Formed over millions of years, our groundwater basin delivers the drinking water for over 2.5 million customers. The Orange County Water District has been hard at work keeping our water clean and free of pollutants. We test and analyze 20,000 samples a year and work tirelessly to keep pollutants from entering our drinking water.  Me and my colleagues have aggressively punished polluters who have attempted to damage our water supply. I will continue fighting to keep our groundwater the cleanest around.

After decades of planning, research, development and a tremendous amount of coordination, the Orange County Water District and the Orange County Sanitation District created the Ground Water Replenishment System (GWRS). The GWRS has allowed us to create over 400 billion gallons of water which goes directly into our groundwater basin. We take great pride in this environmentally and economically friendly system that allows us to indefinitely protect our water supply. I will continue efforts to build upon this highly successful innovation which keeps us independent from expensive imported water.

The better we manage our groundwater supply, the less we have to rely on imported water.  Water brought from outside of Orange County can be as much as $1,130 an acre foot (that’s the size of a football field). Our local groundwater costs only $462 an acre foot.  My goal will be to pump as much local water as we can and keep our need for imported water as low as possible.

Me and my colleagues have worked hard protecting your taxpayer dollars by ensuring the Orange County Water District is financially sound.  We have the highest AAA credit rating possible and have received countless awards for our fiscal restraint and transparency.  These practices ultimately keeps water rates affordable and as low as possible.  I am committed to maintaining our conservative financial management.