Planning for Future Risks: Climate Resilience at Orange County Sanitation District

The Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) Climate Resiliency Plan will give professionals working in the water and wastewater industry an example of how to adapt existing facilities to a changing climate and how to prioritize adaptation strategies. The paper and presentation will inform designers of new facilities on what should be considered for building a facility that is resilient to climate change. Climate resiliency planning is a relatively new field in wastewater, and OCSD’s plan can help guide other agencies as they make similar investments in this area. The investment made in climate resiliency now will minimize risk and financial burden during future extreme climate and natural events that are exacerbated by climate change. This project brings a multidisciplinary approach to wastewater engineering that takes into consideration the most recent climate science and integrates it with traditional approaches to asset management, long term planning, facility design, system operations and emergency preparedness.