OCSD Climate Resiliency and Adaptation Plan Named 2020 AAEES E3S Winner
Download a copy of the executive summary of the Resiliency Plan.
(LOS ANGELES, CA - April 20, 2020) - The Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) Climate Resiliency and Adaptation Plan has been named the 2020 Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Science (E3S) Award Winner by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists in the Planning category.
The OCSD Climate Resiliency and Adaptation Plan is one of the first projects in California, and Orange County specifically, to integrate the implications of climate change into improved design standards, emergency preparedness, and facility operations for the future.
To develop the plan, a multidisciplinary team at OCSD worked with Hazen to develop innovative solutions while referencing the latest developments in climate science and emergency preparedness. To minimize the risks posed by climate change, OCSD conducted a study that involved assessing and developing adaptations to mitigate those risks. Adaptations that would protect the highest value of assets while providing a high level of reliability at a reasonable cost, having minimal deployment requirements, and having few impacts on operability were identified.
While some regional water quality control boards are beginning to require climate resiliency plans for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit renewal, OCSD took the initiative to develop a climate resiliency and adaptation plan far in advance of the NPDES permit renewal in order to integrate climate resilience into the ongoing capital improvement plan to maximize public, staff, and environmental health and safety. As a result, climate resilience can be achieved while maintaining OCSD’s progress on the entire collection system and reclamation facilities.
The E3S Awards Competition exists to identify and reward the best of today's environmental engineering and science. The award criteria define what it takes to be the best in environmental engineering and science practices: a holistic environmental perspective, innovation, proven performance and customer satisfaction, and contribution to an improved quality of life and economic efficiency.
