In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Mehul Patel, Executive Director at Orange County Water District in Southern California, about the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS). Mehul explains OCWD’s role in managing the Orange County Groundwater Basin, which supplies 19 municipal agencies and serves 2.5 million people, and describes how OCWD partnered with Orange County Sanitation District to treat their secondary effluent using the full advanced treatment process of GWRS. The resulting purified water is injected to prevent seawater intrusion and spread in recharge basins to replenish groundwater. Mehul also highlights the major effort needed in public outreach to move the project forward.
00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 00:33 Mehul’s Career Origin Story 01:56 Mentorship and Taking Over 02:39 What OCWD Does 03:29 GWRS Overview and Treatment 06:47 Scaling Up to Full Reuse 08:34 Underground Travel Time 09:48 Public Outreach and Acceptance 11:29 What If GWRS Didn’t Happen 12:16 Football Scarves and World Cup 13:37 Advice to Younger Self 14:32 Wrap Up and Sign Off
