Independent advisory panel
The Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS) is permitted by the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) and the Division of Drinking Water (DDW). When the GWRS project was newly operating, one of the provisions of the permit required that an Independent Advisory Panel (the Panel) provide an annual, then later semi-annual, scientific peer review of the GWRS.
While the Panel is no longer a regular requirement of the project, OCWD continues to periodically convene the Panel on issues of public health or regulatory importance. The Panel may review GWRS operational and water quality data, as well as proposed significant changes to or expansions of the project. The Panel provides findings and recommendations related to water quality monitoring, treatment process efficiency and compliance with regulations.
The Panel is appointed and administered by the prestigious National Water Research Institute (NWRI) to provide credible, objective review of all aspects of the GWRS. It is made up of experts in toxicology, chemistry, microbiology, hydrogeology, environmental engineering, public health and water treatment technology.
About NWRI
NWRI was established in 1991 to address water supply and quality challenges facing our nation through cooperative research efforts. Their mission is to create new sources of water through research and technology and to protect the freshwater and marine environments. Major activities include: funding and guiding scientific research projects, supporting graduate fellowships and other water-related educational programs, developing outreach materials, holding workshops and conferences to promote new issues and technologies, providing peer-review panel services for local and state water agencies, managing projects or programs for water agencies and others, and awarding scholarly and practical achievements in water research with a national prize.
For more information about the GWRS Independent Advisory Panel or NWRI, please contact Kevin Hardy, NWRI Executive Director; 18700 Ward Street, Fountain Valley, CA 92708; (714) 378-3278; Website: www.nwri-usa.org.