The Filipino American Chamber of Commerce Orange County (FACCOC) IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE SYPHON RESERVOIR IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
Drinking water is limited, especially here in Southern California. How do we keep our communities green and beautiful without depleting the drinking water we depend on in our homes and businesses? The Irvine Ranch Water District has solved that challenge with recycled water — an abundant, affordable and drought-proof source of water that is ideal for many uses, just not for drinking.
We need more recycled water for things like watering landscape, cooling office buildings, flushing toilets and mixing concrete, as well as for manufacturing, industry and fighting wildfires. Every gallon of recycled water we use saves a gallon of drinking water.
Pioneering the Purple Pipe
IRWD has been recycling water since 1967 for use watering parks, medians, schoolyards, golf courses and other common areas.
IRWD’s recycled water system is one of the most advanced in the nation. The water district even pioneered the use of purple to distinguish recycled water lines from drinking water — a practice that has since been adopted as the international standard.
We Need More Room to Store It
Managing our water supply is a balancing act.
Recycled water is made from the water that goes down the drain inside homes and businesses. So as long as people cook, shower, flush toilets and do laundry, we will have water to recycle. Every day, rain or shine. But the community’s need for recycled water ebbs and flows with the seasons.
In wet winter months, when demand for recycled water is low, IRWD’s storage reservoirs fill up and excess recycled water goes to waste. Then in the summer, when communities start watering again, the storage reservoirs empty out — and the water district needs to buy expensive imported water to make up the difference.
A Vision for the Future
To make sure the community has enough recycled water to meet seasonal and future needs, IRWD is proposing the Syphon Reservoir Improvement Project, an investment to increase capacity of one of its four recycled water reservoirs. The project will:
- Prepare for the future by storing more drought-proof water
- Enable IRWD to use nearly 100% of the recycled water it produces
- Keep Irvine green and beautiful
- Provide water to help fight wildfires in the region
- Save the water district millions of dollars over the years, preserving low customer rates
Project Details and Timeline
The Syphon Reservoir Improvement Project would not only increase capacity, it would also modernize and upgrade the reservoir’s dam to meet and exceed the latest federal and state standards for design and safety.
The project is undergoing a thorough California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, which includes opportunities for public input. For more information, visit SyphonReservoirProject.com.