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EVENTS

The Association holds monthly luncheon meetings featuring knowledgeable speakers on topics important to the water industry, as well as annual social events including a golf tournament, emerging professionals networking activities, and a holiday dinner.


Membership in the Orange County Water Association provides opportunities to keep informed about issues affecting the water community, to meet and communicate with other water professionals, and to support programs which provide public education and technical training about water and water systems. Members pay a reduced fee for luncheons and special events throughout the year.

Upcoming events

    • 18 Feb 2026
    • 8:00 AM
    • 4 Dec 2026
    • 8:00 AM
    Register






    We’re Looking for Sponsors
    To Help Support
    Our Special Outreach Efforts

    • Emerging Professionals
    • Women in Water
    • Summer Splash!



    Outreach efforts for both Emerging Professionals and Women in Water have met with great success! Whether its panel discussions, facility tours, or social events for networking, the response has been tremendous, proving those who participate share our enthusiasm.

    And not surprisingly, there’s a great deal of enthusiasm for home brewed beer, as well, especially when it’s crafted by local water industry brewers using water from OCWD’s Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS), the world’s largest system for indirect potable reuse! Our Summer Splash tasting event has been an annual favorite for years.

    These special events all have undeniable appeal throughout the Orange County water community. We hope select corporations and public agencies will choose to partner with us to help realize our goals in 2026.

    Many benefits will accrue to our Sponsors, of course. For each event, select sponsors will be featured in all our promotional pieces for the event. They’ll also be prominently acknowledged at the event, and when possible permitted to make appropriate remarks to the group. In addition, all Sponsors are recognized throughout the year on the OCWA website and at our monthly Industry Insight presentations.

    All this for a donation of $500. You can choose which program you wish to support, be it Summer Splash, Women in Water, or Emerging Professionals.

    But act now! Plans are already in the works for exciting events.

    To become a 2026 Sponsor, signup at the link above.

    For further information, contact Dave Jones, OCWA Treasurer, or Taryn Kjolsing, OCWA President.

    • 8 Oct 2026
    • 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
    • Mesa Water Education Center, 1350 Gisler Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
    • 12
    Register

    You’re Invited:

    A Tour of Mesa Water District’s

    Water Education Center & Reliability Facility

    Thursday, October 8 (11:30 AM – 1:00 PM)

    Mesa Water Education Center,
    1350 Gisler Avenue,
    Costa Mesa, CA 92626


    OCWA members are invited to join Mesa Water District for a special tour of the Water Education and Career Center & Water Reliability Facility on Thursday, October 8, from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM. The Tour will feature special introductory remarks from General Manager Paul E. Shoenberger, P.E. and lunch will be provided.


    Mesa Water District

    The Mesa Water Education and Career Center (MWECC) is the only facility of its kind in Orange County, offering an interactive experience where you can discover the story behind Mesa Water’s 100% local water supply.

    The Mesa Water Reliability Facility (MWRF), which opened in 2013, features two deep-water wells and a one-million gallon reservoir. The MWRF, highlights Mesa’s commitment to environmental stewardship, resource sustainability and water wise use.

    We hope you’ll join us for this informative and engaging site visit. Space is limited, so we encourage early registration.

    Tour Details

    When: Thursday, October 8 (11:30 AM – 1:00 PM)

    Location: Mesa Water Education Center, 1350 Gisler Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

    To download a flyer, click here


    Sponsors Needed

    If you are interested in becoming an OCWA Corporate Sponsor, we have a few remaining spots available here: Corporate Sponshorships

    Or if you’d prefer to sponsor Emerging Professionals, Women in Water, or our Annual Holiday Party, register here: OCWA Event Sponsor

    • 21 Oct 2026
    • 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
    • Dave & Buster’s Irvine Spectrum • 661 Spectrum Center Dr, Irvine, CA 92618
    • 115
    Register
    OCWA Logo
    October 21, 2026
    Industry Insight
    Presentation:
    From Monitoring to Management: Building Living Environmental Decision Systems
    Presented by:
    Lisa Haney
    Executive Director of Planning and Natural Resources
    Orange County Water District
    Dave & Busters
    Irvine Spectrum
    661 Spectrum Center Drive
    Sign-In: 11:30 am
    Lunch at Noon
    Hosted by OCWA
    Join us October 21st for a presentation: From Monitoring to Management: Building Living Environmental Decision Systems, presented by Lisa Haney, Executive Director of Planning and Natural Resources at Orange County Water District.

    California has invested decades in environmental monitoring, creating extensive records of hydrology, water quality, habitat, species, groundwater, sediment, climate, and land use. Yet much of this information is still used as a snapshot: collect data, analyze it, produce a report, and repeat.

