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EPA WaterSense-Vallecitos Water District-Videos

Vallecitos Videos Win National EPA WaterSense Award

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has honored the Vallecitos Water District with a WaterSense Partner of the Year Award for its video series promoting WaterSense and water efficiency in 2022. Vallecitos was one of nine Partner of the Year Award winners across the U.S. Awards were presented at the American Water Works Association Water Smart Innovations event in Las Vegas on October 5.

The Vallecitos Water District was one of nine Partner of the Year Award winners across the U.S. Awards were presented at the American Water Works Association Water Smart Innovations event in Las Vegas on October 5, 2023. Photo: Vallecitos Water District WaterSense Awards

The Vallecitos Water District was one of nine Partner of the Year Award winners across the U.S. Awards were presented at the American Water Works Association Water Smart Innovations event in Las Vegas on October 5. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

WaterSense is a voluntary partnership program sponsored by the EPA. It identifies and labels water-efficient products, programs, and homes to help consumers learn ways to save water. More than 2,100 manufacturers, builders, retailers, utilities, government, and nonprofit organizations partner with WaterSense to promote water-efficient products, homes, and programs.

Vallecitos produced twelve videos released monthly in 2022, based on the EPA’s monthly feature topics. Each video focused on educating consumers about creating a WaterSense home. Among the topics covered by the 12 videos in the series are bathroom water consumption, efficient energy use, and one of the favorites, the “Shower With Power” video released in September 2022.

The video series produced by the Vallecitos Water District public affairs team was distributed by the U.S. EPA WaterSense program to help educate the public about water conservation nationwide. The videos can be downloaded for free on the EPA WaterSense partner platform.

Consumers turn to video for water education

The Vallecitos Water District has embraced video as an important communication tool with its customers. Photo: Vallecitos Water DIstrict

The Vallecitos Water District has embraced video as an important communication tool with its customers. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

Vallecitos began using video in 2019 to document the district’s workforce and infrastructure improvements on its social media platforms and has also engaged the public with discussions of critically important water management issues. It has won multiple awards for its work.

“We rely on video as a powerful communication tool at the Vallecitos Water District,” said Chris Robbins, Vallecitos Water District Public Information/Conservation Supervisor. “It’s how people like to consume information today,”  “We invest a great deal of effort to make sure each video is an effective resource. This award from the EPA affirms we’re taking the right approach.”

Vallecitos Public Information Representative Alicia Yerman collaborated with Beth Livingston and Veronica Blette of the EPA on the productions including scripting, storyboards, and visual elements. Vallecitos also offers live video of its board meetings and other public discussions on its YouTube channel.

San Dieguito Water District recognized as Excellence Winner

The EPA also recognized 25 Excellence Award winners for their support of WaterSense and water efficiency in 2022, including the San Dieguito Water District and the San Diego County Water Authority. Collectively, the Excellence Award winners contributed to annual savings nationwide of 1.1 trillion gallons of water.

WaterSense and its more than 2,000 utility, manufacturer, retail, builder, and other organizational partners make it possible for consumers and businesses to save water, energy, and money by producing and promoting water-efficient products, homes, and programs. Since 2006, WaterSense partners have helped save 7.5 trillion gallons of water and $171 billion on consumer utility bills.

WaterSense encourages everyday water efficiency

Each video focused on educating consumers about creating a WaterSense home. “Shower With Power” is one of the favorites, released in September 2022. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

Each video focused on educating consumers about creating a WaterSense home. “Shower With Power” is one of the favorites, released in September 2022. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

WaterSense is a program sponsored by the EPA, designed to encourage water efficiency in the U.S. through the use of a special label on consumer products. The goal of the program is to protect the future of the nation’s water supply by encouraging a nationwide ethic of water efficiency to conserve water resources for future generations and reduce infrastructure costs.

The WaterSense label makes it simple to find water-efficient products, new homes, and programs meeting the EPA’s criteria for efficiency and performance. WaterSense-labeled products and services are certified to use at least 20% less water, save energy, and perform as well as or better than regular models.

