SOCWA Information

The mission of the South Orange County Wastewater Authority (SOCWA) is to collect, treat, beneficially reuse, and dispose of wastewater in an effective and economical manner that respects the environment, maintains the public's health and meets or exceeds all local, state and federal regulations to the mutual benefit of SOCWA's ten member agencies and the general public in South Orange County. SOCWA provides, at a minimum, full secondary treatment at all of its regional wastewater facilities, and also has active water recycling, industrial waste (pretreatment), biosolids management and ocean/shoreline monitoring programs to meet the needs of its members and the requirements of the applicable National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. The South Orange County Wastewater Authority (SOCWA) was created on July 1, 2001 as a Joint Powers Authority with no taxing authority. SOCWA is the legal successor to the Aliso Water Management Agency (AWMA) (1972), South East Regional Reclamation Authority (SERRA) (1970) and South Orange County Reclamation Authority (SOCRA) (1991).