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Lawsuit Says City Utilities Department Leader Was Fired for Exposing Illegal Activity

A former Public Utilities Department leader has filed a lawsuit against the city of San Diego, claiming officials illegally diverted $1 million in water and wastewater funds to other city services and fired her for refusing to conceal the activity.

Susan LaNier, a former deputy director and internal auditor for the utilities department, was one of five utility leaders the city fired in February, following public outcry over billing errors and accusations of mismanagement within the department.

Boil-Water Advisory Issued for Poway Tap Water

A brownish tint in Poway city water has prompted officials to advise that all tap water in the city be boiled before using it.

Residents reported the discoloration on Friday, and an advisory was posted on the city’s website on Saturday. Residents also received phone calls and text messages warning about water usage.

Rain Expected, Snow Likely Through Friday in San Diego County

Gusty winds in the San Diego County mountains this morning will precede significant rain showers throughout Southern California Wednesday, with a cold storm expected to make road conditions challenging for holiday traveler through the end of the week.

Wind gusts reaching 35-45 mph are expected in the mountains before the first front of the storm comes through Wednesday afternoon, National Weather Service meteorologist Miguel Miller said.

Huntington Beach Desalination Plant Appears Headed for a Key Approval

Poseidon Water’s long-delayed plans to build one of the West Coast’s biggest seawater desalination plants on the Huntington Beach coastline appear headed for a key approval.

A regional water board is proposing to grant Poseidon permits for a $1-billion desalting facility that would annually produce enough drinking water to supply 100,000 Orange County households.

From Snow Pack to Faucet: Tracing the Source of Our Water

Los Angeles’s water sources run as far as hundreds of miles away. In some cases, water drips from the snowmelt of the Sierra Mountains, trickles down to the Owens Valley, and is collected in a system of canals and aqueducts that pump water away from its natural avenues to deliver them to faucets throughout the greater Los Angeles region.

Cross-Border Water Issues Need Cross-Border Solutions

Regional collaboration and partnerships are needed to solve cross-border water issues, according to San Diego County Water Authority Board Chair Jim Madaffer.

“The Water Authority is exploring innovative solutions to increase water supply reliability for the San Diego region, but also Baja California and the Southwest,” said Madaffer during today’s opening ceremony of RE:BORDER 2019 at San Diego State University. “Those solutions include the possibility of a transborder water connection that can help both Mexico and the United States.”

Water Authority Wants Voters To Weigh In On Agencies’ Divorce Request

Two small water agencies are trying to divorce themselves from the San Diego County Water Authority and join a Riverside County water agency instead.

The San Diego County Water Authority isn’t willing to let them go so easily. Its board of directors last week approved a resolution to ask the obscure San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission “to require approval by voters across the Water Authority’s service area of any proposed ‘detachment’ by the Rainbow Municipal Water District and the Fallbrook Public Utility District from the Water Authority,” the Water Authority wrote in a press release.

 

San Diego County Water Authority Names Sandra L. Kerl as GM

The San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors approved a contract with Sandra L. Kerl to be the new general manager of the region’s wholesale water agency, following a months-long national search. The Board approved the contract in open session during its regular monthly meeting at Water Authority headquarters.

Kerl fills the position vacated by longtime General Manager Maureen Stapleton, who retired in March. Kerl has served as the agency’s acting general manager since Stapleton’s departure, working closely with the Board to lead a staff of approximately 250 employees at offices in Kearny Mesa, Escondido, the Imperial Valley and Sacramento.

Santa Fe Irrigation District Proposes Raising Rates By 9 Percent Over Three Years

The Santa Fe Irrigation District is moving forward with a proposed three-year rate plan that would raise total revenue for the district by 3 percent per year over the next three years, beginning early next year, through rate increases and changes in the district’s rate structure.

The district provides drinking and irrigation water to about 20,000 residents in Rancho Santa Fe, Solana Beach and Fairbanks Ranch. While the overall impact to the district’s bottom line will be a 3 percent revenue increase each year, the impact on individual customers’ bimonthly bills will vary based on the amount of water they use and the size of their water meter.

Bi-National Conference Tackles Border Region’s Water Issues

A bi-national conference held Monday at San Diego State University was aimed at analyzing water resources in the Baja California and San Diego border region where challenges include cross-border pollution and water scarcity, experts said.

Water supplies are particularly low in Tijuana right now where officials announced earlier this month citywide roving water shutoffs for the next two months to allow an important reservoir to replenish.

The water shutoffs have been rotating to different neighborhoods every day with the goal of a 24-hour shutoff every five days in each neighborhood to spread the burden throughout the city.