Michelson Water Recycling Plant
INCREASING RELIABILITY THROUGH DIVERSE WATER SOURCES GROUNDWATER More than half of the IRWD water supply comes from local groundwater wells in the Orange County Groundwater Basin. IRWD began developing local water supplies in 1979 to reduce dependence on costly imported water and now produces drinking water from 27 wells throughout the service area. IMPORTED WATER Imported water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California makes up less than one-fifth of the District’s supply. Drinking water imported to IRWD comes from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in Northern California and from the Colorado River through the Colorado River Aqueduct. WATER BANKING Water banking — storing water in wet years for use during dry years and emergencies — is an important tool. By capturing water when it is available and storing it in groundwater basins to supplement supplies in dry years, IRWD safeguards customers from imported water supply shortages. In the event of a major and prolonged supply interruption, this stored water would be available to fulfill 100% of IRWD customers’ needs for imported water over three years. RECYCLED WATER
IRWD FACILITIES OFFICES
• IRWD Sand Canyon Administrative Offices — 15600 Sand Canyon Ave. Open 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Thursday and alternate Fridays. • IRWD Operations Center — 3512 Michelson Drive. Open 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday–Thursday. RECYCLED WATER PLANTS & STORAGE
• Michelson Water Recycling Plant • Los Alisos Water Recycling Plant
• Syphon Reservoir Improvement Project — will increase storage capacity from current 578 acre-feet to 5,000 acre-feet • Four seasonal recycled water storage reservoirs: Rattlesnake, Sand Canyon, San Joaquin, and Syphon DRINKING WATER FACILITIES • Baker Water Treatment Plant • Howiler Water Treatment Plant • Irvine Desalter Project — treats drinking water in the Irvine subbasin • Deep Aquifer Treatment System — removes color from local groundwater • Wells 21 & 22 Rehabilitation, Pipelines and Water Treatment Plant — recovers and treats local impaired groundwater for drinking use • Thirty-seven drinking water reservoirs • Dyer Road Well Field — local groundwater NON-DRINKING WATER SOURCES • El Toro Groundwater Remediation Program — provides 4,000 acre-feet of water for irrigation annually • Irvine Lake — untreated water reservoir NATURAL TREATMENT SYSTEM • IRWD operates almost 50 NTS wetlands sites, including the San Joaquin Marsh • IRWD San Joaquin Marsh Campus — including the Duck Club, Audubon House, Learning Center, Visitors Center, Sea and Sage House and Caretaker’s House
Recycled water usage
IRWD meets about a quarter of the service area’s water demands with recycled water, which reduces reliance
10%
30% 60%
on costly imported water. On average, IRWD delivers about 25 million gallons of recycled water per day to 6,000 customers through 576 miles of pipelines. The dual-distribution system, which keeps recycled water completely separate from drinking water, uses recognizable purple pipe to identify recycled water infrastructure. IRWD pioneered the use of purple pipe, which has become the international symbol for recycled water. Agriculture Business & irrigation Landscape irrigation
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