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Report Shows Positive Impact of Manufacturing on Region

A new report from the San Diego Economic Development Corp. (EDC) shows the positive effect of the manufacturing sector on our regional economy. With $47 billion in economic impact across San Diego County, including more than 120,000 good-paying and low-barrier jobs, manufacturing is a cornerstone industry from San Ysidro to Oceanside. 

Few of those jobs – or other economic benefits – would exist without the safe and reliable water supplies provided by the San Diego County Water Authority and its member agencies. While sustainable water sources are often taken for granted, they support virtually every manufacturing process in one way or the other, from the region’s famous craft beers to the water used in biotech labs.    

To San Diego Councilmember Raul Campillo, these kinds of jobs have a huge impact for workers in our region. “That means you’re putting kids through college,” Campillo said at an event unveiling the report. “That means you’re inventing devices that save lives. That means you’re bringing people here to see what San Diego has to offer and that helps everybody.” 

The EDC’s report – sponsored by the Water Authority — highlights the outsized impact of small businesses in the manufacturing sector, careers that pay 31% more than the average regional salary, and the broad range of related industries helping to grow manufacturing in San Diego County. 

Yet it’s not just about the sector itself but the broader impact it has across the region. “When factoring in supply chain activities and consumer spending from wages, the sector supports an additional 146,000 jobs across the county,” the report said. “This means that for every 100 jobs added in manufacturing, another 121 jobs are created elsewhere in the economy.”

“Nearly 1 in 10 private sector jobs in the region is a manufacturing job,” Eduardo Velasquez, EDC Senior Director, Research and Economic Development, said.  

While the high cost of housing and the lack of developable space does hinder the sector’s ability for bigger growth, the companies in the sector are among the most innovative in the region and are dedicated to finding unique ways to expand even with those constraints. 

To read the entire report, click here. 

The Cervantes family landscape makeover replaced grass with a beautiful native habitat. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

Beautiful Habitat Named Sweetwater Authority Landscape Makeover Winner

Laura and Jaime Cervantes knew they wanted to conserve water but still wanted a functional and eye-catching design for their landscape.

Laura and Jaime Cervantes invested careful planning and hands-on work in their landscape makeover project. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

Laura and Jaime Cervantes invested careful planning and hands-on work in their landscape makeover project. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

The transformation from thirsty turf to a beautiful habitat is the 2024 Sweetwater Authority Landscape Contest winner.

The regional WaterSmart Landscape Contest allows residential water agency customers to showcase their waterwise landscapes. Customers submit applications to their respective water agencies, and each agency selects a landscape that best meets the elements of waterwise landscaping. These elements include:

  • Overall attractiveness
  • Appropriate plant selection and maintenance
  • Design
  • Efficient irrigation methods

Patient Planning and Prep Pays Off

The front yard prior to its makeover. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

The front yard before its makeover. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

They planned and worked hard to eventually transform their front yard from thirsty turf into a space that not only required little water but also provided beauty and habitat.

“This rationale behind our landscape project was a no-brainer: we live in a desert, we need to conserve water, and we wanted a functional yet eye-catching design, said Laura and Jaime Cervantes.

“Although we’ve lived in our house for 11 years, it took us a long time to save up for and to plan our ideas, but we finally completed everything about two years ago.”

The completed landscape makeover. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

The completed landscape makeover. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

The transformed landscape includes low-water use plants such as Kangaroo Paw, Orange Bulbine, and Coral Pink Sage, along with various succulents. The yard also features a beautiful Palo Verde tree, which provides nice shade.

Plant Selection Drives Design Choices

A winding dry riverbed retains water overflow from numerous rain barrels. Photo: Sweetwater Authority landscape makeover

A winding dry riverbed retains water overflow from numerous rain barrels. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

The Cervantes family had a large front yard for their canvas, composed mainly of old turf.

“We transformed it by replacing the old turf with a much smaller area of drought-tolerant Bermuda grass,” they explained. “We wanted plants that not only require little water but also provide beauty and habitat.”

The new walkway was created from flagstone and decomposed granite. A winding dry riverbed retains water overflow from numerous rain barrels.

A new fence allows views of the new landscape both inside and outside to complete the picture. It also acts as a graffiti deterrent due to the hog wire and wood construction.

Unexpected Benefits From Landscape Makeover

Colorful containers and plant choices highlight the new front yard. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

Colorful containers and plant choices highlight the new front yard. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

The Cervantes irrigate their yard using rainwater captured from their 14 rain barrels. They water by hand to get out into the sunshine and enjoy the beauty of their landscape. “We have no automated system – I like to get out in the yard and in the sunshine, so watering by hand is something I really enjoy,” said Laura Cervantes.

