Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) is a California Special District formed in 1961 and incorporated under the California water code. IRWD headquarters are located in Irvine, California.
IRWD offers the following services: potable water sales, sewer service and sale of reclaimed (or recycled) water. IRWD serves the city of Irvine, portions of Costa Mesa, Lake Forest, Newport Beach, Orange, and Tustin, and unincorporated areas of Orange County. IRWD has more than 101,000 connections with more than 300,000 customers spanning over of service area in Orange County.
Governance
IRWD is governed by a five-member publicly elected Board of Directors. These five elected officials are responsible for the District's policies and decision making. Public elections are held every two years and Directors serve four-year terms. Terms are staggered to ensure continuity.
1. John Withers – John B. Withers has served on the IRWD Board of Directors since 1989. He was reappointed in 1990 and has been subsequently re-elected to serve on the Board. He served as President of the Board in 2004 and in a number of other officer capacities as well.
2. Karen McLaughlin – Karen McLaughlin, Ph.D., was elected to the Irvine Ranch Water District Board of Directors in 2020, representing Division 4.
3. Douglas Reinhart – Douglas J. Reinhart was appointed to the IRWD Board of Directors in 2004 to fill a board vacancy and was subsequently appointed to a four-year term in 2006 when he ran unopposed for election. He served as President of the Board in 2009 and 2010, having previously served as Vice President in 2006 and President in 2007 and 2013.
4. Steve LaMar –Steven E. LaMar was appointed to the IRWD Board of Directors in February 2009 to fill a vacancy and then was elected in the November 2010 election. He served as Board President in 2011.
5. Peer Swan – Peer Swan was elected to the IRWD Board of Directors in 1979. After a term as Vice President of the Board, the Directors elected him President, a position he held from December 1981 until December 1995 and again in 2006. Swan was reelected to the Board without opposition in 2006 and 2010.
District facilities & water supply
IRWD's drinking water comes from two primary sources: local groundwater and imported water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The blending of these sources varies according to the time of year and the geographic location within the District. In addition, IRWD has an extensive recycled water program that is used for irrigation or other non-potable purposes. The District's diversified supply ensures a reliable water supply during times of drought, regulatory constraints and other emergencies. A diverse water supply portfolio helps to keep IRWD rates as low as possible.
Groundwater
Approximately 48 percent of IRWD's overall supply comes from local groundwater wells in the Orange County Groundwater Basin, and the Irvine and Lake Forest sub-basins. For many years, IRWD received almost all of its water from imported sources. To alleviate this dependency on expensive imported water, IRWD began to develop a series of local wells in 1979. The Dyer Road Wellfield Project extracts low-cost, high-quality water from deep within the Orange County Groundwater Basin. IRWD now operates 25 groundwater wells within its service area.
Imported Water
Approximately 20 percent of IRWD’s water is purchased through the Municipal Water District of Orange County from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, a regional water wholesaler that delivers imported water from Northern California and the Colorado River.
State Water Project
The State Water Project, also known as the California Aqueduct, transports water from Northern California to the southern portion of the state. It is owned and operated by the State of California and is the longest aqueduct system in the world, featuring 23 dams and reservoirs, 22 pumping plants that lift water to heights of , and six power plants. The aqueduct consists of of canals, of pipeline and of tunnels.
Colorado River Project
The Colorado River Aqueduct brings water from the Colorado River through deserts and over mountain ranges to its terminal reservoir, Lake Mathews, in Riverside County. The aqueduct system includes five pumping plants that lift the water .