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Municipal Water District of Orange County

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The Municipal Water District of Orange County, commonly known by the acronym MWDOC, is a wholesale water provider, water resource development and planning agency.,[1] water-centric information, education, emergency planning, and conservation resource hub for nearly 3.2 million[2][3]Orange County, California residents, and businesses. Local water supply sources meet only about half of the region's total water needs.[4][5] To fulfill the remaining demand, MWDOC buys imported water from the California State Water Project in northern California and the Colorado River through the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Metropolitan). MWDOC delivers water to its 27 member agencies - made up of both water districts and city water departments - who then, in turn, provide retail water service to the public.[6][7]

Municipal Water District of Orange County
AbbreviationMWDOC
Formation1951
Headquarters18700 Ward Street, Fountain Valley California
Websitewww.mwdoc.com

Metropolitan is the largest municipal water supplier in the United States, and MWDOC is the third largest Metropolitan member agency[8][9][10].

Governance edit

 
MWDOC Service Area Map with divisions outlined

MWDOC is a California special district governed by a seven-member Board of Directors[11] elected by the public for a four-year term. MWDOC's service area consists of seven divisions, and each director represents a specific division. MWDOC also appoints four representatives to the Metropolitan Board to advocate for Orange County's water interests.

MWDOC's Service Area - Member Agencies and Director Divisions[12] edit

History edit

Throughout history, people have influenced and depended on water to grow food, raise animals, manufacture and transport resources, and ensure optimal health.[13][14] Water is a vital natural resource that our societies rely on for survival.[15] Indigenous peoples of California such as the Kizh (Gabrieleño), Acjachemen (Juaneño), and Payómkawichum (Luiseño) thrived on the land now known as Orange County territory for thousands of years.[16]< These tribes settled near available water sources such as lakes, rivers, and wetlands, working with seasonal weather cycles to meet their water needs. Colonization here began in 1769. In 1810, settlers made the first irrigation diversion of the Santa Ana River to supply missions, ranches, and towns.[17][18][19] Gaspar de Portolá was the first Spanish military leader to explore Orange County and document the area.[20]

By the mid 1800’s, the California Gold Rush had spurred a population surge, creating an even greater water demand. At this time, Orange County's growing communities relied primarily on surface water from the Santa Ana River. Deadly floods and long periods of drought severely impacted communities here. Soon, groundwater became a water supply for the area, and Orange County began to grow faster than ever before. With a large portion of Orange County now pulling water out of the ground, it became increasingly apparent that the underground basin could no longer support the area's water demands, and thriving cities desperately began searching for alternative sources of water.[21] From 1928 to 1931, the Orange County cities of Anaheim, Fullerton, and Santa Ana joined ten other Southern California cities in the formation of Metropolitan. This union's initial aim was to transport water from the Colorado River, supplementing available water supply and ensuring against any water shortage in the future.

Orange County Water Sources edit

Orange County is a semi-arid region.[22][23][24] While most of the state's precipitation falls in Northern California, most of the population lives in the lower part of the state.[25][26][27] Southern California meets water supply needs with local water sources and imported water from hundreds of miles away. This water travels long distances through canals and pipelines and passing through reservoirs and water treatment plants along the way.[28][29] The region's two primary sources of imported water come from the Colorado River and snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada Mountains through the California State Water Project – the most extensive state-built water delivery system in the United States, consisting of more than 700 miles of complex water infrastructure.[30][31][32][33] The remaining water demand is met by a large underground aquifer located in the northern part of the county, recycled wastewater, and several small groundwater basins.[34]

Services and Support edit

The primary purpose of MWDOC is to provide a reliable supply of high-quality water for Orange County residents, businesses, and industry at an equitable and economical cost, both today and long into the future.[35][36] To do this, MWDOC works closely with Metropolitan and its 27 member agencies, to identify, study, and evaluate opportunities to improve and secure Orange County’s overall water reliability.[37][38]

In addition to providing water, sound representation, and planning and water resource development assistance, MWDOC also offers Orange County’s 3.2 million residents[39] a wide-range of informational resources, water education programs for all ages, and consumer incentives on water-saving devices. Additionally, MWDOC administers the Water Emergency Response Organization of Orange County (WEROC). WEROC provides training, mutual aid planning assistance, and emergency response coordination for all Orange County water and wastewater agencies[40][41]

