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Water Authority’s Confidential Consultant Contracts Surprised Board

/in , /by /Voice of San Diegoby MacKenzie Elmer Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority is building a team of consultants but won’t explain the work they’re doing, even to its own board of directors.

The Water Authority spent $167,000 on two consultant contracts since July 2019 without disclosing them to the board, which is composed of representatives from the region’s 24 water agencies. It also won’t say what a third contract that was approved by the board, worth more than $330,000, was for.

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Gary Bousquet-Director of Engineering-Water Authority

Gary Bousquet Named Director of Engineering for Water Authority

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Gary Bousquet, a 30-year civil engineering professional, has been appointed Director of Engineering for the San Diego County Water Authority as the agency launches the development of a major energy storage project that promises substantial long-term benefits for the region. Bousquet fills the position vacated by the retirement of Jerry Reed, whose 26-year career with the Water Authority included the past six years as Engineering Department director.

With Bousquet’s promotion, Engineering Manager Neena Kuzmich was promoted to Deputy Director of Engineering. Kuzmich is a professional civil engineer with more than 20 years of experience, including the past eight years leading complex engineering projects at the Water Authority.

The Water Authority is a regional wholesale water agency that provides about 80% of the water used in San Diego County, sustaining a $253 billion economy and quality of life for 3.3 million residents.

Gary Bousquet managed major Capital Improvement Program projects

Bousquet joined the Water Authority in 1999 after working in the private sector designing and performing construction management of water and wastewater treatment projects. During the past 22 years at the Water Authority, Bousquet managed design and construction of Capital Improvement Program projects including the San Vicente Tunnel, San Vicente Pump Station, and the Lake Hodges Hydroelectric Facility. For the past several years, he served as Deputy Director of Engineering, leading the agency’s CIP Design and Energy Projects Group, Engineering Administration Services Group, and the Water Authority’s Innovation Program. Bousquet graduated with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Northeastern University and is a registered civil engineer in California.

“Jerry Reed’s hard work and dedicated service has made a profound impact on the San Diego region, which benefits every day from the projects that he helped develop and lead over the past three decades,” said Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl. “Thankfully, the Engineering Department will remain in good hands. Gary Bousquet’s dedication to innovation and excellence will continue to enhance the San Diego region’s natural resources for decades to come.”

The Water Authority’s engineering department is responsible for the design and construction of regional water facilities in the Capital Improvement and Asset Management Programs; overseeing energy related projects; managing real-estate interests; patrolling and managing 168 miles of right-of-way property; and providing survey services.

Neena Kuzmich-Gary Bousquet-Engineering-San Diego County Water Authority-Director of Engineering

Gary Bousquet has been appointed Director of Engineering for the San Diego County Water Authority and, with Bousquet’s promotion, Engineering Manager Neena Kuzmich was promoted to Deputy Director of Engineering for the Water Authority. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Renewable energy project: San Vicente Energy Storage Facility

For the past several years, Bousquet and Kuzmich have led the Water Authority’s efforts to develop a major renewable energy project proposed jointly with the City of San Diego. The San Vicente Energy Storage Facility received $18 million in the state budget signed in July by Gov. Gavin Newsom, enough to advance the project through initial design, environmental reviews, and the federal licensing process.

Energy Storage Process-San Vicente-Pumped Hydro-Energy

The San Diego County Water Authority and the City of San Diego are partners in developing the San Vicente Energy Storage Facility. The pumped storage energy project at San Vicente Reservoir could store 4,000 megawatt-hours per day of energy, or 500 megawatts of capacity for eight hours.

The San Vicente energy project is one of the most promising pumped energy storage solutions in California and it would be a major asset to help avoid rolling blackouts through on-demand energy production while helping to meet state climate goals. It also could mitigate costs for water ratepayers across the San Diego region by generating additional revenue to help offset the cost of water purchases, storage, and treatment. The City and the Water Authority are developing the project together, just like they did to raise the height of the city-owned San Vicente Dam 117 feet in the 2010s. More information on the project: www.sdcwa.org/projects/san-vicente-pumping-facilities/.

The department and agency have won several awards in recent years, including the world’s top civil engineering honor for its Emergency and Carryover Storage Project in 2017 from the American Society of Civil Engineers. More recently, the agency received four awards from the American Public Works Association and American Society of Civil Engineers for construction projects that exemplified outstanding skill, dedication, and collaboration. The awards include:

  • APWA Project of the Year: Northern First Aqueduct Structures and Lining Rehabilitation
  • APWA Honor Award: Vallecitos 11/Vista Irrigation 12 Flow Control Facility
  • APWA Honor Award: San Diego 28 Flow Control Facility
  • ASCE Award of Excellence: Pipeline 5 Emergency Repair
Landscape professionals can help advise you on planning your waterwise landscape and choice of plants. Photo: Anna Shvetsova / Pexels professional guidance

Getting Professional Guidance on Your Sustainable Landscaping

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With the help of resources such as the San Diego County Water Authority’s WaterSmart Landscape Makeover classes, video on demand, and Sustainable Landscape Guide, many homeowners feel prepared to create a beautiful new sustainable landscape on their own.

