Irvine Ranch Water District and its customers received three awards from the WateReuse Association’s California Section at the annual conference held in Sacramento.  Crean Lutheran High School in Irvine was presented with a Recycled Water Customer of the Year Award, Satoru Tamaribuchi of the Irvine Company received a Lifetime Achievement Award and Mark Tettemer from IRWD was given the President’s Award.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by the industry,” Tettemer said.  “Beyond the success we’ve been able to achieve in our service area, it’s been a pleasure to work with WateReuse California to further our collective goal to increase the use of recycled water – the most reliable source of water we have.”

Crean Lutheran High School

IRWD nominated Crean Lutheran High School for the Recycled Water Customer of the Year honor. Crean Lutheran is a private high school with two unique dual-plumbed buildings that serve more than 500 students and 30 staff members. The school was constructed differently than other dual-plumbed buildings because the two-story modular classroom dual-plumbed building was constructed in numerous sections in Perris, California, then brought to the Irvine location and assembled.

In addition to the modular classroom building, a dual-plumbed Sprung (temporary) structure, which houses the gym, was built.

Crean Lutheran High School was the first high school in the IRWD service area and possibly the State of California to use recycled water for toilets, urinals and priming floor drains in its buildings. The use of recycled water for its nine acres of landscaped area, combined with the recycled water used in the dual-plumbed buildings save more than 10 million gallons of drinking water per year.

Satoru Tamaribuchi

Spending 35 years at The Irvine Company as Vice President Environmental Affairs and as environmental issues manager, Sat Tamaribuchi led efforts to address water resources and environmental issues for the company. He recognized the importance of a reliable supply of water to development and he and the company became supporters of water recycling and water conservation. They worked cooperatively with IRWD to help develop both programs.

During Tamaribuchi’s tenure, The Irvine Company played a key role in completing several recycled water projects including:

• Recycled water to irrigate company retail, office, industrial, resort and residential projects;
• Developing the first and second dual-plumbed high rise office buildings in California which went on-line in 1991 and 1992;
• Using recycled water to irrigate front and backyards at individual residences at large developments, including Shady Canyon and Pelican Hills. IRWD now serves more than 500 such homes in those developments;
• Using recycled water in cooling towers serving office buildings;
• IRWD’s expansion of its Michelson Water Recycling Plant in Irvine; and
• Conversion of approximately 1,000 acres of agricultural land to recycled water.

IRWD estimates that Irvine Company properties use approximately 6,000 acre-feet per year of recycled water. The company has been and continues to be an important partner to IRWD in the implementation and growth of the District’s extensive recycled water programs.

 Mark Tettemer

Tettemer, the Recycled Water Development Manager for IRWD, has worked for the District for more than seven years. He has been instrumental in expanding the use of recycled water in the District’s service area. In 2011, Tettemer led a variety of projects, including:

• Conversion of a water distribution pipeline from untreated imported water to recycled water, including working with several large nursery and agricultural customers to convert their operations to recycled water. The project was completed on June 8, 2011 resulting in approximately 1,800 acre-feet of additional recycled water use per year;
• Conversion of a gas-to-energy facility from potable to recycled water use in their cooling towers. The site was converted on February, 10, 2011 and uses more than 120 acre-feet per year;
• Working with local schools to develop upcoming dual-plumbed campus buildings.

Tettemer was recently re-elected to his fourth term as President of the Orange County chapter of WateReuse California.

For more information about IRWD recycled water programs, please visit our website.

Water recycling is an essential component of Irvine Ranch Water District’s water supply portfolio, as any demand met with recycled water reduces the demand for high-quality drinking water. The Capital Group Companies, a global investment management firm, is one of the organizations committed to using recycled water on its campus in Irvine. 

“IRWD is pleased to work with a forward-thinking company like The Capital Group,” said Mark Tettemer, IRWD Recycled Water Development Manager. “Not only have they embraced the use of recycled water, they have taken additional steps to be very efficient in its use by utilizing the latest technology.”

