The nation’s largest treated water supply district is isolating workers, reducing the number of on-site employees, and giving its executive director broad powers, in the wake of stay-at-home orders and health concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.
The waste and recycling industry is seeking flexibility from the EPA on waste permit enforcement as it anticipates the effects of the new coronavirus pandemic.
Mayor Eric Garcetti expressed frustration and outrage that some nonessential businesses remained open despite coronavirus restrictions and vowed Los Angeles would take action against them.
Garcetti said his office was still receiving daily reports of nonessential businesses that continued to operate as normal — behavior he called “irresponsible and selfish.”
He also announced a “Safer at Home” business-ambassadors initiative that aims to bring about greater compliance from businesses that are ignoring the city’s order to close.
Such businesses should also expect to get a warning call from local prosecutors before the city takes more aggressive action, including turning off their water and power, he said.
The City of Oceanside has created a utility service relief program for businesses that must remain closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of the program is to support Oceanside’s local business community and provide relief for water, sewer and solid waste utility services by temporarily stopping all utility services and charges.
The National Weather Service office in San Diego is forecasting periods of light rain along the coast and inland beginning Wednesday and continuing through Thursday night. The rain will be accompanied by gusty winds of 30 to 40 mph along the mountain and desert slopes and a low snow level on Wednesday night.
Residents and businesses in the Helix Water District service area unable to pay their water bills due to the coronavirus will not be penalized or have their water shut off.
The five-member Helix governing board voted unanimously on March 20 to waive late fees for residents and businesses during this time as well.
The district said that customers will continue to receive uninterrupted water service while California’s statewide stay-at-home order is in effect. Californians are required to stay home unless they need to maintain the operation of critical infrastructure, which includes water systems, due to the growing COVID-19 pandemic.
Next week, San Diego County Water Authority staff and contractors will begin crucial repairs on Pipeline 5 in rural North County between Fallbrook and Escondido.
The work is part of the Water Authority’s proactive asset management program, which monitors and maintains the condition of regional water infrastructure that includes 310 miles of large-diameter pipelines. The Water Authority’s approach, coordinated closely with its member agencies, has served the region well by avoiding large-scale, unexpected water outages for more than a decade.
In an effort to ensure continuity of operations, ten volunteers are sheltering in place at the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant in San Diego County. Poseidon Water’s Jessica Jones shares this inspiring story of selfless dedication to keeping the water flowing.
The Water Authority purchases up to 56,000 acre-feet of water from the Carlsbad plant per year – enough to serve approximately 400,000 people annually. The plant is a major component of the Water Authority’s multi-decade strategy to diversify the county’s water supply portfolio and minimize vulnerability to drought or other water supply emergencies.
To help battle the coronavirus outbreak, governors of several states have shut down all but essential services in recent days. This has left building departments, state building associations and elected officials inundated with questions from contractors in affected areas. Heads of AEC firms of all sizes and functions, including subcontractors and architects, are looking for guidance on whether their work can proceed.
