IRWD Background California’s Drought IRWD’s Approach to Reliability -Supplies and Infrastructure -Demand Management Results Conclusion

1. Drought, Policy and Water Infrastructure
ASCE Orange County
October 31, 2014
Fiona Sanchez
Director of Water Resources

2. Presentation Agenda
IRWD Background
California’s Drought
IRWD’s Approach to Reliability
• Supplies and Infrastructure
• Demand Management
Results
Conclusion

3. District Overview
A California Special District Serving Central Orange County
Reliable High-Quality Water & Sewer Service.
Efficient. Cost Effective. Environmentally Sensitive.
High Level of Customer Satisfaction.
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4. IRWD Services
Drinking Water
4 Water Treatment Plants, 27 Wells
1500 miles of water pipeline
Sewage Collection
1000 miles of collection pipeline
Recycled Water
2 Recycled Water Plants
500 miles of recycled water pipeline
Urban Runoff Treatment
San Joaquin Marsh prototype
31 wetland treatment sites
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5. IRWD Service Area
370,000
Residential Customers
500,000
District Daytime Population
181 Square Miles
20% of Orange County
6 Cities
Irvine, Tustin, Lake Forest,
Orange, Newport Beach,
Costa Mesa, unincorporated county
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6. Drought

7. California Drought: A Statewide Issue
Worst Drought in State History
Three Straight Dry Winters
2013- Driest Year on Record
Record Breaking Heat in 2014
Water Storage Levels Dropping
Saving Water is Urgent

8. Statewide Emergency Drought Restrictions
Prohibits Certain Outdoor
Water Uses
Requires Water Agencies to
Implement Outdoor Water Use
Restrictions
Applies to Potable Water Only
Became Effective July 28, 2014

9. Everyone: Mandatory Water Use Prohibitions
Washing down driveways and
sidewalks with potable water
Causing runoff as a result of
excess outdoor watering
Using a hose to wash a motor
vehicle, unless the hose is fitted
with an automatic shutoff nozzle
Using potable water in a fountain
or decorative water feature,
unless the water is recirculated

10. Drought Regulations: Water Agency Requirements
Implement Water Shortage Contingency Plan
at a level that imposes mandatory outdoor
restrictions;
OR
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Submit a plan showing superior water savings
achieved with Allocation-Based Rate Structure.
IRWD Selected This Option

11. Water Supply Reliability

12. Where Does Southern California Get Its Water?
Local Supplies
Groundwater & Recycling
Local Supplies
LA Aqueduct
Conservation
Colorado River
Aqueduct
700,000 AF
State Water
Project
Entitlement
2 Million AF
Transfers & Storage
Groundwater Banking
Conversion: 1 acre-foot (AF) = 325,851 gallons

13. IRWD Water Supply Portfolio. Then.
1990
Imported
Water
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• IRWD heavily
dependent on
imported water
• Policy decision to
invest in local and
enhanced reliability
• Diversified portfolio
66%
9%
11%
14%
Imported Water
Clear Groundwater
Local Surface Water
Recycled Water
Imported
Water

14. IRWD Imported Water Supplies
22%
Imported Water Supplies
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MWD Water Supplies
– State Water Project/
California Bay Delta
– Colorado River Water
Aqueduct
Water Treatment Facilities
– Diemer Plant (MWD)
– Weymouth Plant (MWD)
– Baker Plant (IRWD)

15. Baker Treatment Plant
Improves drinking water
reliability for southern Orange
County
Collaborates with multiple retail
water agencies
Treats raw water from 3
sources
Uses state-of-the-art
technology
Exceeds regulatory agency
standards. Minimizes waste
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16. IRWD Clear Local Groundwater Supplies
31%
Cost Effective
Very High Quality Water
Reliable
Dyer Road Well Field
– 18 high capacity wells
– 4,500-5,000 gpm
– Disinfection only
(chloramination)
Local Wells
– Irvine
– Lake Forest

17. IRWD Treated Local Groundwater Supplies
19%
Uses Impaired Supplies
Very High Quality Water
Reliable
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Deep Aquifer Treatment
System (DATS)
– color removal
Irvine Desalter (Drinking
Water Component)
– nitrate removal
Wells 21 & 22 Project
– nitrate removal

18. Deep Aquifer Treatment System
First facility to remove color from lower
aquifer water
Highly efficient: 98 gallons of clear
drinking water for 100 gallons pumped
5,300 AF/yr. Approx.16,000 homes/yr