Based on the successful use of recycled water at approximately 4,500 sites, recycled water comprises approximately 21 percent of the IRWD service area demands which reduces the effect of droughts and other water supply cutbacks. IRWD works closely with many service area companies and businesses to install recycled water connections to be used for non-potable purposes, such as irrigation and toilet flushing.

In keeping with the Capital Group’s concern for community issues, as well as the Irvine Company Master Plan, designers sought to create a facility that’s both aesthetically appealing and resource efficient. 

Opened in 2007, the seven-building, 35-acre campus features a park-like setting with open land that accounts for approximately 60 percent of the area, highlighted by 500 trees, water features and seating areas for impromptu associate gatherings. Recycled water is used for restroom fixtures, landscape irrigation, and as make-up water in its four cooling towers. In 2010, The Capital Group invested in new technology for their cooling towers, resulting in increased efficiency for the equipment and a three million gallon reduction in water use from June 2010 through September 2011.

The Capital Group now uses about 22.8 million gallons of recycled water per year and promotes the use of recycled water and energy efficiency.  The organization also allows others interested in the use of recycled water to tour their facilities and learn more about how recycled water is used.  The organization demonstrates good stewardship by investing and promoting the use of recycled water. 

“We’re committed to maintaining an earth-friendly work environment that combines corporate initiatives with grass-roots efforts,” explains Kathy Dempsey, Facilities Manager for the Irvine Campus. “We encourage associates in each office to take steps at a local level to make a positive difference for our environment. We also take on corporate projects like the green design of our Irvine Campus which includes energy efficient HVAC and lighting equipment, solar arrays and the use of reclaimed water.”

For more information about The Capital Group, please visit its website at capgroup.com.  For more about IRWD’s recycled water program, please visit http://www.irwd.com/your-water/recycled-water.html.

The International Making Cities Livable Council presented Irvine Ranch Water District with a Green Places Commendation for the IRWD San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary. The commendation recognizes IRWD for “the low key campus in an extensive wetlands restoration, offering quiet exploration of nature and a rich educational program for children and adults teaching environmental responsibility.”

The purpose of the Making Cities Livable movement is to enhance the well-being of inhabitants of cities and towns, strengthen community, improve social and physical health, and increase civic engagement by reshaping the built environment of cities, suburbs and towns. According to the International Making Cities Livable organization, the measure of the city's livability is how good it is for children and youth. 

IRWD’s San Joaquin Marsh is a hidden gem in an urban environment -- one of Southern California’s most notable nature respites. It encompasses more than 300 acres of coastal wetlands, half of which have been restored to a natural state.  

The San Joaquin Marsh is home to a wide variety of environmental partnerships and educational opportunities, serving as a living laboratory for students, teachers and the public. Among the International Making Cities Livable Council Board Members are internationally known urban leaders such as Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. of Charleston, Mayor Robert Morrow of Hamilton, Canada, Mayor Sylvia Sutherland of Peterborough, Canada, Governor Sven von Ungern-Sternberg of Freiburg, Germany and Dean Edoardo Salzano of Venice, Italy.

From Left, Bob Mueting and Larry Mauri of RJM Design, Trude Hurd of the Sea and Sage Audubon Society and IRWD Board Members Mary Aileen Matheis and Peer Swan display the award presented to IRWD and RJM Design for the San Joaquin Marsh from the International Making Cities Livable Council.

Hundreds of posters from all over Southern California were submitted to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s annual Water Awareness Poster contest and an Irvine student was among the winners.

John David Choi, who was in fourth grade at Canyon View Elementary School when he submitted the poster earlier this year, will have his artwork published on MWD’s 2011 calendar. He and his family will be invited to attend a special ceremony at MWD to honor poster winners from all over the region in December.

Early next year, all of the winning posters will be part of a traveling art show making the rounds at different water districts. IRWD will be among the districts to host the art show, which will be on display in the lobby at the District’s Sand Canyon building.

Once the show has concluded, John David will then be honored at an IRWD Board of Directors meeting.

IRWD participates in the contest every year and teachers in the IRWD service area are encouraged to have their students enter posters. Once the posters are received, they are judged and five finalists are chosen and sent to MWD for regional judging. IRWD consistently boasts at least one winner every year.