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LAFCO Approves Public Vote for FPUD-Rainbow Detachment

/in , , /by /Fallbrook Village Newsby Joe Naiman Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

When the proposal for the Fallbrook Public Utility District and the Rainbow Municipal Water District to detach from the San Diego County Water Authority and annex to the Eastern Municipal Water District is heard by San Diego County’s Local Agency Formation Commission, a public vote will follow any LAFCO board approval.

LAFCO’s board voted 8-0 to call for a public vote, May 4, and the motion also included the creation of a technical advisory committee. LAFCO executive officer Keene Simonds will draft proposed tasks for the committee and a proposed membership composition, and LAFCO is scheduled to approve that criteria June 1.

How Much Water Do We Really Need to Drink?

/in , , /by /CBS Sacramento (CNN Wire)

Here’s some welcome news: Water can work wonders for your health.

The humble liquid comprises about 60% of our body weight and allows our internal organs to perform at their best. Water regulates our body temperature, keeps our joints lubricated and carries nutrients to our cells. Water also provides moisture to skin, ensuring a bright and radiant glow.

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Sweetwater Authority is Raising Money to Help Provide Food for Families and Seniors Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

/in , , /by /KUSI News (San Diego)by Mike McKinnon III

Sweetwater Authority employees are lending a helping hand to their community by raising money to help provide food for families and seniors who have been impacted by coronavirus.

General Manager of Sweetwater Authority, Tish Berge, joined KUSI’s Paul Rudy on Good Morning San Diego to discuss the details of the fundraiser.

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Questions Simmer About Lake Powell’s Future as Drought, Climate Change Point to a Drier Colorado River Basin

/in , , /by /Water Education Foundation (Western Water)by Gary Pitzer

Sprawled across a desert expanse along the Utah-Arizona border, Lake Powell’s nearly 100-foot high bathtub ring etched on its sandstone walls belie the challenges of a major Colorado River reservoir at less than half-full. How those challenges play out as demand grows for the river’s water amid a changing climate is fueling simmering questions about Powell’s future.

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Online-Only Public Comment for Poseidon Desalination Plant Public Hearing Draws Criticism

/in , /by /Voice of OCby Brandon Pho

A state regional water board is drawing public criticism in Orange County for holding meetings on a controversial  desalination plant in Huntington Beach, while public participation can only be done virtually amid the coronavirus health crisis.

The Santa Ana Regional Quality Control Board is meeting this morning to hold a public hearing on Poseidon Water’s request for a permit renewal for their facility, which would be built on 12 acres of a power plant and produce 50 million gallons of water per day, according to water district staff.

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Water Utility Hero of the Week: Erick Del Bosque, Sweetwater Authority

/in , , /by /Water News Network

This feature highlights water utility employees in the San Diego region working during the coronavirus pandemic to ensure a safe, reliable and plentiful water supply. The water industry is among the sectors that are classified as essential. Sweetwater Authority Engineering Manager Erick Del Bosque is the Water Utility Hero of the Week.

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Let’s Refill Lakes Mead & Powell Now

/in , , /by /Sustainable Watersby Brian Richter Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

As of Monday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s forecast for this year’s expected water supplies in the Colorado River is at 59% of average. That’s not good news.

If that prediction proves true, this will be one of the driest water years since Lake Powell was constructed nearly 60 years ago. The volume of water stored in Lake Powell each year is affected by three primary factors: the amount of water flowing into the reservoir after ‘Upper Basin‘ water users have extracted water for their use, minus water released from the reservoir to support Lower Basin water users, and minus evaporation from the reservoir itself. Lake Powell will lose – by my estimation — about 22 feet of water this year, or about 2.1 million acre-feet of storage.

At that point, the reservoir will be 60% empty.

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Dems’ HEROES Act Includes Billions for Utility, Ratepayer Assistance

/in , , /by /Water Finance & Management

Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday released the HEROES Act, the latest proposed relief package to address the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic challenges resulting from it. The proposal includes $1.5 billion in funding for water ratepayer assistance to help struggling households pay their water and sewer service bills.

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Coalition to Take Major Step in Acquiring Potter Valley Project from PG&E

/in , /by /Redwood Timesby Shomik Mukherjee

A partnership of numerous Northern California agencies intends to file an initial plan on Wednesday to acquire the Potter Valley project from the Pacific Gas and Electric Co., multiple sources confirmed.

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Opinion: $300 Million for Repairs is Great, But San Diego Sewage Fiasco Still Stinks

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board

It was an immense relief Tuesday when Democratic California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris and San Diego-area House members Susan Davis, Mike Levin, Scott Peters and Juan Vargas jointly announced that the Environmental Protection Agency was formally proceeding with a $300 million plan to fix broken sewage infrastructure that has allowed sewage from the Tijuana River to frequently foul South County beaches. While it seems that amount won’t be sufficient to address all the improvements and repairs that are needed, it amounts to recognition that the U.S. government has an obligation to protect San Diego’s beaches.

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