SOCWA was created on July 1, 2001 to facilitate and manage the collection, transmission, treatment and disposal of wastewater for more than 500,000 homes and businesses across South Orange County. SOCWA also manages production of recycled water for irrigation and commercial uses, which saves approximately six billion gallons of domestic water each year that otherwise would be used for those purposes.

SOCWA is a Joint Powers Authority with ten member agencies, consisting of local retail water agencies and cities that provide water to their residents. It operates four treatment plants and two ocean outfalls, in addition to multiple programs to meet the needs of its member agencies and the requirements of the Clean Water Act and applicable National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits.

SOCWA is the legal successor to the Aliso Water Management Agency, South East Regional Reclamation Authority and South Orange County Reclamation Authority. It has no taxing authority.