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Water Authority’s Confidential Consultant Contracts Surprised Board

/in , /by /Voice of San Diegoby MacKenzie Elmer Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority is building a team of consultants but won’t explain the work they’re doing, even to its own board of directors.

The Water Authority spent $167,000 on two consultant contracts since July 2019 without disclosing them to the board, which is composed of representatives from the region’s 24 water agencies. It also won’t say what a third contract that was approved by the board, worth more than $330,000, was for.

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San Diego Water Authority Hires Veterans Through SkillBridge

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

The San Diego County Water Authority is the first public agency in California to participate in the Department of Defense SkillBridge Program, which connects transitioning military service members to career-track job training opportunities. The regional initiative is off to a fast start with two SkillBridge interns starting their civilian careers at the Water Authority this summer.

The Water Authority joined the federal program in June 2020, as part of an effort by the Water Authority and its 24 member agencies to meet the growing need for skilled water industry workers.

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Drought Socks Hydroelectricity, Putting California in a Power Pinch

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

The annual snapshot of California’s electricity generation shows how much drought conditions can affect the state’s power mix.

In-state hydroelectricity generation in 2020 dropped 44.3 percent from the year before, according to numbers recently released by the California Energy Commission. All told, 21,414 gigawatt-hours came from a combination of the state’s large and small hydro power plants — significantly lower than the 38.494 gigawatt-hours hydro delivered in 2019.

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Water Authority Taps SkillBridge Program for Talented Veterans

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

The San Diego County Water Authority is the first public agency in California to participate in the Department of Defense SkillBridge Program, which connects transitioning military service members to career-track job training opportunities. The regional initiative is off to a fast start with two SkillBridge interns starting their civilian careers at the Water Authority this summer.

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Long Beach Has Head Start on Need to Conserve Water in Drought

/in , , /by /Press-Telegramby Harry Saltzgaver

Long Beach is in a better position than most of California as the drought deepens and Gov. Gavin Newsom asks residents to cut water use by 15%, city officials say, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room to save more — with the city’s water board endorsing that reduction goal.

The city, thanks to the changes in lifestyle during the 2012 to 2016 drought, has a lower average water use than most of the state — and is part of a region that has seen its usage in the years since restrictions were lifted increase more slowly than others, according to the Long Beach Water Department.

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San Diego’s Water Desalination Efforts Could Get Boost in Federal Funding

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Deborah Sullivan Brennan

Desalination projects in the San Diego area could get millions in federal funding under a bill Rep. Mike Levin introduced Tuesday.

The Desalination Development Act would provide $260 million over five years for desalination projects across the country, including Oceanside’s Mission Basin Groundwater Purification Facility, which converts brackish flows into potable water, said Levin.

It also sets environmental standards for projects that get federal funding, with requirements for energy efficiency, wildlife protection and water conservation.

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Opinion: San Diego’s in an Eerie Climate-Change Bubble, at Least for the Moment

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Michael Smolens Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

San Diego has long been blessed with its weather.

But this summer, it’s ridiculous — as in ridiculously good compared with the extreme weather exacerbated by climate change that’s wreaking havoc elsewhere.

Across oceans or up the coast, it seems various regions of the world are either burning or drowning.

But here, this summer has been, well, very San Diego. Sure, there have been hot spells and even some record temperatures, but really nothing much out of the ordinary.

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Opinion: San Vicente Hydroelectric Project a Smart Way to Make Power Grid More Resilient

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The state government’s decision to provide $18 million to fund preliminary work on state and federal approvals for the long-anticipated San Vicente Energy Storage Facility — advocated by the San Diego County Water Authority and the city of San Diego — makes the $1.5 billion project significantly more likely to come to pass. The great news is that the “pumped hydro” facility at the San Vicente Reservoir near Lakeside will strongly shore up available energy supplies at night after solar power is no longer directly available.

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San Diego Radio DJs Promote WaterSmart Lifestyles

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

Well-known local radio DJs Geena the Latina from Channel 93.3, Beto Perez from Jam’n 95.7 and Tati from Star 94.1, are teaming up with the San Diego County Water Authority this summer to thank San Diegans for using water wisely and are encouraging residents to keep our region drought-safe.

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Oceanside Launches Ratepayer Relief Program On August 2

/in , , /by /Patch.com Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The City of Oceanside announced the Oceanside Ratepayer Relief Program in response to financial hardships of the pandemic. The program will launch Monday, August 2, 2021, and will offer a one-time credit to eligible customers who are behind on their utility bill.

At the start of the global pandemic, Oceanside suspended late fees and water shutoffs; the Ratepayer Relief Program is going one step further to support customers. Funding for the program comes from a $2.3 million settlement received by the City as a result of litigation between the San Diego County Water Authority and the Metropolitan Water District that challenged rates charged for the delivery of water from 2011 to 2014.

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