If you’ve ever thought about saving water by planting a colorful drought-tolerant landscape, IRWD has some new inspiration for you. Stop by our Sand Canyon Avenue office and check out our brand new succulent demonstration garden.

The idea for the garden was first broached by customers. It was planted in May and features myriad succulents such as:

• Coral Aloe – Used for bold textural accents in planting locations from full sun to partial shade, this plant has bright colored coral orange flower spikes during late winter and early spring.
• Emerald Empress – Considered one of the easiest plants to grow, the Emerald Empress tolerates heat and drought and will flourish in locations such as rooftop gardens and container gardens.
• Royal Ruby – Ideal for the rocky soil of rock gardens or planters, this succulent has rosettes ranging from ruby red to smoky grey-red and thrives with little care

Create your own succulent garden at home.

• Explore the demo gardens at RightScapeNow.com/demo-garden.
• To discover the many shapes, sizes and colors of succulents you can plant, visit RightScapeResources.com/search.php and click “Succulents.”
• If you replace all or part of your lawn with succulents, you might be eligible for a turf removal rebate. Learn more at RightScapeNow.com/rebates.

IRWD’s Succulent Demonstration Garden, irrigated with recycled water, is adjacent to the parking area at 15600 Sand Canyon Ave., Irvine.

Hundreds of students participated in the 2019 annual Water Awareness Poster Contest. 12 students from the Irvine Ranch Water District service area were recognized for their exemplary art pieces that promoted the importance of water conservation. Congratulations to the following students: 

Timothy Chu, Tustin Unified School District, Hicks Canyon Elementary
Pranoy Dhanisetti, Irvine Unified School District, Beacon Park Elementary
Molly Feng, Irvine Unified School District, Alderwood Elementary
Sean Lee, Irvine Unified School District, University High School
Nihitha Mateti, Irvine Unified School District, South Lake Middle School
Aiden Park, Irvine Unified School District. Jeffrey Trail Middle School
Minki Shin, Private School, Sage Hill School
Ella Wang, Irvine Unified School District, ShuChih Art Studio
Ashlyn Huynh, Tustin Unified School District, Arnold O. Beckman High School
Eshan Jagdish, Irvine Unified School District, Juliet Morris Elementary
Madison Komonchak, Tustin Unified School District, Arnold O. Beckman High School
Damin Kim, Tustin Unified School District, Pioneer Middle School

Irvine Ranch Water District would also like to extend heartfelt thanks to the instructors, teachers and staff for promoting the art contest opportunity. 

Drought-proof beauty

Purple pipe distinguishes IRWD’s recycled water system, but the concept behind it all is green.

• Recycling provides an environmentally sustainable and drought-proof source of water for landscape irrigation, agriculture and business—treating and reusing a precious resource.
• Recycled water keeps our urban landscape lush throughout the year.
• And it saves on irrigation costs for homeowners associations, parks, medians, schools and golf courses

In short, recycled water is what distinguishes our neighborhoods from others that depend on costly imported drinking water to irrigate public parkways and common areas.

Since 1963, Irvine Ranch Water District has been implementing a vision to integrate recycled water into the design of our community. Today, more than 80% of all public and commercial landscape areas in the District are irrigated with recycled water. 

More than just sprinklers

Besides landscaping, IRWD promotes many other commercial uses for recycled water to reduce demand on our drinking water sources. It is used in cooling towers, for toilet-fl ushing in commercial buildings, and for industrial applications such as concrete production and composting.

Every gallon of recycled water used for these purposes saves a gallon of drinking water. It’s all about the right water for the right use.

Summer marks the official start of fire season: a time when heat, dry brush and whipping winds create an incendiary threat to nature, homes and humans.

Irvine Ranch Water District keeps watch to respond to fires and any corresponding loss of power in our service area, patrolling canyon areas and monitoring remote operations. It’s our job to ensure that facilities are protected and that water continues to be delivered to your tap and made available to firefighters battling blazes.

• Pump stations are equipped with automatic backup generators and fuel tanks to keep our water flowing.
• Brush is cleared around remote facilities to protect them from fire.
• IRWD participates in emergency drills with the Water Emergency Response Organization of Orange County.
• We provide immediate emergency alerts to customers via CodeRED, a service available via voice mail, email or text.

IRWD customers living in the foothill and canyon areas can help to protect their homes by taking the following actions:

• Create a safety zone around your home by removing dead or dying vegetation.
• Plant drought-tolerant and fire-resistant plants that can serve as a firebreak near your home (monkeyflower, California lilac, autumn sage, common yarrow, French lavender).
• Prepare an emergency escape plan with your family that includes how to respond to any evacuation order.
• Visit ready.gov/wildfires for more tips and precautions.

Sign Up for CodeRED

To receive emergency alerts from IRWD, please sign up for CodeRED at irwd.com/emergency-codered or call 949-453-5300.