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Gavin Newsom Says He Would Scale Back The Bullet Train And Twin Tunnels If Elected

If Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom is elected governor as expected, he’ll keep building the state’s two contentious public works projects: the bullet train and twin water tunnels. But he’ll scale back both. He’ll be more cautious, realistic and practical about the super-expensive projects than termed-out Gov. Jerry Brown.Newsom will concentrate on completing a high-speed rail line from the San Joaquin Valley to the San Francisco Bay Area.

North County Water Symposium Highlights Efforts To Ensure Reliability

The 2018 North County Water Symposium on Wednesday highlighted efforts by the San Diego County Water Authority to ensure regional water reliability for a crowd of about 100 North County business and industry leaders. Keynote speaker Jim Madaffer, the Water Authority’s newly elected board Chair, reviewed the Water Authority’s historic achievements in water supply diversification. He also discussed continued regional development of water recycling capacity and investments in technology to maintain billions of dollars worth of water infrastructure.

West Basin Director Gloria D. Gray Becomes First African American Chairwoman Of The Largest Urban Water Supplier In The Nation

In a vote by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) Board of Directors, West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) Director Gloria D. Gray was elected to serve as chairwoman of the MWD board. Gray is the first African American woman in Metropolitan’s 90 -year history to hold the position and the first person of color to become chair. Gray replaces former chairman Randy Record, who held the position since May 2014.

El Niño Conditions Growing Increasingly Likely This Winter

The likelihood this winter of an El Niño — the weather pattern marked by warm Pacific Ocean waters that can affect California’s rainfall —  is increasing. The probability of El Niño conditions being present by December is now 70 to 75 percent, up from 50 percent five months ago, according to a new report Thursday from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But so far, this El Niño looks more like a lamb than a lion.

San Diego Offers Landscape, Rain Barrel Rebates for Water Customers

The city of San Diego offers money-saving ways for water customers to conserve water. The city’s Public Utilities Department provides rebates through grant funding by the Department of Water Resources for removing lawns and installing rain barrels. Homeowners can apply now for financial rebates to convert their lawns into a drought resistant landscape. The city is offering a $1.25 per square foot rebate for all lawns that are converted. Converted areas must be designed to capture rainfall for reuse. Applications are now being taken for Rainwater Harvesting Rebates. Rain barrels and downspouts catch rainwater from hard surfaces such as rooftops.

Water Authority, NASSCO Celebrate Manufacturing Day

General Dynamics NASSCO – one of the San Diego region’s largest employers – hosted Water Authority Board Chair Jim Madaffer for national Manufacturing Day on Oct. 5 as part of a partnership to promote the importance of a safe and reliable water supply to sustain the local economy.  The partnership was forged during the Water Authority’s Brought to You by Water outreach and education program, which includes stakeholders from key industry sectors such as tourism, manufacturing, brewing and agriculture.

California Might See Construction On Water Storage

For the first time in decades California may see construction of new water storage. The legislation would pay for new water storage projects as part of America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018. It now goes to President Trump to sign it into law after the U.S. Senate approved the measure yesterday. The legislation provides financing for water projects throughout the western U.S. including new reservoirs, below ground storage, and desalination projects.

San Diego To Get One-Half Inch Of Rain This Weekend

Forecasters expect San Diego to receive about one-half inch of rain this weekend, with rainfall likely Friday night into Saturday. According to the National Weather Service, low pressure over Southern California will tap into moisture from Tropical Storm Sergio. Rain is expected to continue through Sunday morning.

Good Chance An El Niño Is On The Way To California

The latest report from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicates an increased likelihood of El Niño conditions being present by December. That’s right. It seems we have a 70 to 75 percent chance of a wet winter, this year. The most recent report shows warming ocean temperatures in the Pacific, which is a precursor to a more southern track of the jet stream.

Dry 2018 Water Year Comes To An End In California

October 1 is New Year’s Day for water in the U.S. west. This year, Californians were bidding farewell to a dry 2018 water year (October 2017-September 2018), which saw precipitation totals fall below the annual average for much of the state. The return to drier than average conditions was a let-down following an extremely wet water year in 2017 that had helped bring about drought relief.