The people of California’s Imperial Valley can be as unforgiving as the region’s harsh desert climate. It’s been 16 years since Bruce Kuhn cast the fateful vote to transfer tens of billions of gallons of Colorado River water from the valley’s sprawling farms to thirsty coastal cities, reshaping water politics in California and across the West.
There is no evidence supporting the author’s claim that the San Joaquin Valley’s water supply challenges are linked to California’s food security or the rise in foreign produce imports.
Two bipartisan draft water infrastructure bills unveiled this week by the Senate environment committee are a good start but will need even more funding in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, water agencies and other groups said Wednesday.
Among the many disruptions to working life wrought by the spread of coronavirus has been the outsized pressure put on the world’s essential services. For those ensuring that Americans continue to enjoy clean water in their homes, that has meant living at their places of work.
Across the country, drinking water utility workers have been sleeping at treatment facilities to minimize their exposure to COVID-19 and maintain services as many other Americans self-isolate in their homes.
On April 20, 2022, Kroll Bond Rating Agency assigned a long-term rating of AA+ and Stable Outlook to the Public Facilities Financing Authority of the City of San Diego Senior Water Revenue Bonds Series 2020A (Tax-Exempt) and Series 2020B (Federally Taxable).
Utilities responding to the challenges of COVID-19 have adapted practices developed for past emergency situations, but physical distancing requirements of the pandemic response in some instances have forced entirely new ways of approaching safety measures.
Consolidated Edison has been utilizing two sets of command and support staff in separate locations, as more than 350 of its employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and eight have died. In the future, more will be done in advance to determine which employees are essential and to ensure remote-work capabilities, according to Anthony Natale, a member of ConEd’s emergency preparedness team.
For municipal utilities, grid operations have become tightly enmeshed with other critical services like police, fire and health providers, according to Lincoln Bleveans, assistant general manager for power supply at Burbank Water & Power.
Several streets in neighborhoods near San Diego State will be torn up for short periods over the next four years so the city can widen and upgrade sewer and water lines that lead to the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant.
California’s largest water suppliers will have to report their monthly use and conservation efforts under a measure approved Tuesday by state regulators.
California wants a federal judge to stop how the Trump administration is managing water supplies in the Golden State, saying protected species like trout and Delta smelt risk imminent and irreparable harm.
A ridge of high pressure off the coast will spread over California, bringing the first heat wave of 2020, the National Weather Service said. High temperatures of 85 to 95 will be common, with the hottest readings on Friday and Saturday.