But sometimes, it’s a smart idea to call on professionals trained in different aspects of the watershed approach to landscaping. With a little help, you can ensure the success of your project. For your investment, you will likely save time and money by avoiding unsuccessful efforts.

There is no shortage of experts available in all aspects of landscape planning, design,  installation, and maintenance.

Assessment organizations, including site assessment and testing, various measuring services, surveyors, soil testing services, and even Google Maps are available. Property measuring and survey companies can develop more detailed site plans with elevations, siting of trees, and landscape amenities.

Professional experts in multiple fields

Landscaping design and planining

Landscaping designers can expedite your landscape makeover plans. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Planning and design professionals can help you develop a working plan and budget for your landscaping. The plan should include drawings, resource lists, and an outline of the techniques needed to implement the plan. Landscape designers and architects can help you create a conceptual design. Working with a licensed professional is recommended if you have hillsides and slopes or complicated structures.

Landscape installation and construction professionals are licensed contractors specializing in building landscapes and can work on all aspects of a sustainable landscape plan. You may be able to install your own garden, but if you get stuck, you can call upon the expertise of an experienced pro who carries all the necessary insurance and is knowledgeable about permitting requirements.

Rainwater catchment specialists include people certified by the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association to design and install rainwater capture systems. These pros can bring specialized expertise to your project, particularly if it involves installing an active capture system such as a cistern. The water savings you achieve can offer you a solid return on investment.

QWEL program curriculum includes 20 hours of classroom and hands-on training on principles of plant care, irrigation system design, maintenance, programming, operations and troubleshooting. Photo: Water Authority professional guidance

QWEL program curriculum includes 20 hours of classroom and hands-on training on principles of plant care, irrigation system design, maintenance, programming, operations, and troubleshooting. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Irrigation system consultants include people with certification by an EPA WaterSense® organization to provide irrigation system auditing, design, and maintenance. They can help you improve the efficiency of your irrigation system. The Irrigation Association, California Landscape Contractors Association Water Managers, Qualified Water Efficient Landscapers (QWEL), and G3 Watershed Wise Landscape Professionals all provide searchable lists of qualified people.

Plant selection specialists include your local retail nursery and garden center, native plant societies, Master Gardeners, and professional gardeners. Learn from them, and do your homework to select plants that are both climate-appropriate and locally native to your area. You will be rewarded with a better understanding and appreciation of your garden as it evolves over the years.

The maintenance of sustainable landscapes requires an understanding of the watershed approach to landscaping and water management. Even if you eliminate the need to mow a lawn, there remains the need for fine pruning, irrigation tune-ups, cleaning and checking water retention devices, and soil building. Maintenance people have the know-how to implement mulching, basic irrigation adjustments, and care for native plants.

Certified arborists are specialists trained in the art and science of planting, caring for, and maintaining individual trees. Find qualified professionals at the International Society of Aboriculture and the American Society of Consulting Arborists.

Take advantage of the public education provided by your local water district, various nonprofit organizations, and the San Diego County Water Authority. Classes are often free of charge.

The Irrigation Association, California Landscape Contractors Association Water Managers, Qualified Water Efficient Landscapers (QWEL), and G3 Watershed Wise Landscape Professionals all provide searchable lists of qualified people.

This article is part of a year-long series inspired by the 71-page Sustainable Landscapes Program guidebook. The Water Authority and its partners also offer other great resources for landscaping upgrades, including free WaterSmart classes at WaterSmartSD.org.

Hausmanns-Vallecitos Water District-landscape makeover-waterwise-WaterSmart

Winning Waterwise Landscapes in the Vallecitos Water District

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San Diego County residents continue to embrace a conservation ethic by creating beautiful, waterwise landscapes. The Vallecitos Water District reports that more District water customers are reducing their outdoor water use and adopting WaterSmart practices.

Three Vallecitos customers are the most recent examples of the landscape makeover trend, creating beautiful landscapes, and winning the regional Watersmart Landscape Contest.

Neighbors often ask the Hausmanns about their new landscaping. Doug Hausmann often shares plants and lends a hand on their projects. Photo: Vallecitos Water District winning

Neighbors often ask the Hausmanns about their new landscaping. Doug Hausmann often shares plants and lends a hand on their projects. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

Best in District winners Doug and Pam Hausmann have lived in San Diego County since 1975.  They both became interested in succulents and decided to remove their sprinkler system. They now water by hand. Some of their plants get by with as little as four waterings a year.

By propagating and selling succulents, the Hausmanns raise about $1,000 a year on behalf of a nonprofit supporting a friend’s grandson affected by a rare disease. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

The Hausmanns started growing different plants from cuttings provided by neighbors, and from plants they purchased and then divided. Their success with propagation generated interest in low water use gardening among their friends and neighbors. The couple donated their propagated plants and expertise, helping neighbors to plant waterwise succulent gardens at their own homes.

