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Opinion: Desalination plant in Southern California is important to water security

/in /by /The Mercury News (San Jose)

Climate change is all around us. Extreme weather conditions including recent Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria demonstrate the intensity and impact of climate change on our environment.

We’ve seen California and other parts of the West Coast fight large, uncontrollable wildfires and our neighbors in Mexico hit with violent and destructive earthquakes. Earthquakes of that magnitude would be detrimental to our State’s aqueducts and would leave Southern California without water. California only recently saw an end to the severe five-year drought that resulted in a state of emergency due to restricted access to safe and reliable water sources.

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Trust is dubious in the Delta tunnels project

/in /by /Stockton Record

Trust.

That is the essence of the $17 billion Delta tunnels project.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California voted 28-6 Tuesday to move forward with the project, known as the California WaterFix, which would re-engineer the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to send water south to cities and farms.

Three out of five representatives from the city of Los Angeles voted no. Representatives from San Diego either voted no or abstained.

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San Diego waterways are not being tested for hepatitis amid health crisis

/in /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune

No one is monitoring San Diego’s surface water for hepatitis A, even amid a deadly, human waste-fueled outbreak of the disease that can spread through area waterways.

That’s according to a letter from federal officials to U.S. Rep. Scott Peters, who last month asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take “the immediate steps necessary” to address potential waterborne transmission of the viral liver infection that has killed 18 people and sickened nearly 500 others since November.

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October 7-15 Was…. Water (And Wastewater) Professionals Week: Honoring The “Silent Service.”

/in /by /Valley Roadrunnerby Gary Arant Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

With the recent passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 80, October 7-15 was officially designated as “Water Professionals Week.” SCR 80, authored by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa), was sponsored by a coalition of state water, wastewater and utility associations, including the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) to bring recognition to the service and contributions by the water and wastewater professionals serving the various communities across California.

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A Concrete Border-Sewage-Collection Basin Plan

/in /by /San Diego Readerby Marty Graham

With the governor’s signature late Monday (October 9th), $2.1 million in state funding is on its way to the Tijuana River Valley — some of it earmarked to deal with the sewage, trash, and sediment that enters the U.S. along the border. Senate Bill 507 allocates $500,000 to update the feasibility study for capturing, controlling, and treating the waste and water that currently enters the river valley from Mexico. State senator Ben Hueso and assemblyman Todd Gloria promised to seek the funding in May.

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San Diego Offers Lawn Rebate To Encourage Water Conservation

/in /by /Patch.com

The City of San Diego now offers a rebate to encourage its water customers to conserve water by removing their water thirsty grass and installing water-wise material and efficient irrigation systems. The City’s Public Utilities Department water customers can receive a rebate up to $4,250 for residential owners and $17,000 for commercial owners. “This rebate will allow customers to become empowered in their efforts to save money on their water bills,” said Halla Razak, Director of Public Utilities.

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein Lends Support to Huntington Beach Desalination Project

/in /by /The Orange County Registerby By Greg Mellen

As supporters and opponents of a proposed Huntington Beach desalination project gear up for a key meeting before the State Lands Commission, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein has weighed in. In a letter to the Commission, the senior senator from California gave her endorsement to the Poseidon Water project, saying it would ” provide potable water to meet documented demand within Orange County.” Feinstein joins a long list of state political and water officials leaders, including former Senate colleague Barbara Boxer, in support of the proposed $1 billion plant to be built by Poseidon Water to provide 50 million gallons per day or enough for 400,000 residents.

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CLWA Backs Plan To Secure Delivery Of Northern California Water

/in /by /The Signal Santa Clarita Valleyby Jim Holt

Local water officials have endorsed a plan to fix the system which delivers water to the Santa Clarita Valley from Northern California at a cost to mom-and-pop SCV ratepayer of $20 a month. The project hammered out by state officials these past 10 years to repair the water conveyance system is called the California WaterFix.  It used to be called the Bay Delta Conservation Project. Members of the Castaic Lake Water Agency board unanimously approved a recommendation Wednesday to back the WaterFix project which calls for an extensive overhaul of the water delivery system.

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OPINION: Santa Clara Valley Water District Should Join in the WaterFix Tunnel Project

/in /by /The Mercury News (San Jose)by Tarkan Maner, Matt Mahan, and Mike Mielke

California is the sixth largest economy in the world, and Silicon Valley is a primary driver of our state’s job creation and growth. Yet our success is at risk unless we move to protect our water supply. That’s why we are urging the Santa Clara Valley Water District help secure our water supplies now and well into the future by supporting California WaterFix, which will deliver water through modern pipelines.

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Group of San Joaquin Farmers Says They’re Willing to Pay for the Delta Tunnels

/in /by /The Fresno Beeby Dale Kasler

A bloc of San Joaquin farmers tentatively endorsed the Delta tunnels project Thursday, becoming the first significant agricultural group to support the struggling plan. But the level of support from members of the Kern County Water Agency, which serves much of the $7 billion-a-year farm economy at the southern end of the valley, was less than wholehearted. An estimated 48.5 percent of the agency’s water users said they’re interested in helping pay for the tunnels, which works out to about $1 billion in financial support.

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