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The Moulton Niguel Water District (MNWD) has been honored by the Association of California Cities—Orange County (ACC-OC) with the “Golden Hub of Innovation Award.” MNWD was the winner in the “Technology/E-Government” category which underscored their unique innovations in advancing water reliability and demand management while still furthering ratepayer savings and efficiency.
The award recognition featured two MNWD projects. In partnership with the California Data Collaborative (CaDC), the Orange County Public Works and volunteer programmers from Code Lab, MNWD developed a tool to integrate storm drain flow data to understand and maximize opportunities to reduce dry-weather flows through water use efficiency programs. The second program encompassed a water demand forecasting tool, developed by the non-profit organization, DataKind, which helped save MNWD nearly $20 million in recycled water infrastructure investments.
“Water doesn’t stay confined within the boundaries of a District, so data shouldn’t either,” said Patrick Atwater, project manager for the California Data Collaborative. “We are thankful for Moulton Niguel Water District’s leadership and the support we receive from all of our partner organizations. We look forward to continue embarking on this journey to help develop tools that result in more informed policy decisions.”
Local water conditions have helped drive the need for comprehensive and consistent water data. As various state agencies look to developing customized water demand programs, efforts at a local level are often a valuable tool and have become a prominent consideration. As collaborative efforts continue to grow, the opportunity increases for statewide agencies to gather more accurate data — often from local agencies — to help manage water demands through economies of scale.
MNWD Board President Donald R. Froelich, who attended the recent ACC-OC awards ceremony along with MNWD Board Members, staff and project partners, expressed his appreciation for the award by saying, “Thank you to the ACC-OC for this prestigious recognition. This great accomplishment not only helps provide agencies with access to data in a transparent, secure and efficient manner, but also highlights the importance of collaboration across many agencies and organizations.”
