The San Diego County Water Authority was successful in its rate lawsuit against the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and the SDCWA provided a check to the Rainbow Municipal Water District for Rainbow’s share of the settlement. On March 23, the Rainbow board voted 5-0 to place the money into the district’s reserves rather than to attempt to provide refunds to each individual ratepayer.
Recommended terms for a permit to build Poseidon Water’s controversial desalination plant in Huntington Beach would make it impossible to get financing for the $1.4 billion project, according to the developer.
In December, a Rainbow Municipal Water District water main broke in the 2800 block of Dentro De Lomas Road. The main break caused severe damage to the asphalt pavement, so replacement of the pavement will be required. Rainbow’s board voted 5-0, March 23, to approve a contract with Kirk Paving to provide the repaving.
While repairing leaks of Fallbrook Public Utility District facilities, FPUD staff temporarily patched 40 sites with cold mix asphalt. On March 22, FPUD’s board awarded Onyx Paving a contract for a one-time paving project to replace the cold mix patches with permanent hot mix paving. The 5-0 vote awarded Onyx Paving the contract for $77,120.
Drought is back in California. Federal and state agencies are warning of potential water shortages in the months ahead. Because of investments made by the San Diego County Water Authority, its member agencies and the region’s water ratepayers, San Diego County is safe from the threat of multi-year droughts.
The San Diego County Water Authority is no stranger to conflict – virtually all of its dealings over the past decade have been shaped by its feud with the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Now that feud is fueling fights within the agency itself. In the latest twist, some members called for an independent ethics officer during a full meeting of the Water Authority last month.
Imperial Irrigation District apparently has decided not to sweat Michael Abatti’s decision to appeal his case against the district to the nation’s highest court. IID announced Monday it will not file a response to Abatti’s petition to the U.S. Supreme Court over his ongoing legal dispute with the district over water rights. The exception would be if the court requests a response. IID General Counsel Frank Oswalt said in a press release that a response is unnecessary.
San Diego hiking enthusiasts might have to share part of their favorite trail with a cement mixer for the next year. The San Diego County Water Authority is building a massive 5-million-gallon concrete water storage tank, called a flow regulatory structure. You will never see it once it’s completed.
One of the hiking trails in the northwest corner of Mission Trails Regional Park is closed and there are trail detours on other parts.
The Otay Water District is looking for young artists to enter its annual “Water is Life” poster contest for students who live in the district’s service area. Students from kindergarten through 12th grade can win prizes for depicting the importance of water through original illustrations on posters. The district will select six winners based on the theme, originality, and visual and word clarity. Otay will also enter those works of art into a second contest held for water agencies throughout Southern California run by the Metropolitan Water District.
After its postponement and production of a smaller cleanup in 2020 due to COVID-19, I Love A Clean San Diego County returns its Creek to Bay Cleanup to its traditional annual date during Earth Week on Saturday, April 24.
This year’s environmental event will operate under the decentralized, socially-distanced model introduced last year where volunteers clean up close to their homes. Organizers aim to double the event’s litter removal impact by issuing a 30,000-pound, one-day challenge to all participants. This is an opportunity for all county residents to safely volunteer and cleanup streets, parks, canyons and beaches within their own neighborhoods. Free online volunteer registration opened on April 1 at CreektoBay.org.
