feet of Water Served
(FY 2012-2013)
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4. IRWD’s Water Energy Nexus
Energy costs comprise 12% of IRWD’s $131M Operating Budget.
• Water Use Efficiency
o Encouraging conservation
o Allocation-based conservation rate
structure
• Water Supply Diversification
o Local Supply Development
o Recycling
o Groundwater Banking
• Resource Recovery
o Recycled Water
o Microturbine power from Biogas
o Solar
o Fertilizer – Reduced water needs
• Demand Response
• Minimizing peak time pumping using
storage
• Energy Master Plan
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5. IRWD Water Supply Portfolio. Then and Now.
1990 2013
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Total Water Demands: ~70,000 AFY Total Water Demands: ~90,000 AFY

6. Energy Reduction via Water Use Efficiency Program
• Allocation-based Conservation Rate Structure
• Landscape Irrigation Management
• New Technology Implementation
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7. Allocation Based Rate Structure Results
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8. The Water-Energy Nexus
According to the California Air
Resources Board, approximately 19%
of the electricity and 30% of the non-power
plant natural gas used in the
state is consumed by the water sector.
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9. IRWD’s Water-Energy Nexus Activities
IRWD promotes policies which encourage energy
reliability in Orange County and energy efficiency in
the water and resource recovery sectors without an
increase in cost to or mandates on local entities.
IRWD is committed to energy and GHG management.
• Good business
• Beneficial to our customers and the environment

10. IRWD’s Water-Energy Nexus Activities, cont.
IRWD’s Partnerships with Other Agencies & Utilities
• Integrated Demand Side Management
Water-Energy Pilot Program
o MOU with SCE
o Research, study, recommend &
implement cost-effective projects at
IRWD facilities
o Projects will have the potential to meet
local demands in South Orange County
• Embedded Energy
• Demand Response
• Time of Use Program Participation
• Partnership with cities, community
colleges, UC system, & SCE

11. Water-supply energy intensities
(Southern California)
Source: Dr. Peter H. Gleick, Pacific Institute, "Energy
Down the Drain," 2004 www.pacinst.org

12. Water-Energy Issues
• Retirement of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station &
the pending closure of other ocean-cooled power plants
• Increasing energy costs & reduced overall generation
• State support for water sector energy efficiency
• Drought response and drought-related energy impacts
• Water & resource recovery utilities emergency
preparedness and regulatory impacts
• Under utilized standby generator capacity

13. IRWD Energy Generation Capacity
• 39 Generators total with a combined output of 13 megawatts
(MW)
• Two 2.4 MW of generation capacity on natural gas with 1,000
hours per year operational limit
• The remaining 10.6 MW of generation capacity operate on
diesel fuel with 200 hours per year operational limit (50 hours
per year used for testing)
• Opportunity to engage Air Quality Board on potential
regulatory adjustments that could lower stress on grid during
high demand, and improve IRWD’s ability to respond to
emergencies.
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14. Summary
• Engage with the Coalition of Agencies, the Legislature, and State regulators
on the water-energy nexus
• Pursue policies and incentives which encourage water and resource
recovery agencies to implement renewable energy projects
• Water and energy strategies can both lead to fast, cost-effective greenhouse-gas
emission reductions
• Water-efficiency efforts offer substantial water (and energy) savings at lower
cost, and faster, than new “supply”
• Diversifying water supplies
• Expansion of local supplies
• Pursuing infrastructure funding opportunities to enhance water & energy
efficiencies
• Leverage energy saving partnerships and programs with SCE and others
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15. IRWD Contact Information
Patrick Sheilds
Executive Director of Operations
949.453.5720
sheilds@irwd.com
Visit us on the Web: www.irwd.com
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