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‘Tastes Like Water’: How a US Facility is Recycling Sewage to Drink

As the pumps whir around us, Denis Bilodeau motions to the liquid in the vats below. It looks like iced tea, but in fact it’s secondary treated sewage, cleaned of any solids by the plant next door. In less than an hour, and after three steps of processing, we will be drinking it – as pure water. The Groundwater Replenishment System facility in Orange County, California, houses the pipes, filters and pumps to move up to 130m gallons each day – enough for 1 million people – processing it from dark to clear.

Newsom’s Power Play on the Delta Tunnel

Gov. Gavin Newsom is up to his old tricks, trying to ram major policy change through the state Legislature on short notice. And again lawmakers are pushing back. Not only lawmakers, but the Legislature’s nonpartisan, independent chief policy analyst. The Legislative Analyst‘s Office has recommended that legislators hold off voting on what the governor seeks because they’re being pressed to act without enough time to properly study the complex matter.

At This Point, Colorado River Negotiators Are Basically in Their Own ‘Conclave’

Closed-door negotiations about the future of the Colorado River are at a standstill. The news of the day is that there’s barely any news. So, when more than 300 water experts got together for an annual conference this week, they had little to do besides wring their hands, listen for crumbs of news, and talk about how they would do things differently if they were on the inside of those negotiations.

Water Authority Floats Lower Rate Hike — Council Says Not Good Enough

Slowly but surely the San Diego County Water Authority has scaled back on next year’s proposed water rate increase. Officials initially proposed an 18 percent increase, then lowered their proposal to 12 percent. On Tuesday, they came down on the rate hike again, suggesting to the San Diego City Council an increase of 10.4 percent. That wasn’t good enough for several councilmembers.

Should a Discounted Water Rate for San Diego Farmers Go Away?

San Diego County’s cash-strapped water authority is considering a plan that could remove a discount it gives to local farmers — something farmers claim could put them out of business. The authority gives a roughly 25% discount to about 1,000 farmers, who grow everything from flowers to avocados. Critics say removing the discount is shortsighted because it threatens to kill off a customer class the water authority can’t afford to lose. At the same time, rates for other customers may increase to cover the authority’s costs.

The Water Authority Built San Diego’s Economy. Support It; Don’t Tear It Down

In late 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis produced some eye-catching numbers about our region. It found our gross domestic product (GDP) had reached roughly $262 billion. That’s bigger than 25 U.S. states and countries like Greece, Hungary and Morocco. It’s proof the path San Diego has been on over the last 30 years – a diversified economy that supports entrepreneurs and working families alike – has had positive results. Yet that success was not always a given.

Morning Report: A New Future for Water

We had a line in this weekend’s post about the big Southern California water legal settlement signed yesterday that got some attention and may actually be a story itself. I reported that the settlement had laid the groundwork to allow the San Diego County Water Authority to sell some of its abundance of water to other agencies the Metropolitan Water District serves. If San Diego doesn’t have any buyers among them, Met itself could buy the water. And if Met doesn’t want it, then something really interesting could happen.

Metro Water District, Water Authority Settle 15-Year Colorado River Dispute

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the San Diego County Water Authority announced Monday that they have settled a legal dispute spanning 15 years over the exchange of Colorado River water. The agreement ends the long-standing litigation over fluctuating prices Metropolitan charged to the Water Authority to deliver water that the Water Authority purchased from the Imperial Irrigation District in 2003.

Agreement Ends 15-Year Legal Battle Over Water Rate Increases

A 15-year legal battle between water agencies is finally over. The San Diego County Water Authority and Metropolitan Water District in Los Angeles finally signed an agreement Monday ending a battle over the cost to deliver water. The bottom line for San Diego County residents: water bills should not skyrocket in the foreseeable future.

MWD, SD County Water Authority Settle Legal Dispute Over Water Exchange

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) and the San Diego County Water Authority announced Monday that they have settled a legal dispute spanning 15 years over the exchange of Colorado River water. The agreement ends the long-standing litigation over fluctuating prices Metropolitan charged to the Water Authority to deliver water that the Water Authority purchased from the Imperial Irrigation District in 2003.