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Opinion: Keeping Our Water On When The Power Goes Off

/in , /by /Capitol Weekly by Cynthia Koehler

During last month’s PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoffs, like so many across California, my family lost electricity for four days. We couldn’t turn on the lights, access the internet or charge our phones.

But we didn’t lose water for a moment, thanks to the steps our water provider had taken to prepare for this kind of emergency. I sit on the board of that utility, and am proud to say that, while 95 percent of our customers lost power that week, virtually none lost water.

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San Diego Among Nation’s Innovation Hotbeds

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune by Mike Freeman

San Diego ranked among the top five hotbeds for innovation nationally over a 12 year period, according to a new study that suggests tech clustering has contributed to a growing economic and political divide in the country.

The Case for Growth Cities report from Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program and the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation calls for a massive federal effort to transform eight to 10 “heartland” cities into tech hubs.

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Huntington Beach Desalination Plant Eyes Approval, But Foes Turn Out In Force

/in , /by /The Orange County Register by Martin Wisckol Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

With Poseidon Water’s plans for a Huntington Beach desalination plant approaching the homestretch, critics were as adamant as ever at a Friday workshop, where dozens complained the proposal is environmentally flawed, unneeded and would jack up water rates.

The meeting of the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board was called to review a draft permit and solicit public comment in advance of a scheduled April 3 vote on the final permit.

Approval rides on whether the board determines the drought-proof project will “use the best available site, design, technology and mitigation measures feasible to minimize the intake and mortality of all forms of marine life.”

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Amid A Snow-Capped Backdrop, Southern California Will Dry Out This Week

/in , /by /Los Angeles Times by Alex Wigglesworth

Southern California will get a chance to dry out this week after a string of storms dumped rain and snow across the region over the last few weeks.

“Basically, we’ve got an area of high pressure moving in from the West, and it’s deflecting the storms to the north,” said David Sweet, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

The weather is expected to stay dry through at least Sunday, forecasts show. Temperatures are also expected to warm up later in the week, with highs in the mid-60s to lower-70s on Friday and Saturday, according to the weather service.

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VCMWD Reservoir Project Receives National Recognition From EPA

/in , /by /Valley Roadrunnerby David Ross Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Valley Center Municipal Water District has been advised by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) that its Cool Valley Reservoir Cover Replacement Project was recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency’s new AQUARIUS Program as an “Exceptional Project,” among only 10 identified as such nationwide.

Each year, EPA’s Aquarius Program recognizes one Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) project from each of its 10 Regions nationwide for “exceptional focus on sustainability, protection of public health” while demonstrating a high level of innovation. 

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County Approves Special Agricultural Water Program

/in , , /by /The Daily Transcriptby Daily Transcript Staff Reporter Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority board recently approved a permanent, special agricultural water rate structure that offers lower rates to farmers in exchange for lower water supply reliability.

Unlike the current, temporary program, the new program will let new participants join as a way to strengthen the region’s multi-billion-dollar agriculture industry.

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Baja California Water Supplies Remain at Critical Levels

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Wendy Fry

Tijuana and Rosarito residents may have gotten a brief reprieve from scheduled water shut-offs, but the delivery of water throughout Baja California is a vulnerable system in need of urgent repairs, state and water officials stressed this week.
Like San Diego, Tijuana gets most of its water supply — at least 95 percent — from the Colorado River. It’s delivered through a single aqueduct that carries the water all the way across the state, including up and over La Rumorosa, a mountain pass more than 4,000 feet above sea level.

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Pattern Change to Bring Drier Trend to Most of California Through Mid-December

/in , , /by /AccuWeatherby Courtney Spamer

Several storms have barreled across much of California since before Thanksgiving. But now, a shift in the weather pattern looks to bring calmer weather.

Storm after storm dove across the state over the past several weeks, delivering rain, wind and mountain snow.

The jet stream, which helps to influence the track storm systems take, was a big part of the reason for the recent storminess.

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How a Closed-Door Meeting Shows Farmers are Waking Up on Climate Change

/in , , /by /Politico California by Helena Bottemiller Evich

The meeting last June in a wood-beamed barn in Newburg, Md., an hour due south of Washington, had all the makings of a secret conclave. The guest list was confidential. No press accounts were allowed. The topic was how to pivot American agriculture to help combat climate change — an issue so politically toxic that the current administration routinely shies away from promoting crucial government research on the issue.

But this meeting represented a change. It was hosted by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, a group made up of the heavyweights in American agriculture. It brought together three secretaries of agriculture, including the current one, Sonny Perdue, among an A-list of about 100 leaders that included the president of the American Farm Bureau Federation — a longtime, powerful foe of federal action on climate — and CEOs of major food companies, green groups and anti-hunger advocates.

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Coupling Pumped Hydro With Renewables and Other Storage Technologies

/in , , /by /pv magazine by Emiliano Bellini Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The combination of pumped hydro with other storage technologies can increase renewables penetration, improve operational safety and reduce maintenance costs at large-scale hydropower plants, according to new research. The study also focuses on techniques to determine the optimal size of renewables-based pumped hydro storage systems.

Pumped hydro is highly cost competitive as a large-scale energy storage solution, according to a recent report by the San Diego County Water Authority. The higher capital costs of pumped storage technology versus battery storage are outweighed by the longer lifetime of pumped storage, which gives it a lower levelized cost, the authority said.

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