Fountain Valley, Calif. -- Flex Your Power, California's statewide energy efficiency education and outreach initiative, honored Orange County Water District (OCWD) and Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) with a 2004 Flex Your Power Energy Efficiency Award today. The annual Flex Your Power Energy Efficiency Awards recognize businesses, government agencies and institutions that have demonstrated exceptional leadership and extraordinary contributions to advance energy efficiency in California. Each of the 2004 award recipients is working to help California reach its stated goal of reducing energy purchases 20% by the year 2015.

OCWD and OCSD are being recognized for their Ground Water Replenishment System (GWR System) -- an innovative water recycling project. The GWR System will take highly treated sewer water from the Orange County Sanitation District, currently sent to the ocean, and will purify it to near-distilled water quality. The water will be used to expand an existing underground water barrier, which helps prevent seawater from intruding into the groundwater basin, and will also be naturally filtered into the groundwater basin by the Orange County Water District.

Using high-tech membrane purification systems backed by ultraviolet light with hydrogen peroxide disinfection, the GWR System will purify the treated sewer water to a level similar to bottled water. Then, the water will be pumped into Orange County’s groundwater basin for further natural treatment before it is extracted for later use. Currently, Phase 1 of the GWR System produces five million gallons of water per day. When the project is complete in 2007, it will produce 70 million gallons of water per day, which will provide enough water for 144,000 families annually. The water can be purified for less than the cost of imported water using one-half the energy required to import water from Northern California. This saves an estimated 140 million kilowatt-hours annually – enough energy to serve approximately 21,300 homes each year.

“We are very honored to receive the 2004 Flex Your Power Energy Efficiency Award,” stated Phil Anthony, OCWD board president. “Orange County needs to diversify its water sources. The Groundwater Replenishment System will help us provide a new water supply to an arid region and help save energy.”

“Orange County needs more energy and more water every year to meet our continuing growth,” said Steve Anderson, OCSD board chair. “The Groundwater Replenishment System will cut some of our energy usage in half while supplying 70 million gallons of very pure water every day. We’re proud of the system and proud that it is receiving this special recognition.”

Commissioner Susan P. Kennedy of the California Public Utilities Commission said, "I hope the Flex Your Power Award winners, like the Water and Sanitation Districts in Orange County, inspire all Californians to use energy more wisely. California recently adopted the most aggressive energy efficiency goals in the nation. These energy savings can be achieved if all Californians are as committed to energy efficiency and conservation as the 2004 Flex Your Power Award Winners are."

The diverse winners included private companies, water agencies, homebuilders, local governments and statewide institutions. Awards will be presented at events throughout the state during the month of February. A complete list of winners and details about their efforts are available at www.FYPower.org.

The Flex Your Power energy efficiency award winners for 2004 are: • Advanced Environmental Building Construction • Bank of America • California EPA Headquarters/ Thomas Properties LLC • City of Berkeley • City of San Jose • City of Santa Cruz Water Department • Clarum Homes • Douglas Emmett & Company • DPR Construction • Kaiser Permanente • Lights of America • Metropolitan Water District of Southern California • Orange County Water District/ Orange County Sanitation District • PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc. • Sears • Sonoma State University • Soquel Creek Water District • Toyota Motor Sales • Western Appliance • Whole Foods Market

ABOUT FLEX YOUR POWER Flex Your Power is California’s statewide energy efficiency marketing and outreach campaign. More information on Flex Your Power is available at www.FYPower.org.

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