    AI, GIS, remote sensing, and digital twins offer a different model. By connecting trusted historical monitoring with continuously updated observations, agencies can create living decision systems that identify change earlier, target monitoring where uncertainty is greatest, test predictions against field conditions, and evaluate management scenarios.

    Using the Prado Basin Digital Twin as a case study, this presentation explores how decades of environmental and operational data can be integrated to better understand a complex system serving flood control, water supply, groundwater recharge, and habitat.

    The statewide opportunity is much larger. Similar approaches could support watersheds, headwaters, reservoirs, groundwater basins, floodplains, ecosystems, and water infrastructure across California.

    The goal is not to replace monitoring or professional judgment, but to make decades of public investment continuously useful—moving from documenting what happened toward understanding what is changing and informing what we do next.


    Our October presentation promises to be both informative and immediately applicable to utilities across the region. Make your reservations today!
    You won't want to miss this.
    OCWA Members with Reservations:  $40.00
    Non-Members with Reservations:  $60.00
    OCWA Members without Reservations:  $60.00 (at the door)
    Non-Members without Reservations:  $60.00 (at the door)
    Reservations must be made by end-of-day, Tuesday, October 20th
    to qualify for the Reservation Rate.
    Cancellations received AFTER this date CANNOT be refunded.
    Our Sponsors:




    About Our Speaker:
    Lisa Haney
    Lisa Haney, Executive Director of Planning and Natural Resources Orange County Water District

    Lisa Haney is a strategic leader in water and natural resources planning recognized for advancing innovative, collaborative, and future-focused solutions that integrate water supply operations with ecosystem stewardship. As Executive Director of Planning and Natural Resources at the Orange County Water District (OCWD), she oversees the Planning and Watershed Management Department and the Natural Resources Department, guiding development of the District’s Groundwater Management Plan, long-term water resilience strategies, environmental compliance and permitting, and programs for watershed planning, recharge planning, and natural resource management.

    With more than 25 years of experience in public utilities and regulatory policy and compliance, Lisa has built a career at the intersection of science, infrastructure, and strategy. Prior to joining OCWD, she worked for Irvine Ranch Water District, Orange County Sanitation District, and Los Angeles County Sanitation District, developing a deep understanding of integrated water systems across wastewater, potable reuse, watershed, and groundwater management.

    Lisa’s work centers on the nexus of operating large-scale water infrastructure while simultaneously managing and protecting natural resources so that both systems thrive. She brings a whole-systems framework perspective to planning, connecting land, water, habitat, infrastructure, and community needs into cohesive, adaptive frameworks that support resilient, multi-benefit outcomes.

    • 4 Dec 2026
    • 6:00 PM
    • Marriott Irvine • 18000 Von Karman Avenue, Irvine
    Register


    Orange County Water Association’s

    68th Annual
    Holiday Party

    Friday, December 4, 2026

    6:00 Cocktails  •  7:00 Dinner
    Festivities Until 11 pm



    Our venue for 2026:


    18000 Von Karman Avenue
    Irvine, California 92612

    This will be a fun event and a great networking opportunity.
    We hope you’ll join us.


    COMPLIMENTARY PARKING
    WILL BE PROVIDED!


    Sponsorship
    Opportunities
    Available
    include:

    Diamond Level:  $3,250

    Includes: 1 Table for 10, Logo Prominently Displayed,
    and Special Event Branding!

    Gold Level:  $2,250

    Includes: 1 Table for 10, and Logo Prominently Displayed

    Silver Level:  $1,250

    Includes: Two Complimentary Tickets,
    Logo Prominently Displayed


    Additional Tables for
    Diamond & Gold Sponsors:
    $1,750 each


    Be Sure to Act Quickly!
    Sponsorship Opportunities
    will go fast!

    Sponsorships received by
    November 14, 2026
    will be included in the
    logo display presented
    at the event!


    INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
    WILL GO ON SALE
    IN THE COMING WEEKS.
    WATCH FOR OUR
    ANNOUNCEMENT!


    Guests are Invited to Bring
    Unwrapped Toys for
    Underserved Children.


    For additional information, contact:
    OCWA President Taryn Kjolsing
    at tkjolsing@scwd.org



    We encourage all attendees to bring a new, unwrapped toy for underserved children & teens in Orange County. Together, we can make the Holidays better and brighter for those who might otherwise not receive a gift. Every attendee who donates a toy will receive an additional ticket for the evening’s raffle.



    To download the Holiday Party Flyer, click the image below:


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