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Hoover Dam, A Symbol of the Modern West, Faces An Epic Water Shortage

/in , , /by /USA Todayby Ian James

Hoover Dam towers more than 700 feet above Black Canyon on the Arizona-Nevada state line, holding back the waters of the Colorado River. On top of the dam, where visitors peer down the graceful white arc of its face, one of its art deco-style towers is adorned with a work of art that memorializes the purposes of the dam.

In five relief sculptures by Oskar Hansen, muscular men grip a boat’s wheel, harvest an armful of wheat, stand beside cascading water and lift a heavy weight overhead. Words encapsulate why the dam was built, as laid out in a 1928 law: FLOOD CONTROL, NAVIGATION, IRRIGATION, WATER STORAGE and POWER.

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Ditch the Bottled Water. MWD, Santa Ana Win Prizes for Best-Tasting Tap Water in U.S.

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Times

In victories that make the state’s drought even crueler, two Southern California water districts have won the top prizes for best tap water in the U.S. at an international tasting contest.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California finished first and Santa Ana took second place for the nation’s Best Municipal Water on Saturday at the 31st annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting in West Virginia. Those two competitors finished first in the category in 2008 and 2018, respectively.

Third place went to the Southwest Water Authority of Dickinson, in North Dakota.

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San Diego Water War in the North County

/in , , /by /KPBS-FM/TVby Alexander Nguyen Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

A water war is heating up in the North County.

Rainbow Municipal Water District and Fallbrook Public Utility District want to leave the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) because of rising costs. They want to join the Eastern Municipal Water District in Riverside County, a move that could save their customers up to $5 million a year.

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Worsening Droughts Could Increase Arsenic Exposure for Some Americans

/in , , /by /Popular Scienceby Lauren Leffer

More than half of the continental US is currently experiencing some level of drought, and about a quarter is in severe drought or worse. In recent years, the western and southwestern US has been in a seemingly continual state of reduced rainfall and snowpack. Droughts have many well-known, potentially catastrophic consequences, from crop failures to water shortages to wildfires. Yet they can also have more direct human health impacts by not only affecting how much water there is, but also the quality of that water.

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San Diego East County Water Recycling Project Receives EPA Loan for $388 Million

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Joshua Emerson Smith

A wastewater recycling project in East County will receive a sizable injection of federal funds, officials announced Friday.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $388 million, low-interest loan to help finance the East County Advanced Water Purification Program — a partnership between San Diego County, El Cajon, Helix Water District and Padre Dam Municipal Water District.

The water recycling project is estimated to cost about $640 million and create about 2,500 local jobs. It’s expected to come online in 2025, providing up to 30 percent of East County’s drinking water supply, from Santee to La Mesa and El Cajon, as well as unincorporated communities such as Spring Valley, Lakeside and Alpine.

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74% of California and 52% of the Western U.S. Now in ‘Exceptional’ Drought

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Steve Rubenstein
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As Drought Looms, East County Agencies Get $388 Million Loan for Giant Water Recycling Project

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein

The third large drinking water recycling facility planned for San Diego County received a low-interest $388 million federal loan on Friday to jump-start the project.

The East County Advanced Water Purification Program will recycle waste water to produce up to 11.5 million purified gallons a day — 30% of the region’s supply — beginning in 2025.

The project at the north end of the string of Santee Lakes is a joint effort by the Padre Dam Municipal Water District, city of El Cajon, Helix Water District and San Diego County.

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San Marcos Interceptor Project Ready for Phase 2 Summer Start

/in , , /by /Water News Network

The San Marcos Interceptor Replacement Project remains on schedule, with Phases 1 and 1A completed according to the Vallecitos Water District. The project replaces the District’s 1960s era 21-inch diameter sewer interceptor with more than 12,000-feet of 42-inch diameter sewer pipeline between Twin Oaks Valley Road and Pacific Street.

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State Takes Action on Water Exports from the Delta

/in , , /by /The Press (Bay Delta)by Tony Kukulich

Construction of a temporary salinity barrier on the False River is underway after an emergency request by the Department of Water Resources was approved by the State Water Resources Control Board.

The barrier, necessitated by worsening drought conditions, is intended to help preserve water quality in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta by reducing saltwater intrusion. The declaration of a drought emergency made by Gov. Gavin Newsom on May 10 suspended the requirement that a project of this nature complete a California Environmental Quality Act assessment.

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IID Board Takes Action to Protect Water Rights and Address Coachella Valley Concerns

/in , , /by /The Desert Review (Imperial Valley)

The Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors adopted a resolution Tuesday, June 1, to better serve IID’s Coachella Valley energy customers and better protect Imperial Valley’s water rights, according to a press release.

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