The United States resumed water deliveries to Mexico after initially denying the request for the emergency transfer from the Colorado River, according to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. Under a 1944 treaty, Mexico is expected to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water to South Texas every five years. This five-year period ends in October, and so far, Mexico has delivered 530,730 acre-feet.
A cold Pacific storm that dropped rain across the eastern half of San Diego County over the weekend will clear by Tuesday, allowing temperatures to return to seasonal levels by Thursday, the National Weather Service says. The system was weak, but it dropped 0.67 inches of precipitation on Otay Mountain, 0.34 inches in Alpine, and 0.26 inches in Julian, during the 24-hour period ending at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. The rain should help reduce the risk of wildfires.
The latest California water data showed the state’s largest reservoirs are nearly 20% higher than normal. The San Pablo Reservoir in the East Bay is nearly full, currently at 75% capacity, and will likely reach capacity as it collects more water from the melting Sierra snowpack. The reservoir is one of four East Bay MUD-managed water supplies.
San Diego’s water world is very happening right now. As our Scott Lewis reported, San Diego County Water Authority is facing an existential crisis. The high cost of water has one of the water supplier’s most powerful members — the city of San Diego — has leaders who are wondering if it’s time to do something drastic to the Water Authority.
House Republicans passed a measure Thursday that would repeal the government’s decision to place California’s longfin smelt, a finger-sized fish, on the endangered species list. House members passed the resolution, introduced by California Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale), in a 216-195 vote that followed party lines. The resolution now goes to the Republican-controlled Senate.
Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona) today introduced the Water Cybersecurity Enhancement Act, bipartisan legislation to help public water systems protect against and respond to cyberattacks, which have become increasingly frequent in recent years.
Rapid melts across the U.S. West have caused snowpack to disappear up to four weeks early in some areas — wreaking potential havoc on the region’s water supply, federal meteorologists warned Thursday. These conditions have particularly affected parts of Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, causing some basins to shift from above-average snowpack to “snow drought,” according to an update from the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS).
San Diego residents and business owners may need to start making more adjustments, as their next water bills will be soon be more expensive. Starting Thursday, a 5.5% water rate increase goes into effect in the city of San Diego. The city council approved the hike back in March.
Nearly one in five gallons—19.5%—of treated drinking water in the U.S. is lost before it reaches customers or is improperly billed. This growing challenge, commonly known as non-revenue water (NRW), results in more than US$6.4 billion in uncaptured revenues annually for utilities, according to a new report from Bluefield Research, a leading global water market data and insights provider.
The Carlsbad City Council approved a plan last week to increase water, sewer, and recycled water rates by 49% during the next three years following recent cost-of-service studies. The council voted 4-1 to implement the new rate structure starting on July 1 with a 20% increase. Council member Melanie Burkholder cast the sole vote against the proposal.
