Louie Pitt Jr. has a clear memory of a day four years ago when a valve broke on the Warm Springs Reservation in Oregon. He was in a meeting with the tribal operations officer when she was interrupted by a phone call.
The Santa Margarita River flows through town but Fallbrook had to fight for 70 years to finally use it.
The narrow river winds its way from Riverside County, through Fallbrook, and eventually onto Camp Pendleton in northern San Diego County where it empties into the Pacific Ocean. For the longest time, the military base did not want to share the river’s water with Fallbrook. The federal government filed a lawsuit against Fallbrook in 1951. Since then, Fallbrook Public Utility District General Manager Jack Bebee said they’ve battled, negotiated, and pleaded with all levels of government.
Thousands of jobs in infrastructure — like clean energy and roads — could come to California and San Diego thanks to a $1 trillion package signed Monday by President Joe Biden.
The hard-fought, bipartisan package, inked into law by Biden on the White House lawn, makes major financial commitments into broadband internet, the power grid, airports and environmental cleanup efforts, among others areas. Its largest area of spending is in road and bridges where new spending over the next five years is expected to be $110 billion.
Construction continues in Mission Trails Regional Park to upgrade the San Diego County Water Authority’s untreated water supply system. The estimated completion of the project has been extended from mid-2022 to late 2022 due mostly to necessary design changes. The project will improve the delivery of a safe and reliable water supply to treatment plants serving the central and southern areas of San Diego County.
Trail closures will continue Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and reopen as soon as it is safe. The Water Authority’s work in Mission Trails Work will not affect the delivery of high quality drinking water to homes. Graphic: San Diego County Water Authority
For more information about the project including an interactive map showing the closed trails, visit sdcwa.org/mission-trails-FRS. Call 877-682-9283, ext. 7004, or email with questions.
Barely a mile from the southern shore of the Salton Sea — an accidental lake deep in the California desert, a place best known for dust and decay — a massive drill rig stands sentinel over some of the most closely watched ground in American energy.
There’s no oil or natural gas here, despite a cluster of Halliburton cement tanks and the hum of a generator slowly pushing a drill bit through thousands of feet of underground rock.
As it works to encourage water conservation during California’s drought, the Palmdale Water District is extending its water-saving rebate program from residential to commercial customers, as well.
This is the first time the water provider has offered the rebate program to its commercial and industrial customers, according to a statement from the District.
Ramona Municipal Water District directors agreed Tuesday to set a hearing to consider turning over emergency services to the San Diego County Fire Protection District.
The water district has had a contract with Cal Fire for its fire protection and emergency medical services since 1993. The proposed Fire Protection District would continue to contract with Cal Fire to serve Ramona, but would take over operations of the three fire stations and equipment maintenance. It would also handle emergency 9-1-1 dispatching and support IT and radio system operations.
A pilot test will be conducted on the Fallbrook Public Utility District’s planned indirect potable reuse project, and Intuitech will be leasing the pilot treatment equipment to FPUD.
FPUD’s board voted 5-0 Oct. 25 to authorize a $370,450 agreement with Intuitech for the lease of the equipment. The pilot project will determine the best treatment process as well as the feasibility of utilizing reclaimed water to augment groundwater in the Lower Santa Margarita River basin.
Two actions taken at the Oct. 26 Rainbow Municipal Water District board meeting addressed the construction of the replacement for Lift Station No. 1.
The board approved a $15,181,157 construction contract with James W. Fowler Company and a $1,423,717 professional services agreement with Valley Construction Management for construction management and inspection services. Both actions had 4-0 votes with one vacant seat.
The San Diego County Water Authority and its 24 member agencies recognize military veterans for their service and actively recruit vets to fill new career opportunities in the water and wastewater industry. The Center for Water Studies at Cuyamaca College and San Diego County water agencies are hosting a free career day on January 19, 2022 from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. for veterans looking to transition into the water and wastewater industry.
