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Northern Hemisphere had its Warmest Summer Ever, NOAA says

/in , , /by /CBS Newsby Peter Martinez

The Northern Hemisphere had its hottest summer on record in 2020, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday. Scientists from NOAA also said that 2020 is likely to be one of the five warmest years on record, and that last month was the second-warmest August on record.

NOAA said the 10 warmest Augusts have all occurred since 1998 and the five warmest Augusts have occurred since 2015. North America had its warmest August on record, with a temperature departure from average of +2.74 degrees Fahrenheit, according to NOAA.

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Coastal Commission to Revisit Cal Am Desal Project Thursday

/in , , /by /Monterey Heraldby Jim Johnson

A long-awaited Coastal Commission hearing on California American Water’s proposed Monterey Peninsula desalination project is shaping up to be an all-day affair.

After nine months of waiting, the desal project is set for a special remote commission meeting on Thursday in which the proposal is the lone item on the agenda.

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Sweeping Support: San Diego’s Street Sweeping Program Balances Water Quality and Pandemic Needs

/in , , /by /Stormwater magazine

In order to make the most of street sweeping programs, many communities pair their street sweeping efforts with a parking restriction schedule. In March and April, as states implemented stay-at-home orders and business either closed, reduced hours, or moved their employees to remote work, may communities modified their sweeping programs—either pausing sweeping entirely or, as is the case in San Diego, California, pausing parking enforcement.

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Changing Patterns of Ocean Salt Levels Give Scientists Clues to Extreme Weather on Land

/in , , /by /Inside Climate Newsby Bob Berwyn

New mapping of salt concentrations in the world’s oceans confirms what physics and climate models have long suggested: Global warming is intensifying Earth’s water cycle, speeding up the rate at which water evaporates in one area and falls as rain or snow somewhere else.

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IID Due to Respond to Abatti Petition

/in , , /by /Imperial Valley Pressby Tom Bodus

Imperial Irrigation District will file its response today to local farmer Michael Abatti’s petition to the state Supreme Court to review an appellate court decision that overturned the majority of a 2017 ruling in his ongoing legal dispute with the district over water rights.

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‘We’ve Always Known Ours Was Contaminated’: the Trouble With America’s Water

/in , , /by /The Guardianby Lynne Peeples

Ageing infrastructure, legacy pollution and emerging contaminants across the US are driving a growing urgency to do something about America’s water crisis.

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Environment Report: State Throws Cold Water on Pricing Scheme

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diegoby MacKenzie Elmer Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Water customers in Imperial Beach and Coronado were at risk of a suspect pricing mechanism, according to a ratepayer watchdog, until state regulators stepped in late last month. There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s dive into one of the wonkier features of the state’s water market.

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Pursuing Independent Water Sources, San Diego Ignores One Beneath Its Feet

/in , /by /Voice of San Diegoby MacKenzie Elmer

San Diego is not well endowed with many freshwater sources to support its growing population, so some water experts are perplexed the city’s ignoring a self-replenishing local groundwater source that, though small in size, is safe from the threat of natural disasters and reliably recharged by the San Diego River.

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Fallbrook Rattlesnake Tank Artwork Honors High School Seniors

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Each year, the Fallbrook Public Utility District’s water storage tank uphill from South Mission Road is painted with new numbers. There’s a story about local Fallbrook history behind the fresh design on the “Rattlesnake Tank.” The District changes the painted numbers on the tank to reflect the year incoming seniors at Fallbrook High School will graduate.

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Opinion: Metropolitan Water District Can Do Better for Southern California Amid COVID

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Jim Madaffer

Life during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a time of uncertainty and anxiety, but also a time of compromise and collaboration. We have all been asked to make sacrifices both big and small for the greater good — face masks, changing business operations, remote work, outdoor dining and countless other accommodations.

Public agencies — especially those that deliver an essential commodity like water — should operate in the same collaborative spirit to protect ratepayers and offer relief during the continuing economic fallout.

The San Diego County Water Authority and its 24 member agencies have taken action to protect ratepayers by implementing strong cost-cutting strategies to limit rate increases without sacrificing a safe and reliable water supply or the ability to plan for the future.

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