Our district has a new corporate WaterStar: Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC).

IRWD’s WaterStar program recognizes and rewards local water-efficient businesses. The program helps companies use less water, save on water bills and obtain financial incentives for efficiency improvement.

Equipped with high-efficiency, low-flow indoor plumbing fixtures, KMC’s corporate headquarters in Foothill Ranch uses 23 percent less water than its monthly water budget. The work site is landscaped with 100 percent drip irrigation, which is significantly more efficient than conventional sprinklers. The company’s average monthly irrigation water use is just 14 percent of its budgeted volume.

KMC joins previous WaterStar recipients Capital Group and Tierra Verde Industries.

To nominate a WaterStar, visit rightscapenow.com/programs/waterstar-business-recognition.

It might still feel sweltering outside…but it’s time to dial back your sprinklers.

In September, plants’ water needs drop by about 30 percent even if the temperature is hotter. We have fewer hours of daylight, so evaporation decreases. Also, plants begin to go into a dormant phase, which requires less water. Some years, humidity is also higher, increasing your discomfort but decreasing plants’ water needs. This rapid drop in water needs will continue into October and November.

Different plants require different amounts of water. So select the right plants for your home and keep them healthy all year long by following a watering schedule. Find your ideal watering schedule at rightscapenow.com/landscape-resources/watering-schedules.

Plastic bags by the hundreds, cigarette butts by the thousands, soda cans and cups, fishing line, bottles and bottle caps, tennis balls, construction debris, and a shopping cart or two will probably be pulled out of San Diego Creek during Inner-Coastal Watershed Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 16, 8:30 a.m.-noon.

The event is held in conjunction with Coastal Cleanup Day, but instead of heading to the beach, volunteers concentrate on inland waterways and creeks that eventually end up at the coast.

IRWD has hosted a cleanup site for the past 18 years. Inner-Coastal Watershed Cleanup Day is in its 21^st year. The IRWD site is one of 23 countywide.

Volunteers are invited to meet on Riparian View just off Michelson Drive, adjacent to San Diego Creek and the San Joaquin Marsh. Following registration, volunteers will receive gloves and bags for collecting trash and recyclables from the banks of the creek. Please wear closed-toed shoes, sunscreen and hats.

Participation in Inner-Coastal Cleanup Day is another illustration of IRWD’s commitment to environmental stewardship.

Each year, the Irvine Ranch Water District uses Sand Canyon Reservoir (near Strawberry Farms Golf Course) as a source to meet customer demands in the recycled water system. This year, as reservoir supply is used to meet demands, IRWD is taking advantage of the low reservoir level to complete periodic maintenance.

Maintenance will require the reservoir to be completely drained for a short time. It is anticipated that the reservoir will be empty by September, allowing the maintenance to occur during October, before the rainy season. Rainfall or recycled water will be used to fill the reservoir once the maintenance is complete. 

During this process, IRWD will monitor the site to ensure minimal impact on wildlife. At this time, there has been no impact to any turtles or eggs. Some fish have not survived the draining, however; these are all non-native mosquito fish and redfin.

Any questions, please email info@irwd.com.