The winners reported an unexpected and pleasant outcome of their new yard from the nice comments and conversations it elicited from people walking by.

“It is a great feeling to not only add beauty to our neighborhood but also to know that we are able to contribute in our own small way towards being good stewards of the environment,” said Laura and Jaime Cervantes.

The San Diego County Water Authority added desalinated seawater to its supply portfolio in 2015 with the start of commercial operations at the nation’s largest seawater desalination plant. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Membrane Tech Important Piece of Water Future

The November edition of Journal AWWA (American Water Works Association) features a San Diego County Water Authority employee’s thoughts on a larger discussion about what the world of water could look like in 2050. In a piece titled “Addressing the Global Water Crisis With Membrane Technology”, Water Authority Principal Engineer Silvana Ghiu and her co-authors expanded on the vital importance of membrane technology for a hotter and dryer planet.

“The United Nations’ World Water Development Report 2023: Partnerships and Cooperation for Water estimates that the urban population facing water scarcity will increase from 933 million in 2016 to between 1.7 and 2.4 billion by 2050, representing one-third to one-half of the global urban population,” the article’s authors highlighted.

What can be done to fight against this global emergency?

The November edition of Journal AWWA

The November edition of Journal AWWA

“After decades of advancements and innovation, membrane technology has evolved into an essential tool that can harness unconventional water sources to provide safe, sustainable drinking water.”

San Diego County residents don’t have to go far to see this technology in action. In fact, it’s being used right here in Carlsbad.

“In California, drought is intrinsic to the natural climate, and the need for lo­cal, reliable water supplies led to the 2015 construction of the Claude ‘Bud’ Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, the largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere, with a capac­ity of 50 mgd (million gallons per day).”

From desalination along the coast to using membrane technology to treat brackish water in the interior, along with future advancements that could create even more opportunities for reliability, this technology is clearly here to stay.

“Membrane technology could be present in some capacity in nearly every new water plant built by the middle of this century,” writes Ghiu and her co-authors. In San Diego that future is already here as the Water Authority continues to build a reliable regional water supply for a changing climate. To read more, click here.

Utility Patent-Pipeline Inspection Tool-

Water Authority Wins Golden Watchdog Award

The San Diego County Water Authority won a Golden Watchdog Award at this year’s Golden Watchdog & Fleece Awards hosted by the San Diego County Taxpayers Association on Oct. 18. The Water Authority was recognized for its deployment of “Scanny,” a high-tech surveillance device designed to safely and efficiently monitor the agency’s large-diameter pipelines that provide water to the San Diego region.

Scanny-patent-innovation-

The inspection tool uses commercially available lightweight adventure cameras and lights that are arranged in a unique way on a chassis that moves through pipelines that are 4 to 9 feet in diameter. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

A special congratulations to the Water Authority’s Operations and Maintenance team and in particular Asset Management Manager Martin Coghill, who designed and patented “Scanny” on behalf of the Water Authority.

Proactive maintenance and asset management practices allow water agencies to extend the lifespan of their pipeline assets by more than 50%. With 308 miles of transmission pipelines, 100 flow control facilities and more than 1,400 pipeline-related structures, the Water Authority is constantly assessing and inspecting critical infrastructure across the county. This not only ensures that the Water Authority can stay ahead of potential emergencies but also reduce the need for replacing infrastructure.

Inspections involve crews entering the drained pipelines and evaluating around 30 miles each year. The pipelines traverse the hilly terrain of San Diego County, and some sections are so steep that they require the use of specialized rope and rigging support teams. That’s where “Scanny” comes in. Using an array of cameras to provide high-definition video surveillance of the interior of the pipeline, invented by Water Authority staff, provides the ability to inspect these pipes without requiring specialists.

The benefit of this technology goes beyond proactive maintenance. When compared to the cost of hiring specialized rope and rigging teams, “Scanny” paid for itself in just two deployments. “Scanny” can also be deployed multiple times each year during the inspection season.

Asset management at the Water Authority is more than just using new technology, it’s a strategic investment. In round numbers, the cost to replace 1 mile of large-diameter pipeline can be around $10 million. The cost to assess and maintain the same mile of pipeline may be around $100,000 every 10 years.

Imagining a World Without Water

Every October 17, the US Water Alliance hosts “Imagine a Day Without Water” — a chance to collectively acknowledge the critical role water plays in every aspect of our lives.

