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San Francisco Cuts Deal With California Water Regulators to Avoid Severe Restrictions

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Kurtis Alexander

Three of California’s biggest water suppliers, including the city of San Francisco, have reached a deal with the state that calls for reducing their immense consumption of river water but not as much as the state had initially demanded. The compromise, announced Thursday, is the latest breakthrough in a years-long effort by state regulators to protect flows in California’s once-grand but increasingly overdrawn rivers.

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WaterSmart Makeover: A Mediterranean Transformation in Otay Water District

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Caron Golden Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

When Denee and Bryan Felber bought their Chula Vista home back in 2011, the entire front and back yard were the quintessential SoCal dream: lawn. About three years in, the couple, who have four grown children, started to make some practical upgrades, installing both energy efficient windows and solar panels.

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California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta Sues Makers of Cancer-Causing ‘Forever Chemicals’

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Susanne Rust

The state of California on Thursday sued the manufacturers of a class of chemicals known as “forever chemicals” that are found in a variety of consumer items including food packaging and cookware and are linked to cancer and other illnesses. The chemicals at the heart of the lawsuit are perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS. They are resistant to environmental degradation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency, and hundreds of scientific studies.

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DWR Testing Water Quality at Lake Oroville

/in , , /by /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Jake Hutchison

The California Department of Water Resources began the process of monitoring the water quality at Lake Oroville on Thursday. According to a press release issued Thursday by DWR, the process consists of placing sondes, a type of monitoring device, into Lake Oroville as well as the Thermalito Diversion Pool.

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Treated Wastewater Can Be More Dependable and Less Toxic Than Common Tap Water Sources

/in , , /by /Phys.orgby Corey Binns

Recycled wastewater is not only as safe to drink as conventional potable water, it may even be less toxic than many sources of water we already drink daily, Stanford University engineers have discovered. “We expected that potable reuse waters would be cleaner, in some cases, than conventional drinking water due to the fact that much more extensive treatment is conducted for them,” said Stanford professor William Mitch, senior author of an Oct. 27 study in Nature Sustainability comparing conventional drinking water samples to wastewater purified as a drinking water, also known as potable reuse water.

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Is Drought in Arizona and the Southwest the New Normal?

/in , , /by /KJZZby Nicholas Gerbis

Two decades of the Southwest megadrought have marked Arizona’s driest period in 1,200 years. With climate change in full swing, greenhouse emissions well above pledged targets and the state facing cutbacks to its share of dwindling Colorado River water, many wonder: Is drought the new normal?

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Three Winter Aqueduct Shutdowns Lie Ahead

/in , , /by /Valley Roadrunner Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Valley Center Municipal Water District and its customers are long accustomed to dealing with periodic aqueduct shutdowns which allow the district’s sole wholesale water supplier, the San Diego County Water Authority, to inspect, repair, and make improvements to our imported water aqueduct system. 

However, this coming winter will be especially challenging, as there will be three consecutive aqueduct shutdowns in fairly rapid succession: (1) December 4 –14, 2022, (2) January 22 – February 1, 2023, and (3) February 26 – March 8, 2023.

At play is the fact that the three tunnels on the 1st San Diego Aqueduct (“1st Aqueduct”) need to be relined to protect the quality of the treated water traveling north to south through the enclosed aqueduct, and restore its operational integrity. The 1st Aqueduct serves five of VCMWD’s seven Aqueduct Connections, spanning the full length of the District’s 100-square-mile service area. Although VCMWD does have a connection to the 2nd San Diego Aqueduct (“2nd Aqueduct”), the 1st Aqueduct provides water to approximately 85% of the District’s service area. Completed in the early 1950s, the 1st Aqueduct began serving the fledgling Valley Center Municipal Water District soon after its formation election in 1954 and has served the district continuously for 67 years.    

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Metropolitan Water District Vice Chair Tells City Committee to Expect Increasing Reductions of Water Supplies

/in , , /by /Pasadena Nowby Keith Calayag

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Vice Chair Cynthia Kurtz told a City committee Tuesday she predicted the implementation of more mandatory water reductions by next year as the region faces the challenges of climate change and extended drought. Kurtz knows Pasadena’s water situation well. She served as Pasadena City Manager twice, most recently stepping down as Interim City Manager in August.

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Storm Provides Some Drought Relief, but Water Shortage Prevails

/in , , /by /LAistby Erin Stone

The last few days of rain and snow provided some welcome relief, but don’t be fooled — the water shortage is far from over. That wet trend will have to continue if there’s to be any real dent in the ongoing drought. Burbank, LAX, Lancaster and other places in Los Angeles County broke some rainfall records, but when it comes to drought and much of the Southland’s drinking water supply, it’s the snowfall up north that really matters.

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First Project in Poway’s $70-Million Water Improvement Program is Complete

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Angela Brandt

With Poway’s Clearwell Bypass Project now complete, the temporary bypass system is expected to be fully operational this month, officials said. Sometime in November, the city’s clearwell, or treated water reservoir, will be permanently removed from service and the bypass pipeline, the temporary tanks and other bypass infrastructure will be in service, said Shadi Sami, Poway’s principal civil engineer, at a recent City Council meeting

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