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Despite Dry Winter and Drought Status, San Diego County Water Supply Is Steady

/in , , /by /ABC 10 by Leah Pezzetti Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority
Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Despite San Diego County currently sitting at ‘moderate drought’ status and February bringing no rain so far, the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) says the local water supply is safe.

According to SDCWA Water Resources Manager Jeff Stephenson, they have analyzed the current supply and feel confident that there will not be any water shortages for at least a five-year period because of their preparedness, even if drought status remains.

“We’ve spent 30 years diversifying those supplies so that we have seven, eight different sources of water in the region, so there’s no danger of running out,” said Stephenson.

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Proposed San Vicente Reservoir Hydro Facility Project Aims to Meet Energy Goals

/in , , /by /CBS8by Ariana Cohen Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority
Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The leader of a conservation group opposes the idea of building this facility since it could be built on two preserves. Friday, the San Diego County Water Authority explained why it’s beneficial for California.

Neena Kuzmich from the San Diego County Water Authority says the proposed hydro energy storage facility at the San Vicente Reservoir will not only generate power for thousands of households, it will help California meet its energy goals.

“The state has an aggressive renewable state goal with 100% by 2045. With clean energy, this project will help in meeting these goals. It will use renewable energy during the day for later use and it does not emit greenhouse gases,” said Kuzmich.

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A Peek Into California’s Energy Future: Grid Operator Releases 20-year Outlook

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

A long-range outlook released by California’s grid operator offers a glimpse at what the state’s electric system may look like in 20 years — a portfolio with dramatically more renewable energy sources in the power mix, accompanied by a price tag of about $30.5 billion in transmission costs alone.

The California Independent System Operator, known as the CAISO for short, manages the electric grid for about 80 percent of the Golden State and a small part of Nevada. Every year, the organization conducts an annual transmission analysis and then updates its 10-year planning horizon.

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Eva Plajzer Named Director of Operations and Maintenance for San Diego County Water Authority

/in , , /by /Smart Water Magazine Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority
Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Eva Plajzer, a 30-year civil engineering and management professional, has been appointed Director of Operations and Maintenance for the San Diego County Water Authority. She fills the position vacated by the retirement of Jim Fisher, whose 32-year career included nearly 10 years in a leadership role at the Water Authority.

The Water Authority is a regional wholesale water agency that provides about 80% of the water used in San Diego County, sustaining a $253 billion economy and quality of life for 3.3 million residents. The agency’s Operations and Maintenance Department is responsible for operating the aqueduct system; ensuring facility security and emergency preparedness; and maintaining and managing the fleet and various other assets.

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Multiple Water and Wastewater Industry Awards Won by City of Escondido

/in , , /by /Water News Network

The City of Escondido scored wins in three categories at the annual California Water Environment Association awards on January 29. CWEA is California’s oldest and most prominent association of water protection professionals.

The City of Escondido’s Hale Avenue Resource Recovery Facility (HARRF) won the 2022 Wastewater Plant of the Year (Medium Category). The HARRF is designed to treat up to 18 million gallons per day from the City of Escondido and the Rancho Bernardo area of the City of San Diego. The plant operates 24 hours a day, producing recycled water for the City of Escondido, along with organic materials called biosolids for beneficial reuse in Yuma, Arizona as agricultural soil amendments.

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Water Authority Greenhouse Gas Emission Tracking Is Climate Leadership Case Study

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

The Water Utility Climate Alliance has added the Water Authority’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to its mitigation case studies library. The case studies provide valuable information and inspiration for greenhouse gas mitigation or sewage thermal energy use projects from concept to implementation for water utilities across the U.S.

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Local Water District Awarded $4.5 Million in Funding for Desalination Program

/in , , /by /KVCR Newsby Jonathan Linden

In late January, the EMWD (Eastern Municipal Water District) was awarded nearly $4.5 million by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The funds will go towards the water district’s desalination infrastructure. Kevin Pearson is a spokesperson with the EMWD. “EMWD has a portion of its service area that has a salty groundwater basin, it’s naturally occurring, it has a higher salt contents than drinking water standards,” said Pearson.

Pearson says the water district uses reverse osmosis to purify the water and also discussed the award’s significance. The funds will go towards a study on future well sites and improvements to pipeline access.

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Riverside County, State Officials Unveil $19.25M Marina Project on North End of Salton Sea

/in , , /by /Palm Springs Desert Sunby Christopher Damien

State Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella, Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez and other local leaders revealed a plan Saturday for a recreation and restoration project at the Salton Sea using $19.25 million in state funds.

The Salton Sea North Lake Pilot Demonstration Project is slated to be an approximately 156-acre marina that will be located near the current North Shore Beach and Yacht Club Community Center in the community of North Shore.

“The North Lake Pilot Demonstration Project is an important habitat and dust suppression project and a major investment in state funding to revitalize the northern end of the Salton Sea as well as the community of North Shore,” Perez said in a statement.

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‘We Are Absolutely Gobsmacked That They Would Think This Would Be Possible Here’ | Group Opposes $1.5B San Vicente Energy Storage Facility Project

/in , /by /CBS8by Ariana Cohen Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The City of San Diego and the San Diego County Water Authority are planning to develop the San Vicente Energy Storage Facility Project.

The proposed hydro energy storage facility at the San Vicente Reservoir could generate enough energy for about 135,000 households.

How it works is the project would create a small upper reservoir above the existing, city-owned San Vicente reservoir. They’d be connected by a tunnel system and an underground powerhouse.

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$1.5B Pumped Hydro Facility at San Vicente Reservoir Takes Next Steps, But Not Everyone is On Board

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Rob Nikolewski Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The construction of a proposed pumped hydro energy storage facility at the San Vicente Reservoir near Lakeside recently took a couple of steps forward but the project still needs to clear regulatory hurdles to become reality — and a backcountry conservation group has already come out in opposition to the project.

The city of San Diego and the San Diego County Water Authority have partnered on the San Vicente Energy Storage Facility Project, which looks to provide 500 megawatts and an estimated 4,000 megawatt-hours of long-duration stored energy to California’s electric grid. That’s enough to power about 135,000 households.

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