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Santa Fe Irrigation Water Rate Increase to Start in January

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Karen Billing

Santa Fe Irrigation District customers will see an increase to their water rates effective Jan. 1, 2025. According to a news release from the district, 100% of this increase is from the San Diego County Water Authority, the region’s wholesale water provider.

Costs for water purchases from the San Diego Water Authority account for about 50% of Santa Fe Irrigation District’s budget expenditures. The water authority’s rates are increasing by approximately 14.9%  this coming year and will be passed on to Santa Fe Irrigation District (SFID) customers.  According to the release, the authority’s increase is due to a variety of factors including inflationary pressures, debt repayment and climate impacts. This is the first increase of what SDCWA anticipates will be a total of an approximately 40% increase between 2025 and 2027, according to the district.

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Developer PAC Floods $40k into Vallecitos Water District Races

/in , /by /The Coast Newsby Leo Place

The Building Industry Association of San Diego has dumped tens of thousands of dollars into supporting the campaigns of two Vallecitos Water District board candidates ahead of the Nov. 5 election, generating speculation about conflicts of interest from other candidates.

The Vallecitos Water District oversees water services for approximately 100,000 people in San Marcos, Lake San Marcos, parts of Carlsbad, Escondido, Vista and nearby unincorporated areas. The board reviews proposed development projects and sets water rates for developers.

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SDG&E Warns Rural Residents of Potential Power Shutoffs

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Rob Nikolewski

San Diego Gas & Electric officials have notified 24,700 customers living in backcountry areas that they may lose power in the coming days because Santa Ana winds are expected to blow through the area, which may result in elevated risk of fire.

Moderate-strength Santa Ana winds are expected to arrive Tuesday night and last until Thursday evening, leading the National Weather Service to issue red flag warnings for San Diego County valleys and mountains through Friday morning. The red flag warning is also in effect for inland and coastal Orange County.

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Local Manufacturing Growth Outpaces State, U.S., with $47B Economic Impact on Region

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Jennifer Vigil

San Diego’s manufacturing sector has a $47 billion regional economic impact annually, according to new research, while accounting for nearly one in 10 private jobs across the region.

The industry, according to a report by the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., supports 121,027 jobs at 4,429 establishments tied to manufacturing, which craft everything from consumer goods to genome sequencers.

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Fallbrook Community Sees Drop in Water Bill. Will Other San Diegans See the Same?

/in , /by /NBC 7

Fallbrook residents are seeing a reduction in their water rates — all without having to make any changes. NBC 7’s Joe Little explains why.

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Newsom Issues Executive Order on Rising Electric Bills — But How Much Will it Help?

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Rob Nikolewski

Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Wednesday aimed at finding ways to reduce rising electricity bills that beleaguered customers pay each month — although the order did not offer specific dollar figures and timetables.

One of the major drivers of higher bills comes from spending by the state’s investor-owned utilities such as San Diego Gas & Electric on programs to reduce the risk of wildfires. SDG&E, for example, has spent about $5 billion in ratepayer money since the deadly Witch Creek, Guejito and Rice wildfires in 2007 that destroyed more than 1,300 homes, killed two people and injured 40 firefighters.

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Escondido Unveils California’s First Agricultural-Only Water Reuse Facility

/in , /by /Smart Water Magazine

With the recently completed AgX MFRO, the new $64M two-million-gallon-per-day facility membrane filtration (MF) and reverse osmosis (RO) water reuse treatment plant, the City of Escondido has achieved an important milestone in its goal of creating a high-quality alternative to potable water for local agriculture growers.

With this facility beginning operations, the City and its partners the Filanc Brown and Caldwell (FBC) Joint Venture, held a dedication ceremony on August 28, 2024. Among the more than 100 attendees were Director of Utilities Angela Morrow, Mayor Dane White, City Manager Sean McGlynn, Deputy City Manager Chris McKinney, and other city representatives along with State Water Resources Control Board representatives, and key members of the FBC team and agriculture community. The ceremony concluded with a ribbon cutting and a facility tour.

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San Diego Issues $25,000 Credit for Erroneous Water Bill to 84-Year-Old Veteran after Team 10 Investigation

/in , /by /ABC 10by Craig Harris

Michael Mudurian served in the Air Force and then settled into his Point Loma home with an ocean view 50 years ago.

For decades, the lifelong bachelor said he had a pretty high water bill because he loved to water his garden and nourish the lush, green grass in his front yard.

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Santa Fe Irrigation District Considers Improvements to Rancho Santa Fe Corporate Yard

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Karen Billing

At a special meeting on Oct. 7, the Santa Fe Irrigation District board started initial discussions on potential improvements to its corporate yard and administrative offices at their Rancho Santa Fe Village site on Linea Del Cielo. The project, which would address staff space needs, aging facilities and new regulations and compliance requirements, came with a projected cost of $31.3 million, which resulted in sticker shock for both board and community members.

“This is really the first of many steps of looking at a corporate yard facilities needs assessment,” said SFID General Manager Al Lau.

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New Cases Threaten Local Revenues in Coziahr v. Otay Water District

/in , /by /PublicCEO

Two recent decisions of the California Court of Appeal have increased risk for California’s local governments as to utility fees and fees imposed to fund regulation. A new statute provides a means to reduce that risk somewhat.

Coziahr v. Otay Water District is a class-action challenge to tiered water rates imposed by a district which serves territory along the international border south and east of San Diego.

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