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IID and Assemblyman Chad Mayes Go Head-To-Head Over Proposed Legislation as IID Threatens to Exit Coachella Valley

/in , , /by /KESQby Shelby Nelson

The Imperial Irrigation District and Assemblyman Chad Mayes are at a war of words, which could potentially escalate to IID pulling out of the Coachella Valley altogether and taking legal action. The district threatened the move in response to proposed legislation by Mayes to increase the IID board of directors from 5 to 6 members, with the additional position appointed by the Fourth District Riverside County Supervisor, which is currently Manuel Perez.

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EPA Funding Secured for East County Drinking Water Project

/in , , /by /Water News Network Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

In a major milestone for water reliability, the East County Advanced Water Purification Program was awarded a $388 million federal loan from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help advance the project’s completion.

“The East County Advanced Water Purification Program is the result of many years of strategic, long-term planning and this WIFIA loan marks a historic milestone in its development,” said Allen Carlisle, CEO and general manager of Padre Dam Municipal Water District. “By providing East County with local control and independence of both its wastewater and water, the program secures a long-term solution for increased stability in our communities and safeguards the vitality of our economy and quality of life. We are grateful to the U.S. EPA for partnering with us on this important program and investing in future generations.”

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Poway’s $69.5 Million Water Infrastructure Project to be Funded By Future Bond

/in , , /by /Rancho Bernardo News Journalby Emily Sorensen

The City of Poway’s water infrastructure improvement program is estimated to cost about $69.5 million, with the cost intended to be spread over water customers for generations to come.

The program’s estimated costs were discussed at the Poway City Council meeting Tuesday night. The council, minus Mayor Steve Vaus, who was absent, received an update on the program and approved with a 4-0 vote issuing a reimbursement resolution.

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‘Truly An Emergency’: How Drought Returned to California – and What Lies Ahead

/in , , /by /The Guardianby Gabrielle Canon

Just two years after California celebrated the end of its last devastating drought, the state is facing another one. Snowpack has dwindled to nearly nothing, the state’s 1,500 reservoirs are at only 50% of their average levels, and federal and local agencies have begun to issue water restrictions.

Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a drought emergency in 41 of the state’s 58 counties. Meanwhile, temperatures are surging as the region braces for what is expected to be another record-breaking fire season, and scientists are sounding the alarm about the state’s readiness.

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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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