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What Newsom’s Drought Actions Mean for San Diego

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diego / Morning Reportby MacKenzie Elmer Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

It rained almost two inches over Monday night in certain parts of the San Diego region, but the drought is not over. In fact, Jeff Stephenson, water resources manager at San Diego County Water Authority, said residents should consider turning off their sprinklers for the next seven days.

Of the six levels of emergency actions taken during a drought, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday moved California from the first to the second level. That means local water suppliers must act like supplies have dipped by at least 10 to 20 percent, as CalMatters explained.

But he isn’t requiring everybody to cut water use by the same amount across the board. This time he’s letting cities and jurisdictions trigger their local plans for action during drought prepared back in 2020.

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City Opposes 8% Metropolitan Water District Rate Increase

/in , /by /Pasadena Now

Interim City Manager Cynthia Kurtz sent an opposition letter to the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) over rate increases.

“Pasadena does not support rate increases of 8% and 8% for each of the next two years,” Kurtz wrote in the March 21 letter. “Over the past decade, Metropolitan staff has continuously communicated to its member agencies to expect rate increases of 3-5% per annum. And, Metropolitan has stayed that course and managed to operate within those parameters despite some of the most challenging drought years in recorded history.”

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As California Pins Much of Its Decarbonization Hopes on Energy Storage, SDG&E Opens a New Battery Facility

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

They don’t look like much — 126 cubes, each holding 16 modules of batteries — simply sitting on an expanse of flat land owned by San Diego Gas & Electric off Route 163.

But it’s no exaggeration to say that California’s hopes of decarbonizing its power system depend on developing a vast number of utility-scale energy storage facilities across the state, such as the one SDG&E opened earlier this month in Kearny Mesa.

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Newsom Calls for More Aggressive Water Conservation Amid Third Year of Drought

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Hayley Smith and Jonah Valdez

On the heels of the driest ever start to the year in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday issued a sweeping executive order calling on local water suppliers to implement more aggressive conservation measures as reservoirs dwindle and residents backslide in their efforts to cut back.

Specifically, the order requires that urban water suppliers activate “Level 2″ of their locally customized contingency plans, meaning they must prepare for a shortage of up to 20%.

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Tijuana Sewage Fix Makes President’s Budget

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diegoby MacKenzie Elmer

My newsletter has become a dumping ground of late for all things Tijuana River sewage crisis, metaphor intended.

This week, an update on the issue I wrote about last week – a stalled, seemingly simple piece of legislation that would allow San Diego to spend $300 million from the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and stop more polluted water from reaching the Pacific Ocean. Chris Helmer, director of environment and natural resources for Imperial Beach, a coastal border town, wanted to know: who in Congress is holding it up?

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San Diego Leaders Travel to Washington D.C. to Lobby for Infrastructure Funding

/in , , /by /KPBS-FM/TVby Kitty Alvarado

A delegation of over 170 local and regional San Diego elected officials, business and nonprofit leaders went to Washington D.C. this week to lobby for infrastructure dollars. This is the 14th year the region has sent a delegation. The annual trip is organized by San Diego’s Regional Chamber of Commerce.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said in a news conference on Monday morning they have dozens of meetings scheduled with federal leaders to make the case for the urgent needs of the region. He and several other delegation members already met with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

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Water Authority Finance Director Lisa Marie Harris is CFO of the Year

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

San Diego County Water Authority Finance Director Lisa Marie Harris has been named CFO of the Year in the Public Sector category by the San Diego Business Journal.

Harris has served as director of finance and treasurer for the Water Authority since May 2014, capping 30 years of experience in both public and private finance. In her current role, she is responsible for overseeing the Water Authority’s $1.98 billion debt portfolio, a $503 million investment portfolio, the development of the biannual $1.7 billion operating budget, and setting annual rates and charges.

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Water District Plans Increase of Recycled Wastewater

/in , , /by /The Malibu Timesby Jimy Tallal

Department of Water Resources (DWR) officials announced they were cutting State Water Project allocations from 15 percent of what had been requested by water districts to 5 percent, due to extremely dry conditions. The State Water Project is just one of Malibu’s water suppliers — other sources include groundwater and the Colorado River.

“We’re experiencing climate change whiplash in real time, with extreme swings between wet and dry conditions. That means adjusting quickly based on the data and the science,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth in a prepared statement.

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Feds Block Massive Hydroelectric Project Near Lake Elsinore Again

/in , /by /Patchby Toni McAllister

A massive hydroelectric project proposed to span through the Cleveland National Forest — west of Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Murrieta and Temecula — has once again been blocked by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

On Thursday, the federal agency issued a decision saying it would not rehear arguments from Vista-based Nevada Hydro LLC about its project application and the company’s request for a stay was denied.

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Otay Water District Selects Instagram Photo Contest Winners

/in , , /by /Water News Network

The Otay Water District selected four winners in its New Year-themed Instagram photo contest as part of its campaign to encourage water-saving efforts during the statewide drought. One is an Otay Water District customer, and three others live within San Diego County.

The four talented photographers put their skills to use, helping to make their community’s residents and businesses more aware of the need to save water.

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