Mesa Water Celebrates Local Water Reliability with Completion of Renovated Facility

Mesa Water’s Board President, Jim Fisler, with Daniel Meyer, President of the National Groundwater Association.

Mesa Water Board President, Jim Fisler (left), with Daniel Meyer, President of the National Groundwater Association.

On March 13, the Mesa Water District (Mesa Water) Board of Directors hosted a ceremony for “Mesa Water District Reliability Day.” Held at the newly renovated Mesa Water Reliability Facility, the event celebrated the achievement of 100 percent local water reliability and showcased the facility’s state of the art features to attendees and members of the press.

Mesa Water serves more than 110,000 customers in an 18-square mile area, covering the majority of Costa Mesa, Newport Beach and various unincorporated areas of Orange County. The facility recently underwent a two-year, award winning improvement project that came in under budget. The substantial upgrades have enabled Mesa Water to achieve 100 percent local water reliability with a secure backup supply of imported water, estimated to last as long as 400 years. Complete local reliability is a first in Orange County, situated in the arid region of Southern California, where water issues are at the forefront of state and local concerns. Prior to the Mesa Water renovations, the district’s water supply relied heavily on imported water from Northern California and the Colorado River.

“Mesa Water has achieved the long-standing vision of the District’s past and present Board of Directors by becoming 100 percent locally reliable,” said James R. Fisler, President of Mesa Water’s Board of Directors. “Being able to serve all of its customers’ water needs with local water supplies is a significant and unique achievement for a Southern California water agency, and the largest accomplishment in Mesa Water’s history since its formation in 1960.”

The local water is sourced from a previously inaccessible underground aquifer. Thousands of years ago, the remnants of a redwood forest were buried deep beneath the ground by changing topography. As fresh water flooded the underground space, a supply of water accumulated, and was tinted amber by the remaining trees. Although the tea-colored water is potable and poses no safety risk, Mesa Water clarifies water from the aquifer via 212 nanofiltration tubes. The National Groundwater Association (NGWA) recognized Mesa Water’s $21 million Colored Water Treatment Facility Technology Replacement and Expansion Project with the 2012 Outstanding Groundwater Project Award.

The improvements to the Mesa Water facility provide the additional advantages of increased control over the water supply, closer (and therefore less expensive) water, and a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions – halving the District’s carbon footprint since its founding. The facility also benefits neighboring communities, increasing the available water supply for other southland municipalities and water agencies.

Tours of the filtration site will be available by appointment. Tours include an introduction to the 15,000 square foot “high performance landscape,” featuring a newly cultivated redwood forest with its own fog system and four water conserving native gardens. To learn more about facility tours visit: www.MesaWater.org.