Weather experts are predicting a robust El Nino this winter, which can bring heavy rains. Even though we will have rain, it’s still very important to conserve water, no matter what the weather.

Here are some things you can do to conserve during heavy rain events:

Turn off your sprinklers and let Mother Nature take over during cooler, wetter months. Turn off sprinklers ahead of, during and for two days after any rain storms.

Capture the rain water with rain barrels. Rebates of $75 per barrel are available (maximum of four).

Install a drought-tolerant landscape. Late fall and winter are optimal for planting. IRWD will pay $2 per square foot for customers to remove their grass.

Purchase a weather-based irrigation controller. These smart controllers automatically adjust your sprinkler run times to match changing climate conditions. Rebates of up to $80 per controller are available (for less than one acre of landscape).

Rebate information is available on our website.

Thirty-six students from all over the Southern California region, including Jana Ibrahim from the Irvine Ranch Water District service area, were honored for their creativity at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s annual “Water is Life” student art event on November 18.

Jana was in first grade at Westpark Elementary in Irvine when her poster was selected by IRWD as one of five finalists to be sent to MWD for regional judging. IRWD received more than 200 entries. Jana’s poster advised, “Turn off water faucets tightly.”

Jana said the inspiration for her message came from an observation of a bathroom faucet that wasn’t turned off completely.

All 36 posters have been published on the 2016 “Water is Life” Calendar. Jana’s appears on the July page.

This is the 27^th year for the contest, which is sponsored by MWD. Member water agencies, including IRWD, put out the call for poster contest entries from among the schools in their respective service areas.

Beginning in January, the 36 posters will be featured in a traveling art show set up in the lobbies of participating water districts, including IRWD, at a future date. Please visit our website for an announcement of the arrival of the student art show.

Over two consecutive weekends in November, Irvine Ranch Water District customers purchased nearly 500 high-efficiency Niagara Stealth Toilets at two events held at Home Depot stores located in Lake Forest and Irvine. Niagara Stealth toilets use only 0.8 gallons per flush, making them one of the most efficient toilets available. 

Rebates of $150 per toilet were available for IRWD customers, making the toilets virtually free for event attendees.

Customers who purchased the toilets were also given water-saving showerheads and sink aerators. By using this combined bundle of water-efficient devices, an average-sized household could save up to 40,000 gallons of water per year. The total estimated annual water savings associated with the customers who attended one of this month's events is nearly 20 million gallons.

IRWD continues to offer $150 rebates (maximum of 9) for high-efficiency toilets that use 1.06 gallons or less per flush. Rebate funding changes regularly, so make sure to check out our website for up-to-date rebate information and to see how you can get your own high-efficiency toilet today.

Cooking grease poured down the drain that is associated with the preparation of holiday turkeys, roasts and hams is the leading cause of sewage spills this time of year.

Over time, the grease sticks to the sewer pipes, building up and eventually clogging the entire pipe, resulting in costly cleanups and repairs.

Here are tips for getting rid of left over cooking grease:

• Place left over grease into containers with lids, such as jars, and place into a trash receptacle for pick up on trash day.
  • Mix oils with absorbent materials, such as coffee grounds, put in a lidded container and dispose with the trash.
  • If cleaning a greasy pan, pour grease into a container and wipe excess grease from the pan with paper towels. Place the towels into the trash.
  • If using a deep fat fryer, mix oils with absorbent material, such as cat litter, or soak up excess oil with newspaper and put into the trash.

For more information about the FOG program, please visit our website.