Longtime water professional joins IRWD Board of Directors
IRWD welcomed Dan Ferons as the District’s newest Board member on Monday, as he was sworn into office to represent Division 4. He replaces Karen McLaughlin, who did not seek re-election to a second term in November.
Ferons is a water professional with more than 40 years of experience planning, designing, financing and operating public systems providing drinking water, recycled water, and sewer services.
He recently retired as Chief Executive Officer of the Santa Margarita Water District, where he led a team of 175 employees serving more than 200,000 residents from Mission Viejo to San Clemente.
Key projects under his leadership included construction of the Upper Chiquita Reservoir and Dam, a reverse osmosis water treatment plant, and Trampas Reservoir, a 1.2-billion-gallon recycled water storage reservoir.
Also at Monday’s Board meeting, Doug Reinhart was selected to continue as president for 2025, and Steve LaMar was selected to continue as vice president.
Tips for a clog-free holiday
Are you looking forward to feasts of rich foods this holiday season?
Protect your pipes and keep your celebrations clog-free by disposing of fats, oils and grease in the trash— not down the drain.
Collectively referred to as “FOG,” fats, oils and grease cause pipe clogs and sewage spills.
Here’s how you can prevent a stopped-up sink from spoiling your festivities.
- • Never pour grease down your sink drain or toilet.
- • Place leftover fats, oils, grease, gravies, creams and heavy sauces into containers with lids, such as jars, and put them into a trash receptacle for pickup on trash day.
- • Wipe greasy pans with paper towels before washing. Place the towels into the trash.
- • Do not put potato peelings, coffee grounds, eggshells and other food scraps down the garbage disposal. Put them in the appropriate waste bin.
- • If using a deep fat fryer, let the oil cool and mix it with an absorbent material such as cat litter or newspaper, and put it into the trash.
Visit IRWD.com/fog for more information.
Another award, thanks to you!
Customer participation in IRWD programs and events has resulted in IRWD winning its second WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award, an honor bestowed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to partners who promote water-efficient products, practices and services.
Irvine Ranch Water District was one of just 19 award winners in the nation to win the award this year. This was the District’s sixth overall WaterSense Award.
Key promotions, events and programs that led to IRWD’s honor include the District’s:
- Fix a Leak Sweepstakes
- Fix Your Sprinklers workshop
- Mulch Madness program
- Shed Show Road Show events
- WaterStar Business Recognition Program
IRWD customers are among the most water-efficient in California, and we thank you for using water wisely!
For more information on the U.S. EPA’s WaterSense program, go to epa.gov/watersense.
(Photo: IRWD Senior Water Efficiency Specialist Juan Garcia, center, receives the award on behalf of the District.)
Smiles all around at second annual open house event
More than 700 people participated in this year’s H2O Show & Tell open house at Sand Canyon headquarters on Saturday, Oct. 19.
A celebration of Water Professionals Appreciation Week, the family-friendly event featured heavy construction equipment, trucks, and informational booths and activities hosted by 17 IRWD departments. Each booth demonstrated the many roles employees play to deliver safe and reliable services to the community.
Customers had the opportunity to interact with staff and learn more about everything from Water Operations to Water Banking, Information Technology, and Natural Treatment Systems.
Special thanks to those who joined us at our annual event!
Sign up for WaterInsight!
Curious about how much water you’re using in your yard?
IRWD’s free WaterInsight portal provides helpful information about your water-use trends, identifying where and when you use it. It will also send alerts if a leak is detected.
Sign up today at IRWD.com/waterinsight.
This content originally appeared in The Dirt, IRWD's quarterly gardening newsletter. See the full issue at IRWD.com/thedirt.
