‘Water Police’ Patrol Drought-Hit Los Angeles Streets
Damon Ayala patrols the streets of drought-stricken Los Angeles every day, inspecting the sidewalks. Each time he sees a puddle, he stops.
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They Sounded Alarms About a Coming Colorado River Crisis. But Warnings Went Unheeded
The Colorado River is approaching a breaking point, its reservoirs depleted and western states under pressure to drastically cut water use.
It’s a crisis that scientists have long warned was coming. Years before the current shortage, scientists repeatedly alerted public officials who manage water supplies that the chronic overuse of the river combined with the effects of climate change would likely drain the Colorado’s reservoirs to dangerously low levels.
Efforts Underway to Replenish Dying Salton Sea in Imperial Valley
It was once called the Salton Riviera and a miracle in the desert.
The Salton Sea is different now; dead fish, decaying area, foul odor , and dangerous toxic fumes. It’s a wasteland.
Once California’s largest lake, now it’s on the verge of extinction, many claiming it is beyond repair.
San Diegans on Notice: Water Rates Could Be Rising
Come 2023, San Diegans might be paying more every time they turn on their faucet, flush the toilet or water their lawns. That’s because San Diego’s city council unanimously approved a proposal to send out notices in September for a public hearing to adjust water rates. It’s the first step before an increase. Under this proposal the rate could go up by as much as 3%.
In Coachella Valley, Water Customers Still Using About 3 Times the State Average Per Person
Coachella Valley water districts once again were among California’s top water users in May, although some are making progress on conservation.
Just two of the six water agencies serving the Coachella Valley decreased their cumulative water use from July 2021-May 2022 compared to the corresponding months in 2020, according to data released by the State Water Resources Control Board last week.
Supervisor Plancarte Calls for Water Shortage Summit
Imperial County District 2 Supervisor Luis Plancarte called for a water shortage summit for all of the water providers in Imperial County to see where they stand with plans to reduce water consumption in light of extreme drought conditions in the state.
An emergency regulation was passed on May 24 by the state Water Resources Control Board, which required urban and commercial water suppliers to implement the second stage of their respective water shortage plans.
Long Beach Stormwater Treatment Plant Moves Ahead With $4 Million Grant
The City Council accepted nearly $4 million from the State Water Resources Control Board on Tuesday night, June 5, to push Long Beach’s new stormwater treatment plant into full production.
The plant, called LB-MUST (Municipal Urban Stormwater Treatment), has been in the design phase for a few years. It is designed to take low-flow stormwater from the Los Angeles River drainage area, treat it and use it to create a new wetlands nearby. Eventually, the plant may also provide recycled water for irrigation.
San Diego City Council Votes to Set Hearing for Potential Water Rate Increase
Correction: San Diego City Council did not vote to raise water rates Tuesday. It voted to send out a public notice and set a public hearing on a potential water rate increase. This story has been corrected.
The San Diego City Council has unanimously voted to set a public hearing to discuss the potential of a water rate hike.
In May, the San Diego County Water Authority proposed increasing its rates by about 5% for treated water and nearly 4% for untreated water, citing inflation, increased energy costs and rate hikes set by the Southern California Metropolitan Water District
San Diego Taking Steps for Possible Water Rate Hike
If you are still watering your lawn or taking long showers, you might want to start practicing how to cut back on your water usage because come next year, water bills could go up.
“I don’t like it and I don’t feel good about it,” said Ron Aguila, a Kearny Mesa resident who was shopping for house supplies.
Catalina Island and SoCal Edison’s Desalination Plants Are Quenching Thirst
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Southern California Edison’s (SCE) first desalination plant on Catalina Island. The desalination process strips salt out of ocean water from two underground saltwater beach wells to make it drinkable. The desalination plant was considered a developing technology in 1992. It was the first ocean water to drinking water plant on the West Coast and one of the first prototypes in the country.
SCE built the first desalination plant in response to the development of the nearby Hamilton Cove condominiums and the drought in the late 1980s.
