How One California City Cut Its Water Use in Half
Despite pleas to conserve water during a historic drought, Californians have not saved much at all this year. But there are exceptions. We look at how Healdsburg dramatically cut its water use.
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Biden Signs Historic $1-Trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
President Biden on Monday signed a historic $1-trillion bipartisan bill that he said will overhaul the nation’s infrastructure and boost the nation’s economy, which has been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Touting the legislation as a job creator, the president said it was also an example of him fulfilling a campaign promise to reach across the aisle to get things done.
Update on Water Project in Mission Trails
Construction continues in Mission Trails Regional Park to upgrade the San Diego County Water Authority’s untreated water supply system. The estimated completion of the project has been extended from mid-2022 to late 2022 due mostly to necessary design changes. The project will improve the delivery of a safe and reliable water supply to treatment plants serving the central and southern areas of San Diego County.
Trail closures will continue Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and reopen as soon as it is safe. The Water Authority’s work in Mission Trails Work will not affect the delivery of high quality drinking water to homes. Graphic: San Diego County Water Authority
For more information about the project including an interactive map showing the closed trails, visit sdcwa.org/mission-trails-FRS. Call 877-682-9283, ext. 7004, or email with questions.
$1 Billion Project to Expand Major Bay Area Reservoir Gains Momentum
The rolling hills and ranchlands of eastern Contra Costa County are known for wineries, cattle ranches, wind turbines and growing subdivisions.
But soon they may be known for something else: The biggest new water storage project in the Bay Area in years. And now, amid the current drought, nearly every major water agency in the region wants a piece of it.
Opinion: Don’t Let a Few ‘Monster’ Storms Fool You, S.F.’s Water Supply is Unsustainable
Faced with a worsening drought and the ever-present threat of more wildfires, the Bay Area needed a miracle. And last month, it got one. An unexpected and almost unprecedented October deluge gave the Hetch Hetchy reservoir, the primary water supply for San Francisco and most of the Bay Area, a more than 21-foot bump in its water level. That’s an 11% boost; and the prospect of breaking the drought this rainy season suddenly no longer sounds impossible.
Which Species Will Survive? Climate Change Enhances the Vulnerability of California Freshwater Fishes to Severe Drought
As I write this on an October weekend, rain is falling steadily in Davis and has been for most of the day. This is the first real rain we have had in over seven months. But it is not the end of the drought. Multiple storms are needed. The landscape is a dry sponge, reservoirs are empty, water rationing is in place or expected to be, and aquatic species are in decline. Water agencies are trying to capture all the water they can behind dams with bypass flows for fish minimal.
Infrastructure Week is Finally Here. What California Will Get
Washington has become known as the town where nothing gets done. But Congress on Nov. 5 approved a bipartisan $1.2-trillion infrastructure bill that lawmakers say will expand access to high-speed internet, rebuild old roads and bridges and create networks of electric car charging stations. Biden is scheduled to sign the bill Monday during a ceremony at the White House.
Drilling for ‘White Gold’ is Happening Right Now at the Salton Sea
Barely a mile from the southern shore of the Salton Sea — an accidental lake deep in the California desert, a place best known for dust and decay — a massive drill rig stands sentinel over some of the most closely watched ground in American energy.
There’s no oil or natural gas here, despite a cluster of Halliburton cement tanks and the hum of a generator slowly pushing a drill bit through thousands of feet of underground rock.
PWD to Extend its Water-Saving Rebates
As it works to encourage water conservation during California’s drought, the Palmdale Water District is extending its water-saving rebate program from residential to commercial customers, as well.
This is the first time the water provider has offered the rebate program to its commercial and industrial customers, according to a statement from the District.
Ramona Water District to Consider Transferring its Emergency Services Oversight to County
Ramona Municipal Water District directors agreed Tuesday to set a hearing to consider turning over emergency services to the San Diego County Fire Protection District.
The water district has had a contract with Cal Fire for its fire protection and emergency medical services since 1993. The proposed Fire Protection District would continue to contract with Cal Fire to serve Ramona, but would take over operations of the three fire stations and equipment maintenance. It would also handle emergency 9-1-1 dispatching and support IT and radio system operations.
