California plans to halve the level at which water suppliers must test for perchlorate in drinking water.
The move is the first step in lowering the state’s drinking water standard for the chemical, which is used in rocket fuel, fireworks, and airbags, said Robert Brownwood, assistant deputy director in the State Water Resources Control Board’s division of drinking water.
The City of San Diego’s colorful 2020 Water Conservation Calendar features winning artwork from 19 students throughout San Diego. This is the 20th year the calendar has been produced by the City’s Public Utilities Department. The theme was water conservation.
“The children’s artwork in these calendars is fantastic, and helps present the importance of reducing water use,” said Shauna Lorance, director of the Public Utilities Department.
RANCHO SAN DIEGO — Shauna Lorance knows more than a drop about a career in the water and wastewater industry.
Lorance worked in several executive management positions for the San Juan Water District for 20 years, for the Monterey County Water Resources Agency as its interim general manager, and was a consultant for several other water districts in the state before being named the city of San Diego’s Public Utilities Director last August.
Lorance will be the keynote speaker at the third annual Women in Water Symposium, which will be held Thursday, Jan. 16, at Cuyamaca College. The event is free for students and $35 for others. It will be followed by a tour of the Water Conservation Garden, adjacent to the school.
CHULA VISTA — The Sweetwater Authority governing board last week approved a 2 percent raise for General Manager Tish Berge.
The raise sets Berge’s annual salary at $231,000, retroactive to July. It marks her second raise since she was hired in June 2017 to manage Sweetwater, which serves 190,000 customers in National City, Bonita and a large portion of Chula Vista.
Board chairman Steve Castaneda said the raise, which matches a 2 percent raise given to employees, represents a cost-of-living adjustment.
A storm system from the Gulf of Alaska is poised to make Wednesday night in the Bay Area wet and windy.
The system is expected to deliver winds with gusts of up to 40 miles per hour and rain across the region, starting in the North Bay around sunset before moving south. Up to 2 feet of snow could fall in parts of Northern California and the Sierra, according to the National Weather Service, while local precipitation is expected to continue through Thursday, when showers give way to a cloudy Friday.
US developer Sunpin Solar on Friday held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction of the 98-MW Titan Solar 1 project in California.
Commissioning is expected to take place in the fourth quarter of 2020.
The solar park will be built on 569 acres (230.3 hectares) between the Salton Sea and Anza Borrego Desert State Park in California’s Imperial County. With over 260,000 panels installed, Titan Solar 1 is set to produce more than 218,000 MWh per year, or enough power for over 26,900 homes annually, the California-based solar developer said.
State legislators plan to tackle widespread problems of groundwater overpumping in rural Arizona this session, proposing bills that would make it easier to limit well-drilling in farming areas where residents have asked for help from the state to safeguard their dwindling water supplies.
At least four bills have been filed or are planned to strengthen groundwater rules and oversight in rural areas where there are no limits on pumping and where water levels have fallen dramatically. More bills are expected to be introduced in the coming days.
Valley Center farmers aren’t alone when it comes to the high cost of water. But it could get lonelier and costlier if two neighboring water districts unyoke from the Water Authority to get a fresh start in Riverside.
In December, the boards of the Fallbrook Public Utility District and the Rainbow Municipal Water District voted to begin detachment from the San Diego County Water Authority in order to join Riverside’s Eastern Municipal Water District.
Will those left behind pay more as others tap new supplies? Questions are flying in Valley Center, where farms are the main customers, even as avocado turf keeps shrinking
Encinitas, CA—To encourage water conservation and reduce runoff that can carry pollutants into local waterways and beaches, Olivenhain Municipal Water District has partnered with San Dieguito Water District and Santa Fe Irrigation District to offer discounted rain barrels to area residents.
The City of San Diego’s colorful 2020 Water Conservation Calendar features winning artwork from 19 students throughout San Diego.
This is the 20th year the calendar has been produced by the City’s Public Utilities Department. The theme was water conservation.
“The children’s artwork in these calendars is fantastic, and helps present the importance of reducing water use,” said Shauna Lorance, director of the Public Utilities Department. “I encourage San Diegans to pick up a calendar and learn about water conservation all year.”
More than 100 San Diego children entered the 2020 Water Conservation Calendar Kids’ Poster Contest.
Second-grade student Isabella Chen of Solana Ranch Elementary School in Carmel Valley is a two-time winner. She placed second in 2019 as a first-grader, and is the first place winner for her grade this year.
There were five winners from Solana Ranch Elementary, the most for any single school.
The complete list of winning student artists:
First Place winner, First Grade: Sophia Shuwen Hu, Monterey Ridge Elementary, 4S Ranch
First Grade
First Place winner, Second Grade: Isabella Chen, Solana Ranch Elementary, Carmel Valley
Second Grade
First Place winner, Third Grade: Derick Chi, Sage Canyon Elementary, Carmel Valley
Third Grade
First Place winner, Fourth Grade: Veronica Yu, Del Mar Pines Elementary, Carmel Valley
Fourth Grade
First Place winner, Fifth Grade: Joshua Lee, Marie Curie Elementary, University City
Fifth Grade
First Place winner, Sixth Grade: Sarah Huang, Solana Ranch Elementary, Carmel Valley
Sixth Grade
Recycled Water Winner: Mia Banerjee, John Spreckels Elementary, University City (Third Grade)
Recycled Water Winner
Copies of the 2020 Kids’ Poster Contest Calendar are available for free at all City of San Diego Public Library branches and Recreation Centers. For water conservation tips, rebates and other information, go to www.wastenowater.org.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
