Mesa Water Education Center

The Mesa Water Education Center, the only facility of its kind in Orange County, is a premier destination for fifth grade school fieldtrips, civic, business and community organizations and residents to learn more about water.

The 2,400 square-foot Center in Costa Mesa offers an interactive experience featuring more than 20 exhibits. The Redwood Theater provides a never-before seen look at Mesa Water’s unique ancient amber water story – and the fully immersive Explorer, takes passengers on an adventure to the underground aquifer.

Visitors can explore concepts including Mesa Water’s 100% local water supply, infrastructure that delivers water to homes and businesses, the Orange County Groundwater Basin, the California water system and much more! The education curriculum meets Next Generation Science Standards and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) guidelines.

Mesa Water Reliability Facility Helps Provide Customers with a 100% Local Water Supply

The Mesa Water Reliability Facility, co-located at the site of the Mesa Water Education Center, opened in 2000 and was upgraded in 2013.

The wells at the state-of-the art facility pull water from a deep aquifer, right under Costa Mesa, which contains water that is 12,000 years old. This special water, also known as ‘redwood tea,’ has an amber-colored tint from the remnants of the redwood trees that used to inhabit the coastal area of Southern California more than 30,000 years ago. Although the water is safe to drink straight from the ground, Mesa Water uses nanofiltration technology to remove the amber tint, and the clear water is added to our water supply.

This unique water source provides about 15% of Mesa Water’s supply and makes Mesa Water the only water district in Orange County to meet 100% of its community’s needs with locally sourced water ensuring a drought-resilient water source for Mesa Water’s service area.

Mesa Water’s Water-Wise Demonstration Garden and Mini Redwood Forest

The lush grounds at the Mesa Water Education Center feature a water-wise demonstration garden with California-native plants and flowers, promoting water efficient landscaping. Majestic redwood trees tower over the Center, as a homage to the redwood forest that once grew in the area. The redwood trees prefer a moist environment, so an automated mist system keeps the trees hydrated under the warm Orange County sun.

How to Visit the Education Center

The Mesa Water Education Center is currently open for fifth-grade field trips and community tours upon appointment. Please contact Hester “Fritz” Petropoulos at HesterP@MesaWater.org or           949-207-5413 to book a field trip or tour.