Bob Raibert loved the green grass growing in his Poway front yard when he bought his home four years ago. The affinity wore off when he got his first water bill.
“For two months it was $600,” he said. “The front yard was all grass; about 5,000 square feet of grass.”
Raipert did some research and spoke to experts.
He redid his entire front and backyard. The grass has been replaced with drought tolerant plants and artificial grass.
On a day to day basis, we stay busy repairing water main breaks, helping our customers find leaks and providing safe drinking water, but we also devote a lot of time to planning for the future. It is important that we look ahead so we can successfully manage our water resources and implement necessary infrastructure projects in order to meet our customers’ future water needs and maintain a resilient water delivery system in the face of aging infrastructure. Currently, the district is directing a lot of our efforts to the formation of a Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) and developing a Climate Action Plan.
County environmental health officials issued a water contact advisory Wednesday for all coastal beaches and bays due to contamination from urban runoff following rainfall.
The Department of Environmental Health warned swimmers, surfers and other water users that levels of bacteria can rise significantly in coastal waters, particularly near storm drains, creeks, rivers and lagoon outlets that discharge urban runoff. Water contact should be avoided for at least 72 hours following a rainstorm, according to the county.
The general rain advisory for urban runoff contamination applies to beaches from San Onofre State Beach south to Border Field, including Mission Bay and San Diego Bay.
With rain on the way, there are concerns again about sewage in the water in Imperial Beach.
The first rain storms of the season moved into the region Tuesday, bringing significant rainfall throughout San Diego County along with the possibility of runoff that runs along the Tijuana River.
Residents are fearful that sewage-contaminated runoff from across the border will gush down the into Imperial Beach communities.
As of Wednesday morning, no beach closures were called.
On November 5, Padre Dam Municipal Water District, city of El Cajon and County of San Diego formed a Joint Powers Authority to serve as the governing body for the East County Advanced Water Purification project. A Helix Water District representative will serve as an ex officio, non-voting member of the JPA board.
“The JPA board will be focused on the wastewater side of the project. Our role in the project if it moves forward, is on the drinking water side,” said Helix Water District General Manager Carlos Lugo.
San Diego County will experience a second day of heavy rain Wednesday from a cold storm out of the north that tapped into tropical moisture from the south as it surged into Southern California, according to the National Weather Service.
The entire region will get soaked, and all areas are under a flash flood watch. But the rain will be heaviest in northern and central San Diego County, especially along Interstate 15, from roughly Escondido north to the county line, forecasters say.
Life sciences public relations firm Canale Communications received 14 awards, including a Best of Show distinction, at the recent 2019 Edward L. Bernays Mark of Excellence awards program presented by the Public Relations Society of America’s San Diego-Imperial Counties chapter.
A total of 73 awards were presented Nov. 7 at the Andaz San Diego Hyatt Hotel. Mixte Communications received 10 awards, including a Best of Show and Special Award for PR Team of the Year. Another top winner of the evening was public affairs firm Southwest Strategies with nine awards.
Four special awards were presented, including:
The Otay Water District, which serves South and East counties, has launched its first-ever holiday-themed Instagram contests.
Participants do not have to be constituents from the Otay Water District, which provides water, recycled water and sewer service to nearly 224,000 customers within about 125 square miles of southeastern San Diego County. They do, however, need to be 18 years of age or over.
For the “Thankful for Water” contest, which has a Dec. 6 deadline, contestants must follow @otaywater on Instagram and post a thankful-for-water-themed photo to a public account with a caption, using the hashtag #Thx4OtayH2O
For the “Drink Tap December,” which has a Jan. 2 deadline, contestants must follow @otaywater on Instagram and post a tap water-themed photo to a public account with a caption, using the hashtag #DrinkTapDecember
Sandy Kerl is expected to be selected as the next general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority when the board meets on Thursday.
The 36-member board announced Friday it is negotiating contract terms with Kerl to head the region’s wholesale water agency following a national search.
Kerl has served as acting general manager since March when Maureen Stapleton retired after 23 years at the helm of the water wholesaler.
“We are excited about what Sandy brings to the water authority – deep experience with water issues and her top-notch skills managing an agency that’s so critical to San Diego County,” said Board Chair Jim Madaffer.
San Diego County’s freshwater fishing in area reservoirs and lakes managed by the region’s water agencies attracts expert anglers and beginners alike.
Of San Diego County’s 24 reservoirs and lakes, 18 allow fishing. Bryan Norris, Reservoirs and Recreation Program Manager for the City of San Diego, oversees eight locations offering recreational opportunities, including fishing.
“We are the largest provider of recreation for the domestic water supply in California,” said Norris. “No other program provides recreation at eight different reservoirs. The City of San Diego is considered a pioneer in these offerings. It’s really something that gets overlooked.”