Imagine rolling out of bed in the morning, going to brush your teeth, and no water coming out of the tap. You check the dishwasher, which was supposed to run last night, and see the plates and glasses are still dirty. The shower runs dry, the lawn isn’t watered, and the washing machine is idle.

A world without water. It’s a scary proposition.

While this may seem like science fiction, some cities have come extremely close to this terrifying reality. A few years ago, huge water shortages forced residents of Cape Town, South Africa, to shrink their water use to all-time lows.  “We are now limited to using 13 gallons of water per person per day,” wrote Time Magazine. “That’s enough for a 90-second shower, a half-gallon of drinking water, a sinkful to hand-wash dishes or laundry, one cooked meal, two hand washings, two teeth brushings and one toilet flush.”

This year Mexico City faced similar catastrophic cuts to keep preserve their dwindling water reserves. “Bernardo Nonato Corona, a resident of the hills surrounding Mexico City, told ABC News he spends 25% of his income on water.”

Cataclysmic water shortages, safety and supply problems aren’t just an international issue. They’re happening right here in California as well. An annual assessment released by the State Water Resources Control Board found that “almost 400 water systems serving nearly a million Californians don’t meet state requirements for safe and reliable drinking water supplies.”

Climate change, poor planning and other factors have caused residents around the world to face a world without water.

Now think about how a similar situation would impact our region. More than 3 million residents across the county and hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity would grind to a halt, making the basic activities we take for granted impossible.

Thankfully, the San Diego region has planned to make sure that scenario stays a hypothetical.

On Oct. 1, the San Diego County Water Authority announced that the region had plenty of water to meet demands during the year ahead regardless of the weather. That’s because our region’s work on new supplies, conservation and water storage over the past 30 years were a down payment on sustainable water supplies for future generations.

We know there are challenges ahead to provide our growing region the reliable water supply it needs in a hotter and drier world. We’re working to make sure that a world without water is just a one day thought experiment instead of reality.

(L to R) Tim Lyall, 2023 Farmer of the Year Warren Lyall, and Andy Lyall. Photo: Courtesy Cultivate California

Warren Lyall Named 2023 San Diego County Farmer Of The Year

The San Diego County Farm Bureau (Farm Bureau) named third-generation avocado and citrus grower Warren Lyall of Pauma Valley as its 2023 Farmer of the Year. Lyall will be recognized for his achievement at the annual Farmer of the Year awards dinner on October 24.

The Farmer of the Year award is presented to an active or retired farmer who has had a positive impact on the agriculture industry, is active in the community beyond agriculture, and has represented the agricultural industry publicly on behalf of farming interests.

Warren Lyall's family has been farming in Pauma Valley for three generations. Photo: Andy Lyall Farmer of the Year

Warren Lyall’s family has been farming in Pauma Valley for three generations. Photo: Andy Lyall

This year’s award recognizes Lyall’s lifelong commitment to farming, leadership in agricultural organizations, and significant contributions to his community.

Lyall’s farming heritage started in 1931 when his grandparents moved to Pauma Valley from Montana, where they were cattle ranchers. He settled the family in Pauma Valley because it reminded him of home, and by 1933, they were living there full-time as citrus growers.

Learn more about the Lyall family in this feature interview.

Lyall was immersed in the world of farming from a young age. He learned about citrus and avocado cultivation alongside his grandfather, Andrew Lyall.

His early experiences gave Lyall a profound appreciation for the dedication required to succeed in agriculture. He also recognized the need to rely on a deep faith to manage the many factors in agriculture that are out of the grower’s control.

Today, Warren Lyall and his two sons, Andy and Tim, operate Rancho Monte Vista, a 205-acre orchard in the Pauma Valley of San Diego County. The primary crop is oranges, but they have also been growing avocados for the last 18 years.

Sustainably Managing Water and Energy Resources

Managing both water and energy resources is vital to the success of Rancho Monte Vista, a 205-acre orchard in the Pauma Valley. Photo: Courtesy Cultivate California Farmer of the Year

Managing both water and energy resources is vital to the success of Rancho Monte Vista, a 205-acre orchard in the Pauma Valley. Photo: Courtesy Cultivate California

Managing water use and tracking soil moisture throughout there is a key to the Lyalls’ success. They recently upgraded their sprinkler systems to maximize uniformity across their orange groves. Four full-time employees monitor water use during the summer irrigation season, checking every aspect of the irrigation systems to prevent and catch leaks. This diligence helped the Lyalls navigate recent drought years.

