New but relatively minor restrictions went into place immediately this week with the adoption of a new water shortage declaration unanimously adopted Tuesday night by the Newport Beach City Council.
Automated sprinkler use in Newport Beach is now limited to three days a week, and residents will be asked to decrease their household water usage to where it was in 2020.
The San Diego County Water Authority board approved SDCWA rates and charges for calendar year 2023.
The unanimous board vote June 23 also allocated the pro-rata share of fixed charges to each CWA member agency. The new rates increase the cost per acre-foot from $1,833 to $1,929 for treated water and from $1,523 to $1,584 for untreated supply, although that is an average charge for all 24 CWA member agencies and due to pro-rata shares the cost may be more or less for specific agencies.
With much of the southwestern United States in a persistent drought that is stressing source waters such as the Colorado River and the State Water Project, the Fallbrook Public Utility District is encouraging everyone to do their part and conserve as much water as possible.
Fortunately, in Fallbrook, the situation isn’t dire like in other parts of the state. Local residents and businesses have been cutting back and conserving for years, and the district is now selling about the same amount of water as it did back in the 1950’s, even though Fallbrook’s population has grown significantly since then.
Other parts of the state aren’t as lucky.
“While there are no mandatory restrictions on watering days and times right now, the governor has hinted that if people don’t conserve more across the state, he will require additional mandatory restrictions, so it’s important that we all do what we can to avoid this,” said Jack Bebee, general manager of FPUD.
If you live by Lake Hodges or drive by the area often, you’ve probably noticed something unusual – the low water levels and lack of any summer recreation.
“Usually the weekends are packed full of people with kayaks or fishing boats,” said Jeff Sigua, a frequent lake visitor.
Twelve finalists from Escondido schools join a long tradition of fourth-graders entering the annual City of Escondido Student Poster Contest. Students were asked to depict the 2022 contest theme “Love Water, Save Water” to illustrate the value of water resources through creative, hand-drawn art.
Calling the regional drought a major emergency in need of long-term regional solutions, the Los Angeles City Council Wednesday requested a series of reports on projected municipal water supplies and expansion of efforts to recycle water and support long-term conservation.
The San Diego County Department of Environmental Health (DEH) is unveiling a new water quality warning system that it hopes will give visitors more beach access this summer.
The new three-tiered system looks like this: The first is a yellow advisory sign, the second is a blue warning sign and the third is the familiar red and yellow closure signs.
Golden State Water Company customers learned drought conditions in the state affect local water usage during Calipatria’s city council meeting Tuesday evening.
Perry Dahlstrom, general manager of the mountain district for the water company, provided updates on water supplies to residents via Zoom.
“The current conditions in Calipatria and Niland are okay,” Dahlstrom said. “We have water supply from IID” (Imperial Irrigation District).
A proposed flat-rate tax on lithium produced in California’s Salton Sea region will delay deliveries of the electric vehicle battery metal to General Motors Co and Stellantis NV and may push some mining companies to exit the state entirely, industry executives told Reuters.
The brewing tension comes as America’s largest state is trying to position itself as a leader in the green energy revolution and as supplies of lithium have failed to match surging demand amid the push to phase out gasoline-powered vehicles.
The Sweetwater Authority named Nancy Cavanah of Chula Vista its 2022 winner of the WaterSmart Landscape Contest. Cavanah was recognized at the Authority’s June Governing Board meeting.
The Cavanah’s landscape was selected from a diverse pool of applicants as the best example of how to create a beautiful landscape using less water.
