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EPA Wants to Spend $300 Million for Border Sewage Problem

/in , , /by /KPBS-FM-TVby City News Service

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed spending $300 million to address the problem of toxic sewage flowing across the border into San Diego County, legislators announced Tuesday.

The money would be part of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act, and will be used for the engineering, planning, design and construction of wastewater infrastructure at the border, officials said.

“San Diegans have suffered too long from the regular flow of raw sewage into our country from Mexico. With the full $300 million, the EPA can now lead a comprehensive and coordinated effort with the local community to build much-needed wastewater infrastructure for the region,” read a joint statement from Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, Reps. Susan Davis, Scott Peters and Juan Vargas, all D-San Diego, and Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano. “The health and safety of California’s border communities must be a top priority for everyone involved. We will continue to work with local communities, the state and federal agencies to finally bring some relief to San Diego County.”

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California State Capitol

California Senate Leaders Propose Economic Recovery Plan

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San Diego County Water Authority Board Chair Jim Madaffer today praised planning efforts by state Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins of San Diego and other state Senate leaders to help guide California’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The senate plans include funding to create jobs, boost infrastructure investments and to protect renters and landlords.

“We are very appreciative of President pro Tem Toni Atkins’ efforts to advance immediate action on economic recovery and creative solutions to jump-start California’s economy without exacerbating the already-challenging fiscal conditions being experienced at the state and local government levels,” Madaffer said. “We look forward to engaging on the details and partnering with the state to move forward on shovel-ready water and energy infrastructure projects that can help the state’s economic recovery gain traction.”

The Water Authority pledged to work with Sen. Atkins as the Legislature begins the challenging – but necessary – work of crafting comprehensive and responsible solutions to address the crisis and begin the task of restoring the economy.

Economic Recovery Fund

One of the proposals would create a $25 billion Economic Recovery Fund through establishment of prepaid future tax vouchers from 2024 through 2033. The funds could be used to accelerate infrastructure projects and boost the green economy.

It would also create jobs and provide a myriad of services and resources, from small business and worker assistance and retraining to wildfire prevention response and schools most harmed by campus closures.

In addition senate leaders outlined a budget approach to help the state rebound from COVID-19.

“Our goal is to offer ideas for our state budget and economic recovery that take a responsible approach to planning for our state’s spending, while also keeping in mind the needs of Californians, millions of whom have been adversely impacted by the pandemic,” said Atkins.

Coalition Asks Congress To Fund State Drinking, Wastewater Districts Amid Pandemic

/in , , /by /SF Gateby Kiley Russell

A large coalition of government and advocacy groups Tuesday asked for congressional help to ensure that California can continue to deliver safe drinking water during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Rethinking (Waste)water and Conservation

/in , , /by /Phys Orgby Tess Eyrich

When it comes to water conservation in cities that depend on wastewater reuse, even the best intentions can have unintended consequences. That’s the main message to be gleaned from new findings from a team of water economists and engineers led by Kurt Schwabe, a professor of environmental economics and policy and the associate dean of the School of Public Policy at the University of California, Riverside.

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Opinion: Forests Can Help Boost California’s Economic Recovery

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Laurie Wayburn

As California begins its recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, the Legislature has a short window to simultaneously address both our current economic losses and ongoing climate challenges. Although these remain unprecedented times, it is also an opportunity to envision a better future and a different way of doing things, particularly regarding fire, drought, water reliability, forest health and how these are entwined with our economic recovery.

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Erick Del Bosque-Sweetwater Authority-Water Utility Hero

Water Utility Hero of the Week: Erick Del Bosque, Sweetwater Authority

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This feature highlights water utility employees in the San Diego region working during the coronavirus pandemic to ensure a safe, reliable and plentiful water supply. The water industry is among the sectors that are classified as essential.

Water Utility Hero of the Week: Erick Del Bosque

Job/Agency: Engineering Manager at Sweetwater Authority

How did you become interested in working in the water industry?

I was in my junior year of college when I was having serious doubts about the major I chose civil engineering.  This was mostly due to required coursework that was not of interest to me and I was seriously considering switching majors.  However, during this junior year of college I got involved with a nonprofit organization called Engineers Without Borders and I got to design and construct a water filtration system with other engineering students, for a rural community in northern Thailand.  This was a great rewarding experience and sparked my interest in the water industry.  During my senior year of college when most of my coursework consisted of elective courses, I mostly selected elective coursework related to water resources, water distribution, and water treatment so I could pursue a job in the water industry.

How has job changed during the pandemic?

At Sweetwater Authority we have implemented a rotation schedule for when staff needs to work from the office and when staff needs to work remotely from home.  This ensures that we have sufficient coverage in the office for all areas while maintaining social distancing from each other.  For those days where I need to work remotely from home, the remote connection from the laptop at home to my office computer is very smooth and it’s just like if I were working from my office computer, with the exception that I don’t have an extra computer monitor at home like I have in my office.  Working from home does have some occasional challenges though, such as interruptions from my 3-year old son or having my dogs barking during conference call meetings, but overall, I have adjusted well to the different working conditions.

How are you keeping safe?

By following the recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and state and local governments, such as wearing a face mask when in public areas, washing my hands or using hand sanitizer after touching areas that might have been touched by others, following social distancing recommendations, and only going out of the house for essential things such as buying groceries.

What are you most looking forward to after the crisis ends?

To hang out with friends and family.

Editor’s note: The Water Utility Hero of the Week highlights essential work performed during the COVID-19 pandemic by employees of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies.

San Diego County Water Authority Member Agency Map

Essential Repairs Completed on Pipeline 5 in North County

/in , , /by /Water News Networkby Kristiene Gong Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority and its contractors have completed essential repairs on a section of Pipeline 5 in North San Diego County between Fallbrook and Escondido. The repairs included installing 156 feet of carbon fiber liner inside the 96-inch pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipe to extend its service life. The pipeline was returned to normal service over the weekend – ahead of the original schedule.

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Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump’s California Water Plan

/in , , /by /AP News

A federal court on Tuesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to pump more water to the agricultural Central Valley, which critics said would threaten endangered species and salmon runs.

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Opinion: Here’s How Less than 10% of Farmland Could Solve the Colorado River’s Water Deficit

/in , , /by /Arizona Centralby Bruce Babbitt

It is no exaggeration to say that a mega-drought not seen in 500 years has descended on the seven Colorado River Basin states: Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and California. That’s what the science shows, and that’s what the region faces.

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New Federal Clean Water Rule Puts Expensive Onus on Colorado

/in , , /by /The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)by Jerd Smith

Colorado and other Western states will be hard-pressed to shield their rivers and streams under a new federal Clean Water Act rule finalized last month, largely because hundreds of shallow Western rivers are no longer protected, and writing new state laws and finding the cash to fill the regulatory gap will likely take years, officials said.

Though many agricultural interests and water utilities support the new Waters of the U.S. rule, as it is known, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and Patrick Pfaltzgraff, director of the state’s Water Quality Control Division, said they will take legal action to protect streams that are no longer subject to federal oversight.

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