SMWD 2024 Accomplishments Report by Rachel Coan

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2024

FISCAL YEAR-END

NEW LEADERSHIP TO ENHANCE OUR SERVICES

I am honored to join the Santa Margarita Water District as your new General Manager and to present our Fiscal Year 2024 Accomplishment Report. This report highlights our recent achievements and outlines the exciting path forward under new leadership.

Over the past year, we have made significant strides in enhancing our water infrastructure, providing excellent customer service, and advancing our sustainability initiatives. Our team’s dedication to providing high-quality water services to our community has been unwavering, and I am proud of our team.

As we look to the future, we are committed to leveraging new technologies, fostering community engagement, and ensuring the long-term resiliency of our water supply. Additionally, we will sharpen our focus on securing grant funding for capital projects to support our infrastructure development and sustainability goals.

Thank you for your continued support and trust in the Santa Margarita Water District.

Warm regards,

Robert S. Grantham General Manager, Santa Margarita Water District

WATER QUALITY IS JOB #1

9.4 billion gallons of highquality drinking water were delivered, and 30,000 water quality tests were conducted last year.

PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH

Collecting and treating wastewater is essential for protecting public health, safeguarding the environment, and ensuring the sustainable use of water resources.

SERVING OUR COMMUNITY

Our mission is to deliver exceptional and timely customer care around the clock.

LOCAL WATER WITH LOCAL CONTROL

Ensuring our 1,745 miles of pipelines and 237 facilities flow around the clock requires a strategic plan. SMWD invested $32.3 million into infrastructure maintenance last year.

70% of our water is imported from distant sources. SMWD invested $8.4 million in water supply projects last fiscal year to reduce this dependency.

Trampas Reservoir located in Rancho Mission Viejo

DELIVERING EXCELLENCE SINCE 1964

Proudly serving over 200,000 residents in the cities of Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, and San Juan Capistrano, and the communities of Coto de Caza, Las Flores, Ladera Ranch, the Rancho Mission Viejo Villages of Sendero, Esencia, and Rienda, and Talega in San Clemente.

DIVERSIFYING OUR WATER PORTFOLIO

Nearly all our drinking water is imported from hundreds of miles away. SMWD is committed to reducing its dependence on imported water by investing in a local, reliable, and sustainable water supply for today and future generations.

70% IMPORTED WATER

Drinking water from Northern California & Colorado River

Groundwater in San Juan Capistrano

Locally produced at two SMWD water reclamation plants

SMWD ANNUAL WATER SUPPLY

SMWD SERVICE AREA

We added 700 N EW CUSTOMERS to our service area in FY 2024.

LAS FLORES

Oso Barrie r

FISCAL STEWARDSHIP

The FY 2024 operating budget highlights the District’s capability to effectively utilize capital resources for infrastructure maintenance, repair, and water supply reliability. SMWD is dedicated to prudent financial management and skillful grant acquisition to fund District projects. This approach allows us to provide exceptional services and upgrade aging infrastructure while minimizing the financial burden on our customers.

The cost of SMWD’s imported water rises by 10% each year due to increases from our wholesaler, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

$750,000

ANNUAL SAVINGS in energy costs

Solar panels and microturbines, along with critical battery backup, creates over COST: $0

The District installed battery storage to ensure 8 hours of redundant power in case of a power outage. An innovative public/private partnership ensures no cost to SMWD.

INNOVATIVE COST SAVINGS

The Chiquita Water Reclamation Plant can treat 6 million gallons of wastewater per day and operates around the clock to keep up with community flows. This critical infrastructure must always maintain power, and it happens to be one of the District’s most costly facilities to operate.

Solar arrays wrap around the District’s headquarters, generating over

120 MEGAWATTS of energy per year, an annual power savings of

$230,000

Chiquita Treatment Plant

INVESTING IN LOCAL WATER RESILIENCY

TRAMPAS

California’s largest recycled Trampas Canyon, has reached 90% capacity. The reservoir capacity of 1.6 billion gallons, wide, and has depths of 80

90% FULL

recycled water reservoir, reached an unprecedented reservoir boasts a storage gallons, extends 3,000 feet

80 feet.

COST: MILLLION

LAS FLORES SAVING DRINKING WATER

As of April 2024, the unincorporated community of Las Flores has access to recycled water for its common areas. The District has installed 2.5 miles of pipelines beneath the roadways, which will save 68 million gallons of drinking water annually.

COST: $10.3 MILLION 12% in grants

CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIRS

Since becoming San Juan Capistrano’s water provider in 2020, SMWD has been investing in the aging system to upgrade it to our standards.

$3.3 million in Wastewater System Upgrades

$2.7 million in Drinking Water System Upgrades

We swiftly constructed a new 320,000-gallon reservoir in just six months after the clearwell roof beams at the Groundwater Recovery Plant collapsed. Given that the plant is the sole source of local water for all SMWD customers, it was vital to restore operations promptly.

Cost: $2.6 million