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Online-Only Public Comment for Poseidon Desalination Plant Public Hearing Draws Criticism

/in , /by /Voice of OCby Brandon Pho

A state regional water board is drawing public criticism in Orange County for holding meetings on a controversial  desalination plant in Huntington Beach, while public participation can only be done virtually amid the coronavirus health crisis.

The Santa Ana Regional Quality Control Board is meeting this morning to hold a public hearing on Poseidon Water’s request for a permit renewal for their facility, which would be built on 12 acres of a power plant and produce 50 million gallons of water per day, according to water district staff.

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Water Utility Hero of the Week: Erick Del Bosque, Sweetwater Authority

/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. Sweetwater Authority Engineering Manager Erick Del Bosque is the Water Utility Hero of the Week.

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Opinion: $300 Million for Repairs is Great, But San Diego Sewage Fiasco Still Stinks

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board

It was an immense relief Tuesday when Democratic California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris and San Diego-area House members Susan Davis, Mike Levin, Scott Peters and Juan Vargas jointly announced that the Environmental Protection Agency was formally proceeding with a $300 million plan to fix broken sewage infrastructure that has allowed sewage from the Tijuana River to frequently foul South County beaches. While it seems that amount won’t be sufficient to address all the improvements and repairs that are needed, it amounts to recognition that the U.S. government has an obligation to protect San Diego’s beaches.

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Sewage-Contaminated Water from Tijuana River Forces Silver Strand Closure

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Christine Huard

San Diego County’s Department of Environmental Health Wednesday extended the existing water contact closure area at the Tijuana Slough and Imperial Beach shorelines north to include the Silver Strand shoreline.

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Opinion: Poseidon’s Desalination Plant Threatens our Climate and Human Right to Clean Water

/in , , /by /Voice of Orange Countyby Adriana Maestas, Oscar Rodriguez, Espe Vielma

As California continues to struggle with the coronavirus pandemic, leaders must ensure fundamental human rights like clean water. It is essential that we do not allow this crisis to tip the scales in favor of polluters and private water corporations.

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EPA Wants to Spend $300 Million for Border Sewage Problem

/in , , /by /KPBS-FM-TVby City News Service

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed spending $300 million to address the problem of toxic sewage flowing across the border into San Diego County, legislators announced Tuesday.

The money would be part of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act, and will be used for the engineering, planning, design and construction of wastewater infrastructure at the border, officials said.

“San Diegans have suffered too long from the regular flow of raw sewage into our country from Mexico. With the full $300 million, the EPA can now lead a comprehensive and coordinated effort with the local community to build much-needed wastewater infrastructure for the region,” read a joint statement from Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, Reps. Susan Davis, Scott Peters and Juan Vargas, all D-San Diego, and Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano. “The health and safety of California’s border communities must be a top priority for everyone involved. We will continue to work with local communities, the state and federal agencies to finally bring some relief to San Diego County.”

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Essential Repairs Completed on Pipeline 5 in North County

/in , , /by /Water News Networkby Kristiene Gong Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority and its contractors have completed essential repairs on a section of Pipeline 5 in North San Diego County between Fallbrook and Escondido. The repairs included installing 156 feet of carbon fiber liner inside the 96-inch pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipe to extend its service life. The pipeline was returned to normal service over the weekend – ahead of the original schedule.

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Expecting to Lose Up to $12 Million, Oxnard Mulls Borrowing from Utilities

/in , , /by /Ventura County Starby Wendy Leung

The first slide of the Oxnard chief financial officer’s presentation to be given on Tuesday contains this message: “Warning: Estimates subject to change.” No politician, economist or crystal ball can show exactly how deep and how lasting this recession will go. As municipal finance leaders put together a budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, the best they can do is use projections with limited certainty.

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Lomita Receives Grant to Remove Chemical from Drinking Water

/in , , /by /Daily Breezeby Nick Green

A grant of up to $2 million will allow Lomita to install a filtration system that removes a potentially carcinogenic chemical from its drinking water, allowing the community to resume using groundwater instead of more expensive imported supplies.

The small city had taken its sole well offline last year and drained its 5 million gallon reservoir after the levels of benzene discovered in its groundwater exceeded state drinking water standards.

The community was forced to tap pricey imported water from the Metropolitan Water District to serve its 4,242 residential and commercial customers.

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Gusty Winds, Slight Chance of Rain Expected in San Diego County

/in , , /by /KPBS-FM-TVby City News Service

Gusty winds are expected Tuesday in the San Diego County mountains and deserts, plus light rain could fall tonight in coastal and inland valley areas, according to the National Weather Service.

A weak, low-pressure system moving inland Tuesday will cause temperatures to drop through Wednesday, then the mercury will gradually rise heading into the weekend, forecasters said.

The NWS issued a wind advisory that will be in effect from noon Tuesday to 5 a.m. Wednesday in the mountains and deserts.

Winds out of the west are expected to be between 20-30 mph, with gusts possibly reaching 45 mph near desert slopes and through mountain passes, forecasters said.

There is also a slight chance of light rain showers in coastal areas and the western valleys tonight, according to the NWS. Coastal areas have a 20% chance while the western valleys have a 30% chance.

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