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California Farms’ Water Use Still Unclear, Despite New Reporting Rules

/in , /by /Water Deeply (New York)by Matt Weiser

A new program in California aimed at tracking agricultural water consumption is off to a bumpy start, highlighting the challenges of monitoring an industry that has historically enjoyed limited oversight. Agriculture is the biggest consumer of water in the West, with many states using more than 70 percent of developed freshwater supplies for agriculture. So you would think state governments watch water consumption on farms carefully to look for conservation opportunities. In fact, some do not.

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$1 Billion Coming To Bay Area For Two New Dams

/in , /by /The Mercury News (San Jose)by Paul Rogers

During California’s recent five-year drought, it was common to hear people asking why the state doesn’t build more dams. On Tuesday, flush with cash from voters, the administration of Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to finally do just that, committing nearly $1 billion to build two huge dam projects in the Bay Area, and another $1.5 billion for six more big water projects from the Sacramento Valley to Bakersfield. The California Water Commission, whose eight members are appointed by the governor, will likely vote to fund $2.5 billion overall for the eight projects — four new dams and four groundwater storage proposals.

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Desert Residents Have Been Saving A Lot Of Water. Farms And Golf Courses, Not So Much

/in , /by /The Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by Ian James and Evan Wyloge

Every day, millions of gallons of water flow through pipes across the Coachella Valley and pour out to nourish lawns, artificial lakes, farmlands and a total of 121 golf courses. This lush oasis in the desert owes its existence to groundwater pumped from the aquifer and an imported supply of water from the Colorado River. And during the past decade, public records show the area has made progress in using less water overall and in combating the long-term problem of groundwater overdraft.

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Flex Alert To Go Into Effect Tuesday As Scorching Heat Wave Brings Record-Breaking Temps To SoCal

/in , /by /KTLA 5 (Los Angeles)by Cindy Von Quednow and Kacey Montoya

A heat wave that is expected to bring triple-digit temperatures to parts of the southland has prompted state officials to issue a flex alert ahead of the hot weather. Wednesday is expected to be the hottest day of the week, according to the National Weather Service. Coastal areas could see temperatures between 85 to 92, while inland areas could reach 92 to 100. Triple digits to 110 are forecasted in local valleys and deserts, according to the weather service.

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State Urges Public To Cut Power Consumption Due To Heat Wave

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gary Robbins and Rob Nikolewski

The operator of the state’s electric grid is urging the public to cut power consumption on Tuesday and Wednesday to help California get through what’s expected to be a record-breaking heat wave. The Flex Alerts are the first issued this year by the California Independent System Operator Corp. (CAISO) and will remain in effect from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. both days. “This heat wave could be like a long one we had in 2006, when lots of records were set and there were power problems,” said Alex Tardy, a forecaster at the National Weather Service in Rancho Bernardo.

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Audit Of Water Department Billing Complaints Expected To Be Released Tuesday

/in , /by /NBC 7 (San Diego)by Dorian Hargrove, Tom Jones and Consumer Bob

A highly anticipated City Auditor report examining the city’s response to high water bills is expected to be released on Tuesday.  While the audit is just one of four investigations into a surge of complaints about fluctuating water bills, it will be the first opportunity for elected officials and the public to learn more about what caused the flood of complaints earlier this year.

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Six Schools Flagged For Dangerous Lead Were Promised New Plumbing; New Bond Promises It Again

/in , /by /Voice of San Diegoby Ashly McGlone

A majority of the 11 San Diego Unified schools flagged in 2017 and 2018 for unsafe levels of lead in the water were explicitly promised new or improved plumbing twice in the last decade under previous local facility bond tax measures, but haven’t yet received it, district records show. Safe drinking water has become a centerpiece of the pitch for a new $3.5 billion school facility bond by San Diego Unified School District officials, who say the new tax money would ensure old pipes and lead solders contaminating water with lead would be fixed or removed.

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San Diego Braces For High Temperatures, High Surf And Highly Dangerous Rip Currents

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

A summer heat wave will coincide with a large south swell this week in San Diego County, driving people to the coast where treacherous rip currents will roil near shore waters from Oceanside to Imperial Beach, says the National Weather Service. An excessive heat warning will be in effect in all areas except the coast from 10 a.m. Monday until 8 p.m. on Thursday. Temperatures will range from the 80s at and near the coast to the 90s and low 100s in some inland valleys and foothills, the weather service says. Temperatures will peak on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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Water Wars Head Upstream As State Considers Cutbacks For Senior Central Valley Irrigation Districts

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Bettina Boxall

More than two decades after Los Angeles was forced to cut water diversions to protect California’s natural resources, the state is poised to impose similar restrictions on San Francisco and some of the Central Valley’s oldest irrigation districts. The proposal represents a dramatic new front in one of California’s most enduring water fights: the battle over the pastoral delta that is part of the West Coast’s largest estuary and also an important source of water for much of the state.

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OPINION: No One Can Live On The 55-Gallons-A-Day Water Limit California Is Imposing

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Marie Waldron

So can you live on 55 gallons of water a day? No one can. But legislation just enacted broadens authority of the state Water Resources Control Board, an unelected, unaccountable board to require this. The new mandates establish an indoor water use budget of 55 gallons per day for all Californians until 2025, reduced to 50 gallons/day after 2030. Civil penalties apply to water districts that are unable to meet the new guidelines. I opposed both Senate Bill 606 and Assembly Bill 1668, which created these regulations.

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