Mesa Water study group marks 30 years of learning about history and conservation

The Mesa Water District celebrated 30 years of its Water Issues Study Group during the group’s first class of the year Wednesday.

Since 1986, the free sessions have helped more than 500 participants learn about local and state water history, water quality, reliability and conservation techniques, district officials said. The classes include tours of a district reservoir and the Mesa Water Reliability Facility, which pumps and treats water from a deep aquifer.

“Water Issues Study Group has educated hundreds of community members about the quality and sources of our water supplies over the past 30 years and continues to share valuable water knowledge with participants, including discussion of water sources and the drought, the history of our water supplies and efficient water use,” Mesa Water President Shawn Dewane said in a statement.

District officials noted that Hank Panian, a retired Orange Coast College history professor and former Mesa Water director, has been helping teach the group since its inception. Panian, a longtime Costa Mesa resident, served on the district’s board from 1977 to 1998.

The study group has two more sessions scheduled for Feb. 10 and 24. To attend, call (949) 631-1201 or email event@mesawater.org.

A Water Issues Study Group alumni meeting is scheduled for June, though a district official said the date is to be determined.