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Groundbreaking for East County Advanced Water Purification Program

The East County Advanced Water Purification Program broke ground, marking an important milestone for the recycled water project in San Diego County. Scheduled to be complete in 2026, the East County AWP will generate up to 11.5 million gallons per day of purified water— meeting approximately 30% of current drinking water demands for East San Diego County.

Fourth-Grade Artists Win OMWD Water Awareness Poster Contest

Three fourth-grade student artists were recognized for their award-winning artwork by the Olivenhain Municipal Water District Board of Directors at its May 18 meeting as the top three entries in the 2022 “Love Water, Save Water” Poster Contest.

For 29 years, the district has invited fourth-grade students living or attending school within the Olivenhain Municipal Water District service area to enter the contest and create posters depicting the theme “Love Water, Save Water.”

A Conversation With Anthony Rendon After a Leadership Challenge

On Tuesday afternoon, the area surrounding the State Capitol in Sacramento was blanketed in a kind of hush, typical of the first day back after a holiday weekend. It was warm, sunny and breezy.

When people spoke, one thing dominated the conversation: What is going on with the Assembly speakership?

California Is Rationing Water Amid Its Worst Drought in 1,200 Years

Southern California is imposing mandatory water cutbacks as the state tries to cope with the driest conditions it has faced in recorded history. Starting Wednesday, about 6 million people in parts of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Ventura counties are limited to watering outdoor plants once a week — an unprecedented move for the region.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which supplies water to about 19 million people, declared a water shortage emergency in April and voted unanimously to curtail water use, either by restricting outdoor watering or by other means.

Mission Springs Water District Prohibits Spray Irrigation During Daylight Hours Amid Drought

Mission Springs Water District implemented several water conservation measures on Wednesday, including a ban on outdoor water use for spray irrigation during daylight hours.

An emergency regulation approved by the State Water Resources Control Board last week requires urban water suppliers to implement their Level 2 demand reduction actions by June 10.

North County Area Deals With Water Restrictions Amid Drought

California’s drought conditions are prompting actions geared toward conserving water in northern San Diego County.

The Vallecitos Water District, which serves the northeastern region of the county, already activated its level two water conservation plans. It comes following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order in April, which calls on water suppliers to prepare for a shortage of up to 20%.

Why Hydropower Is the Forgotten Giant of Clean Energy

Hydropower is by far the largest renewable worldwide, producing over twice as much energy as wind, and over four times as much as solar. And pumping water up a hill, aka “pumped storage hydropower”, comprises well over 90% of the world’s total energy storage capacity.

But in spite of hydropower’s outsize impact, we don’t hear much about it in the U.S. While the past few decades have seen wind and solar plummet in price and skyrocket in availability, domestic hydropower generation has remained relatively steady, as the nation has already built hydropower plants in the most geographically ideal locations.

Harris Unveils White House Plan to Tackle Water Scarcity as National Security Priority

Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday unveiled a White House plan to tackle water security as a foreign policy priority in light of ever tightening global water supplies.

The plan pledges U.S. leadership in the efforts to ensure there is enough water to support food supplies and healthcare systems. Under the initiative, the U.S. government will also spearhead ways to defuse potential disputes over access to water, Harris said.

Could the Colorado River Compact Adapt to Go With the Flow?

Dwindling flows in the Colorado River Basin are stirring discussions about whether a 100-year-old agreement that governs how that water is divided needs to be overhauled. But there may be another option: don’t rewrite the law, instead reinterpret it.

Despite its status as the cornerstone of the “Law of the River” — the various agreements that dictate how the water is managed between seven basin states and Mexico — some key provisions in the Colorado River Compact remain unsettled.

A Thirsty State

So it begins.

More than 6 million water users (that is, humans) across Southern California woke up on Wednesday to find themselves under new drought restrictions.

If you’ve been following the numbers, none of this should be surprising