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‘Forever Chemicals’ Detected in Sweetwater Reservoir

/in , , /by /Fox 5 San Diegoby Jaime Chambers

Roughly 200,000 San Diego County households get their tap water from the Sweetwater Authority. In a recent safety test, however, that water flagged a toxic chemical called PFAS, also known as a forever chemical. The level is not enough for action, but enough to trigger a mandatory state warning.

“We have one data point. There is a lot of things that we are waiting for, a lot of information,” said Paulina Martinez Perez, the chairwoman of the Sweetwater Authority. “The water is safe to drink, and we are ready and prepared to do whatever we need to do in order to continue delivering safe and reliable water to our customers.”

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Vista Irrigation District Board Elects Officers For 2025

/in , , /by /The Vista Press Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The Vista Irrigation District board of directors elected Patrick Sanchez as its president and Marty Miller as its vice-president for 2025 at its annual organizational meeting.

Sanchez has served on the board of directors since March 2017. This will be the second time he has led the board since being elected.  Sanchez represents Division 4, which encompasses the Shadowridge area of Vista.

Water Rates Could Soar More Than 60% Within 5 Years Under Proposed Hikes

/in , , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby David Garrick

San Diego could raise water rates by 61% and sewer rates 32% over four years to cover sharply rising costs for workers, imported water, chemicals, energy, construction projects and other priorities.

The increases, which would incrementally kick in between January 2026 and January 2029, are recommended by two new studies analyzing future revenues and expenses for the city’s water and sewer systems.

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How to Make Sense of the Fluoride Debate

/in , , /by /New York Timesby Melinda Wenner Moyer

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s skepticism about fluoride has become a focal point in the debate about whether he’s suitable to run the nation’s health department.

His pledge that the Trump administration would “advise all U.S. systems to remove fluoride from public water” has sparked outcry among dentists and some public health experts who say that fluoridated water is safe and essential for protecting oral health in children.

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Metropolitan Water District Board Member Censured for Racist Remark

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

A board member of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has been censured for making a racist remark about an Arab American employee.

The MWD board of directors voted to censure John Morris, a member representing the city of San Marino, after an investigation found that he used a racist term when he referred to a staff member at a board event last year. The district said the investigation was conducted in response to an anonymous complaint and determined that Morris’ remark violated the MWD’s antidiscrimination policy.

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San Diegans Can Drink Their Tap Water. Many Pay More at the Vending Machine Anyway.

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diegoby Amy DiPerro

On a May afternoon, customers fill empty five-gallon jugs at vending machines beside the front door of the Aqua Bar water store in Escondido. Inside, the store’s owner chats with regulars turning the faucets at two large metal sinks. Customers come and go, wheeling carts full of newly-filled containers out to the trunks or flat-beds of waiting cars.

Aqua Bar is roughly in the middle of a neighborhood that could be the water vending machine capital of San Diego County.

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California Water Officials Try to Curb Spread of Invasive Golden Mussels Found in Delta

/in , , /by /CBS 13 Sacramentoby Esteban Reynoso

An invasive species in the San Joaquin County Delta is putting water officials on high alert.

Despite its name, the golden mussel isn’t native to the Golden State, but instead to Southeast Asia. Now, some lake boat ramps and launches are closed, to try and keep the invasive species at bay.

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Southern California Water Agency Votes to Keep Funding Ambitious Underground Tunnel Project

/in , , /by /NBC 4 Los Angelesby Jonathan Lloyd

Continued funding for a giant underground tunnel that would reroute part of drought-prone California’s water supply was approved by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

The $142 million in funds for pre-construction and planning costs is key to the Delta Conveyance Project, which state officials have described as critical to water supplies and transport around the state due to aging infrastructure and climate change-related shifts in precipitation.

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Sweetwater Authority Clarifies Water Quality Concerns

/in , /by /Chula Vista Todayby Jeanette Sánchez

In response to community concerns, Sweetwater Authority recently announced the detection of a small amount of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in treated water from the Sweetwater Reservoir.

The detected concentration was below levels that would necessitate mitigation measures, meaning additional water treatment is not required. However, regulatory guidelines mandate notification to customers about such findings.

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Scott Maloni Joins Olivenhain Municipal Water District Board

/in , /by /North Coast Current

Scott Maloni was sworn in Dec. 5 as the newest member of Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors.

Voters in OMWD’s Division 2, consisting of communities in Carlsbad and Encinitas, selected Maloni as their representative by 58.31% to the Board of Directors as one of four candidates in the Nov. 5 election. Incumbent Division 5 member Neal Meyers, who was appointed to the board in 2021, won election by 54.48%, according to San Diego County Registrar of Voters results.

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