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Cities In North Santa Clara County Explore Water Recycling Technologies For a Sustainable, Resilient Water Supply

With increased water demands due to climate change and population growth, solutions for a sustainable and resilient water supply are more critical than ever. That’s why the Santa Clara Valley Water District, now known as Valley Water, and the cities of Palo Alto and Mountain View are exploring a potential partnership to help fill the need for future drinking water supplies through new regional water reuse programs. Water reuse can include either traditional recycled water for non-drinking purposes such as irrigation and industrial needs, but it can also include reusing water for future drinking water supplies through advanced water purification technologies.

Drought Tolerant Crop Being Studied In The Valley

Big research is happening at the Kearney Agriculture and Extension Center in Fresno County.

Sorghum, a crop that looks similar to corn, is under a microscope.

Jeff Dahlberg, director of the center, said that sorghum is very drought tolerant.

“What we are looking for is the mechanism behind the drought tolerance in sorghum and if we can elucidate the genetics behind that, what we believe is we can use those genetics to see if the genetics in corn, or in rice, or in wheat,” he said.

West Basin MWD Completes Recycled Water Pump Station Improvements Project

Carson-headquartered West Basin Municipal Water District (WBMWD) recently announced the completion of its recycled water Pump Station Improvements Project, targeting enhanced local water supply and sustainability. The almost $18 million project includes the construction of a new pump station and the installation of a three-megawatt emergency generator at the most critical component of the WBMWD’s renowned water recycling program.

“Forward thinking investments in West Basin’s infrastructure allow the district to serve its recycled water customers and communities with a continuous flow of locally produced recycled water,” said WBMWD Board President Scott Houston.

Could Sea Level Rise Threaten The Water Coming Out Of Some California Taps?

Most Californians turn on their taps without thinking about where the water comes from or if that flow might trickle out someday. They may not realize how local, state, and even federal water managers work together to ensure a steady water supply now and in the future.

Flooding from earthquake-caused levee breeches or climate change-caused sea level rise could result in more saltwater invading our water supply that travels through the Delta. DWR’s climate scientists and water managers will address ways to plan for potential climate change impacts such as sea level rise at the Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Summit in Sacramento on September 17, 2019.

Trump Administration Threatens Jail Time For California Officials Over River Project

The Trump administration and California officials have sued each other, swapped insults on Twitter and clashed on everything from climate change to immigration.

But threatening someone with jail time? That might be a new one.

The threats came in a dispute over reintroducing winter-run Chinook salmon into the McCloud River, a pristine river above Shasta Dam, as part of a federal plan approved under the Obama administration to try to stave off extinction for the critically endangered fish.

State To Increase Flows On Santa Ynez River To Protect Steelhead

State officials have ordered increased water flows on the Santa Ynez River in Santa Barbara County to protect steelhead trout, which are endangered in Southern California.

The State Water Resources Control Board says Tuesday that its action follows two decades of legal efforts to address long-term declines in native fish populations in the Santa Ynez.

The order requires the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to increase flows below Cachuma Reservoir to provide additional habitat for steelhead. To minimize impacts on local water users, higher flows will be required only during wetter years.

Rare California Trout Species Returns To Native Habitat

For the first time in nearly a century, a rare California trout species will swim in a mountain creek that is its native habitat, marking a major milestone that conservationists hope will lead to a thriving population and removal of its threatened status.

About 30 Paiute cutthroat trout will be plucked Wednesday from Coyote Valley Creek in the eastern Sierra Nevada wilderness and hauled in cans strapped to pack mules about 2 miles west into Long Valley.

 

San Diego City Council Takes The Leap Into Community Choice Energy

The city of San Diego is about to enter the power-purchasing business.

On a 7-2 vote Tuesday afternoon, the San Diego City Council approved the formation of a community choice aggregation, or CCA, energy program. The council also approved a joint powers agreement that will see San Diego partner with Chula Vista, La Mesa, Encinitas and — by all indications — Imperial Beach to take the place of San Diego Gas & Electric when it comes to purchasing sources of electricity within their jurisdictions.

 

Pipeline 4 Repairs Underway In North San Diego County

A recently discovered leak in a section of a pipeline in North County will be repaired in coming months while Pipeline 4 returns to service.

Crews have installed bulkheads in the pipeline to isolate a portion of Pipeline 4 for repairs. This will allow the pipeline to continue treated water deliveries throughout the county in a modified fashion starting the week of Sept. 16 and restores full service to retail water agencies. With the leaky section isolated, crews will make necessary repairs.

Four Water Authority member agencies – Fallbrook PUD, Rainbow MWD, Valley Center MWD, and Vallecitos Water District – have taken steps to manage water supplies while the pipeline was shut down to install the bulkheads.

City of San Diego Draws On Local Water Supplies After Deliveries Reduced

Due to an unexpected reduction in imported water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), the City of San Diego was obligated to dip into its local water supplies to continue service to customers.

On Tuesday morning, algae clogged a filter screen on a major pipeline, causing an interruption in raw, untreated water from MWD to the San Diego County Water Authority. MWD cleared the pipeline that morning and full deliveries resumed by early afternoon. The City of San Diego purchases its imported water from the County Water Authority.