Irvine Ranch Water District

Irvine Ranch Water District
Map
Special district overview
FormedJanuary 23, 1961 (1961-01-23)
Headquarters15600 Sand Canyon Ave, Irvine, CA
Special district executive
  • Paul A. Cook, General Manager
Websitehttps://www.irwd.com

Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) is a special district formed in 1961 and incorporated under the California water code. The IRWD headquarters is located in Irvine, California.

IRWD offers potable water sales, sewer service, and the 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.[1]

History

The Irvine Ranch Water District was formed on January 23, 1961.[2]

When the district was formed, it was a "landowner district" where votes were exclusively awarded to landowners on the basis of one vote for each dollar of assessed value. The district proposed legislation to phase-in publicly elected directors, though city leaders filed a lawsuit in 1979 claiming the process was not fast enough.[3] Following a court ruling that the phasing plan was unconstitutional, IRWD changed to a publicly elected board.[3]

In 1985, the District issued over $59 million in bonds to finance expansion of sewerage treatment facilities.[4]

The Orange County LAFCO, a government agency in charge of determining special district boundaries, in 1987 considered transferring territory in Portola Hills from the Santa Ana Mountains County Water District (now called the Trabuco Canyon Water District) to IRWD.[5] IRWD now serves Portola Hills.[6]

During construction around the Michaelson Wastewater Treatment Plant in 1990, the district flattened wetlands and filled in about five acres.[7] The city of Irvine, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Army Corps of Engineers conducted an investigation into whether any laws were broken.

Towards the end of the 1986-1992 California drought, the District proposed a rate structure where excessive water users would pay double the water rates, with certain exemptions.[8] That proposal was adopted and a similar tiered water rate structure was subsequently proposed, adopted, and continues to this day.[9]

As part of a water conservation program scam, a District employee embezzled $2.2 million.[10] The district employee and a consultant were both found guilty, with a third consultant being found not guilty.

A 2015 water main break in Newport Beach spilled 1 million gallons of water and inundated an underground parking garage.[11]

In June 2015, IRWD initiated a lawsuit against the Orange County Water District seeking to avoid certain payments related to groundwater pumping. In 2023, a trial court ruled against IRWD. Following an appeal in 2024, the trial court's opinion was affirmed by the California Courts of Appeal.[12]

Consolidations

A 1996 bill by Speaker Curt Pringle proposed the consolidation of several water districts, with a merger into the Irvine Ranch Water District being an option for several of them. Those districts included Serrano Water District, East Orange County Water District, and Mesa Water District. The bill ultimately failed.[13]

In 1997, IRWD and the Santa Ana Heights Mutual Water Company began with a proposed merger. Officials at the Mesa Water District filed a complaint with the Orange County District Attorney's office, questioning the merger's legality as it had not been reviewed by the Orange County LAFCO.[14] Shareholders had previously elected to merge with IRWD.[14] The Orange County LAFCO later voted to approve the merger.[15]

In 1998, the Carpenter Irrigation District's reorganization into IRWD became effective.[16]

In September of 2000, Orange County LAFCO approved of IRWD taking over the smaller Los Alisos Water District.[17] Beginning January of 2001, residents began being served by IRWD.[16]

On July 6, 2006, the Santiago County Water District consolidated with IRWD.[16]

On April 10, 2008, the merger between IRWD and the Orange Park Acres Mutual Water Company was approved by their shareholders.[16] The merger was effective June 1, 2008.

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.[18]

Director Division First entered office Term began Term ends
John Withers 1 1989 2024 2028
Steve LaMar 2 2009 2022 2026
Doug Reinhart 3 2004 2022 2026
Daniel Ferons 4 2024 2024 2028
Peer Swan 5 1979 2022 2026

District facilities and 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.[19] 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.

San Joaquin Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary

Main article: San Joaquin Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary

The San Joaquin Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary is a 300-acre (120ha; 0.47 sq mi) constructed wetland in the flood plain of the San Diego Creek north of its outlet into the Upper Newport Bay. The site is owned by IRWD.[20]

Previously used as farmland and as a duck hunting range through 1988, restoration of the site as wetlands concluded in 2000.[20]

Recycled water

By 1990, the District was experimenting with dual piping systems that will allow reclaimed water to be used in toilets in new office buildings[21][22]

In 2000, the District began building new pipeline to increase the amount of reclaimed water that could be used for landscaping and irrigation.[23]

References

  1. ^ "About Us". Irvine Ranch Water District. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  2. ^ "Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Reviews: Central Region" (PDF). Orange County LAFCO. 2025-09-17. Retrieved 2025-12-22.
  3. ^ a b Hall, Len (1993-04-04). "O.C. Water District: From Obscurity to Notoriety : Utilities: Conflict-of-interest allegations put formerly little-known Santa Margarita agency in the spotlight". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  4. ^ Archives, L. A. Times (1985-10-25). "The Irvine Ranch Water District has issued..." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  5. ^ Needham, John (1987-04-02). "Trabuco Canyon : Water District Facing Loss of Big Development". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  6. ^ Hall, Len (1990-04-25). "EL TORO : Water District Board Backs Cityhood Issue". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  7. ^ McQueeny, Tom (1990-07-25). "IRVINE : Damage to Wetlands Is Focus of Inquiry". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  8. ^ McQueeny, Tom (1991-01-28). "IRVINE : Heavy Water Users May Face Surcharge". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  9. ^ McQuenny, Tom (1991-01-30). "District Doubles Rates of Excessive Water Users". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  10. ^ Husted, Deniene (2000-10-12). "IRVINE". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  11. ^ Dobruck, Jeremiah (2015-08-19). "Ruptured water main spills 1 million gallons in Newport Beach". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  12. ^ "Orange County Water District (OCWD) Prevails in Irvine Ranch Water District vs. OCWD LITIGATION | Mesa Water District". www.mesawater.org. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  13. ^ Bailey, Eric (1996-09-01). "Senate Sinks Pringle Bill to Merge Water Districts". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  14. ^ a b Hamashige, Hope (1997-07-25). "D.A. Asked to Investigate Water Services Merger". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  15. ^ Hamashige, Hope (1997-10-02). "Agency OKs Water District Annexation". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  16. ^ a b c d "Consolidations". Irvine Ranch Water District. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  17. ^ Husted, Deniene (2001-01-01). "Los Alisos Water District Is Absorbed". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  18. ^ "Board of Directors". Irvine Ranch Water District. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  19. ^ San Román, Gabriel (August 18, 2022). "Federal officials announce $310 million in funding to combat 'megadrought'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  20. ^ a b Mehta, Seema (2000-07-08). "Where Farmers Once Grew Crops, a Marsh Is Reborn". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  21. ^ Archives, L. A. Times (1990-01-28). "Second-Class Water, First Class Idea". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  22. ^ Archives, L. A. Times (1990-04-05). "The Drought of 1990 : ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : A Time for Conservation". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  23. ^ Husted, Deniene (2000-09-27). "IRVINE". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irvine_Ranch_Water_District