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Extreme Storm Could Overwhelm Southern California Dam and Flood Thousands

HESPERIA, Calif. — Federal engineers have found that a dam protecting the high desert communities of Victorville, Hesperia, Apple Valley and Barstow falls short of national safety standards and could erode and collapse in an extreme flood, inundating thousands of people. Officials for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Tuesday that they had raised the risk factor for the Mojave River Dam from “low” to “high urgency action” because of “performance concerns” discovered at the 48-year-old structure, which joins a growing inventory of California dams showing signs of severe stress.

New Baja California Governor Promises To Stop Cross-Border Sewage

Jaime Bonilla was sworn into office Friday as governor of California’s neighboring Mexican state. As a member of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s Morena party, his election marks the first time in 30 years that the PAN party hasn’t held power in Baja. In his first major speech since taking office, Governor Bonilla promised to address poverty, public safety issues and end cross-border sewage flows within six months. Bonilla, a dual U.S.-Mexico citizen, formerly served as an elected member of the Otay Water District in Chula Vista.

Metropolitan to Study Stormwater Recharge Potential in So Cal

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is expanding its effort to learn more about the water supply potential of local stormwater capture with a new $7.5 million pilot program approved today by its board of directors. By funding construction of new stormwater projects and installation of monitoring equipment on existing ones, the program will gather data on the amount of water produced by projects that capture local rainfall and stormwater runoff and use it to recharge groundwater basins in the region.

San Diego Taking Steps to Revive Landmark Water Recycling Program Amid Legal Dispute

SAN DIEGO — San Diego took key legal steps Tuesday aimed at reviving efforts to construct the city’s $4 billion Pure Water pipeline, which was abruptly halted this summer by a legal dispute over the use of unionized construction workers. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to remove pro-union language from contracts for Pure Water, a recycling system that would purify treated sewage into drinking water and supply one-third of San Diego’s water supply by 2035.