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Changes To Operations Of Sweetwater Authority Raise Some Concerns

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby David Hernandez

A series of changes related to the operations of the Sweetwater Authority has given rise to concerns that the South Bay water agency’s governing board has ceded too much power to the general manager and diminished transparency. Among the set of revisions to policies that govern the water agency and its governing board: directors are no longer allowed to seek information from staff without the general manager’s knowledge, the Sweetwater Authority is no longer required to keep minutes of meetings when directors on committees convene and the general manager is now allowed to spend up to $75,000 without board approval.

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Audit Reveals Major Lack Of Planning On Multimillion-Dollar ‘Smart Meter’ Project

/in , /by /Voice of San Diegoby Ry Rivard

The city of San Diego’s plan to replace every water meter in the city is more than two years behind schedule, millions of dollars over budget and probably won’t be finished for at least another three years, according to a city audit released Thursday. The audit, prompted in part by a Voice of San Diego and NBC 7 Responds investigation, gives new insight into the city’s outrageous lack of planning for a multimillion-dollar project involving one of the most basic municipal services: water. For years, the city has wanted to install over a quarter-million new “smart” water meters, which are supposed to increase billing accuracy, provide real-time data on water use and eliminate the need for city employees to go to homes and offices across the city to read each meter.

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East County Advanced Water Purification Program Gets $9.4M In Interim Funding

/in , /by /Water World

The East County Advanced Water Purification Program progressed closer to completion with its program’s partner agencies — Padre Dam Municipal Water District, the City of El Cajon, Helix Water District and the County of San Diego — approving an Interim Funding Agreement (IFA). The IFA will ensure that the program can move forward with funding for the next year. The IFA states each agency will commit $2.35 million ($9.4 million total) towards the program that aims to create a new, local, sustainable and drought-proof drinking water supply using state-of-the-art technology to purify East San Diego County’s recycled water.

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The Fight Over Monterey Peninsula’s Water Future is a Debate Over Who Gets To Decide

/in , , /by /Monterey County Weeklyby Asaf Shalev

What is at stake is the water supply for the Monterey Peninsula. Consuming water drawn from the Carmel River is no longer feasible, neither ecologically nor legally. But the power to decide on an alternative supply is largely vested in the hands of public officials from outside the region.

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Federal Judge Remands Cadiz Water Project Pipeline Evaluation Back to BLM for Explicit Explanation

/in , , /by /California Water News Dailyby Staff

Judge George H. Wu of the Los Angeles Central District Federal Court recently issued a ruling in two consolidated cases brought against the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) related to co-location of infrastructure in existing railroad rights-of-way, including the Cadiz Water Project’s proposed use of a local southern California railroad for water conveyance.

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The United States Is Headed For A Battery Breakthrough

/in , /by /PV Magazineby Tim Sylvia

Symbiosis is one of life’s most beautiful and lasting natural phenomena. Regardless of the circumstances, certain things just work perfectly together: peanut butter and jelly, sharks and pilot fish, Brady and Belichick. The energy revolution is no different, as renewable resources and battery storage go together like two peas in a pod.

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California American Water Makes Rate Increase Request

/in , /by /The Daily Transcriptby Daily Transcript Staff Report

San Diego-based California American Water filed an application to set new rates in each of its service areas for 2021 through 2023. If approved by the California Public Utilities Commission, the new rates will take effect Jan. 1, 2021.

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Report: 50% Of US Construction Activity Concentrated In 10 States

/in , /by /Construction Diveby Kim Slowey

If it seems that certain areas of the United States are benefiting more than others from the country’s current construction boom, it’s because they are, according to a new report from research firm GlobalData.

In fact, of the more than 11,200 U.S. projects the company is tracking — public and private, in development and under construction — 10 states have captured about 60% of the $3.7 trillion those projects represent.

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Agricultural Water Agencies Refine Efficiency Plans

/in , /by /Ag Alertby Christine Souza

Agricultural water suppliers must develop annual water budgets and drought plans that meet requirements of recently enacted legislation, and are meeting with state officials to comply with the updated law—a process that could ultimately affect water costs for California farmers and ranchers.

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Enormous Montana Pumped Hydro Project Gets Danish Investment

/in , , /by /PV Magazineby William Driscoll

A 400 MW pumped hydro project in Montana has received an equity investment from Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP).

While the technical potential of closed-loop pumped hydro storage is an estimated 500,000 sites worldwide, the cost of pumped hydro, especially as it compares to the cost of battery storage, remains an issue.

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