Archive for year: 2019
You are now in Media Coverage San Diego County category.
Lower Santa Margarita River Recycled Water Pilot Project Among CWA’s IRWM Grant Applications
The San Diego County Water Authority has an Integrated Regional Water Management plan and the state’s Department of Water Resources has a grant program for IRWM projects. The latest SDCWA grant applications include one for the Fallbrook Public Utility District’s pilot program which would recharge recycled water in the Santa Margarita River basin. A unanimous Sept. 26 CWA board vote approved grant applications totaling $14,416,156 including $687,500 for the FPUD indirect potable reuse pilot project.
San Diego County LAFCO Approves MOU to Handle All FPUD/Rainbow Reorganization Hearings
San Diego County’s Local Agency Formation approved a memorandum of understanding with Riverside County’s LAFCO which will delegate entirely to San Diego LAFCO the potential reorganization in which the Fallbrook Public Utility District and the Rainbow Municipal Water District would detach from the San Diego County Water Authority and become part of the Eastern Municipal Water District. The 8-0 LAFCO board vote, Oct. 7, also included direction to LAFCO staff to review the economic impacts not only for FPUD and Rainbow but also to the SDCWA and to the 22 other CWA member agencies.
MWD and Partners Helping to Bring More Native Plants to SoCal to be More Water Efficient
A new pilot program has been launched by numerous organizations in Southern California to aid residents in selecting more native plants for their homes and gardens to become even more water-efficient. Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California and local water agencies have teamed up with the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) to boost the number and variety of native plants offered at local nurseries.
The New Weapon In The War Over Dam Removal: Economics
The decadeslong Pacific Northwest salmon war may be nearing the end.
But it’s economics, not fish, that could be the demise of four dams at the center of the fight.
The dams on the Lower Snake River — besieged by conservationists and biologists for killing fish — are now battered by falling prices for renewable energy, skyrocketing replacement costs for aging turbines and a growing tab for environmental mitigation.
“The jig is up,” said Daniel Malarkey, a senior fellow at the Sightline Institute, a regional think tank focused on energy, economic and environmental policy. “We had this super-cheap power relative to other resources, and we’ve piled a bunch of extra costs on it.”
An Environmental Group Found Arsenic And Chromium In Tap Water In All 50 US States. Here’s How To Check What’s In Your Taps.
In 2017, the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG) released a database of all the known contaminants lurking in US drinking water. After compiling data from 50,000 public water utilities across the country from 2010 to 2015, the group found 267 chemicals that they dubbed concerning to human health.
On Wednesday, the group announced an update to those findings: After analyzing the same data set from 2012 to 2017, the EWG found 278 contaminants in US drinking water.
The health risk of each contaminant is “going to vary region by region, state by state, utility by utility,” Tasha Stoiber, a senior scientist at EWG, told Business Insider.
Central Coast Project Would Raise Water Bills, Endanger Aquifer, Opponents Say
Activists and local government officials across Monterey County have banded together to fight a proposed desalination plant that could double the cost of water for some residents and endanger an aquifer that serves low-income communities.
Opponents say the plant could cause saltwater to seep into the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin, the aquifer that provides freshwater to much of Monterey County.
California American Water (CalAm), an investor-owned public utility, however, says the plant is needed to fulfill the Monterey Peninsula’s water needs, and that the effects on other communities will be minimal, if any.
Bipartisan San Diego Water Bill Introduced By Representatives Hunter, Davis, and Peters
San Diego Congressional members Scott Peters, Duncan Hunter and Susan Davis have introduced bipartisan federal legislation to simplify permit requirements to operate the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plan, with a goal of providing purified, recycled drinking water for the San Diego region and reducing ocean pollution.
The bill, H.R. 4611, the Ocean Pollution Reduction Act II, was introduced in the House on October 4, 2019.
‘Big Ideas’ Diversify San Diego Region’s Reliable Water Supply
Ensuring water for future generations requires investing and investigating big ideas, according to Sandy Kerl.
Kerl, acting general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority, shared some of those ideas today in San Diego, as she delivered the opening remarks at the California-Nevada Section of the American Water Works Association annual fall conference, which runs through Thursday at the Town and Country Hotel Convention Center.
“Big ideas” diversify water supply portfolio
The theme of the conference is “Re/Source: Sustaining Life Through Diversity of Water.”
The Water Authority has worked for three decades to increase San Diego County’s water supply reliability through supply diversification in a region with few natural water assets.
“While we’re proud of the progress we have made, we know that we can’t stand still,” said Kerl.
She described three of the “big ideas” the Water Authority is exploring to increase its water portfolio to meet the needs of 3.3 million people and a $231 billion economy:
- A major pumped storage project at the San Vicente Reservoir to enhance clean energy for California
- A new water conveyance system for Colorado River supplies
- And, a storage account in Lake Mead that would allow the Water Authority to help the Colorado River Basin
“We are investing and investigating big ideas for future generations,” says @sdcwa Acting G.M. Sandy Kerl in opening session remarks @CANVAWWA #CANVAFC2019
?Here’s 3:
• Major pumped storage project
• New Colorado River water conveyance system
• Storage account in Lake Mead pic.twitter.com/hkq8sKg7c4— San Diego County Water Authority (@sdcwa) October 22, 2019
Conservation plays key role in sustaining water supply
Kerl also said San Diego County residents play a big part in making water conservation a success.
“I’m proud to say that our 2019 public opinion survey shows that virtually every resident believes in water-use efficiency as a civic duty,” she said.
During a panel discussion, Kerl talked about the importance of supply diversification.
“Creating new sources of supply is critical, but sustainability is really about having a balanced water portfolio approach to ensure a safe, reliable supply,” said Kerl. “Potable reuse is another piece of the puzzle, but you can’t recycle what you don’t have, so we need to look at creating new sources of water supply, such as desalination.”
Tap into resilience
The theme of resilience and sustainability was echoed by the other panelists.
Cynthia Koehler, executive director of WaterNow Alliance, said the organization’s “Tap into Resilience” initiative offers support for projects to enhance water resources now and for future generations.
“The initiative is a unique and comprehensive set of resources for water decision-makers, but also for utility staff and managers to help them implement sustainable water systems,” said Koehler.
Paula Kehoe, director of water resources for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, said drought, climate change, and, in particular for the utility, pending environmental regulation, could cause significant issues for water supplies.
“Conservation has been key to increasing our local water supply,” said Kehoe. “We also are pumping groundwater to increase local supply, and we have a groundwater storage and recharge program to build up groundwater supplies for future droughts.”
Imperial County Declares Salton Sea Emergency, Demands California Take Action
Imperial County has had enough. That was the message from the county board of supervisors on Tuesday as they voted unanimously to declare a local state of emergency at the Salton Sea.
And that may not be all: In addition to the action on the state’s largest lake, supervisors said they will seek another emergency declaration on the badly polluted New River — which flows into the Salton Sea — in two weeks.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
