IEUA leads the way in water resource management. Taking into consideration the water supply conditions, it is our objective as environmental stewards of the region to partake in efficient planning methods to ensure a high quality water supply for today and for our future.
The Agency is committed to developing and implementing an integrated water resource management plan that promotes cost-effective, reliable, efficient, and sustainable water use along with economic growth within the Agency’s service area.
The Agency continues to develop master plans for Agency systems and manage and construct these systems to ensure that when expansion planning is triggered, designs and construction can be completed to meet regulatory and growth needs in an expeditious, environmentally responsible, and cost- effective manner.
IEUA is a member of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) and thus acts as a supplemental water provider. One-fourth of the water used in the region is imported from MWD through the State Water Project.
IEUA seeks to support maximizing the beneficial reuse of recycled water to enhance reliability and to reduce dependence on imported water. IEUA began selling recycled water in the 1970s as a low cost alternative to potable water for large irrigation customers. Over the past 10 years, IEUA and its local water providers have invested in an aggressive program to expand delivery of high quality recycled water to its service area as a reliable irrigation and industrial water source that has improved the sustainability of the region’s water supply.
The Chino Basin Groundwater Aquifer is a major water supply source for the communities in the Santa Ana Watershed. In IEUA’s service area alone, Chino Basin accounts for up to 40% of the drinking water supply. As a result of development, natural groundwater recharge that would occur during rain events has diminished. It is estimated that today, approximately 30,000 AF per year–or the equivalent of half of IEUA’s imported water supplies from the State Water Project–are lost to stormwater runoff. To counteract this, IEUA is working with its partners in the Chino Basin Groundwater Recharge programs and local agencies to capture and store as much stormwater as possible. This helps protect local water supplies and the environment by decreasing polluted runoff and reducing the risk of flooding.
IEUA implements an effective pretreatment and cost effective source control program, manages activities to enhance recycled water quality, protects capital assets through on-going condition assessment and collection system maintenance, and assures compliance with The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements.