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County Approves JPA for East County Advanced Water Purification Program

/in , , /by /The Alpine Sunby Joe Naiman

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors, who are also the board members of the San Diego County Sanitation District, ap­proved a joint powers agreement for the East County Advanced Water Purification Program. The supervisors’ 5-0 vote Oc­tober 30 also appointed Super­visor Dianne Jacob as the sani­tation district’s representative on the Joint Powers Authority board which will also include representatives from the Padre Dam Municipal Water District, the Helix Water District, and the City of El Cajon.

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The Water Is Already Low At A Florida Freshwater Spring, But Nestlé Wants More

/in , /by /NPRby Greg Allen

In Florida, Nestlé is taking heat from environmental groups and others concerned about the future of one of the state’s most endangered natural resources — its freshwater springs. Florida has more than a thousand freshwater springs, which provide drinking water, important natural habitat and places for recreation. Nestlé wants to begin taking more than a million gallons of water each day from Ginnie Springs, a popular destination in north Florida for swimming, canoeing and tubing.

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California Red-Legged Frog Delays Construction of Morro Bay Water Reclamation Facility

/in , /by /KSBY-TVby Megan Healy

Morro Bay leaders hoped construction of the new Water Reclamation Facility would begin in October, but a frog has delayed those plans. The site, located near the intersection of South Bay Boulevard and Highway 1, is habitat for the California red-legged frog, a threatened species according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS). Environmental leaders at the USFWS worry construction could impact the species, which is already on the verge of being endangered.

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As Wildfires Grow More Intense, California Water Managers Are Rewriting Emergency Playbooks

/in , , /by /Water Education Foundation (Sacramento)by Gary Pitzer and Douglas E. Beeman

It’s been a year since two devastating wildfires on opposite ends of California underscored the harsh new realities facing water districts and cities serving communities in or adjacent to the state’s fire-prone wildlands. Fire doesn’t just level homes, it can contaminate water, scorch watersheds, damage delivery systems and upend an agency’s finances.

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Supreme Court Leans Toward Expanding Clean Water Act To Protect Oceans From Wastewater

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Times by David G. Savage

Supreme Court justices, both conservative and liberal, appeared skeptical Wednesday of a Trump administration argument that the federal Clean Water Act should not apply to sewage plant wastewater that flows into the ground and eventually seeps into federally protected waters, such as rivers or oceans.

The case from Hawaii has emerged as a major test of the federal anti-pollution law’s scope even as the Environmental Protection Agency under President Trump cuts back on enforcement. If justices side with environmentalists, their ruling could extend federal regulation to water treatment plants across the country.

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Imperial County Declares New River Emergency, Sends Newsom Demands For Salton Sea

/in , , /by /Palm Springs Desert Sunby Janet Wilson

Imperial County is doubling down on its efforts to wrest help from state and federal officials to clean up raw sewage and other pollutants flowing into the New River, and to tamp down lung-clogging dust along the fast-drying Salton Sea.

Two weeks after county supervisors declared a local air pollution emergency at the sea, they voted unanimously again this week to proclaim a local emergency at the New River due to the discharge of raw sewage and other pollutants that cause “extreme peril to the health, safety, and welfare of people and properties near and around the river.”

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Rep. Levin Touts Bipartisan Efforts to Fund Water Supply Reliability

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

Rep. Mike Levin said California’s innovations and investments in water supply reliability and renewable energy are a model for the nation – and that the state’s efforts protect the environment while growing the economy at the same time.

Levin, an attorney and congressman from San Juan Capistrano, represents the 49th District, which includes, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Vista, Oceanside and a portion of southern Orange County.

He made his remarks November 6 during a Legislative Roundtable at the San Diego County Water Authority attended by water agency board members and staff, local civic and business leaders and Citizens Water Academy graduates.

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Study: Switching to Solar And Wind Power Will Reduce Groundwater Use

/in , , /by /Courthouse News Service (Pasadena, Calif.)by Carson McCullough

Increasing energy output from solar and wind power could result in less groundwater usage and more drought-resistant environments, according to a study published Wednesday in Nature Communications.

Researchers found solar and wind power, often viewed as valuable tools to help reduce reliance on fossil fuels and combat air pollution, can also lead to significantly less groundwater usage in areas where water management is most crucial, such as California. These reductions in spent groundwater, according to the study, have the potential to increase resistance to severe, long-lasting droughts.

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California Wildfire Outlook Through End of 2019, Early 2020 | Need to Know

/in , /by /ABC 10 San Diego by Tracy Humphrey

Each month the National Interagency Fire Center releases a report on the likelihood of wildfire development across the continental United States. Here’s a breakdown of the most recent report released on November 1, 2019.

The Sacramento Valley and Foothills, entire Bay Area and the western slopes of the Cascade-Sierra range are projected to have above-normal significant fire potential in November, with noted emphasis on the first half of the month.

Warmer and drier than normal conditions to continue into the middle of November across the region. In fact, no rainfall is expected within the region through the first week of November.

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San Diego Taking Steps To Revive Landmark Water Recycling Program Amid Legal Dispute

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune by David Garrick

San Diego took key legal steps Tuesday aimed at reviving efforts to construct the city’s $4 billion Pure Water pipeline, which was abruptly halted this summer by a legal dispute over the use of unionized construction workers.

The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to remove pro-union language from contracts for Pure Water, a recycling system that would purify treated sewage into drinking water and supply one-third of San Diego’s water supply by 2035.

The pro-union language had prompted a judge to issue an injunction halting the project. Council members said Tuesday they hope removing it will persuade the judge to let city officials resume awarding construction contracts.

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