19. Irvine Desalter Potable Water Project
Produces 5,100 AF of drinking
water for approx.15,000
homes/year
Salts and nitrates removed from
groundwater using reverse
osmosis
Regional Brine Line sends salt
to outfall
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20. El Toro Groundwater Remediation Project
Produces non-drinking water,
approx. 3,900 AF
Irrigates 1,300 acres
landscaping
Air stripper removes TCE;
captures on granular activated
carbon filters
Completed October 2006
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21. Wells 21 & 22 Project
Drinking water supply
6,300 AF of water enough
for approx. 19,000
homes/year
Rehabilitated 2 existing
wells
Built new desalter plant
Removes nitrates and salts
from impaired groundwater
using reverse osmosis
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22. IRWD Recycled Water Supplies
25%
Landscape
Agriculture
Office Buildings
Industrial Processes
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Since1967
One of the largest recycled
water systems in the U. S.
Over 480 miles of pipe
4,700 metered connections
Serve approx. 27,000 AF/yr
Two water recycling plants
–Irvine and Lake Forest

23. Michelson Water Recycling Plant Expansion
MWRP Former Capacity: 18 MGD
Expanded Capacity: 28 MGD
Ultimate Capacity: 33 MGD
One of two sources of
recycled water

24. Recycled Water Storage Challenge
Recycled water demand seasonal variations do not align with
recycled water production.
When recycled water production exceeds demands in winter
months, storage capacity inadequate; excess water to ocean
outfall.
When recycled water demands exceed production, IRWD
required to purchase additional imported water.
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Solution: Syphon Recycled Water Seasonal Storage Project

25. Syphon Recycled Water Seasonal Storage
Convert existing irrigation reservoir to larger recycled water
storage reservoir
Rebuild and enlarge dam to increase capacity; allow IRWD to
use 100% of recycled water supplies
Reduces purchase of imported water from Delta and Colorado
River, improving local water supply reliability
Expanded Syphon ReservoirExisting Syphon Reservoir
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26. Water Banking
IRWD Kern County
Water Banking
Projects
Stores wet-year
supplies for dry-year
use
Meets 15% of IRWD
demands over a
3-year period of
water-shortage
conditions

27. Demand Management

28. Allocation-Based Rate Structure
Allocation-Based Rate
Structure achieves excellent
water saving results
Rewards conservation and
sends a strong price signal
for over-allocation wasteful
use
38% greater savings than
limiting outdoor irrigation to
2 days per week
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29. Example: IRWD Residential Customer Rates
Tier % of allocation Rate/CCF
Low Volume
Base Rate
0 – 40%
41 – 100%
$ 0.88
$ 1.34
Inefficient 101 – 130% $ 3.91
Excessive 131 – 160% $ 6.22
Wasteful 161 + % $12.60
Customer Uses Allocation - 15 CCF Total Water Bill = $27.94
Customer Over Allocation - 26 CCF Total Water Bill = $97.57
Monthly Water Use Comparison
100% of
water needs
for indoor &
outdoors
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30. Water Use Allocation
Based on:
Individual customer and property needs
Number of residents (single family default is four people)
Landscaped area
Weather conditions
Allocation varies each billing cycle
Variances can be applied
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31. Customer Resources
Free on-site customer assistance
Free events and classes
Landscape Workshops
Website
Videos and How to Guides
Conservation hotline
949 453-5581
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32. Financial Incentives
Outdoor Rebates
Weather- Based Irrigation Controller
Rotating Spray Nozzle
Turf Removal Rebate Program
Rain Barrel
Soil Moisture Sensor
Indoor
High Efficiency Clothes Washer
High Efficiency Toilet
Rebate Information and Applications
www.irwd.com
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33. Customer Response
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Fantastic!
Applications to remove 100,000 square feet of turf and
install water efficient plants received since June
Applications for rebates to install 1,000 high efficiency
devices received since June
Residential water use is at its lowest ever
85 gallons per capita per day
But we can all do more

34. Everyone Can Do One More Thing To Save Water
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Customer:
“But I already do everything
I can to save water”
Purpose of Campaign
• Raise awareness
• Create visual reminders
• Everyone can do more

35. Everyone Can Do One More Thing To Save Water
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More than 900
participants to date
Pledges from customers,
businesses,
schoolchildren, employees
Stickers cover windows of
IRWD Office Building
Take the Pledge online at
irwd.com/drought2014

36. IRWD Rate Structure Results
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37. IRWD Water Supply Portfolio. Now.
22%
31%
25%
19%
Imported Water
Clear Groundwater
Local Surface Water
Recycled Water
Treated Groundwater
2013
Imported
Water
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• Reduced imported
water from 66% to 22%
• Increased recycled
water from 14% to 25%
• Average of 25% supply
redundancy
• 88,000 acre-feet of
contingency storage
• Meets variability in
demand

38. Summary
IRWD has access to reliable supplies of water through
long-term planning and water infrastructure investments
Diversified portfolio
Demand management and water efficiency critical to
optimize long-term resources
We are all part of the solution to the Statewide Drought
How you can help
Do One More Thing
Resources
Free on-site customer assistance
Workshops and Events
Rebates
www.irwd.com
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39. IRWD Contact Information
Fiona Sanchez
Director of Water Resources
949 453-5325
sanchezf@irwd.com
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