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“Mega-Drought” Takes Dramatic Toll On Colorado River System That Provides Water to 40 Million People

/in , , /by /CBS News

Scientists are calling it a “mega-drought” brought on by climate change. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor Map shows large areas of the Southwest are “exceptionally dry,” the worst category. It’s taking a dramatic toll on the Colorado River system that provides water to 40 million people in seven states — and may force the federal government to make a drastic and historic decision. For more than eight decades, the iconic Hoover Dam has relied on water from Nevada’s Lake Mead to cover up its backside. But now, at age 85, it finds itself uncomfortably exposed. Much of the water the dam is supposed to be holding back is gone.

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Carbon Dioxide in Atmosphere Reaches New High Despite Pandemic, Scripps Reports

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

Atmospheric carbon dioxide measured at NOAA’s Mauna Loa Observatory peaked for 2021 in May at a monthly average of 419 parts per million, the highest level since accurate measurements began 63 years ago, Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego reported Monday.

Scripps scientist Charles David Keeling initiated on-site measurements of carbon dioxide atop the volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii in 1958. NOAA began measurements in 1974, and the two research institutions have made complementary, independent observations ever since.

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Drought-Stricken Nevada Enacts Ban on ‘Non-Functional’ Grass

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Sam Metz

In Sin City, one thing that will soon become unforgivable is useless grass. A new Nevada law will outlaw about 31% of the grass in the Las Vegas area in an effort to conserve water amid a drought that’s drying up the region’s primary water source: the Colorado River. Other cities and states around the U.S. have enacted temporary bans on lawns that must be watered, but legislation signed Friday by Gov. Steve Sisolak makes Nevada the first in the nation to enact a permanent ban on certain categories of grass.

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FPUD Now Accepting Applications For Summer Internship

/in , /by /Village News

Students at Fallbrook High, Oasis High or Ivy High schools can now apply online for a paid summer internship at Fallbrook Public Utility District. This year, FPUD is looking for students interested in a career in social media and customer service. The internship is available to any student enrolled in one of those schools as a junior or senior for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year. Candidates must be 16 years or older on the first day of the internship, July 12. Pay will be $14 per hour, and the intern will work three hours per week, for six weeks. The internship is designed for students looking to help with social media outreach, create posts and videos, assist with outreach and developing ideas, and learn more about the water industry. It will provide a hands-on learning experience to help build skills and knowledge to help guide students to potential career paths.

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Hefty Water Rate Hikes Could be Coming for CVWD Customers

/in , , /by /Palm Springs Desert Sunby Janet Wilson

The Coachella Valley Water District is expected to vote Tuesday on a series of hikes that could sharply raise some residential and commercial customers’ monthly water bills over the next five years.

The proposed hikes would mean an average family that uses about 20 ccf  per month could see their bill rise from $32 currently to $48 by 2026, according to agenda materials. A ccf, or one hundred cubic feet, equals is 748 gallons of water.

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Drought: Mandatory Water Restrictions Coming to Santa Clara County

/in , , /by /San Jose Mercury Newsby Paul Rogers and Kate Selig

In a major sign of California’s worsening drought, Santa Clara County’s largest water provider announced Monday that it is moving forward with plans to declare a water shortage emergency and to urge cities and water companies that serve 2 million residents in and around San Jose to impose mandatory water restrictions.

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Analysis Critiques San Diego’s Plan to Raise Sewer Rates 28% in Four Years

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby David Garrick

San Diegans in single-family homes may get a modest reprieve from a city plan to increase sewer rates nearly 19 percent next year and a total of 28 percent over the next four years. The city recently got a legally mandated second opinion on a consultant’s analysis that was used to calculate the rate increases, and the second opinion says the increases should be more gradual and smaller. City officials concede the initial analysis may have been too “conservative,” prompting higher rate increases than necessary. They have agreed to incorporate the second opinion analysis into their recommendations for rate increases. The City Council is scheduled to receive those final recommendations in July and then vote on them in September, with new rates potentially taking effect in January for the city’s 2.2 million sewer customers.

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Battle Over Southern California Water Czar is Clash Between Old Vision and New, Observers Say

/in , , /by /Press Telegramby Teri Sforza

The most important thing to understand: If you’re reading this, you live in a desert. And you can live in this desert because politicians, scientists and engineers have moved mountains, almost literally, to bring you life-giving water.

The latest brawl in Water World plays out on this backdrop, and what comes out of your tap may well depend on the result. Will it come from recycled waste water? Desalination plants? A giant tunnel or two under the Delta? The answers will, in large part, depend on who’s chosen to lead the gargantuan Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which provides water to 19 million people from Ventura County to the Mexican border.

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IID and Assemblyman Chad Mayes Go Head-To-Head Over Proposed Legislation as IID Threatens to Exit Coachella Valley

/in , , /by /KESQby Shelby Nelson

The Imperial Irrigation District and Assemblyman Chad Mayes are at a war of words, which could potentially escalate to IID pulling out of the Coachella Valley altogether and taking legal action. The district threatened the move in response to proposed legislation by Mayes to increase the IID board of directors from 5 to 6 members, with the additional position appointed by the Fourth District Riverside County Supervisor, which is currently Manuel Perez.

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OMWD’s 4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility Earns Statewide Plant of the Year Honors

/in , /by

Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s 4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility was honored today by California Water Environment Association as its 2021 Plant of the Year (Small).

Presented during CWEA’s Virtual Conference and Expo, the award recognizes accomplishments with regard to regulatory compliance, innovative practices, employee development, cost-effectiveness, and other evidence of superior plant operations.

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