IRWD and AccuTemp Products have announced a new initiative that will allow food service operators to trade in old, inefficient steamers and rinse sprayers for newer water-saving units. The program is limited to the first 50 qualifying food service establishments.

Under the program, a flat fee of $750 per unit is charged, plus the cost of installation and old equipment removal. The food service operator receives a connectionless steamer for the kitchen, plus a 1.2-gallon-per-minute pre-rinse spray. Connectionless steamers do not require water or drain connections. They will operate for hours on less than three gallons of water and deliver the cooking speed and production capacity of conventional compartment steamers, saving hundreds of gallons of water each production day. Conventional boiler-type steamers have been found to use an average of 407 gallons of water per day, compared to less than 14 gallons per day for connectionless models.

IRWD received an enhanced conservation grant from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), which makes this new program possible.

The retail price for this new equipment ranges from $6,000-$8,000, not including installation. Food service providers can realize a water savings of approximately 80,000 gallons per year and energy savings of around 75 kilowatt hours per day.

To qualify for the Restaurant Retrofit Package Program:

• A food service establishment must be located in the IRWD service area (Irvine, portions of Lake Forest, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Tustin, Orange and unincorporated portions of Orange County)
• Have one or more operating boiler-based or steam generator model compartment steamers that are connected to a water and drain line
• Have a pre-rinse spray used for vegetable preparation or pre-cleaning of dishes before they are placed in the dishwasher

While saving water is the focus of the IRWD Restaurant Retrofit Package Program, participating operators will see lower water and sewer bills and energy cost savings, while reducing waste water.

Four students who attend elementary school in the IRWD service area will have their art work and a slogan published in a water awareness calendar by the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC). The 2008-09 Water Education Calendar will be published in the fall to coincide with the beginning of the school year.

Irvine students whose artwork will be published are:

• Joy Wang, 5^th grade at Santiago Hills Elementary School.
• Akanksha Sah, 3^rd grade at Alderwood Basics Plus School.
• Noah Pacis, 3^rd grade at Plaza Vista elementary School.

The student whose slogan will be published is Claire Reidy, 6^th grade at Springbrook Elementary school. Her slogan was, “If water could speak, it would tell you to stop that leak!”

IRWD receives hundreds of entries each year in its Water Awareness poster contest, part of its water education program for local students. Earlier this year, five finalists had their posters sent by IRWD to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California for judging in the regional contest. Results won’t be known until fall.

MWDOC has been publishing its Water Education Calendar for more than 25 years. This year’s theme was, “The environment needs help, it’s true, conserving water starts with you.” Students and their families and teachers were invited to attend an awards ceremony recently at the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana. 

IRWD's annual Water Quality Report has recently been mailed to all customers with an IRWD water account and is available online at the District's Web site.

The report details the quality and safety of tap water provided by IRWD and provides information  on the sources of water and testing results for calendar year 2008. IRWD's report shows that the water  provided to customers continues to be of high quality and meets, or is of better quality than required by, all state and federal standards.

While all IRWD customers have already received their report in the mail, the District does not have mailing addresses for apartment residents, employees of local companies, or others who don't have an account with IRWD. Anyone who lives or works within the District's boundaries (Irvine, Tustin Ranch, Foothill Ranch, Portola Hills, Santa Ana Heights, Newport Coast, Silverado, Modjeska and Williams Canyons, Orange Park Acres and portions of Lake Forest) may request a free report by calling (949) 453-5500.

On request, IRWD will make copies of the report available to apartment managers for distribution to their tenants. The report is also available in PDF format on the District's Web site at www.irwd.com.

IRWD was recognized this week as a 2008 Flex Your Power Award recipient in the electricity Peak Demand Response category. Flex Your Power is California’s energy efficiency campaign. The campaign honors recipients in this category for their efforts to reduce peak power use and protect California’s power grid during times of high demand by shifting loads, shutting down systems and taking immediate conservation action.

Recognizing the high energy requirements of pumping water, IRWD has taken steps to become more energy efficient through implementation and installation of solar power and motor upgrade projects. Cumulative energy efficiency projects over the last year provided IRWD with more than $529,000 in energy efficiency incentives, 4.05 million kilowatts in avoided cost savings, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing more than 8,000 cars from the road.

“IRWD’s efficiency projects not only help conserve California’s valuable natural resources, but ultimately reduce the cost of water and sewer service for our customers.” said IRWD General Manager, Paul Jones, “We are proud to be honored by Flex Your Power.”

IRWD has installed nearly 700 solar panels on the roof of its headquarters building on Sand Canyon Avenue in Irvine. The 100 kilowatt system provides up to 20 percent of the total energy needs for the building. In addition, IRWD installed four solar mixers at its Los Alisos Water Reclamation Plant to help reduce peak demand. Using  the Consumer Powerline and the Southern California Edison Base Interruptible Programs, IRWD is able to provide the California Independent Systems Operator with up to 4,087 kW of demand reduction during when needed and a maximum peak demand savings of 26 percent at these facilities.  

In addition to the California Public Utilities Commission, Flex Your Power Award winners were selected by representatives including: The Silicon Valley Leadership Group; the CA Energy Commission; Sacramento Municipal Utility District; CA Independent System Operator; the Building Owners and Management Assoc.; League of CA Cities; and Southern California Edison.

Flex Your Power is California's statewide energy efficiency marketing and outreach campaign. Initiated in 2001, Flex Your Power is a partnership of California's utilities, residents, businesses, institutions, government agencies and nonprofit organizations working to save energy. The campaign includes a comprehensive website, an electronic newsletter and blog, and educational materials. Flex Your Power has received national and international recognition, including an ENERGY STAR Award for excellence.