Paula Bouyounes

The Administration/Finance Issues Committee held a joint meeting with the Board of Directors to discuss several items intended for recommendation to the March 18 Board meeting. Key discussion points included the approval of the minutes from the February 12, 2026, Administration/Finance Committee meeting. Several financial items were proposed for agendization, such as receiving and filing the Monthly Cash Control Reports and Investment Portfolio Holdings Reports dated February 28, 2026. The committee also recommended authorizing an additional $60,000 from R&R reserves for unforeseen infrastructure and equipment repairs within the recharge operations. Furthermore, approval was sought for executing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with California State University Fullerton Auxiliary Services Corporation for the continued operation of the Center for Demographic Research for the period of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029, including authorizing specific annual payments. Other items recommended for the subsequent Board meeting included declaring surplus of inventory parts, authorizing the purchase of a Water Truck, receiving and filing the Single Audit Report for FYE June 30, 2025, and approving a New Well Construction Loan Agreement with Newport Beach.

The Water Issues Committee meeting, convened jointly with the Board of Directors, addressed several consent calendar items recommended for the subsequent March 18 Board meeting agenda. These included authorizing an amendment to an agreement with Tait and Associates for 2025 Asphalt Pavement Rehabilitation Design, issuing an agreement to Geophysical Imaging Partners for a geophysical investigation of the lower Santa Ana River channel and Raymond Basin to assess recharge capacity, and authorizing the Notice Inviting Bids for the Garden Grove Wells 22, 26, and 27 PFAS Water Treatment Plants Project along with an agreement to West Yost for SCADA integration services. Other items included authorizing an amendment to the Bond Basin Slope Repair agreement with Butier Engineering, authorizing an RFP for HVAC services, authorizing an agreement with 374Water for pilot testing, authorizing an RFP for LiDAR data acquisition of Prado Basin and Santa Ana River, authorizing a multi-year service agreement with Well Tec Services, Inc. for injection well maintenance, ratifying emergency repair work, authorizing an agreement with Matthew Becker for technical review of the OC San Biosolids Deep Injection Project, and awarding the construction contract for the 2025 Asphalt Pavement Rehabilitation. Under matters for consideration, the committee recommended authorizing an agreement with Jacobs to update the Recharge Facilities Model. The committee also approved the minutes from the February 11, 2026 meeting.

The Orange County Water District (OCWD) Groundwater Management Plan outlines strategies for managing the Orange County Groundwater Basin, which supplies approximately 70% of the water for residents in north and central Orange County. The plan's primary goals are to protect and enhance groundwater quality, increase the basin's sustainable yield cost-effectively, and improve operational efficiency. Key focus areas include extensive water supply monitoring, management and operation of recharge facilities, groundwater replenishment system operations, seawater intrusion prevention, water quality protection, and collaborative natural resource programs. The plan emphasizes sustainable basin management by balancing production and recharge, maintaining safe operating ranges for groundwater storage, and ensuring financial stability.

The Orange County Water District's Resilience Plan is a strategic blueprint designed to strengthen the region's long-term water security and ensure a reliable water supply for the next 25 years. It provides a framework for future investments, planning decisions, and policy initiatives, identifying 16 priority projects over the next five years. These priorities include increasing stormwater capture, sediment management, enhancing seawater intrusion barriers, and constructing treatment systems for PFAS removal. The plan is a living document, allowing for flexibility and responsiveness to changing conditions to safeguard the region's water future.

This document serves as an Alternative to a Groundwater Sustainability Plan for Basin 8-1, demonstrating its sustainable management over the past decade in compliance with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The plan outlines the management of four distinct areas within Basin 8-1: La Habra-Brea, OCWD, South East, and Santa Ana Canyon Management Areas. It details comprehensive monitoring and management programs for groundwater levels, storage, quality, seawater intrusion prevention, land subsidence, and surface water interactions to ensure the basin's long-term sustainability.