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San Diego and Tijuana Announce Plans to Improve Tijuana River Water Treatment

/in , , /by /KPBS-FM/TV (City News Service)by City News Service

Both United States and Mexican officials announced separate plans Tuesday to upgrade Tijuana River wastewater facilities.

The international river has been a longtime problem for residents of Imperial Beach and Tijuana, as sewage and trash from the river have spilled into the Pacific Ocean for decades, often closing beaches near the border and damaging natural habitats along the river.

The Tijuana River straddles the U.S.-Mexico border, picking up sewage and trash along its winding and cross-border path. Over the last 40 years water- treatment facilities have been overrun with sewage and trash, especially during the rainy season.

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Unusual Santa Ana Winds Smash Heat Records Across San Diego County

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

Strong Santa Ana winds — weather that rarely occurs in June — sent temperatures soaring more than 20 degrees above normal Tuesday across San Diego County, smashing or tying records from the coast to the foothills.

“The numbers were amazing,” said Mark Moede, a forecaster at the National Weather Service.

San Diego International Airport hit 93 degrees, which is 24 degrees above normal. Chula Vista reached 92 and Encinitas hit 90.

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RSF Association Supports Local Candidate for SFID Board Vacancy

/in , , /by /Rancho Santa Fe Reviewby Karen Billing

The Rancho Santa Fe Association board unanimously supported nominating Frank Creede to fill the vacancy on the Santa Fe Irrigation District board, representing Division 1. As the Santa Fe Irrigation (SFID) board failed to appoint a new director to fill the seat vacated by Ken Dunford last month, the appointment now moves on to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to decide.

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Stimulus Funds Would Create Regional Jobs, Enhance Water Reliability

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

Water suppliers in San Diego County say future COVID-19 federal and state stimulus packages should include funding for shovel-ready projects that would create jobs in the region.

In a letter to members of California’s congressional delegation, a group of 13 agencies, including the San Diego County Water Authority and 10 of its member agencies, and the cities of Del Mar, Oceanside and Poway, say the region’s water utilities have dozens of infrastructure projects that could be launched with an infusion of state and federal stimulus funding.

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How Your Poop is Being Used in the Fight Against COVID-19

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Lyndsay Winkley

Scientist have found an unexpected ally in the fight against COVID-19 — a tool so powerful, it might help zero in on coronavirus outbreaks before they happen.

It’s your poop.

The science of sewer surveillance, also called wastewater epidemiology, is being harnessed by the largest university in the county to help stay on top of COVID-19 cases among students.

And while San Diego is not actively using feces to try and predict COVID-19 hot spots, the city is participating in several studies to better understand this potential monitoring technique.

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Water Utility Hero of the Week: Jeromy Langdon, Padre Dam Municipal Water District

/in , , /by /Water News Network

This feature highlights water utility employees in the San Diego region working during the coronavirus pandemic to ensure a safe, reliable and plentiful water supply. The water industry is among the sectors that are classified as essential. Jeromy Langdon, Padre Dam Municipal Water District Utility Worker, is the Water Utility Hero of the Week.

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IID Begins Third Wave of Sheltering Employees at Work

/in , , /by /KYMA/KECY (El Centro, Calif.)by Sumiko Keil

Imperial Irrigation District extends its voluntary on-site shelter-in-place program at designated critical facilities for a core group of employees.

In the third phase, 10 employees will work 12-hour shifts over 21 consecutive days at IID facilities 24 hours a day.

The sheltered employees will continue to maintain the district’s essential water and energy operations for customers who rely on these services in the harsh desert climate of the Imperial and Coachella Valleys.

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Opinion: Spend Scarce Funds to Restore Mission Bay Wetlands, Not Golf Clubhouse

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chuck Dunning

In golf, I’m what you call a “hacker,” in that I’m a golfer with a handicap north of 30. Despite this, I like to get out with friends to chase the ball around and share the grief, and we enjoy playing at Mission Bay Golf Course four to five times a year. It’s a nice course, well-kept, and suitable for our level of play. In fact, I got my first and only hole-in-one on the 14th hole at Mission Bay.

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Opinion: Reimagine California’s Big-Water Dreams

/in , , /by /Daily Breezeby Larry Wilson

Romantic newspaper myths aside — wait; are there romantic newspaper myths anymore? — editorial-page junkets are not along the lines of a stay in a house on stilts in a Bali lagoon. Just to do some Indonesian fact-finding, don’t you know. In fact, it didn’t take the novel coronavirus to dampen down out-of-town trips to conventions or the state capital on the paper’s dime. That non-ship sailed long ago; not enough dimes.

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Water Recycling Project to Expand San Diego Region’s Local Supply

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

A water recycling project that will purify treated wastewater into drinking water for East San Diego County is moving toward its completion date after the Helix Water District Board of Directors authorized the signing of water purchase agreements.

The East County Advanced Water Purification Project is a collaborative, regional effort to diversify the district’s water portfolio and provide a drought-proof supply. The  water reuse project will further enhance reliability by purifying treated wastewater using Lake Jennings and other facilities.

The Helix Water District Board of Directors authorized its General Manager to sign water purchase agreements for the East County Advanced Water Purification Project at a special meeting on May 27.

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