Orange County Water District Honored With Three Global Awards For COVID-19 Response

The Orange County Water District (OCWD; the District) has been named a gold winner in the prestigious One Planet Awards competition in three categories that relate to COVID-19 information: Communications or PR Campaign, Heightening Awareness and Publicity Campaign, and Marketing Campaign of the Year for its submission “Affirms the Safety and Reliability of the Local Water Supply.” The coveted One Planet Awards is a premier program honoring best in business and professional excellence in every industry globally.

“It’s an honor to be recognized with these awards by our peers from around the world,” said OCWD President Vicente Sarmiento. “We’re committed to ensuring the safety of our employees and the public, while also performing the essential service of providing a high-quality, reliable water supply to the 2.5 million people in our service area. Communicating to our stakeholders about the safety and reliability of the local water supply is a critical part of what we do, especially as we endure this pandemic,” he added.

While access to OCWD and Groundwater Replenishment System facilities were severely restricted in accordance with national, state and local guidelines, the dissemination of important information and education needed to continue—especially in light of misinformation that was circulating about the safety and reliability of local drinking water.

OCWD launched a COVID-19 information center on its website with fact sheets and videos highlighting the safety and reliability of local drinking water, it released a detailed District response document and safety guidelines, and it fostered outreach and education through a series of virtual meetings, tours and webinars. The District continues to respond to COVID-19 while providing essential services, information and transparency. Additional information on OCWD’s response may be found at www.ocwd.com/learning-center/covid-19.

About the One Planet Awards
One Planet Awards recognizes companies for their business and professional excellence. The One Planet Awards honors are currently conferred in category sections which include outstanding individuals, executives, teams, new products and services, public relations, marketing, and corporate communications. International judges from a broad spectrum of industry voices participated and their average scores determined the 2020 award winners who will be celebrated and presented their awards during a virtual awards ceremony in December. For more information, visit www.oneplanetawards.com.

About OCWD
The Orange County Water District is committed to enhancing Orange County’s groundwater quality and reliability in an environmentally friendly and economical manner. The following cities rely on the groundwater basin, managed by OCWD, to provide 77% of their water demands: Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster, and Yorba Linda. For more information, visit www.ocwd.com.