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California Senate Announces Safe Drinking Water Plan

/in , /by /The Press (Brentwood, Calif.)

The State Senate has announced a plan to ensure safe drinking water throughout California. The proposal would implement a Safe Drinking Water Fund as outlined under SB 200, authored by Senator Bill Monning (D-Carmel). Rather than relying on new revenues, the Senate’s proposal authorizes the continuous appropriation of $150 million annually from the General Fund, with the same level of protections in place that a new fee would provide to ensure the funds are used only to secure safe drinking water in the most vulnerable communities. “California’s drinking water challenges are too urgent to ignore,” Senate Leader Toni Atkins said.

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Late-Season Snow Gives One Last Chance To Ski Tahoe This Memorial Day Weekend

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Dave Zook

It’s been a winter for the ages in Tahoe, with barely an end in sight. In February, Squaw Valley recorded its all-time highest snowfall for a single month with 313 inches (read: almost 1 foot per day on average). The region rolled into a wonderfully average March, and then to a quintessentially warm and sunny spring. Summer looked to be on the horizon, with trails beginning to melt out in April. But then a flurry of mid-May storms arrived, and we’re heading into Memorial Day weekend with boot-deep powder on the slopes. Historically, the Tahoe region has seen active weather patterns through May, with 80 of the last 109 years recorded measuring more than a trace of snow in the area.

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Valley Nut And Fruit Growers Get Relief In China Trade War

/in , /by /GV Wire (Fresno)

Growers of grapes, tree nuts, and cranberries got good news from Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Thursday morning. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide up to $16 billion in aid to farmers impacted by the tariff battle with Chinainitiated by President Donald Trump. A statement from the USDA said that Trump authorized the aid, which is a $4 billion bump from last year. “The plan we are announcing today ensures farmers do not bear the brunt of unfair retaliatory tariffs imposed by China and other trading partners,” Perdue said.

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A Small City Fights Plans For A Desalination Plant

/in , /by /KALW (San Francisco)by Angela Johnston

These almost unlimited coastal access points are what made Kathy Biala move here five years ago. She’s taking me to one of her favorite walking spots on the shore, but before we reach the beach Biala wants to take me on a little detour. We drive past the wastewater treatment plant, then to the regional landfill, and finally to a sand mining plant — a post-apocalyptic looking moonscape where sand from Marina beaches gets packaged for places like Home Depot, golf courses, and concrete manufacturers. The state determined that it was causing some of the worst beach erosion in California.

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Census Bureau: San Diego Posted 8th Largest Population Increase Among Big Cities

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein

San Diego posted the eighth largest population increase between July 1, 2017 and July 1, 2018 among cities with populations of 50,000 or more, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Thursday. During the 12-month period, the population of “America’s Finest City” grew by 11,549 people, a near 1 percent increase from the previous year. Phoenix saw the largest population increase in the country during the period, adding 25,288 people, according to the Census Bureau report. San Diego was the only city in California to make the top 10 for largest population gains in the latest report, while Texas had four cities make the top 10.

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OMWD Board President Ed Sprague with 2019 poster contest winners (L to R) Sayla Egger, Addison Bowe, and Delaney Owens. Photo: OMWD Water Awareness

Encinitas Students Take Home Honors in OMWD’s 2019 Water Awareness Poster Contest

/in , /by

Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors recognized the winners of the 2019 North County Water Agencies Water Awareness Poster Contest at its May 22 meeting.

Fourth-grade students living or attending school within OMWD’s service area were invited to enter the contest earlier this year. The top three posters all hailed from Mrs. Goyette’s class at Flora Vista Elementary in Encinitas.

Sayla Egger’s first-place poster features a superhero pup and encourages people to conserve water by recycling it.

Sayla Egger’s first-place poster features a superhero pup and encourages people to conserve water by recycling it. Photo: OMWD

Sayla Egger’s first-place poster features a superhero pup and encourages people to conserve water by recycling it. Photo: OMWD

Addison Bowe, the second-place winner, designed a poster that highlights the connection between water conservation and pollution prevention.

Addison Bowe, the second-place winner, designed a poster that highlights the connection between water conservation and pollution prevention. Photo: OMWD Poster Contest

Addison Bowe, the second-place winner, designed a poster that highlights the connection between water conservation and pollution prevention. Photo: OMWD

The poster that received third-place honors was created by Delaney Owens and portrays a side-by-side comparison of a world with water and a world without.

The poster that received third-place honors was created by Delaney Owens and portrays a side-by-side comparison of a world with water and a world without. Photo: OMWD

The poster that received third-place honors was created by Delaney Owens and portrays a side-by-side comparison of a world with water and a world without. Photo: OMWD

Contest encourages students to think about the importance of using water wisely

“We are fortunate to have such talented young artists in our area,” stated OMWD Board President Ed Sprague. “The annual poster contest is a great way for them to show off their talent and gets students thinking about the importance of using water wisely.”

The annual poster contest asks fourth-grade students to use their imaginations to create images that raise awareness on water-related issues. This year’s theme was “Be Water Smart.” The competition has occurred on a yearly basis for 26 years, and is an opportunity to teach students that everyone can take actions to use water efficiently, regardless of age.

Each winner received a prize along with a certificate of honor. North County water agencies will feature the winners’ artwork in their 2020 Water Awareness Calendar which will be available for free from OMWD later this year. The images will also be displayed in OMWD outreach material and on district vehicles.

 

Encinitas Students Take Home Honors in OMWD’s 2019 Water Awareness Poster Contest

/in , /by /Water News Network

Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors recognized the winners of the 2019 North County Water Agencies Water Awareness Poster Contest at its May 22 meeting. Fourth-grade students living or attending school within OMWD’s service area were invited to enter the contest earlier this year. The top three posters all hailed from Mrs. Goyette’s class at Flora Vista Elementary in Encinitas. “We are fortunate to have such talented young artists in our area,” stated OMWD Board President Ed Sprague. “The annual poster contest is a great way for them to show off their talent and gets students thinking about the importance of using water wisely.”

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City Of San Diego Hires New Water Department Director

/in , /by /NBC 7 San Diegoby Tom Jones

The city of San Diego has hired a new director for its Public Utilities Department, NBC 7 has learned. The department has struggled to regain customer trust after more than a year of audits and internal investigations. Shauna Lorance, currently the interim General Manager at Monterey County Water Resources, will take over the position vacated by Vic Bianes, who resigned abruptly last year. According to Lorance’s resume on LinkedIn, she also formerly worked at San Juan Water District. This comes after the mayor’s office announced earlier this year a major overhaul of its troubled water department, including the departures of five top directors and managers.

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San Diego Names New Director for Troubled Public Utilities Department

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Debbie L. Sklar

The city of San Diego Thursday announced the hiring of a new director for the Public Utilities Department, which has been without a permanent director since last summer. Shauna Lorance will assume the position from interim PUD Director Matt Vespi, who took over for former Director Vic Baines after he announced his retirement last August. Lorance is the interim general manager at the Monterey County Water Resources Agency and will remain in that position through the end of June, according to the city.

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Nuclear Waste From San Onofre Would Get First Dibs For Relocation Under New Bill

/in , /by /The Orange County Registerby Teri Sforza

A congressional bill that would prioritize the removal of nuclear waste from places with high population and high seismic activity — that is, San Onofre — was introduced Thursday, May 23, by U.S. Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano. Some 9 million people live within 50 miles of the shuttered San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station. About 20 million live within 50 miles of New York’s Indian Point reactors, which are about to be decommissioned.

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