FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. -- Orange County Water District (OCWD) has a new mascot called "Ginny Groundwater." Ginny represents a drop of groundwater that fell in the San Bernardino Mountains, followed a stream to the Santa Ana River, then percolated into Orange County's groundwater basin to be pumped out by the District to help tell the story of water conservation and groundwater protection.
OCWD is the water agency that manages the large groundwater basin under north and central Orange County. The basin provides 75 percent of the water for north Orange County residents, about 2.2 million people. Ginny is available to participate in community-based events in the north and central area of Orange County.
As part of her costume, Ginny carries a purse containing pencils, erasers and other inexpensive gifts for children that contain educational messages encouraging water conservation, groundwater protection, and other important environmental messages.
"Ginny is one way for OCWD to remind Orange County residents that we live in an arid region and that water is a finite resource. We must all do our part to protect and conserve our groundwater," said Irv Pickler, president of the Board of Directors of the Orange County Water District.
OCWD has an active water education program to reach future Orange County water users. Each spring OCWD and Disneyland Resort host a Children's Drinking Water Festival for 5,000 third and fourth-grade children and their teachers. OCWD also helps fund a program that provides guest teachers to area schools to provide special water programs involving Ricki Raindrop and Ginny Groundwater. For more information about the 2000 Children's Drinking Water Festival, teachers can call (714) 378-3362.
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