By Lucy Andrews, Water Systems Optimization
and Joe Berg, MWDOC
The Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) and its member agencies are wrapping up the second year of the Water Loss Control Technical Assistance Program. The program will continue for another three years to further develop regional water loss control fluency and capacity while supporting MWDOC’s member agencies in complying with new water loss regulations.
Sixteen agencies compiled and documented water audits during the second year of the Program, and 21 agencies have participated in MWDOC’s choice-based technical assistance program to date. Water audits, analytic assessments of leakage, and revenue loss are now required to be compiled, validated, and submitted to the Department of Water Resources annually. Furthermore, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) will use the annual water audits to establish water loss standards by 2020. The SWRCB has indicated that targets will not be “one size fits all.” Dr. Kartiki Naik of the SWRCB attended MWDOC’s November Water Loss Control Workgroup meeting to learn more about Orange County’s pioneering efforts and to review two-years of water audit data.