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Elect a Water Expert
to the Water Board

As your board representative, I will diligently work to ensure:

Water service that is highly reliable, resistant to droughts and system outages, and protects public health.

Safe, Reliable Water

Efficient and responsive water and wastewater services that exceed customers' expectations.

Service Efficiency: 

Fiscal responsibility with a focus on cost containment, rate reduction strategies and customer affordability.

Fiscal Responsibility:

Transparent and customer-centric decision making

Transparency:

Community safety through critical water infrastructure investment and coordinated wildfire and emergency planning and preparedness among water agencies, fire protection providers, the cities and the County of Orange.

Community Safety:

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Why I’m Running

As a 33-year resident of the East Orange County Water District service area and a husband and father of four, I have a deep appreciation for our unique and beautiful community and for the important role high quality water and wastewater services play in our everyday lives.
 

My professional career has focused on responsible water resources planning and providing high quality water, wastewater and recycled water utility management, engineering, system operations and customer services. I have also dedicated myself to serving in leadership positions and working closely with non-profit organizations nationwide that are committed to delivering safe, reliable, and environmentally sustainable water supplies for all communities.
 

With over 25 years of experience as a water utility manager, and through my background as a licensed Civil Engineer and a trained water resources professional, I have had the opportunity to work for and oversee industry-leading water agencies throughout southern California. Managing our precious water resources is a challenging task, and my goal is to apply my experience and proven track record of successful collaboration with water and wastewater agency professionals and boards to effectively serve the East Orange County Water District community.

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Meet Paul

Paul D. Jones II, P.E.
General Manager (Retired)
Eastern Municipal Water District

Paul D. Jones retired as general manager of the Eastern Municipal Water District which provides water, wastewater and recycled water services to 830,000 residents to seven cities in western Riverside County.  The district has 643 staff, and a combined 2024 annual operating and capital budget is $557 million. He had served in that capacity since July 2011.  Previously, Jones served for 12 years as the general manager of Irvine Ranch Water District in Orange County and has over 30 years of experience in the water industry and engineering field in both the public and private sectors.
 

Jones served on the Board of the national WateReuse Association and was a past Board President, and previously served on the Board of Trustees and as the past Board President of WateReuse California.  These associations have worked with state and federal governments and the private sector to advance sustainable water recycling. Jones also served on the Board of Directors of the Water Research Foundation (WRF), which is the nation’s leading organization for water quality and water technology research. He concurrently served on WRF’s Research Advisory Council.

He is currently in the Board of the Southern California Water Coalition and was a past chairman of the Riverside County Water Task Force.  Jones was formerly a member of the City of Tustin Planning Commission and is a past Board member and President of Orange County Natural Communities Coalition (formerly the Nature Reserve of Orange County) which is multi-agency organization charged with coordinating the land management, monitoring and research across the 38,000-acre central Orange County habitat reserve system. 

Jones was the recipient of the Association of California Agencies’ Excellence in Water Leadership award in 2014, and its Emissary Award in 2020. He has also received the WateReuse Association’s President’s award for exemplary service to the water recycling industry in 2013 and 2020. Jones has also been recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers as the Government Engineer of the Year and was also given a tribute by Congressman Ken Calvert to the House of Representatives for work in water resources development with the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and local southern California water agencies.


Currently, Jones is a water resources and water utility management consultant with clients throughout southern California. Jones is also a member and Strategic Advisor for Moonshot Missions, a water-sector non-profit founded to serve as a trusted peer advisor for disadvantaged communities and tribes throughout the United States to help them secure safe, accessible, and affordable drinking water and clean waterways.

Jones received his Bachelor of Science degree with honors in civil engineering with an emphasis in water resources from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in 1982.  He is a licensed Professional Civil Engineer in the State of California and a member of the National Engineering Honor Society, Tau Beta Pi.   


Jones and his wife live on Orange Park Acres and are 33-year residents of the East Orange County Water District service area. Jones and his wife Julie have raised four children and have six grandchildren.

Priorities

Containing costs and having equitable rates for water and sewer service, while continuously improving customer service.

Ensuring the highest level of drought, emergency and wildfire protection (it is a fire prone area) through upgraded infrastructure, emergency preparedness and water storage for use during unanticipated shortage conditions.

Upgrading aging and vulnerable water and sewer infrastructure.

The three most important issues impacting EOCWD constituents:

The three most important issues impacting EOCWD constituents:

Platform to address these issues:

Instituting cost containment measures at the Board, staff and operations level to reduce the 22.5% rate increase over the next three years being proposed by the existing EOCWD Board.

Cost Containment to Reduce Rate Hikes

Revising the EOCWD rate structure to implement best-in-industry property specific based rates that more fairly and equitably allocate costs to customers.

Fair & Equitable Rate Structure

Completing a comprehensive plan to replace or refurbish high risk aging infrastructure and to ensure drought storage, fire protection infrastructure and emergency preparedness is prioritized.

Infrastructure & Emergency Preparedness

Instituting additional technologies, shared services, and other methods to improve overall efficiency, customer service and responsiveness while containing costs.

Efficiency & Service Improvements

Priorities in Office:

As noted in my platform, my goals are to contain costs and mitigate rate increases, modernize the district's rate structure to increase fairness and equity, focus on replacing or refurbishing the district's oldest and most vulnerable infrastructure, and prioritizing drought storage and fire protection infrastructure, water storage for drought conditions and emergency preparedness operations. I will also seek an operational and customer service review to determine opportunities for implementing technologies, shared services, and other measures to improve efficiency, customer service and responsiveness while containing costs. 

Contact Us

Contact us

Your trust is important to me - in return, I commit to being an engaged and energetic board representative that is open and accessible and will always work for our community's best interest. Thank you for your support!

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Endorsements

Mark Tettemer

Mayor, City of Lake Forest
Recycled Water Manager, IRWD (Ret.)

Steve Lamar

Former President
Association of California Water Agencies

Scott Goldman

Vice President
South Coast Water District

Steven Dopudja

President
Trabuco Canyon Water District

Phillip Paule

President
Eastern Municipal Water District

Randy Record

Former Chairman
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

Debby Cherny

Chief Executive Officer, SBCERA
Former Board Member, Riverside Public Utilities

Dennis Erdman 

Board Member
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

Karl Seckel

Board Member
Municipal Water District of Orange County
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

Craig Miller

General Manager
Western Municipal Water District
Orange Park Acres Resident

Mike Markus

Former General Manager 
Orange County Water District
City of Orange Resident

Laura Nomura

Former Deputy General Manager and Chief Financial Officer
Eastern Municipal Water District

Denis Bilodeau