Waterwise landscape as philanthropic enterprise

The Hausmanns propagation talent helped raise money for “24 Hours for Hank,” which supports research in Cystinosis, a rare genetic disease. Cystinosis affects 500 people in the United States. Because the disease only affects a small percentage of the population, research money is scarce. By propagating and selling succulents, the Hausmanns raise about $1,000 a year for the charity on behalf of a friend’s grandson affected by Cystinosis.

The Hausmanns were selected as contest winners for their successful landscape project, for the philanthropy it generated, and for the teaching opportunity it inspired.

Saving water, saving wildlife

 

All three winning landscape designs provide habitat for pollinators and birds. Photo: Vallecitos Water District winning

All three winning landscape designs provide habitat for pollinators and birds. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

Tours of residential native landscapes and a visit to the Vallecitos Water District Sustainable Demonstration Garden inspired second place winner Bruce Ferguson to follow through on his desire to transform his yard into a more natural and native setting, attractive to wildlife.

Ferguson loves to see lizards, birds, and butterflies. His garden design reduces stormwater runoff and allows for more infiltration of rainwater into the ground by including two small bioswales. He added two small ponds to provide a water source for animals. After the makeover, Ferguson’s water savings range from 20% to 40% monthly.

Bruce Ferguson completed all the work himself on his landscape makeover. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

Third place winner Ellen Kaplan replaced her lawn with a drought-tolerant garden to conserve water, eliminate expensive monthly landscaping, and to give her home more curb appeal.

She used a variety of palms, annuals, kangaroo paws, and succulents. She replaced the existing sprinkler system (which she admitted did a better job of watering her driveway) with a drip system providing targeted watering only where needed.

Ellen Kaplan enjoys watching hummingbirds visiting her new landscaping - and so does her cat from safely inside the house. Photo: Vallecitos Water District winning

Ellen Kaplan enjoys watching hummingbirds visiting her new landscaping. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

All three winners received a gift certificate to Green Thumb Nursery in San Marcos to support their waterwise gardening adventures and a Watersmart Landscape Contest Winner sign for their front yards.

(Editor’s note: The Vallecitos Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)

Drought Prompts California to Halt Some Water Diversions

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Adam Beam

Some farmers in one of the country’s most important agricultural regions will have to stop taking water out of major rivers and streams because of a severe drought that is threatening the drinking water supply for 25 million people, state regulators said Tuesday.

The Water Resources Control Board approved an emergency resolution empowering regulators to halt diversions from the state’s two largest river systems. The order could apply to roughly 86% of landowners who have legal rights to divert water from the San Joaquin and Sacramento river watersheds. The remaining 14% could be impacted if things get worse.

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San Diego Water Authority Hires Veterans Through SkillBridge

/in , , /by /WaterWorld Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority
Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority is the first public agency in California to participate in the Department of Defense SkillBridge Program, which connects transitioning military service members to career-track job training opportunities. The regional initiative is off to a fast start with two SkillBridge interns starting their civilian careers at the Water Authority this summer.

The Water Authority joined the federal program in June 2020, as part of an effort by the Water Authority and its 24 member agencies to meet the growing need for skilled water industry workers.

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Lake Oroville at Lowest Levels Since 1977

/in , , /by /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Riley Blake

Lake Oroville reached the lowest levels since September 1977, measuring 643.5 feet above sea level at 10 a.m. Tuesday. For comparison, when Lake Oroville is full, the surface water level is 900 feet above sea level.

Increasing issues are arising from the low levels being seen at Lake Oroville. Water operations manager for the Department of Water Resources State Water Project Molly White said last week in an email that due to the falling lake levels, the Edward Hyatt Power Plant may be forced to close down for the first time in its history due to low lake elevation.

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States Are Considering Paying People to Keep Their Water in the Colorado River. Some Don’t Think They Can Afford It

/in , , /by /Colorado Public Radioby Michael Elizabeth Sakas

More than 40 million people rely on the Colorado River in the West, and every drop of it is used. But with climate change, there’s now less water to go around. To try and avoid a multi-state legal battle over this precious resource, Colorado and other states are considering paying people to keep more water in the river.

In southwest Gunnison County, farmers and ranchers rely on water that would otherwise end up in the Colorado River. Drought has plagued the area for more than 20 years, so the resource is now more valuable than ever.

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Roseville Announces 20% Mandatory Water Cut Amid Worsening Drought. What You Need to Know

/in , , /by /Sacramento Beeby Molly Sullivan

Roseville residents will be required to reduce water use by 20% beginning Monday, Roseville officials announced Tuesday.

The reduction, which began as a voluntary measure months ago, is now mandatory for all residents and builds on the 10% cut that was announced in May. The new measure to conserve water “recognizes that the water supply outlook worsens at Folsom Lake and throughout California,” city officials said in a news release.

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Drought Socks Hydroelectricity, Putting California in a Power Pinch

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Rob Nikolewski

The annual snapshot of California’s electricity generation shows how much drought conditions can affect the state’s power mix.

In-state hydroelectricity generation in 2020 dropped 44.3 percent from the year before, according to numbers recently released by the California Energy Commission. All told, 21,414 gigawatt-hours came from a combination of the state’s large and small hydro power plants — significantly lower than the 38.494 gigawatt-hours hydro delivered in 2019.

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