Orange County Water District’s $1-Million Pump

The recent article (Jan. 15) regarding the purchase of new pumps and valves to speed the collection of storm water runoff missed the mark.

To imply that the Orange County Water District bought equipment based on an error-filled report misleads the public into thinking that a poor public policy decision was made by the district’s staff and board.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The district made a decision to select this equipment from one manufacturer in keeping with sound public policy based on saving the public money. Timely installation of the pumps during the rainy season can potentially save the district hundreds of thousands of dollars by capturing high-quality storm runoff from the Santa Ana River. The errors in the decision report were minor, inadvertent and inconsequential. They had no bearing on the decision to select the pumps. The manufacturer is the industry leader in constructing a complicated piece of equipment, critical to the efficient operation of the district.

It is not uncommon for competitors to second-guess and complain about not being selected for a particular piece of work, and this seems to be what happened here. Orange County Water District enjoys a national reputation for innovation based on good public policy to provide ample high-quality water at the lowest possible price. The decision to select these pumps and valves is consistent with this policy.

WILLIAM R. MILLS JR.

General Manager, Orange County Water District