References edit

  1. ^ "Municipal Water District of Orange County". Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper (QWEL).
  2. ^ "Data USA: Orange County, CA". Data USA.
  3. ^ "Census Reporter Orange County, CA". Census Reporter.
  4. ^ "What We Do". mwdoc.com.
  5. ^ "Where Orange County Gets Its Water". Orange County Register.
  6. ^ "Dana Point Times". Meet the Municipal Water District of Orange County Candidates.
  7. ^ ""Paper Water" — Does Orange County Have A Reliable Future?" (PDF). OC Grand Jury Report.
  8. ^ "Metropolitan News Room, Maps - Member Agencies.pdf" (PDF). www.mwdh2o.com.
  9. ^ "MWDOC/Metropolitan Board of Directors". mwdoc.com.
  10. ^ "About Your Water - Storage and Delivery". mwdh2o.com.
  11. ^ "Orange County Water Board Vacancy Draws Unprecedented Interest After Newsom Kills Twin Tunnels Project". Orange County Register.
  12. ^ "Our Service Area". mwdoc.com.
  13. ^ "A brief history of urban water supply in antiquity" (PDF). Water Science & Technology: Water Supply. 7 (1 pp 1–12).
  14. ^ Angelakis, A.N.; Koutsoyiannis, D.; Mays, L.W. (2007). "A brief history of urban water supply in antiquity". Water Supply. 7: 1–12. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.524.5243. doi:10.2166/ws.2007.001.
  15. ^ David, Sedlak. Water 4.0: The Past, Present, and Future of the World's Most Vital Resource. Yale University Press Books. p. 274.
  16. ^ "History of Orange County, California". Legends of America.
  17. ^ "Development of water facilities in the Santa Ana River Basin, California, 1810-1968: a compilation of historical notes derived from many sources describing ditch and canal companies, diversions, and water rights". U.S. Geological Survey Publication.
  18. ^ "Unraveling Southern California's Water/Growth Nexus: Metropolitan Water District Policies and Subsidies for Suburban Development, 1928-1996". California Western Law Review.
  19. ^ "The Transformation of the Santa Ana River: A Story of Changing Demographics, Values, and Landscapes" (PDF). UCI Undergraduate Research Journal.
  20. ^ "The Portolá Expedition in Orange County". OC Historyland.
  21. ^ "Unraveling Southern California's Water/Growth Nexus: Metropolitan Water District Policies and Subsidies for Suburban Development, 1928-1996". California Western Law Review.
  22. ^ "Climate Change Analysis for the Santa Ana River Watershed" (PDF). USBR Reclamation Managing Water in the West. Technical Memorandum No. 1.
  23. ^ "California Climate". climate-data.org.
  24. ^ "Anaheim Skyline Wouldn't Have Had Palm Trees". Orange County Register.
  25. ^ "Climate Change Analysis for the Santa Ana River Watershed" (PDF). USBR Reclamation Managing Water in the West. Technical Memorandum No. 1.
  26. ^ "GROUND WATER ATLAS of the UNITED STATES California, Nevada". USGS.
  27. ^ "California Water 101". Water Education Foundation.
  28. ^ "State Water Project". water.ca.gov.
  29. ^ "State Water Project". watereducation.org.
  30. ^ "Your Water". mwdoc.com.
  31. ^ "Source of Supply". mwdh2o.com.
  32. ^ "Main". mwdh2o.com.
  33. ^ "THE STATE WATER PROJECT: FRESH WATER CALIFORNIA CAN COUNT ON". swc.org.
  34. ^ ""Paper Water" — Does Orange County Have A Reliable Future?" (PDF). OC Grand Jury Report.
  35. ^ "Municipal Water District of Orange County". allianceforwaterefficiency.org.
  36. ^ "What We Do". mwdoc.com.
  37. ^ "Municipal Water District of Orange County Commemorates 60 Years of Service". mwdh2o.com.
  38. ^ "2015 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN". City of Brea Urban Water Management Plan.
  39. ^ "Data USA: Orange County, CA". datausa.io.
  40. ^ "Emergency Management". mwdoc.com.
  41. ^ "What We Do". mwdoc.com.
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