This past week, Irvine Ranch Water District commemorated Special Districts Week to encourage residents to be involved in their community and be civically engaged with their local government.

Special Districts Week, September 22-28, was established by the State Legislature earlier this year with bi-partisan approval of Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 89.

ACR 89 was sponsored by The California Special Districts Association (CSDA), which is a statewide association representing over 1,000 special districts and affiliate organizations throughout the state. Special districts are local government entities created by a community’s residents, funded by those residents, and overseen by those residents, to provide specialized services and infrastructure.

“Special districts are formed by residents to provide essential services that they want and need at the local level. They provide an opportunity to have local control while enhancing services that make communities thrive and survive.” said CSDA’s CEO Neil McCormick. He continued, “We appreciate the Legislature’s support in raising awareness and increasing understanding about the special districts that serve our State’s communities.”

Irvine Ranch Water District customers see many benefits of recycled water in our community. It’s used to water our lush parks and medians, for business and industrial uses - even for fighting wildfires. It makes up a quarter of IRWD’s water supply, which reduces our dependence on expensive imported water and makes our community more self-sufficient. And that helps keep your water rates low. In short, recycled water is an affordable and drought-proof source of water for many uses, just not for drinking.

How is recycled water stored?

Recycled water is produced every day, rain or shine. Sowe collect it in four seasonal storage reservoirs.However, we don’t have enough capacity forall the water we recycle. In the cool, wet wintermonths, the reservoirs fill up, and we run out ofroom. Then in the summer, when communitiesstart watering again, we don’t have enoughrecycled water—and we need to buy expensiveimported water to make up the difference.

How is IRWD planning for the future?

To be sure recycled water is availablethe community needs it, IRWD is proposing to expand the existing Syphonproposing to expand the existing SyphonReservoir. For more information and avideo explaining the proposed project, see SyphonReservoirProject.com.

Hot August nights—and days—can take their toll on landscapes, increasing moisture loss in plants and prompting many communities to let public areas go brown during this taxing time of year.

But not here. IRWD’s recycled water system means streetscapes, parks and common areas can stay green without dipping into our drinking water supply. As long as people continue to take showers, do their laundry and wash dishes, recycled water will remain a plentiful and sustainable resource for the community.

Irrigation is the primary use for recycled water, serving 80% of public and common areas in Irvine Ranch Water District territory. There are many other uses for it as well. To learn more, visit IRWD.com/recycledwater.

Last month’s 6.4- and 7.1-magnitude earthquakes in Ridgecrest were a wake-up call for Orange County—a reminder that we all should be prepared.

IRWD has many safeguards in place to protect the reliability and quality of your drinking water. Our employees are trained in emergency response, and committed to restore services quickly. But in extreme situations, it’s smart to be ready for disruptions. The first 72 hours after any major emergency are critical times for self-sufficiency.

Here are three ways to make sure water isn’t a worry during this period:

1. Store it. Keep one gallon of water per person per day for three days—in clean, noncorrosive, tightly covered containers. You can use commercially bottled water or store tap water in heavy, opaque plastic containers with screw-on lids. Label the containers and replenish the water every six months.

2. Boil it. After a disaster, tap water may be tainted. Boil it for at least five minutes before drinking. Otherwise, strain it to remove sediment and treat it with household chlorine bleach at eight drops per gallon for clear water, 16 drops if the water is cloudy.

3. Find it. Your home already contains emergency water sources. You can drink the water from your toilet tank—not the bowl—unless cleaning chemicals have been added. Your water heater is another good source. (Cut the power to it, close the supply valve at the top, let it cool, turn on any hot water tap in your house to let air flow into your tank, then open the faucet at the bottom of the tank to drain the water.) For details and ideas, visit IRWD.com/services/emergency-faq and ready.gov/water.

EMERGENCY ALERTS: Sign up for IRWD’s emergency notification system, CodeRED, at IRWD.com/emergency-codered. The District also posts local alerts on Nextdoor.com, a social network for you and your neighbors