FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. — The Orange County Water District (OCWD) was recently awarded a $300,000 grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to be used for water purification membrane testing and research. Microfiltration and reverse osmosis membranes are the future of the water purification industry. During 2001, OCWD’s Water Resources and Technology Department, in conjunction with members of the Desalination Research Innovation Partnership, will apply this grant toward three membrane-related research projects.

OCWD will evaluate the performance of reverse osmosis membranes, evaluate technologies being used for microfiltration and reverse osmosis membrane pre-treatment, and create a membrane performance database to compare with other membrane performance systems being used by the Desalination Research Innovation Partnership.

"This grant will allow OCWD to conduct research required to develop new, higher-quality and longer-lasting reverse osmosis membranes and water pretreatment processes," said OCWD Board President Jerry A. King. "Results of these tests will provide new technology for OCWD and other organizations to use in their water quality testing throughout California and the world."

The Desalination Research Innovation Partnership is made up of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, San Diego County Water Authority, West and Central Basin Water District, University of California at Riverside, Santa Clara County Water District, East Bay Municipal Water District, Alameda County Water Agency and Sonoma County Water Agency. Each of these organizations will provide membrane samples to be used in the research funded by the CEC and testing will be performed in the research laboratory at OCWD.

OCWD has a history of research in water quality and health benefits. For over 25 years, OCWD has sampled and tested the groundwater to ensure high quality water is being provided to north and central Orange County cities. The OCWD Water Resources & Technology Department conducts basic and applied microbiological research leading to the development of new, more effective technologies to benefit OCWD’s groundwater and supply programs.

OCWD is a special agency created by the California Legislature to maintain and manage the groundwater basin under the northern and central areas of Orange County. The OCWD supplies 75 percent of the water needs to more than 2.7 million residents and businesses in Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, most of Irvine, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster and Yorba Linda.