OCWD Online | Press Release | 10.10.01 - Purchasing Department Receives National Procurement Award

ORANGE COUNTY WATER DISTRICT'S PURCHASING DEPARTMENT HONORED WITH NATIONAL PROCUREMENT AWARD

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. – The Purchasing Department at Orange County Water District (OCWD) was recently notified of their receipt of the 2001 Excellence in Procurement Award. This national award is presented to public and non-profit organizations who demonstrate and encourage excellence in procurement by obtaining a high score on standardized criteria measuring innovation, professionalism, productivity and leadership attributes of the purchasing function.

OCWD’s Purchasing Department is one of sixty-three organizations in the United States to receive this award and one of thirty-nine to receive the award for at least two years. Recipients of this award must achieve 100 points on the standardized criteria of excellence application. Some criteria for achieving this award include publishing a “How to do Business” booklet, publishing an “Ethics” policy statement, establishing a formal buyer training program, utilizing electronic commerce by having a home page with a direct link to purchasing activities, having a comprehensive inventory system maintained by the purchasing department and participation in a national or regional conference as a presenter or panel member.

“Achieving this national award shows one way OCWD continues to provide value to Orange County’s water users,” said Jerry A. King, president of the board of directors at OCWD.

The 2001 Excellence in Procurement Award is sponsored by the National Purchasing Institute, Inc., California Association of Public Purchasing Officers and the National Association of Purchasing Management.

Other organizations who received the 2001 Excellence in Procurement Award are from include counties, cities, school districts and universities throughout the country. Recipients in California include, City of Costa Mesa, City of Orange, City of San Diego, City of Santa Clarita, City of Sunnyvale, County of San Bernardino and County of San Diego.

The Orange County Water District is a special water agency created by the California Legislature in l933 to maintain and manage the huge groundwater basin under northern Orange County. The groundwater basin managed by OCWD supplies 75% of the water needs to more than 2 million residents in the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington and Newport Beach, Irvine, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster and Yorba Linda.