Out in the Community

As part of its standard to forge and maintain long-term, positive and proactive relationships with members of the local community and greater water industry and to be transparent about its operations and programs, OCWD board members and staff speak regularly before groups and at events. We participated in the following during July:

• OCWD President Cathy Green participated on a panel at the Aquarium of the Pacific titled “Ocean Desal Reconsidered.”

• Directors Cathy Green and Phil Anthony provided a presentation about OCWD to the Kiwanis Club of Huntington Beach.

• Director Steve Sheldon and Executive Director of Engineering and Water Resources John Kennedy provided an OCWD presentation to members of the Association of Environmental Professionals and the Orange County Chapter of the American Planning Association.

• OCWD General Manager Mike Markus and Executive Director of Planning and Natural Resources Greg Woodside met with representatives from the County of Orange to give them an update and coordinate our efforts on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and discuss future Proposition 1 grant programs
• Chief Hydrogeologist Roy Herndon participated in an advisory panel meeting with the Department of Water Resources to discuss the status of implementing the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
• Director of Public Affairs Eleanor Torres and Principal Communications Specialist Gina Ayala provided a presentation and tour to public affairs and engineering staff from Mesa Water District.
• Greg Woodside and Legislative Affairs Liaison Alicia Dunkin participated in a board meeting of the California Groundwater Coalition (CGC), to review pending legislation in Sacramento that affects groundwater management and the outlook for next year.
• Principal Hydrogeologist John Bonsangue presented to members of the Groundwater Resources Association Southern California Branch about the “Challenges Associated with Artificial Groundwater Recharge through Wells in Orange County.”
• Alicia Dunkin met with legislative staff members of the Senate Appropriations Committee to advocate in support of our co-sponsored bill, AB 2022: Advanced Purified Demonstration Water, to allow for the bottling of GWRS water for educational purposes.