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Sunset Market in Oceanside welcomed the "Brought To You By Water" giant beach ball ambassador, accompanied by Water Authority community outreach staff who provided information and answered questions about the region's water supply. Photo: Authority

Giant Beach Ball Sparks Countywide Conversations on Water

In the wake of a successful summer kickoff event aboard the USS Midway on June 21, the San Diego County Water Authority and its member agencies are taking the new Brought To You By Water outreach and education program to events throughout the region this summer, including farmers’ markets, concerts in the park, and street fairs.

The program’s visual ambassador — a 10-foot-diameter beach ball emblazoned with the ‘Brought to You by Water’ logo — has proved to be a hit. Dozens of people of all ages have eagerly accepted an invitation to sign the beach ball. They are asked to write something important or meaningful that is made possible by a safe and reliable source of water for the region.

Themes on the beach ball include children at play, pets, sports, the environment, and even wildfire protection. So far, the beach ball has popped up at a movie night in Santee and the Sunset Market in Oceanside.

The next scheduled events are:

  • Thursday, July 26 from 3-7 p.m. at North Park Farmers’ Market
  • Friday, August 10, from 6-8 p.m. at Alga Norte Community Park, Carlsbad for TGIF Concert in the Park
  • Sunday, August 26 from 6-8 p.m. at ARTS District Liberty Station

Follow the Water Authority on social media for future event dates and announcements on upcoming Brought to You by Water events.

Giant beach ball becomes regional ambassador

Visitors to the Oceanside Sunset Market get a close look at the topics written on the 'Brought To You By Water' beach ball. Photo: Charlie Neuman, Water Authority

Visitors to the Oceanside Sunset Market get a close look at the topics written on the ‘Brought To You By Water’ beach ball. Photo: Charlie Neuman, Water Authority

 

The Water Authority’s Brought to You by Water program explains how San Diego’s thriving economy and quality of life are all made possible by the safe and reliable water supply provided by the Water Authority and its 24 retail member agencies.

The  yearlong effort underscores the importance of water reliability to the region’s core industries, focusing on tourism, manufacturing, agriculture and craft brewing. According to a newly released San Diego Economic Development Corporation report, access to safe and reliable water supplies supports $482 million in total regional sales of goods and services daily. This figure is equivalent to the economic impact of nearly three Comic-Cons a day.

For more information about Brought to You by Water, visit B2UbyH2O.org

San Diego County Water Authority Logo Stacked Tagline

Water Authority Expands Water-Use Efficiency Opportunities For Low-Income Homes

San Diego, Calif. – The San Diego County Water Authority is expanding a long-running partnership with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) to increase the availability of devices that save both water and energy for thousands of income-qualified residents across the region. The Water Authority’s investment of $150,000 will supplement funding for water-saving devices, allowing SDG&E’s Energy Savings Assistance Program to serve more customers.

Sweetwater Authority Awards WEEP Grant to the City of Chula Vista’s Naturescape Program

Chula Vista, Calif. – Sweetwater Authority (Authority) presented a $5,000 award check to the City of Chula Vista Office of Sustainability at its July 25 Board meeting as part of the Authority’s Water Efficiency Education Program (WEEP) grant program.

The grant award will assist the City of Chula Vista relaunch its NatureScape Program. Originally implemented in 2006, the goal of the program is to create “Certified Wildlife Habitats” in yards by using a certification process from the National Wildlife Federation.

Controversial Bill Could Exempt California WaterFix From Judicial Review

A federal spending bill containing three controversial riders that may impact California water management for decades passed the House of Representatives July 19 and will next face debate in the U.S. Senate. The Fiscal Year 2019 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill (H.R. 6147), was introduced by Rep. Ken Calvert (CA-42). Calvert, who serves as the Chairman of the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, included a rider identified as Section 437 in the bill that would exempt the California WaterFix project from state and federal judicial review.

Capitol Rally To Protest Water Agency’s Bay-Delta Plan

Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, is holding a rally on August 20th at noon on the steps of the State Capitol to protest Phase 1 of the State Water Resources Control Board’s Bay Delta Plan The plan would require an average of 40% unimpaired flows along the Merced, Tuolumne, and Stanislaus Rivers for the protection of fish.

San Diego County Water Authority Dedicates $150K To Efficiency Program

The San Diego County Water Authority Wednesday announced expanded funding for a partnership with San Diego Gas & Electric that increases the availability of devices that save water and energy for thousands of income-qualified residents. The Water Authority is investing an additional $150,000 into SDG&E’s Energy Savings Assistance Program, which funds the purchase of devices like low- flow showerheads and efficiency washing machines. “We are committed to helping the San Diego region make the most of our water supplies inside and outside their homes through a variety of innovative projects and programs,” said Mark Muir, chair of the Water Authority’s Board of Directors.

Sites Reservoir Earns $816 Million In Proposition 1 Funding

Nearly four years after voters approved billions of dollars for new water storage in California, the state finally announced how the pie would be divided. Sites Reservoir in Colusa County, west of Maxwell, will get the largest chunk. The proposed reservoir has been on the drawing boards since last century. It’s the largest and most expensive proposal of the eight projects considered by the California Water Commission on Tuesday. It received the largest award, too — $816 million.

Temperance Flat Dam Gets $171 Million. Project Just Needs Another $2.6 Billion

The proposed Temperance Flat dam east of Fresno on the upper San Joaquin River has been awarded $171 million by the California Water Commission, which doled out $2.5 million Wednesday for water storage projects around the state. The amount for Temperance Flat is far less than the $1 billion that proponents had asked for. The cost of building the dam is estimated at $2.83 billion. But the project is not dead, said Tulare County Supervisor Steve Worthley, president of the San Joaquin Valley Water Infrastructure Authority.

OPINION: New California Water Storage? About Time

It has long been plain that California must do a better job of capturing rainfall and melting snow by adding water storage. Yet for decades, governors, lawmakers and bureaucrats have struggled to agree on funding for new or expanded dams or reservoirs — even as the state’s population has grown amid droughts from 25 million in 1982 to 40 million now.

Giant Beach Ball Sparks Countywide Conversations On Water

In the wake of a successful summer kickoff event aboard the USS Midway on June 21, the San Diego County Water Authority and its member agencies are taking the new Brought To You By Water outreach and education program to events throughout the region this summer, including farmers’ markets, concerts in the park, and street fairs. The program’s visual ambassador — a 10-foot-diameter beach ball emblazoned with the ‘Brought to You by Water’ logo — has proved to be a hit.