FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. – The Groundwater Replenishment (GWR) System, the largest water purification project of its kind, received a 2006 Silver Anvil Award at the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Silver Anvil awards ceremony on June 8, 2006 in New York City.

The Silver Anvil, the nation’s highest PR award, recognizes organizations that have shown public relations excellence. Award recipients must show evidence to a panel of judges that they have successfully incorporated research, planning, execution and evaluation of a challenging public relations campaign. The Silver Anvil is equivalent to the Oscar in the entertainment industry.

A committee selected the GWR System for its effective, proactive community relations program that has helped the GWR System project gain support within Orange County’s local government leaders, business leaders and residents.

“The science is unquestionably sound for wastewater purification, receiving community acceptance that traditionally has been a challenge for other Southern California water agencies,” said Phil Anthony, board president for OCWD. “Our surveys show that the GWR System is supported by more than a 2-to-1 margin across nearly every demographic category thanks in large part to our extensive community outreach program. The Silver Anvil award recognizes the success of our community outreach program.”

The GWR System is a joint project of the Orange County Water District and Orange County Sanitation District that takes highly treated sewer water currently released into the ocean and purifies it using the same technologies that purify baby food, fruit juices, medicines and bottled water. The GWR System will create a new supply of near-distilled quality water, totaling 70 million gallons per day. The new water will be used to expand the already existing seawater intrusion barrier along the coast and to augment groundwater supplies for 2.3 million north and central Orange County residents.

More information on the Groundwater Replenishment System is available at www.gwrsystem.com.

For further information contact:
Ron Wildermuth, OCWD (714) 378-3351

Orange County Water District (OCWD) manages the large groundwater basin that underlies North-Central Orange County that provides most of the water for 2.3 million citizens. OCWD is committed to constantly improving Orange County’s groundwater quality and reliability in an environmentally friendly manner. With years of prudent planning and careful investment, OCWD has doubled the yield of the groundwater basin. Recently, the basin, larger that the largest reservoir in Southern California, sustained the County through a five-year drought. OCWD has also spent millions of dollar on studies by outside experts to ensure the quality of our groundwater. We want to be your trusted source for water quality. We will continue to plan and invest in ways to get more water into and out of the basin. OCWD is a special district, separate from the County of Orange, that supplies to residents in the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster and Yorba Linda.

About Orange County Sanitation District
The Orange County Sanitation District is a public agency responsible for safely collecting and treating wastewater (sewage) for 2.5 million people. OCSD beneficially reuses and recycles the treated wastewater and other resources resulting from the treatment process. It is a special district established by the California Sate legislature and governed by a 25-member board of directors. The directors are comprised of elected representatives for each of the sewer agencies or cities within OCSD’s 471 square mile service area. Go to www.ocsd.com for information.