I am Jeff Williams. I have been a water professional since 1974. Since then, I have obtained seven college degrees and have held a water license in two states and a wastewater license in five states including a California V Wastewater License.
Next year would mark a decade of lawsuits by the San Diego County Water Authority challenging the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s uniform rates set by our Board of Directors after many public meetings and hearings. For nearly my entire tenure on the board, SDCWA has been pursuing litigation against Metropolitan. One of my goals as chairwoman is to put this era behind us.
Last weekend a film called “Dark Water” opened in theaters, starring Mark Ruffalo as a corporate man who discovers that his company is responsible for putting bad chemicals into the public water supply. Predictable drama ensues.
The plot of “Dark Water” centers around the harmful human and animal health effects of PFAS and PFOS.
A state inspection found 12 flaws in Poway’s drinking water delivery system less than three months before the city’s precautionary boil water advisory.
City officials remain adamant that the issues raised by the inspection had nothing to do with the nearly week-long advisory that ended Dec. 6.
The September 2019 inspection, from the State Water Resources Control Board, raised a series of issues – some administrative. It says some of Poway’s distribution system reservoirs haven’t been cleaned or inspected in more than five years; that the city’s coagulant feed pump meter isn’t working, and that the city needs to update its water quality alarm systems for chlorine and clarity.
Metropolitan Water District’s board of directors has approved up to $285.6m of incentives to San Diego’s Pure Water recycling project, which is worth $1.4bn, over the next 25 years.
The water recycling project will feature advanced treatment processes to purify wastewater in order to supply drinking water to the city’s residents.
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California supplies water to 26 member agencies, which together serve 19 million people in six counties.
The National City Fire Department is learning more about the water system it relies on, thanks to some specialized training for firefighters from Sweetwater Authority staff. Firefighters wanted to learn more about the water distribution system and where the city’s water originates. The department also wanted to review the location of Sweetwater Authority’s treatment facilities, pump stations, and learn about any areas of lower water pressure or dead-end hydrants. The design of water distribution system facilities such as pipes, tanks, and pumps is dictated by fire protection requirements.
Skiers and snowboarders already know this: California’s recent storms have lifted the state’s precipitation totals to the respectable range in the northern part of the state, and to well above normal in the south, according to Jan Null of Golden Gate Weather Services. Skiers and snowboarders already know this: California’s recent storms have lifted the state’s precipitation totals to the respectable range in the northern part of the state, and to well above normal in the south, according to Jan Null of Golden Gate Weather Services.
Local economic and government officials Tuesday praised the new United States-Mexico-Canada deal as a way to further boost the San Diego-Tijuana cross-border economy. But an environmental concern — the runoff of raw sewage that often flows from Tijuana and fouls beaches from Imperial Beach to as far north as Coronado — might end up being one of the agreement’s most significant measures.
The water in Poway is safe to drink — this after stormwater contaminated the city’s water supply forcing people to turn off their taps for a week. But now a political battle is brewing. “As elected officials, we need to step up and hold our colleagues accountable,” said Lakeside Water District Board Member Frank Hilliker. “The mishandling of the Poway contamination incident eroded the confidence of the public of all our water boards”. Board members from the Lakeside and Otay Water Districts laid the blame on Poway Mayor Steve Vaus during a news conference Tuesday.
California’s storms do plenty of good, including replenishing the state’s water supply by filling its reservoirs and dampening the risk of wildfires. But the rainwater runoff also carries heavy pollutants that wash directly onto the shore, creating a toxic mix that’s unsafe for beachgoers. Anyone who’s visited a beach after it rains has encountered such stormwater pollution, the unfiltered trash that piles onto the sand after flowing from rooftops, sidewalks and streets, picking up a trail of pesticides, bacteria, oil and grease before traveling through the storm drains.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
