Municipal Water District of Orange County


The Municipal Water District of Orange County, commonly known by the acronym MWDOC, is a wholesale water provider, water resource development and planning agency., water-centric information, education, emergency planning, and conservation resource hub for nearly 3.2 millionOrange County, California residents, and businesses. Local water supply sources meet only about half of the region's total water needs. To fulfill the remaining demand, MWDOC buys imported water from the California State Water Project in northern California and the Colorado River through the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. MWDOC delivers water to its 27 member agencies - made up of both water districts and city water departments - who then, in turn, provide retail water service to the public.
Metropolitan is the largest municipal water supplier in the United States, and MWDOC is the third largest Metropolitan member agency''.''

Governance

MWDOC is a California special district governed by a seven-member Board of Directors elected by the public for a four-year term. MWDOC's service area consists of seven divisions, and each director represents a specific division. MWDOC also appoints four representatives to the Metropolitan Board to advocate for Orange County's water interests.

MWDOC's Service Area - Member Agencies and Director Divisions

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History

Throughout history, people have influenced and depended on water to grow food, raise animals, manufacture and transport resources, and ensure optimal health. Water is a vital natural resource that our societies rely on for survival. Indigenous peoples of California such as the Kizh, Acjachemen, and Payómkawichum thrived on the land now known as Orange County territory for thousands of years.< These tribes settled near available water sources such as lakes, rivers, and wetlands, working with seasonal weather cycles to meet their water needs. Colonization here began in 1769. In 1810, settlers made the first irrigation diversion of the Santa Ana River to supply missions, ranches, and towns. Gaspar de Portolá was the first Spanish military leader to explore Orange County and document the area.
By the mid 1800’s, the California Gold Rush had spurred a population surge, creating an even greater water demand. At this time, Orange County's growing communities relied primarily on surface water from the Santa Ana River. Deadly floods and long periods of drought severely impacted communities here. Soon, groundwater became a water supply for the area, and Orange County began to grow faster than ever before. With a large portion of Orange County now pulling water out of the ground, it became increasingly apparent that the underground basin could no longer support the area's water demands, and thriving cities desperately began searching for alternative sources of water. From 1928 to 1931, the Orange County cities of Anaheim, Fullerton, and Santa Ana joined ten other Southern California cities in the formation of Metropolitan. This union's initial aim was to transport water from the Colorado River, supplementing available water supply and ensuring against any water shortage in the future.

Services and Support

The primary purpose of MWDOC is to provide a reliable supply of high-quality water for Orange County residents, businesses, and industry at an equitable and economical cost, both today and long into the future. To do this, MWDOC works closely with Metropolitan and its 27 member agencies, to identify, study, and evaluate opportunities to improve and secure Orange County’s overall water reliability.
In addition to providing water, sound representation, and planning and water resource development assistance, MWDOC also offers Orange County’s 3.2 million residents a wide-range of informational resources, water education programs for all ages, and consumer incentives on water-saving devices. Additionally, MWDOC administers the Water Emergency Response Organization of Orange County. WEROC provides training, mutual aid planning assistance, and emergency response coordination for all Orange County water and wastewater agencies