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Some Local Agencies Are No Longer Responding to Public Records Requests

/in , /by /Voice of San Diegoby Ashly McGlone

Most government agencies across the region are no longer providing records to the public as is typically required under a state law known as the California Public Records Act amid the coronavirus pandemic. Even requests for records related to the crisis that exist electronically are being largely denied indefinitely.

Operations at cities, school districts, special districts and county agencies have wound down or gone remote in compliance with public health orders to shelter at home as much as possible to slow the spread of the virus.

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Unsung Heroes: Carlsbad’s Desalination Plant Workers

/in , , /by /CBS 8 (San Diego)by Angie Lee

The Carlsbad Desalination Plant turns seawater into clean safe drinking water.

In an effort to keep delivering 50 million gallons of fresh water to the county daily the plant has gone on complete lockdown.

As of March 19, 10 workers volunteered to quarantine themselves inside the Carlsbad plant for the next three weeks. The company said workers will continue to monitor and adjust gauges and switches, watching for leaks – doing whatever is needed to safeguard San Diego County’s only significant local source of drinking water.

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SDG&E Has Plans in Place to Maintain Service Reliability

/in , , /by /Fallbrook Village News

With California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order calling for all individuals living in California to stay at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, San Diego Gas and Electric announced Friday, March 20, several steps the company has taken to protect the health and well-being of its employees, customers and communities and to maintain service reliability.

“We have a special responsibility to continue our operations in challenging times like these and the last thing we want our customers to worry about is having essential services like electricity and natural gas,” Caroline Winn, chief operating officer of SDG&E, said. “SDG&E has robust contingency plans in place to maintain reliable service and our highly skilled and dedicated employees will see our community through this crisis. The energy industry has a lot of real-world experience managing crises, and while COVID-19 is different, we are well prepared and here for you.”

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Water Agency to Sell 360 Acres in El Monte Valley

/in , , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Karen Pearlman

Nearly 340 acres of open space in Lakeside’s El Monte Valley is going to be put up for sale and interested parties are already raising their hands.

The five-member board of the Helix Water District unanimously voted earlier this month to sell the land along Ashwood Street and Willow Road, a lot it is splitting into three separate parcels. It purchased the land between 1926 and 1953.

Most of the property, more than 230 acres, is zoned for agricultural use, an additional eight acres are leased to the River Valley Equestrian Center and the third parcel contains a bit more than 100 acres of land zoned for either agriculture or sand extraction.

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Opinion: Your Tap Is The Safest Source of Water During This Pandemic

/in , , /by /Times of San Diego by Mark A. Gracyk

As we Americans face these unprecedented times, many are rushing to the store to stock up on bottled water and other supplies. At Helix Water District, we want to remind you that your tap water is still safe and reliable.

While it’s always advisable to have a reasonable amount of emergency water on hand, the coronavirus outbreak is not a situation that will require a stockpile of bottled water. You will still have access to safe, clean water from your tap, as always.

There is no evidence that COVID-19 is transmitted through water. The illness primarily transfers from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

At Helix Water District, we work diligently 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to ensure your water is safe to drink, meeting all state and federal quality regulations. We collect and analyze 200 water samples a day to ensure our treatment process is effective. Our water treatment process includes disinfecting the water with ozone to chemically deactivate and physically remove viruses, bacteria and other organisms.

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Water Shutoffs in Sharp Focus Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union Tribuneby Kat Stafford

The advice is simple and universal: Washing your hands with soap and water is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of the coronavirus. But for millions of people across the country, that’s not simple at all: They lack running water in their houses due to service shutoffs prompted by overdue bills.

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Regional Water Agencies Continue to Provide Safe, Quality Water

/in , , /by /California Water News Daily
Amid the growing concerns over COVID-19 (novel Coronavirus), water providers in the San Bernardino basin continue to provide safe, quality drinking water to residents and businesses without interruption. San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, San Bernardino Municipal Water Department and East Valley Water District confirm safe water supply during this period of concern surrounding the coronavirus.
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Ten Carlsbad Water Plant Employees Live at Work for 21 Days

/in , , /by /NBC 7 San Diegoby Joe Little Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Millions of Californians are staying home.  Millions are working from home.

Ten are living at work.

“We have locked down the site out here. We have ten employees that are doing the job of those 42 employees,” said Poseidon Director of Communications Jessica Jones.

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Water Authority Partners with San Diego Food Bank to Fight Hunger

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

In addition to ensuring a safe and reliable water supply, the Board leadership of the San Diego County Water Authority has joined regional efforts to fight the economic impacts of the pandemic by setting up a virtual food drive in partnership with the San Diego Food Bank.  

The San Diego Food Bank helps feed hundreds of thousands of hungry people each year – and the numbers are growing rapidly as economic impacts of coronavirus closures ripple across the region.

The Water Authority’s virtual food drive allows donors to select and purchase items such as canned meats, vegetables, fruits, peanut butter and oatmeal for distribution to needy residents.

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COVID-19: Water Associations Reassure Public Tap Water Safe to Drink

/in , , /by /Water News Networkby Treatment Plant Operators Magazine

As the global COVID-19 outbreak continues to develop and reports of bottled water shortages make headlines, the National Association of Water Companies, the American Water Works Association and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies recently issued a joint statement about the quality of tap water in North America.

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