You are now in Home Headline Media Coverage San Diego County category.

Tijuana is Again Buying Emergency Water from California After Aqueduct Outage

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

There’s a problem with Tijuana’s lifeline to its single water source – the Colorado River– which forced it make more, costly emergency water purchases from California.

The San Diego County Water Authority recently learned that problems emerged with Tijuana’s aqueduct in December, according to a press release this week. Tijuana requested emergency water from San Diego on Jan. 2, which the Water Authority expedited through a typical months-long approval process involving water agencies that also have to sign-off on emergency orders from Mexico.

Full Story

First Aqueduct Maintenance Shutdown Runs Jan. 23-Feb. 1

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

The San Diego County Water Authority’s First Aqueduct will be shut down periodically over the next three months for maintenance projects to ensure a safe and reliable water supply for the region. Two shutdowns on the First Aqueduct are scheduled from January through March, when portions of the aqueduct will be relined, along with other maintenance.

Full Story

Half-Million Gallons of Sewage Spill Into San Diego Bay

/in , /by /AP News

A malfunction at a wastewater pumping station spilled 500,000 gallons of raw sewage into San Diego Bay, authorities said.

More than six miles of shoreline were closed or posted with warning signs after the spill Monday afternoon sent untreated wastewater flowing out of manholes and into storm drains downtown and in the Midway area instead of going to a treatment plant, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Wednesday.

Full Story

Water Authority Delivers Emergency Water Supply to Tijuana

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

Fast action by the San Diego County Water Authority and its partners is helping maintain water service in Tijuana after problems with the city’s aqueduct emerged in December.

Emergency water deliveries started last week after a coordinated effort between the Water Authority, Otay Water District, and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). The typical multi-month approval process was compressed into a few days to avoid additional water supply shortages in Tijuana.

Full Story

Rainstorms Are Boosting San Diego’s Water Supplies — but It’s Not Enough

/in , , /by /NBC San Diegoby Joe Little

San Diego’s recent rainstorms was a much-needed boost to 24 reservoirs around the county.

“We talk about often as pennies from the sky and yesterday was millions from the sky,” smiled Carlos Quintero, the General Manager for the Sweetwater Authority.

Quintero said the Sweetwater Reservoir in Spring Valley collected about 1,700 acre-feet of water on Monday alone.

Full Story

Los Angeles County Collects 33 Billion Gallons of Rainwater in Recent Storms

/in , , /by /KTLA 5by Travis Schlepp

Good news has surfaced in Los Angeles County’s ongoing battle with water scarcity.

The Los Angeles County Public Works Department announced Monday that more than 33 billion gallons of stormwater have been captured in the early months of the California winter storm season.

It will be used as drinking water and is enough to supply 816,000 people with enough water for an entire year, according to Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella.

Full Story

WaterSmart Makeover: Seasoned Landscape in Chula Vista a Standout for Fullness, Color

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Caron Golden Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

When the matriarch of the neighborhood decides with her husband that it’s time to renovate the front yard’s landscaping, you know it’s going to have to be something special. A WaterSmart contest winner in the Sweetwater Authority district showcases success of nearly 10 years with low-water use.

(Editor’s Note: About the series- This is the third in an occasional series on winners of the annual WaterSmart Landscape Contest, conducted in partnership with the San Diego County Water Authority. To learn about entering the next contest, visit landscapecontest.com. For details on classes and resources through the WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program, visit landscapemakeover.watersmartsd.org. Landscape rebates are available through the Socal WaterSmart Turf Replacement Program at socalwatersmart.com.)

Full Story

New Director Appointed to Santa Fe Irrigation District Board

/in , , /by /Rancho Santa Fe Reviewby Karen Billing Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Last month the Santa Fe Irrigation District swore in incumbent board members Michael Hogan, Sandra Johnson and Andy Menshenk, who all ran unopposed in the November election, and welcomed an additional new board member, Ron Magnaghi. Director Magnaghi was appointed by San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer to represent Division 1, which includes areas of east Solana Beach and Rancho Santa Fe.

Magnaghi replaces Ken Westphal, who was appointed by the board last February to fill the remainder of Frank Creede’s term.

Full Story

Opinion: The Healthy Snowpack is an Upside of Recent Storms. But the Drought is Far From Over

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune by The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board

The powerful storms that have pounded California for the past two weeks have disrupted life statewide, leaving at least 19 dead, causing widespread flooding and closing or destroying iconic piers from Ocean Beach to Capitola. The precipitation has also done some good. Wednesday, the Sierra Nevada snowpack — which provides about 30 percent of the state’s water supply — was 226 percent of normal, the highest in at least 20 years. With two more storms looming, the snowpack is expected to keep growing ahead of an important April 1 measurement date for forecasters when it tends to peak.

Full Story

Erik A. Groset Appointed to Fill Vallecitos Water District’s Vacant Board Seat

/in , , /by /San Elijo Life.com

During a special meeting on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, the Vallecitos Water District Board of Directors selected Carlsbad resident Erik A. Groset to fill their vacant Division 4 Board seat. He will represent parts of San Marcos, Carlsbad, and portions of the Lake San Marcos community and assist in setting District water and sewer direction through November 5, 2024.

Groset is a La Costa Ridge resident in Vallecitos’ Division 4. He lives there with his wife, Tiffany, and two daughters. As a local startup entrepreneur and the CEO/Chairman of his own board, he is looking to give back to the community by serving on the Vallecitos Board of Directors. Groset looks to bring to the board his entrepreneurial spirit, fresh perspective, and passion for business and engineering.

Erik A Groset-Vallecitos Water District-Division 4 Board seat

The Vallecitos Water District Board of Directors selected Carlsbad resident Erik A. Groset to fill their vacant Division 4 Board seat. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

Giving back to the community

Groset has relevant public experience, having recently served on the board of advisors at the business school at California State University San Marcos. He is an alumnus of that university. Further, Groset volunteers for the technical career advisory board at Carlsbad High School.

Groset is joined by Directors Jim Pennock, Division 1, Jim Hernandez, Division 2, Craig Elitharp, Division 3, and Dr. Tiffany Boyd-Hodgson, Division 5, to make up the five-member Vallecitos Water District Board. The Board typically meets at 5:00 p.m. the first and third Wednesday of each month at the District’s Administration, Maintenance, and Operations facility located at 201 Vallecitos de Oro in San Marcos.

(Editors Note: The Vallecitos Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.  As an independent, special district, Vallecitos is dedicated to providing water, wastewater, and reclamation services to over 105,000 people in a 45-square-mile area that includes San Marcos; the community of Lake San Marcos; portions of Carlsbad, Escondido and Vista; and other surrounding unincorporated areas.)

Full Story