You are now in Home Headline Media Coverage San Diego County category.

Helix Water District Reduces Plant Upgrade Costs

/in , , /by /Water News Network

When the Helix Water District received contractor estimates as high as $3.5 million to upgrade the R.M. Levy Water Treatment Plant’s ozone power supply units and generators, it decided to perform the upgrade in-house.

With Suez Water Technologies provided engineering and equipment, Helix employees incorporated new technology and innovative installation practices. The proof of concept pilot project proved the feasibility of the new approach, and a full retrofit is now planned. The estimated upgrade costs to complete the full project is $1.1 million – an approximately 70% cost savings. The upgrade will extend the life of the power supply units and generators at least 15 years.

Full Story

Valve Opening Sends Billions of Gallons of Water From Loveland to Sweetwater Reservoir

/in , , /by /NBC 7 San Diegoby Joe Little

A valve at the base of the Loveland Dam near Alpine was opened Monday, allowing billions of gallons of water to thunder down the valley toward Sweetwater Reservoir in Spring Valley. “It’s a spectacle that is hard to forget,” said Hector Martinez, Chairman of the Sweetwater Authority “Very powerful! I almost feel the ground shaking when the water is being released.” The gushing valve is a sight to behold, and thanks to the massive transfer, South Bay water customers might be looking at their water bills with similar amazement.

Full Story

Sweetwater Authority Begins Transfer Between Reservoirs to Generate Savings

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby City News Service

Sweetwater Authority began a controlled transfer of water between its two reservoirs Monday to bolster a low water level in one of them. Water that leaves Loveland Reservoir south of Alpine will be transferred over the next several weeks through the Sweetwater River channel and captured at Sweetwater Reservoir where it can be treated and distributed to authority customers at a lower cost than importing water. Loveland Reservoir is more than 70% full, while Sweetwater Reservoir’s level is at 20% of capacity.

Full Story

Researchers Exploring How San Diego County Wetlands Can Be Part of Climate-Saving Strategies

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union Tribuneby Deborah Sullivan Brennan

Buried in San Diego County’s lagoons are centuries worth of carbon, cached in muddy stockpiles that scientists say could help combat climate change. Recently, scientists with the conservation organization Wildcoast and Scripps Institution of Oceanography started studying how much carbon coastal wetlands can capture, and how to restore these environments to boost that capacity.

Full Story

Who Owns the Tijuana River – and Who Needs Its Water Most

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diegoby MacKenzie Elmer and Vicente Calderón

On a stormy day, 1 billion gallons of water can rage down the river crossing from Tijuana to San Diego.

None of that water is captured for reuse now among the two desert cities it splits, which are regularly prone to drought, because it’s considered polluted by sewage spills on the Mexican side. If successfully recycled, that water could prove to be valuable as the Southwest grows more water-uncertain due to climate change.

Full Story

Del Mar Horsepark Advocates Release Water Test Results

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union Tribuneby Phil Diehl

Advocates working to keep the Del Mar Horsepark open for equestrian shows, a riding school and other activities released a report Friday that indicates the park’s water issues originate outside the property.

Testing lab ALS Group USA Corp. of Irvine examined water samples taken during seasonal rains Dec. 28 upstream and downstream from the horse park. The upstream samples showed significantly higher amounts of coliforms, pollutants that come from human and animal waste.

Full Story

FPUD Working to Reduce Electricity Costs

/in , /by /Village Newsby Joe Naiman

The Fallbrook Public Utility District is working with the California Public Utilities Commission to secure CPUC grant funding which will reduce FPUD’s electricity costs.

A non-voting item at FPUD’s Dec. 7 board meeting addressed FPUD’s efforts to reduce electricity expenses. The program would utilize Tesla battery walls and is expected to save FPUD more than $100,000 annually in electricity expenses.

Full Story

Rainbow MWD Approves Change Order with Kennedy/Jenks

/in , /by /Village Newsby Joe Naiman

Tom Kennedy, general manager of Rainbow Municipal Water District, is not related to the principal with the Kennedy/Jenks consulting firm which has a contract with the district for the design of lift station projects. The contract had been for $1,434,485 and was scheduled to expire Dec. 31, but a 5-0 Rainbow board vote, Dec. 8, approved a change order increasing the contract to $1,674,108 while extending the contract until July 30, 2021.

Full Story

Detachment Committee Introduces Consultant

/in , /by /Village Newsby Joe Naiman Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority
Quoted: Sandra L. Kerl

San Diego’s Local Agency Formation Commission has an Advisory Committee on the Fallbrook/Rainbow Detachment which met Dec. 7, and the focus of that meeting was to introduce consultant Michael Hanemann and provide feedback on his proposed approach.

Full Story

Follow Four Key Principles for Successful Sustainable Landscaping

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Efficient water use is an important responsibility that comes along with the benefits of living in San Diego County’s beautiful Mediterranean climate.

No matter whether your landscaping is just a few square feet alongside a small front porch, or covers many acres on a luxury estate, San Diego County residents have learned to embrace sustainability as a central principle for creating or renovating their landscapes. Irrigation is among the highest uses of water for most homeowners.

Full Story