“There is a lot of art involved in the irrigation of trees. The way they demand water is different. Water for us is a precious resource. We can’t afford to waste it,” said Warren Lyall.

Andy and Warren Lyall operate Rancho Monte Vista along with Andy's brother, Tim Lyall. Photo: Courtesy Cultivate California Farmer of the Year

Andy and Warren Lyall operate Rancho Monte Vista along with Andy’s brother, Tim Lyall. Photo: Courtesy Cultivate California

The Lyalls also find ways to conserve energy use at Rancho Monte Vista. They recently installed a solar power plant on their ranch, providing 80 percent of the power needed for their irrigation pumps. Any excess energy produced is sold to the grid for use by San Diego Gas & Electric, adding to the long-term sustainability of their ranch.

Even in plentiful rain years, the ranch manages its water use. “We are careful to manage our irrigation (and other input resources) every year,” Lyall says. “It is part of our philosophy of stewardship that even if a resource is plentiful, we need to be careful not to waste it. It is all part of farming sustainably and efficiently in order to maximize our success.”

Lyall Represents San Diego County’s Farming Professionals

Warren Lyall is recognized for his leadership and community service. Photo: Courtesy Cultivate California

Warren Lyall is recognized for his leadership and community service. Photo: Courtesy Cultivate California

Lyall’s journey has been marked by exceptional leadership and service. He has made significant contributions as a Director for Villa Park Orchards Association, Sunkist Growers, Inc., and Fruit Growers Supply Company.

Lyall has also been active in community leadership. He has served as President of Pauma Municipal Water District, played a key role in forming the Upper San Luis Rey Groundwater Management Authority, and led the formation of the San Diego County Citrus Pest Control District, where he currently serves as President.

The San Diego County Farm Bureau is a non-profit organization supporting the more than 5,700 farms within the county. The mission of the Farm Bureau is to foster San Diego agriculture through education, public relations, and public policy advocacy in order to promote the economic viability, sustainability, and community building of agriculture. For more information, visit our website www.sdfarmbureau.org

(L to R): Dave Pedersen, General Manager, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, Water ReUse President; Erica Wolski, General Manager, and Director Jacob Zoria, Ramona Municipal Water District; Brenley McKenna, Water ReUse Executive Director. Photo: Ramona Municipal Water District

Ramona Municipal Water District Named Small Recycled Water Agency of the Year

The Ramona Municipal Water District (Ramona MWD) was named the 2024 Small Recycled Water Agency of the Year by WateReuse California.

The award recognizes agencies that have developed recycled water, on a significant level, as an alternative water source within their service area, regionally or statewide. The recipients will have demonstrated leadership, creativity and persistence in developing a comprehensive program and outreach to the community to expand awareness and implementation of water recycling.

Ramona MWD General Manager Erica Wolski and board member Jacob Zoria accepted the award during a conference earlier in September from Brenley McKenna, Executive Director, & Dave Pedersen, President, representing WateReuse California (WRCA).

“I’m so pleased to receive this recognition on behalf of our forward-thinking Board of Directors and talented and hard-working water professionals at the Ramona Municipal Water District,” said General Manager Erica Wolski.

“The project has created a close connection with our neighbors, the Barona Band of Mission Indians, and has led to collaboration on other local projects. It also assures our customers we are doing everything we can on their behalf to maximize our resources and reduce wastewater treatment costs.”

Award-winning partnership between Ramona Municipal Water District and Barona Band

The award honors Ramona Municipal Water District’s partnership with its neighbor, the Barona Band of Mission Indians. Photo: Ramona Municipal Water District

The award honors Ramona Municipal Water District’s partnership with its neighbor, the Barona Band of Mission Indians. Photo: Ramona Municipal Water District

The award honors Ramona MWD’s partnership with its neighbor, the Barona Band of Mission Indians, in a project that, when completed, will provide excess recycled water to the Barona Resort and Casino.

Barona currently relies on local groundwater and a small amount of water recycled at the Casino. Recycled water provided through Ramona MWD will be used for golf course and landscape irrigation. The project helps the tribe protect its limited groundwater supplies.

The environmental documents for this project are expected to be released by the end of 2024. Construction on the pipeline between the reservation and RMWD is anticipated to begin in 2025.

The project will beneficially reuse up to 250-acre feet per year, delivering recycled water currently distributed on a spray field near the San Vicente Water Reclamation Plant, and it will now generate new revenue for sewer district customers.

