Laserfiche WebLink
HISTORIC RAIN, YET DROUGHT REMAINS <br /> <br /> <br />ORANGE COUNTY GRAND JURY 2022 I 2023 Page 24 of 57 <br />COMMENDATIONS <br />South Coast Water District is to be commended for its strategic foresight. The District <br />has recently gained approval for the Doheny Ocean Desalination Project for which they <br />initiated feasibility studies in 2008. The plant is now anticipated to be operational in <br />2028. The Doheny Ocean Desalination Project is a new, reliable, local, and drought- <br />proof water supply. The Doheny Ocean Desalination Project is the first desalination <br />project in the State of California to be fully compliant with the California Ocean Plan.18 <br />Orange County Water District successfully manages the aquifer under Central and <br />North Orange County for the benefit of multiple water suppliers. It has also built the <br />Groundwater Recovery System (GWRS) to treat wastewater to potable levels for <br />supplementing the aquifer. Recently, it expanded and commissioned the GWRS. The <br />Orange County Grand Jury commends OCWD for its work. <br />The water suppliers for Orange County have undertaking numerous initiatives to <br />increase the resiliency of their water supplies. The Orange County Grand Jury <br />commends these suppliers for their efforts and encourages them to continue pursuing <br />expanded opportunities. <br />The Orange County public has significantly reduced the per-capita water usage through <br />conservation efforts. This is important to maximizing the water supply. The Orange <br />County Grand Jury commends the public for these efforts. <br />The Orange County Grand Jury commends the leadership of MWDOC and OCWD for <br />their continued negotiations regarding merger. <br />The Orange County Grand Jury commends the Southern California news media for their <br />continued efforts in reporting on the critical nature of our water supply. <br />FINDINGS <br />In accordance with California Penal Code Sections 933 and 933.05, the 2022-2023 <br />Grand Jury requires (or, as noted, requests) responses from each agency affected by <br />the findings presented in this section. The responses are to be submitted to the <br />Presiding Judge of the Superior Court. <br />Based on its investigation titled “Historic Rain, Yet Drought Remains,” the 2022-2023 <br />Orange County Grand Jury has arrived at the 12 principal findings, as follows: <br /> <br />F1 Future water supplies are impacted by climate change and current supplies will <br />not meet future demands. <br />F2 Climatologists predict future extended periods of low moisture with occasional <br />wet years. <br />F3 Climate change is inevitable and is exacerbated by human behavior.