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New Line Means Fewer Disruptions to Wildlife in Rancho San Diego

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Karen Pearlman

RANCHO SAN DIEGO — After several years of work, the Otay Water District announced in late December that it completed its $10.3 million Campo Road Sewer Replacement Project in Rancho San Diego near the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge.

The project, which began in September 2017, replaced 1.41 miles of 10-inch diameter sewer main with a 15-inch diameter sewer main. The old main could no longer provide adequate capacity for sewer flows in the area, the district said.

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Fast-Moving Storm Could Bring Rain, Snow to San Diego County

/in , /by /KPBSby City News Service

A fast-moving storm will bring a chance of rain and snow in San Diego County Thursday before exiting by midday Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The cold front moving down the coast is expected to bring a drop in temperatures, gusty winds out of the west, a chance of rain everywhere except deserts areas and a chance of snow in the mountains, forecasters said.

The rain is expected to start falling this evening, then linger overnight before the storm system leaves by Friday afternoon. Rainfall totals could reach 1 inch in the mountains, while a quarter- inch of rain is expected in coastal areas and the western valleys.

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San Diego Suing SDG&E for $35 Million Over Unpaid Undergrounding Expenses

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Ken Stone

The city is suing San Diego Gas & Electric for what officials call the utility’s refusal to honor promises made when it obtained exclusive rights to provide gas and electricity to San Diegans in 1971.

As the city moves forward with its Pure Water San Diego Program, which will reduce ocean pollution and increase San Diego’s water supply, SDG&E has failed to relocate at its own expense its underground infrastructure that obstructs the city project, which it is required to do under the terms of its contract with the city, said City Attorney Mara Elliott, who made the announcement Wednesday.
In June 2018, the city says, SDG&E refused to undertake design and relocation work for Phase 1 of the program unless the city fronted the money.

“It’s unfortunate that a lawsuit is needed to compel our longtime partner to honor the terms of its contract with the city,” Elliott said. “Pure Water is critical to protecting the ocean from pollution and increasing our water independence. This program cannot be compromised by further delays.”

SDG&E communications manager Wes Jones said: “While we generally do not comment on pending litigation, broadly speaking, SDG&E does not believe the relocation costs of this City of San Diego water project should be spread to customers in the other cities within our service area. We look forward to resolving this matter as quickly as possible.”

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Water Use Drops Nearly 32% Per Capita in Manteca

/in , /by /Manteca / Ripon Bulletin (Calif.)by Dennis Wyatt

Manteca’s daily per capita use of water in 2019 was down 31.8 percent compared to 2013.

That means Manteca is now exceeding the water conservation goal of 30 percent established by the state at the height of the drought. Mantecans used 195.5 gallons per capita in 2013 compared to 133.3 gallons in 2019.

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California Eyeing Lower Standard for Perchlorate in Drinking Water

/in , /by /Bloomberg Environmentby Emily C. Dooley

California plans to halve the level at which water suppliers must test for perchlorate in drinking water.

The move is the first step in lowering the state’s drinking water standard for the chemical, which is used in rocket fuel, fireworks, and airbags, said Robert Brownwood, assistant deputy director in the State Water Resources Control Board’s division of drinking water.

 

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Award-Winning Student Artwork Inspires 2020 Water Conservation Calendar

/in , /by /Water News Network

The City of San Diego’s colorful 2020 Water Conservation Calendar features winning artwork from 19 students throughout San Diego. This is the 20th year the calendar has been produced by the City’s Public Utilities Department. The theme was water conservation.

“The children’s artwork in these calendars is fantastic, and helps present the importance of reducing water use,” said Shauna Lorance, director of the Public Utilities Department.

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Event Featuring Women Working in the Field of Water Coming This Week

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Karen Pearlman

RANCHO SAN DIEGO — Shauna Lorance knows more than a drop about a career in the water and wastewater industry.

Lorance worked in several executive management positions for the San Juan Water District for 20 years, for the Monterey County Water Resources Agency as its interim general manager, and was a consultant for several other water districts in the state before being named the city of San Diego’s Public Utilities Director last August.

Lorance will be the keynote speaker at the third annual Women in Water Symposium, which will be held Thursday, Jan. 16, at Cuyamaca College. The event is free for students and $35 for others. It will be followed by a tour of the Water Conservation Garden, adjacent to the school.

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Sweetwater Authority General Manager Gets Raise

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby David Hernandez

CHULA VISTA — The Sweetwater Authority governing board last week approved a 2 percent raise for General Manager Tish Berge.

The raise sets Berge’s annual salary at $231,000, retroactive to July. It marks her second raise since she was hired in June 2017 to manage Sweetwater, which serves 190,000 customers in National City, Bonita and a large portion of Chula Vista.

Board chairman Steve Castaneda said the raise, which matches a 2 percent raise given to employees, represents a cost-of-living adjustment.

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‘Decent Storm’ With 40 mph Winds To Drench Bay Area, Deposit Snow In Sierra

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Alejandro Serrano

A storm system from the Gulf of Alaska is poised to make Wednesday night in the Bay Area wet and windy.

The system is expected to deliver winds with gusts of up to 40 miles per hour and rain across the region, starting in the North Bay around sunset before moving south. Up to 2 feet of snow could fall in parts of Northern California and the Sierra, according to the National Weather Service, while local precipitation is expected to continue through Thursday, when showers give way to a cloudy Friday.

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Sunpin Solar Launches Construction Of 98- MW Solar Project In California

/in , /by /Renewables Now by Sladjana Djunisic

US developer Sunpin Solar on Friday held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction of the 98-MW Titan Solar 1 project in California.

Commissioning is expected to take place in the fourth quarter of 2020.

The solar park will be built on 569 acres (230.3 hectares) between the Salton Sea and Anza Borrego Desert State Park in California’s Imperial County. With over 260,000 panels installed, Titan Solar 1 is set to produce more than 218,000 MWh per year, or enough power for over 26,900 homes annually, the California-based solar developer said.

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