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Escondido City Councilmember John Masson Dies

/in , , /by /Escondido Times-Advocate Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Flags are at half-staff over city facilities this week as the City of Escondido mourns the passing of city councilmember John Masson, who died Tuesday night of cancer.  They will remain at half-staff until Mr. Masson is interred.

The city released the following statement Wednesday afternoon: 

“The Escondido City Council is saddened to announce the passing of Councilmember John Masson. He was appointed to the Escondido City Council in 2012 and elected in November of 2014 representing District 2 and then re-elected in 2018. During his tenure on the Escondido City Council, Councilmember Masson served as the Deputy Mayor, a representative on the Economic Development Subcommittee of the City Council, representative to the San Diego County Water Authority, and as Escondido’s representative on the League of California Cities.” 

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West’s Biggest Reservoir Is Back on the Rise, Thanks to Conservation, Snow

/in , , /by /The Wall Street Journalby Jim Carlton

LAS VEGAS—The largest reservoir in the Western U.S., Lake Mead, is rising again after more than a decade of decline, and at least some credit goes to the local National Hockey League team.

“Reality check!” Ryan Reaves, right wing for the Vegas Golden Knights, yells as he body-slams a man through a plate-glass window for excessive lawn watering in a television commercial. “Vegas is enforcing water waste big time.”

Ads like this began airing last year as part of a campaign by the Southern Nevada Water Authority to persuade the more than two million residents of this sprawling desert metropolis to use less water. Using a carrot-and-stick approach, including paying landowners to remove grass and fining for overuse, the agency said it has cut total Colorado River water consumption by 25% over the past two decades, even as the population it serves has grown around 50%.

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Sweetwater Authority Displays Winning Photos at Board Reception

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Ten South Bay area high school students will be honored for their winning photos at today’s Sweetwater Authority Governing Board meeting.

Nearly 100 students from Sweetwater’s service area entered its annual water photo contest, which challenges students to showcase the importance of water in everyday life through photography. Students submitted photos in two categories.

The public is invited to an Artists’ Reception on Wednesday, March 11 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to see all the winning photos on display. The event is being held at the Authority’s Administrative Office on 505 Garrett Avenue in Chula Vista.

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Local Scientists Launch Weather Balloons to Study ‘Atmospheric River’

/in , , /by /Fox 5 by Merrilee Moore

Local scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography are closely watching a storm system as it moves into Southern California.

Scientists are releasing weather balloons every three hours to study the storm system, classified as an atmospheric river.

“An atmospheric river is just a large amount of moisture that’s associated with the system,” said program analyst Brian Kawzenuk. “An atmospheric river is sort of what it sounds like: it’s a river in the atmosphere.”

The weather balloons will collect a plethora of data including temperature, wind speed, direction and more, allowing scientists to map out a vertical profile of the atmosphere as the system approaches.

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Water Treatment Practices Effective Against COVID-19, WHO says

/in , , /by /Water Finance & Management by WFM Staff

The World Health Organization has released a technical brief stating that current water treatment methods are expected to be effective against the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The brief noted “[the] presence of the COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking-water supplies and based on current evidence the risk to water supplies is low.” It also asserted “conventional, centralized water treatment methods which utilize filtration and disinfection should inactivate COVID-19 virus” and stated chlorination and UV treatment have been effective against other coronaviruses.

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Tijuana River Sewage Pollution Shutters Beaches as far North as Coronado

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune by Joshua Emerson Smith

Beaches were closed on Tuesday from the Mexico border to Coronado as rain flushed sewage-contaminated runoff from Tijuana into the San Diego region.

Millions of gallons of polluted water have been regularly flowing over the border through the Tijuana River for months. The southern shoreline in Imperial Beach has been closed since November as a result.

“Things have gotten worse than ever,” said Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina. “Over the last three months, the levels of pollution are astronomical. We’ve never seen anything like it.”

Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey could not immediately be reached for comment.

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Utilities on High Alert as Phishing Attempts, Cyber Probing Spike Related to Coronavirus

/in , , /by /Utility Diveby Robert Walton

Utilities have seen a rise in phishing attempts and scams related to the Coronavirus, officials from the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) told Utility Dive, adding that investor-owned utilities represented by the group are alert and prepared, with companies collaborating to mitigate the threat.

“Bad actors are already using COVID-19 and people’s desire for information as a phishing and malware distribution opportunity,” Jamil Jaffer, vice president for strategy and partnerships at IronNet Cybersecurity, told Utility Dive. The combination “creates softer targets across multiple sectors.”

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Ten High School Photographers Honored by Helix Water District

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Ten East County high school students were honored for their winning photos in the 2020 Helix Water District High School Photo Contest. The winning photographers were recognized at the February 26 board of directors meeting.

This year’s photo contest challenged high school photographers to highlight the importance and beauty of water in our everyday lives. Entrants were asked to show how water is used in homes and landscapes, in local businesses, for irrigating public spaces and parks, producing the goods we use and foods we eat, street cleaning, and firefighting.

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San Diego County Received Heavy Rain Overnight, Will Get More Tuesday

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune by Gary Robbins

A Pacific storm that is tapping into moisture from the sub-tropics dropped substantial amounts of rain across San Diego County before dawn on Tuesday, and more showers are expected as the system shuffles off to the east, according to the National Weather Service.

 

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Leaders Come Together to Tour Public Health Crisis at Salton Sea

/in , , /by /NBC Palm Springs by Nico Payne

State and federal leaders came together to tour the Salton Sea and understand the impending health issues the public continues to face. NBC Palm Springs joined officials to get a glimpse of what is being done to help restore an area that was once a relaxing summer destination.

The Salton Sea was once a hip and happening spot for locals to enjoy the sun and have fun in the water. Today the Salton Sea is a place where fish go to rot and is considered a public health crisis. federal and state leaders are partnering up to hopefully change that.

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