Ramona MWD is is only the third winner in the small plant category from this region in the last 20 years. The City of Oceanside won in 2020, and the Olivenhain Municipal Water District won in 2005.

Jason and Taylor McAllister turned a tired Santee yard into a tropical landscape visited by pollinators and other wildlife. Photo: Padre Dam Municipal Water District

Tropical Landscape Wins Padre Dam MWD 2024 WaterSmart Landscape Contest

At first glance, you might mistake Jason McAllister’s thriving green landscape for a water-thirsty garden. Look closer, though, and you’ll see that the plants in this tropical oasis are anything but water hogs.

The landscape’s impressive transformation is the 2024 winner of the Padre Dam Municipal Water District’s WaterSmart Landscape Contest winner.

The McAllisters' home before its landscape makeover. Photo: Padre Dam Municipal Water District tropical landscape

The McAllisters’ home before its landscape makeover. Photo: Padre Dam Municipal Water District

Tropical oasis created in Santee

Pops of color come from lantana, kangaroo paw, gazanias, and angel’s trumpet. Photo: Padre Dam Municipal Water District tropical landscape

Pops of landscape color come from lantana, kangaroo paw, gazanias, and angel’s trumpet. Photo: Padre Dam Municipal Water District tropical landscape

McAllister inherited his home in 2020. While he wanted to be water-efficient, he also hoped to create a tropical oasis in the heart of Santee.

With that vision in mind, he worked with his spouse, Taylor, and landscape designer Sara Bendrick to select low-water use plants that would remain lush and vibrant year-round. They chose a drip irrigation system to keep the landscape healthy while limiting water waste.

The tropical landscape creates rich texture from its wide selection of low-water use plants, including a variety of palms. Pops of color come from lantana, kangaroo paw, gazanias, and angel’s trumpet. The landscape is tied together by a ground cover, ruschia nana, a water-efficient succulent that can be walked on.

Pollinators enjoy the new habitat

(L to R): Director Rocky Qualin, Board Vice President Suzanne Till, Jason McAllister, Taylor Jones, Director Ivan Andujar, Sara Bendrick, Director Brian Fordyce, and Board President Bill Pommering present the 2024 Landscape Makeover award at the June board meeting. Photo: Padre Dam Municipal Water District

A nice seating area provides a quiet spot for the McAllisters to relax and enjoy their garden oasis, which has become a refuge for more than just the couple. “We have become a central haven for countless butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, and dragonflies, just to name a few,” said Jason McAllister. “You’d almost think that our property has become a branch of the San Diego River.”

The Padre Dam MWD Board of Directors recognized the McAllisters as its 2024 WaterSmart Landscape Contest Winner at its June meeting.

Customers interested in entering next year’s WaterSmart Landscape Contest can sign up to be notified when entries open by emailing

Sweetwater Authority hosted a group of students and faculty from Stanford University for a tour and discussion of issues related to climate change and water in California. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

Sweetwater Authority Hosts Stanford University Students and Faculty

Sweetwater Authority (Authority) recently welcomed fifteen students and faculty from Stanford University’s The Bill Lane Center for the American West. Group members are part of the university’s multidisciplinary course of study on “Coastal Resilience: Problems and Solutions to Extreme Weather Challenges on the West Coast.”

The Bill Lane Center for the American West is dedicated to advancing scholarly and public understanding of the past, present, and future of western North America. The Center supports research, teaching, and reporting about Western land and life in the United States.

The Stanford University group visited the Robert A. Perdue Water Treatment Plant and Sweetwater Reservoir, as well as the Richard A. Reynolds Groundwater Desalination Facility in Chula Vista. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

The Stanford University group visited the Robert A. Perdue Water Treatment Plant and Sweetwater Reservoir, as well as the Richard A. Reynolds Groundwater Desalination Facility in Chula Vista. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

The students and faculty first toured the Robert A. Perdue Water Treatment Plant and Sweetwater Reservoir, where they learned how the Authority secures and treats local water, maintains a historic dam, and manages watershed activities for the beneficial use of agency operations and the protection of environmental resources.

The group then visited the Richard A. Reynolds Groundwater Desalination Facility in Chula Vista. There, the students and Authority representatives discussed challenges facing groundwater supplies due to climate change before touring the award-winning facility.

Collaboration Addresses Challenges of Climate Change

“It was our honor to host the Stanford group and engage in these important discussions with the next generation of leaders," said Board Chair Paulina Martinez-Perez. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

“It was our honor to host the Stanford group and engage in these important discussions with the next generation of leaders,” said Board Chair Paulina Martinez-Perez. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

“The challenges presented by climate change as it relates to providing a sustainable and drought-proof water supply are great, and we need the brightest minds working to ensure long-term resilience for the western region,” said Authority Board Chair Paulina Martinez-Perez.

