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Successful Sustainable Landscaping a Click Away for Helix, Padre Dam Customers

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

No matter whether their landscaping is just a few square feet alongside a front porch or estate acreage, thousands of San Diego County residents have learned to embrace sustainability as a central principle for creating and renovating their landscapes.

Thanks to financial incentives and educational resources offered by the San Diego County Water Authority to customers in La Mesa, Lemon Grove and El Cajon, a sustainable and beautiful yard is more attainable than ever before.

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Lack of Rain Could Produce Rare Spring Wildfire Season in Greater San Diego

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gary Robbins

San Diego County is in the midst of the sixth driest rainy season on record, conditions that could lead to rare and sizable spring wildfires if things stay dry, the National Weather Service said on Tuesday.

San Diego International Airport has recorded only 4.36 inches of rain since the official water year began on Oct. 1. That’s more than 4 inches below normal. The airport averages 10.33 inches of rain from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.

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Watershed Survey Helps Maintain San Diego Regional Water Quality

/in , , /by /Water News Network

The City of San Diego Public Utilities Department conducts regular surveys of its watersheds to monitor and maintain high water quality within those watersheds. The City recently released its 2020 Watershed Sanitary Survey. Conducted and issued every five years since 1996 as required by California law, the report identifies actual or potential causes of local source water contamination that might adversely affect the quality and treatability of City of San Diego water.

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Helix Water District Part of Countywide Landscape Contest That Runs Through May

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Karen Pearlman

Helix is one of a dozen local water agencies taking part in a countywide WaterSmart Landscape Contest this year.

Previously known as the California-Friendly Landscape Contest, the annual competition, now in its 17th year, rewards water-efficient landscapes created by customers of Helix and other participating agencies around San Diego County.

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Oceanside Officials Counter Firm’s Claim That City Among Worst Water Quality

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Elizabeth Ireland

City officials in Oceanside described their drinking water as consistently “high-quality, safe and reliable” Wednesday in the hope of reassuring residents after a lawn care company ranked its water at 198 out of 200 cities nationwide. Rosemarie Chora, the city’s water utilities division manager, said a March 23 report from LawnStarter “hit big” as residents expressed alarm on social media.

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San Diego Public Utilities Department Proposes Sewer, Water Rate Hike in 2022

/in , , /by /Rancho Bernardo News Journal

San Diego officials have proposed a water and sewer rate hike to update city infrastructure as large changes are on the horizon, it was announced last week. The city is looking to increase wastewater rates by 5 percent starting January 2022, the first rate hike for that service in a decade. In addition, the city’s Public Utilities Department — which provides water and sewer services to customers, including Rancho Bernardans — is proposing to pass regional water cost increases to its customers in a 2 percent rate hike starting in 2022.

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How Much Water Can Your New Landscape Conserve?

/in , /by /Water News Network

Landscape designs using the least amount of potable water necessary are greatly encouraged in arid or Mediterranean climates like in San Diego County. It’s an important motivation for homeowners to consider efficiency and sustainability to lower water use, saving a precious resource.

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How a Beachfront Gas Plant Explains California’s Energy Problems

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Sammy Roth

When the California Public Utilities Commission recommended 17 months ago that a gas-fired power plant on the Redondo Beach waterfront remain open beyond 2020 — over the objections of local officials and clean energy activists — Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves made a commitment to the city’s mayor.

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Vallecitos Water District Recognized for Innovative Technology at Mahr Reservoir

/in , , /by /Water News Network

The Vallecitos Water District received two awards for its innovative use of technology to reduce algae blooms at the Stanley A. Mahr Reservoir in San Marcos. The district received the “Excellence in Action” award from the national WateReuse Association, and the “Innovation and Resiliency” award from the California Association of Sanitation Agencies, or CASA.

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MCCSD Officially Declares Stage 3 Drought

/in , , /by /Mendocino Beaconby Michelle Blackwell

The Mendocino City Community Services District board declared a Stage 3 drought at its latest meeting, March 29. The district has recorded approximately 20.5 inches of rain for the year to date; this is the second-lowest recorded total in the past 100 years.

A Stage 3 drought includes the following mandates:

  • 20% reduction in water usage of allotments
  • Designated irrigation times and an irrigation audit for landscape maintenance.
  • No vehicle washing except with a hand-held bucket or hose equipped with a positive shutoff nozzle
  • Prohibition on refilling of decorative fountains or ponds unless such water is part of a recycling system.
  • No refilling of hot tubs or swimming pools.
  • Drinking water served at restaurants only upon request
  • Recommended use of paper plates at restaurants to avoid dishwashing.
  • A temporary moratorium on new groundwater extraction permits for new development, expansion of existing use, and changes of use, which require a hydrological study.
  • Prohibitions on aquifer pump tests.
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