Get the facts about OCWD
Misinformation has been circulating regarding the Orange County Water District (OCWD) activities in and around the Santa Ana River. Here are the facts.
OCWD has been a good steward of the Santa Ana River Watershed and the environment it supports for decades. The District implements programs and projects to protect the habitat, endangered species and the river water itself, and employs four full-time biologists to oversee its operations. These efforts include bringing an endangered bird, the least Bell’s vireo, back from the brink of extinction and helping the vireo to flourish within the Santa Ana River Watershed, restoring habitat for the Santa Ana sucker fish, and creating nesting areas for other endangered, threatened and sensitive bird species.
OCWD does not spray herbicides, including glyphosate (the active ingredient found in some Roundup products), in Orange County waterways, on their banks, or at the top of the slope bounding the waterway. Herbicides used for District operations are sprayed directly onto active weeds within landscaped areas and weeds growing along fence lines, sides of roads, and dirt areas. Vegetation management is crucial for OCWD to maintain water supply, maximize groundwater recharge, prevent catastrophic wildfires, maintain flood control infrastructure, and protect endangered species habitats. Glyphosate-containing herbicides are available to the public over the counter and are used in residential, commercial, agricultural, and other settings.
OCWD uses glyphosate in areas behind Prado Dam to kill Arundo donax, a highly invasive and water-guzzling plant that crowds out native vegetation and destroys the habitat of threatened and endangered species. Removing Arundo allows native plants and animals to flourish. Management of Arundo and other invasive vegetation is required under permits and agreements with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Glyphosate is always applied in accordance with all applicable state and federal regulations.
In consultation with the Division of Drinking Water at the State Water Resources Control Board, OCWD has collected and analyzed more than 1,800 water samples for glyphosate from drinking water wells throughout the Orange County Groundwater Basin since 1990, and they have all been non-detect for glyphosate.
In addition, OCWD maintains a water quality monitoring program around the Santa Ana River. Monitoring wells in this program have been tested for over 30 years, and all water samples taken by OCWD have been non-detect for glyphosate.
On a quarterly basis, OCWD tests Santa Ana River water for glyphosate. From over 230 river water samples collected over the past 30 years, only one sample collected in 2016 showed any detection of glyphosate. This detection was well below the Environmental Protection Agency regulatory limit or Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for drinking water. For reference, the current State and Federal MCL for glyphosate is 0.7 parts per million.
OCWD monitors groundwater from approximately 1,500 locations collecting around 9,000 groundwater samples annually, and testing for more than 500 compounds – far more than what is required by state and federal agencies. Water pumped from the Orange County Groundwater Basin meets all state and federal drinking water standards. Additionally, OCWD provides water quality data to its 19 cities and retail water agencies who produce an annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) that details the results of the extensive water quality tests done by OCWD on groundwater wells and the water distribution system.
Learn more about OCWD’s water quality programs and practices.
OCWD manages a six-mile stretch of the Santa Ana River and operates in an additional 2.5-mile stretch owned by the Orange County Flood Control District.
OCWD fills the Orange County Groundwater Basin using a variety of sources, including highly purified recycled water, Santa Ana River water, rainfall, and imported water. More than two dozen recharge facilities operated by OCWD receive water, which is naturally filtered as it percolates into the basin’s aquifers. OCWD’s long history of active management and investment in the local groundwater basin has not only sustained the basin but tripled its annual yield while providing high-quality water for much of central and northern Orange County.
OCWD is a separate entity from the County of Orange. The District is governed by the Orange County Water District Act created by the California State Legislature via Senate Bill 1201 which was signed into law on June 14, 1933. OCWD’s District Act guides the policy decisions made by the District’s 10-member Board of Directors and informs OCWD’s day-to-day operations. Groundwater quality is a key component of OCWD’s District Act, and OCWD takes numerous actions throughout the Orange County Groundwater Basin to improve water quality.
District operations have oversight from many local, state and federal regulatory agencies such as: California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, California State Water Resources Control Board, and Department of Toxic Substances Control. OCWD’s actions in the Santa Ana River are carefully coordinated with these agencies.
Learn more about OCWD’s board of directors and service area.