In its vision to become a leader in sustainability and the fight against climate change, the Authority’s Governing Board sets objectives within the agency’s Strategic Plan to work toward achieving carbon neutrality.

Current fiscal year objectives include implementing a Green Fleet Plan, installing EV stations at its facilities, and exploring green energy solutions like a proposed floating solar project at Sweetwater Reservoir to reduce costs and offset carbon generated as part of water agency operations. For more information, visit www.sweetwater.org/workplan.

 

Two landscape workshops by the Vista Irrigation District and Vallecitos Water District will help homeowners get started on their projects. Photo: Vista Irrigation District

Vista Irrigation District and Vallecitos Water District Host Free Landscape Workshops

In partnership with the San Diego County Water Authority, the Vista Irrigation District and Vallecitos Water District are teaming up to offer free landscape design workshops in November to help its customers redesign and install new water saving, sustainable landscapes at a convenient North County location.

Two classes take place on Saturday, November 2, at the Vista Irrigation District, 1391 Engineer Street in Vista. Residents can sign up for just one, or both classes. People attending both classes will be eligible for special giveaways. Prior registration is required.

This Vista Irrigation District award-winning landscape makeover demonstrate the options for beautiful yards without turf. Photo: Vista Irrigation District landscape workshops

This Vista Irrigation District award-winning landscape makeover demonstrates the options for beautiful yards without turf. Photo: Vista Irrigation District

Two Landscape Workshops on November 2

10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.: “Goodbye Grass, Hello Garden: Qualify for Rebates” will instruct residents how to maximize rebates to help them with turf removal projects. Register here.

11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: “Garden Design Class” takes students through the landscape makeover planning process, including:

  • Sizing and siting the rainwater capture area
  • Developing a palette of climate-appropriate plants
  • Applying key design principles
  • Laying out a successful planting plan

 Register here.

Donald De Tar's home after completing his winning landscape makeover. Photo: Vallecitos Water District landscape workshops

Donald De Tar’s home after completing his winning landscape makeover. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

“I’m thrilled to be working in partnership with the Vista Irrigation District to host these garden classes,” said Chris Robbins, Vallecitos Water District Public Information/Conservation Supervisor.

“As it turns out, Vista Irrigation District is my water service provider, and we both play a crucial role in our region’s sustainability and well-being. Together, we’re committed to ensuring that our water resources are managed wisely and responsibly, paving the way for a brighter, more sustainable future for all residents.”

Plan Ahead for Cool Season Installation

Low-water plants, improved irrigation technologies, and WaterSmart classes reduce energy use, protect natural resources, and create beautiful outdoor living spaces. Photo: Vista Irrigation District

Low-water plants, improved irrigation technologies, and WaterSmart classes reduce energy use, protect natural resources, and create beautiful outdoor living spaces. Photo: Vista Irrigation District

Fall is an ideal time to plan landscape work, taking advantage of cooler weather and seasonal rainfall to help establish the new plants.

Countywide, regional residents have converted more than 1.5 million square feet of turf into beautiful, sustainable landscapes. They use less water and provide a lifestyle-friendly yard ideal for San Diego’s climate. New landscapes installed through the program have been proven to reduce water use by up to 37 percent.

More than 8,000 San Diego County residents have taken these courses to date.

Low-water plants, improved irrigation technologies, and WaterSmart classes reduce energy use, protect natural resources, and create beautiful outdoor living spaces, as well as save water.

Conservation Gains Plus Rebates Help Offset Costs

WaterSmart landscape workshops help residents create a drought-tolerant, water-efficient landscape with a design that maximizes the enjoyment of the outdoor space, while saving the time and expense required for ongoing turf maintenance. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

Landscape watering accounts for more than half of a typical household’s water use in California. WaterSmart workshops help residents create a drought-tolerant, water-efficient landscape with a design that maximizes the enjoyment of the outdoor space. In addition, homeowners can save the time and expense required for ongoing turf maintenance.

San Diego County homeowners may be eligible for between $2 and $4 per square foot to remove turf and replace it with low water-use plants better suited to our region’s hotter, drier weather. All customers are eligible for the base rebate of $2 per square foot.

Residents in unincorporated San Diego County may be eligible for additional incentives through the Waterscape Rebate Program. Learn more at socalwatersmart.com