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

WaterSmart Moves Pay Off for Fallbrook Avocado Farm

/in , , /by /Water News Networkby Ed Joyce Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Josh Kane didn’t know a lot about avocado farming 10 years ago, but he does now.

In 2001, Kane’s mother bought a 60-acre avocado farm, the Rice Canyon Ranch, in Fallbrook, thinking it would be a good investment. But, some not-so-good advice, and the 2014 drought, had the business in a nosedive. Rice Canyon took a long-term investment perspective and invested in innovative measures, including tree stumping and grafting. Those strategies, along with smart irrigation, helped turn the farm around.

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Oceanside Gets Grant for Water Recycling, Desalination Project

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Debbie L. Sklar

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation awarded Oceanside $201,000 for the city’s Water Recycling and Desalination Planning Project, it was announced Wednesday.

Oceanside received the award after applying for WaterSMART funding to investigate expanding water reuse and increasing water recharge, according to the city’s water utilities department.

The federal funding will be used to evaluate the expanded use of treated effluent at the San Luis Rey Water Reclamation Facility to produce recycled water, and expansion of the Advanced Water Purification Facility for groundwater recharge and higher quality recycled water and seawater desalination, according to the city.

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Making Water Conservation a ‘California Way of Life’: Controversial State Rules Could Cost $13 Billion

/in , , /by /Cal Mattersby Rachel Becker

Saying the targets to cut water use in cities and towns will be costly and difficult to achieve, water agencies throughout California have raised concerns about an ambitious state proposal that would require more water conservation statewide beginning in 2025.

 

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East County Advanced Water Purification Program Awarded $2M Grant from San Diego River Conservancy

/in , /by /Times of San Diego by Debbie L. Sklar

The East County Advanced Water Purification Program has been awarded a $2 million grant from the San Diego River Conservancy.

The California State Budget (FY 2022-23) appropriated the $2 million grant to the San Diego River Conservancy for the benefit of the East County AWP Joint Powers Authority.

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Could Seafloor Desalination Be a Drought Solution?

/in , , /by /Spectrum News 1 by LA Times Today Staff

A water district known for supplying celebrities and affluent communities like Hidden Hills and Calabasas is trying a new approach for collecting fresh water.

The Las Virgenes Municipal Water district is studying the feasibility of harvesting drinking water from desalination pods on the ocean’s floor.

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California Water Board Urged to Ditch Reporting Aspect of Conservation Plan

/in , , /by /Courthouse News Service by Alan Riquelmy

Several speakers pleaded with the State Water Resources Control Board on Wednesday to rethink proposed regulations intended to reduce Californians’ water use in the face of climate change.

“Making Conservation a California Way of Life” is a series of proposed regulations that stems from two laws passed in 2018. Those laws require the state water board to implement efficiency standards and performance levels for local agencies’ water use.

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How Top Lawmakers Are Working to Secure Arizona’s Drinking Water

/in , , /by /ABC 15by Kaley O'Kelley

The Colorado River is one of the most important sources of fresh water in the United States, flowing through Arizona and six other states.

According to the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation, it provides water to nearly 40 million people for municipal use.

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San Diego Fined $4.6M for Sweetwater Sewage Spill as Aging Pumps Fail and Overflows Intensify

/in , /by /KPBS by Philip Salata

Most of the fish that Marco Valdez catches at the mouth of the Sweetwater River in the South Bay he throws back. He says that in his community, talk of water contamination circulates on the regular – and ever more often.

“You hear this in the news all the time, Pa’,” Valdez told an inewsource reporter as he reeled in his line.

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Fresno County Agencies Seeking $40 Million – and Counting – in Federal Funds to Fix Last Winter’s Flood Damage and Prep for Upcoming El Niño

/in , /by /SJV Waterby Jesse Vad

Agencies in Fresno County, from small cities to irrigation districts, are hoping money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency arrives in time to help them fix damage from last winter’s battering storms as they scramble to  get ready for another looming wet winter.

Fresno County was slammed hard by storms in January and March. While some repairs are almost finished, local governments and other agencies are still waiting to hear the outcome of applications they sent FEMA for tens of millions of dollars in reimbursements.

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