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Back Off the Beach and the Rising Sea? No Way, California Cities Say

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Julie Cart

The view from high up in Del Mar’s 17th Street lifeguard station is a visit-California poster: a sweeping curve of sand, dramatic coastal bluffs, a welcoming sea. What scientists see, though, is somewhat more sobering: the Pacific Ocean as seething menace, a marine battering ram born of climate change that will inexorably claim more and more land and whatever sits upon it.

With rising seas now posing a greater threat to California’s economy than wildfires or severe earthquakes, state authorities are cautioning those who live along some of the Golden State’s famous beaches to do what they’re loath to do: retreat. Turn their backs to the sea and move homes, businesses, schools and critical infrastructure out of harm’s way.

The ocean could rise two to ten feet by 2100, imperiling $150 billion in property, according to state estimates, and erasing two-thirds of California’s beaches.

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Bernhardt: Newsom’s Water Gambit “Potentially Unlawful”

/in , , /by /The Sunby Alex Tavlian

U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt isn’t shying away from reminding Californians who reigns supreme in its water wars. In a letter issued Tuesday, Bernhardt reminded California leaders that its ability to act unilaterally in enacting restrictive rules governing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is limited and could violate the law.

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Researchers Say COVID-19 Building Closures Could Affect Water Quality

/in , , /by /Treatment Plant Operator (Three Lakes, Wisc.)

While restaurants, gyms, schools and other buildings are closed indefinitely to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the quality of water left sitting in pipes could change.

In buildings nationwide, water left sitting for long periods of time could contain excessive amounts of heavy metals and pathogens that are concentrated in pipes, say researchers who have begun a field study on the impact of the pandemic shutdown on buildings.

The problem of stagnant water may not be confined to buildings recently closed. Water could have been bad for months or years in old hospital buildings that cities are reopening to accommodate a potential influx of COVID-19 patients.

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Front-Line Heroes: Austin Casey, San Diego County Water Authority

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Front-Line Heroes

County Water Authority system operator

Name: Austin Casey

Job: San Diego County Water Authority system operator

Family: Wife, Mina; three children

Task during the pandemic: “As systems operators we are here to ensure the aqueduct system keeps water flowing safely and reliably throughout San Diego County. We maintain our daily tasks of operating, water quality sampling, and station checks to ensure all equipment is functioning properly. During the pandemic, we have been reminded of how critical it is to be efficient and effective with our normal duties, so we are ready to take on unforeseen challenges.”

How has pandemic changed the job? “I feel our job is the same during the pandemic. It’s more of adjusting to a new normal and being able to staff the department in a way where everyone feels safe.”

How are you keeping safe? “We say the control room and surrounding office has never looked so clean because of all the sanitizing we are doing. We are also getting used to social distancing and being aware of personal space, because we do work in close quarters. Hand washing and sanitizing all our office equipment, field instruments and trucks has been key to staying healthy.”

“The role we play as critical infrastructure operators may go unseen to many, but we are here to ensure the public receives a safe, secure, reliable supply of water without having to worry about it at all.”

Austin Casey-System Operator-San Diego County Water Authority

San Diego County Water Authority System Operator Austin Casey is one of the essential workers keeping the region’s water supply safe, reliable and plentiful. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

The Union-Tribune wants to recognize workers who are still on the job serving the public during the coronavirus crisis.

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As Tijuana Sewage Pollutes South San Diego Beaches, County Asks for Federal Help

/in , , /by /KPBS-FM/TVby Erik Anderson

South San Diego County’s ocean waters are awash in sewage-tainted runoff coming across the border and local and state officials want action to stop the polluted flows.

Sixty million gallons of sewage-tainted water flows into the U.S. every day.

“The entire sewer system of Tijuana has collapsed,” said Serge Dedina, Imperial Beach mayor. “And it appears there is absolutely no effort underway in Mexico, on the part of the U..S federal government, the Trump administration, to actually move forward and ask for emergency repairs so that we don’t endure an entire summer of polluted beaches.”

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Construction Begins on Essential Water Project in Mission Trails Regional Park

/in , /by

The San Diego County Water Authority is making progress on the construction of a new 5 million gallon underground reservoir in Mission Trails Regional Park. The underground reservoir is also known as a flow regulatory structure.

Classified as a “critical or essential” infrastructure project during the COVID-19 response, the project is moving forward to stay on schedule. Water Authority and contractor staff are taking heath protection precautions to maintain public safety by following COVID-19 safety guidelines, including wearing face masks, using hand sanitizers, and disinfecting fencing, work tools and equipment.

Construction preparation underway for water project

Recent work includes the installation of temporary office trailers at the east end of Clairemont Mesa Drive in the City of San Diego, delivery of materials, installation of eight-foot fencing around the major construction sites and placement of silt fencing around environmentally sensitive areas.

Topsoil is being removed and saved where digging is planned. This topsoil will be placed back in its original location after construction is done to encourage plant re-growth, help hold water and prevent soil erosion. Construction crews are working Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Trail closures to ensure safety of public and essential workers

Some trails in the western portion of the park are closed to ensure the safety of the public and essential workers on site. Several trail closure signs with maps have been strategically placed to help park users navigate the trails and take detours to avoid the construction area.

The project is in the western part of Mission Trails Regional Park near the Tierrasanta community. It includes building the new underground covered reservoir, a flow control facility and pipeline interconnections to upgrade the system that delivers water to treatment plants serving the central and southern areas of San Diego County. The project is anticipated to be complete in early 2022.

Essential IID Employees Living On Job Site to Stay Protected

/in , , /by /KYMAby Alexandra Rangel

Essential workers at Imperial Irrigation District, are now living at their job site in order to stay protected from the coronavirus.  According to IID, they will be housing 32 employees who are vital in providing Imperial County residents with water and energy.

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What’s Flushed Today Can be a Problem Months from Now Because of Coronavirus Fears

/in , , /by /Palm Springs Desert Sunby Larry Bohannan

Most businesses across the country and certainly in the Coachella Valley are dealing with the fallout from the coronavirus crisis on a daily basis.

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South Orange County Water Reservoir, Dam Project Still Moving Forward

/in , , /by /The Capistrano Dispatch (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)by Collin Breaux

A water dam and reservoir under construction on land acquired from Rancho Mission Viejo has not been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, according to Santa Margarita Water District Deputy General Manager Don Bunts.

Recent rainfall, however, has affected the Trampas Canyon Dam and Reservoir project, which intends to store recycled water. Work on the project restarted on Monday, April 27, after being delayed for a few weeks, Bunts said.

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One Way to Monitor a Community’s Coronavirus Infections: Test the Sewage

/in , , /by /KQEDby Danielle Venton

By now we’ve heard plenty about the difficulty of accessing widespread testing for the coronavirus. However, there is another approach for municipalities who want to know the presence and extent of the COVID-19 virus in their community…

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