SMWD Embraces the Environment
November 2005

By: Saundra F. Jacobs
Board Member, Santa Margarita Water District Board of Directors

This year, lawmakers on Capitol Hill are debating the prospect of reforming the Endangered Species Act. Legislators, searching for the best ways to conserve natural resources and protect wildlife, are examining which aspects of the 32 year-old law have worked, and which haven’t. And while they may come to differing conclusions, all of our representatives understand this nation’s responsibility to care for our natural resources.

At the Santa Margarita Water District, we feel that same responsibility. As a steward of southern California’s most precious resource, water, SMWD strives to prevent ocean and waterway pollution, and educate the community on the importance of water conservation. We also work to protect natural habitat, because healthy watersheds are key to a healthy environment. In reviewing the past year, we are proud of what SMWD and this community have done to protect our natural resources.

For example, while planning the construction of three water pipelines near Ladera Ranch, the District’s engineering team carefully adopted a five-year mitigation plan to ensure the protection of native species in the Arroyo Trabuco Creek. The plan was designed specifically to protect the threatened California gnatcatcher songbird and its coastal sage scrub habitat. The project was such a success that the District received a commendation from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the efforts.

For effective conservation, the District has found that one of the best ways to protect the environment is to partner with the community. In September, more than 200 residents joined with SMWD and the City of Mission Viejo for the annual Inner-Coastal Watershed Cleanup Day where volunteers collected nearly 800 pounds of garbage! They prevented this pollution from entering our waterways, which means cleaner streams, rivers, beaches and ocean for all that use them, including the plants and animals that call them home.

In another community partnership, SMWD is beginning to plan for the 6th annual Fiesta de Agua Water Awareness Day, which will take place next May. Last May, thousands of residents gathered at the District’s Headquarters to enjoy a variety of water-related activities that entertained and educated children and parents alike. Next year the event will include a new component – the Fiesta de Agua 5K Run/Walk and Splash Dash, which will highlight steps we can all take to prevent urban runoff.

Here at the District, we believe education is an important aspect of any conservation campaign. That’s why we continue to offer a variety of informative classes to our customers, including a Home Gardeners Water Conservation Workshop, a Water Issues Study Course and Tour, and a program entitled California Friendly Gardening for the Water Wise (in partnership with the Metropolitan Water District).

The District also distributes monthly customer newsletters and hosts school tours and assemblies for children, teaching our future generation about the value of water and the importance of ongoing conservation.

In addition to educating the community, SMWD is taking actions of its own to stop polluted runoff from reaching the ocean and to protect our vital water source. The District is exploring innovative technology and creating new infrastructure to capture runoff and actually use it as a recycled resource.

Furthermore, by unanimous vote the SMWD Board of Directors formally adopted support for the Association of California Water Agencies’ No Time to Waste: A Blueprint for California’s Water. The Blueprint establishes a comprehensive approach that identifies twelve separate, but interrelated actions needed at the state policy level to preserve California’s resources for the coming decades. SMWD continues its proactive measures to ensure water supply reliability for its customers while maintaining current water rates.

With new recycling techniques and tried-and-true conservation efforts, SMWD is working hard to meet our responsibility to protect the environment, and the water that is such an important part of our ecosystem.

ACWA, the Association of California Water Agencies, includes elected representatives from the Orange and San Diego Counties region, of which Saundra Jacobs was recently elected Chair. ACWA is heavily involved in working with California's policy-makers in shaping California’s long-term water policy.

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