SMWD Receives CAPIO Award for Annual Report by Santa Margarita Water District May 20, 2026 Member Submitted News Santa Margarita Water District (SMWD) was honored at the 2026 California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) EPIC Awards program in San Diego, receiving statewide recognition for its 2025 Accomplishments Report — a publication that captured a year of innovation, infrastructure investment, community engagement, and organizational excellence across the District. Presented annually, CAPIO’s EPIC Awards recognize outstanding public sector communications that demonstrate creativity, effectiveness, transparency, and meaningful community impact. The organization represents more than 1,000 public communicators throughout California, including professionals from municipalities, special districts, public safety agencies, schools, and water agencies. While the award recognizes the quality of the report itself, the accomplishments featured throughout its pages reflect the work of teams across the entire organization. From engineering and operations to information technology, customer care, water use efficiency, public affairs, finance, and administration, the report highlighted SMWD’s broad commitment to reliability, sustainability, innovation, and customer service. Among the many achievements featured in the report were major infrastructure and resiliency efforts, including the transformation of a decommissioned sewer lift station into the Las Flores Recycled Water Pump Station, a project expected to save approximately 49.2 million gallons of drinking water annually through expanded recycled water use. The report also highlighted the District’s investments in energy resiliency and operational continuity. Solar panels, microturbines, and battery backup systems now generate more than $750,000 in annual energy savings while helping protect critical facilities such as the Chiquita Wastewater Reclamation Plant, which processes more than 5.5 million gallons of wastewater daily. Additional accomplishments included securing $22.5 million in grants to offset infrastructure costs, advancing smart sewer system management through integrated CCTV and GIS technologies, supporting the rapid growth of Rancho Mission Viejo communities, and strengthening regional fire preparedness efforts through emergency water storage, hydrant infrastructure, and partnerships with firefighting agencies. The report also recognized the people-focused work happening throughout the District. SMWD’s Customer Care team assisted tens of thousands of customers throughout the year, while the Water Use Efficiency team helped customers navigate rebates, conservation programs, legislative changes, and sustainable landscaping practices. Public outreach efforts — including the annual Water Festival, infrastructure bus tours, HOA engagement, educational workshops, podcasts, and award-winning videos — helped customers better understand the value of water and the infrastructure required to deliver it reliably. The accomplishments report also showcased industry recognition received throughout the year, including statewide awards for excellence in wastewater collections, transparency in governance, innovation in recycled water infrastructure, and communications. SMWD also recognized the partnership behind the award-winning publication itself. The District partnered with Rebecca Cole and the team at Ardurra on the report’s graphic design and visual presentation, while SMWD staff developed the content and storytelling that brought the organization’s accomplishments to life. “Receiving recognition from CAPIO is an honor, but the real story is the exceptional work happening across Santa Margarita Water District every day,” said David Robertson, who attended the awards program on behalf of the District. “This report reflects the dedication, expertise, and innovation of employees throughout the organization who work tirelessly to serve our communities.” If the accomplishments highlighted in the 2025 report are any indication, SMWD’s 2026 Accomplishments Report is already shaping up to be another remarkable reflection of progress, innovation, and public service. Read the 2025 Accomplishments Report.
