It won’t take much, and the Pass Area as we know it may look dramatically different come wet weather this fall and winter. That’s according to public safety officials from various Riverside County agencies who are working to get the word out about the danger of “flood after fire.”
The San Diego County Water Authority is gearing up to construct a 2.1 million-gallon drinking water reservoir on the Valley Center Pipeline to enhance service reliability throughout the region. The Hauck Mesa Storage Reservoir project in northern San Diego County is part of the Water Authority’s Capital Improvement Program. Construction work is scheduled to begin in early 2021 and is estimated to be completed in the winter of 2022.
The Olivenhain Municipal Water District project to replace aging water infrastructure along El Camino Real in Encinitas has now reached the halfway point. After getting underway in March 2020 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the project is making steady progress. District officials expect the entire project to be completed in Spring 2021.
Pen finally met paper on Wednesday, making official the 50-year water supply agreement between the city of Santa Barbara and the Montecito Water District. A virtual ceremony was held via Zoom on Wednesday morning, as representatives from both jurisdictions were joined by local elected officials to celebrate what was considered by many as regional planning done right.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is moving ahead with plans to build microgrids at three water treatment plants and a pumping station. The water district’s board on October 13 approved the projects, a move needed to nail down $10.3 million in incentives from the California Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) Self-Generation Incentive Program
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California adopted a program to provide incentives for replacing toilets at multi-family housing properties. MWD’s Oct. 13 board meeting included approving a $250 incentive to replace toilets with a flush volume of 3.5 gallons or greater and a $125 incentive to replace toilets with a flush volume of 1.6 gallons or greater.
The San Diego County Water Authority approved a permanent Special Agricultural Water Rate program late last year but did not include any criteria. On Sept. 24, the SDCWA approved an ordinance adopting the program and setting eligibility criteria.
The Ramona area will continue to receive backup support from the county of San Diego during fire and medical emergencies with approval of a mutual aid agreement that brings the area nearly $2.5 million in benefits over roughly five years.
The Ramona Municipal Water District Board of Directors gave unanimous approval to the mutual aid agreement on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Director Jeff Lawler was absent.
One of the most vocal critics of a controversial seawater desalting plant, proposed for the Huntington Beach coastline, will no longer be on the state’s local water board when it votes to approve the project later this year.
A South Coast community is celebrating a historic deal this week which will help lock in a reliable, drought-proof water supply for the next half century. The Montecito Water District is signing a 50 year water supply agreement with the City of Santa Barbara Wednesday. The water district is buying into the city’s desalination plant, which converts salt water into fresh water.
