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Facing an Algae Bloom, Sweetwater Authority May Need More Water

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Philip Salata

Facing its largest seasonal algal bloom in 20 years, the Sweetwater Authority may need to buy water to address the problem. At its May 28 board meeting, the South Bay agency agreed to increase its budget for the year in case it must purchase more water to dilute the water supply. The agency says doing so would help mitigate changes to the water’s taste and odor caused by the algae. With the new budget approved, the agency will gauge whether it will need to go through with the purchase, said Justin Brazil, the authority’s water quality director.

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Water Authority Floats Lower Rate Hike — Council Says Not Good Enough

/in , /by /Voice of San Diegoby Tessa Balc Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Slowly but surely the San Diego County Water Authority has scaled back on next year’s proposed water rate increase. Officials initially proposed an 18 percent increase, then lowered their proposal to 12 percent. On Tuesday, they came down on the rate hike again, suggesting to the San Diego City Council an increase of 10.4 percent. That wasn’t good enough for several councilmembers.

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Should a Discounted Water Rate for San Diego Farmers Go Away?

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Phillip Molnar Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

San Diego County’s cash-strapped water authority is considering a plan that could remove a discount it gives to local farmers — something farmers claim could put them out of business. The authority gives a roughly 25% discount to about 1,000 farmers, who grow everything from flowers to avocados. Critics say removing the discount is shortsighted because it threatens to kill off a customer class the water authority can’t afford to lose. At the same time, rates for other customers may increase to cover the authority’s costs.

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The Water Authority Built San Diego’s Economy. Support It; Don’t Tear It Down

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diegoby Past Chairs of the Chamber of Commerce Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

In late 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis produced some eye-catching numbers about our region. It found our gross domestic product (GDP) had reached roughly $262 billion. That’s bigger than 25 U.S. states and countries like Greece, Hungary and Morocco. It’s proof the path San Diego has been on over the last 30 years – a diversified economy that supports entrepreneurs and working families alike – has had positive results. Yet that success was not always a given.

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Morning Report: A New Future for Water

/in , /by /Voice of San Diegoby Voice of San Diego Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

We had a line in this weekend’s post about the big Southern California water legal settlement signed yesterday that got some attention and may actually be a story itself. I reported that the settlement had laid the groundwork to allow the San Diego County Water Authority to sell some of its abundance of water to other agencies the Metropolitan Water District serves. If San Diego doesn’t have any buyers among them, Met itself could buy the water. And if Met doesn’t want it, then something really interesting could happen.

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Metro Water District, Water Authority Settle 15-Year Colorado River Dispute

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Staff and Wire Reports Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the San Diego County Water Authority announced Monday that they have settled a legal dispute spanning 15 years over the exchange of Colorado River water. The agreement ends the long-standing litigation over fluctuating prices Metropolitan charged to the Water Authority to deliver water that the Water Authority purchased from the Imperial Irrigation District in 2003.

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Agreement Ends 15-Year Legal Battle Over Water Rate Increases

/in , /by /NBC 7 San Diegoby Joe Little Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

A 15-year legal battle between water agencies is finally over. The San Diego County Water Authority and Metropolitan Water District in Los Angeles finally signed an agreement Monday ending a battle over the cost to deliver water. The bottom line for San Diego County residents: water bills should not skyrocket in the foreseeable future.

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MWD, SD County Water Authority Settle Legal Dispute Over Water Exchange

/in , /by /KPBSby City News Service Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) and the San Diego County Water Authority announced Monday that they have settled a legal dispute spanning 15 years over the exchange of Colorado River water. The agreement ends the long-standing litigation over fluctuating prices Metropolitan charged to the Water Authority to deliver water that the Water Authority purchased from the Imperial Irrigation District in 2003.

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Southern California Water Agencies Settle Long-Running Legal Battle

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

A bitter 15-year legal battle over water costs came to an end Monday, with leaders of the San Diego County Water Authority and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California signing an agreement establishing the price that will be paid for delivering supplies. Managers and board members of the two agencies said that the dispute persisted for years because of inflexible positions, but that negotiations over the last year made possible a comprehensive agreement. They said ending the legal fight will enable greater collaboration among the agencies to improve their finances and move water where it’s needed.

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Many Local Farmers Pay a Discounted Water Rate, but That Could Be About to Change

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby David Garrick Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority
Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Local farmers are fighting against a plan to sharply reduce their special water rate discount, contending it could wipe out much of the county’s already-shrinking agriculture industry. The cash-strapped County Water Authority says it must roll back the longtime rate discount it now gives to roughly 1,000 local farmers because of dropping demand and changes to the authority’s business model.

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