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California Says San Diego County Could Undermine State’s Landmark Plan to Rein In Greenhouse Gases

/in , , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune by Joshua Emerson Smith

The stakes are rising in a legal battle over whether San Diego County will be able to approve thousands of new housing units in wildfire-prone areas far from urban job centers using carbon offsets.

The Sierra Club spearheaded the legal challenge last year with support from a host of environmental groups, such as the Center of Biological Diversity, as well as the San Diego-based Climate Action Campaign and Cleveland National Forest Foundation.

While county governments across the state came out early this month in support of San Diego County’s offset plan, Attorney General Xavier Becerra’s office simultaneously blasted the idea — saying it could undercut California’s internationally lauded strategy to reduce planet-warming emissions.

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Orange County’s Pioneering Wastewater Recycling System Embarks on Major Expansion

/in , , /by /Orange County Registerby Martin Wisckol

Orange County’s wastewater recycling program, a pioneering idea that’s already touted as the largest of its type in the world, is about to get bigger.

Big enough, in fact, to serve the tap water needs of about 1 million residents, according to the Orange County Water District and Orange County Sanitation District. Dubbed the Groundwater Replenishment System, the project produces water that is half the price of imported water, and is virtually immune to both drought and reductions in imports.

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Water Year 2020 Begins With Robust Reservoir Storage

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

Last winter was a bountiful one in terms of water supply for California, but it’s still too early to tell whether 2020 will be as generous. The 2018-19 winter was one for the record books, with above-average precipitation. Snow continued to fall in late-spring, with several inches or more in the Sierra Nevada and the Southern California mountains. Ski seasons were extended into May and June, delighting skiers and resort operators.

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Tijuana and Rosarito to Ration Water Supply for the Next Two Months

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Alexandra Mendoza

Starting Monday, authorities in Tijuana and Rosarito will ration water for the next two months because of a limited supply, according to the Baja California Public Service Commission. Roughly 140,000 households and businesses in the border cities will go without water service for up to 36 hours every four days. The service disruptions will be spread throughout seven districts. Customers will receive a 24-hour notice whenever water services are shut off in their district, officials said.

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Opinion: Becoming More Water Independent

/in , , /by /Ramona Sentinelby Congressman Duncan Hunter Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Since the days of the Kumeyaay, survival in San Diego has depended on the availability of water. While blessed to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, the fact remains we must rely upon outside sources to meet our water needs. The level of this dependency, however, is more a matter of resolve rather than circumstance. In the late 1990s, this situation reached a critical point when San Diego County found itself importing more than 90 percent of our water, and our primary supplier, the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) in Los Angeles, was taking action that could reduce our water allocation by up to 50 percent.

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Cross-Border Sewage, Trade Agreements Take Center Stage in Border Mayors’ Conference

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gustavo Solis

Mayors of cities along the U.S.-Mexico border are meeting in San Diego this week to strengthen binational ties and address issues such as immigration, cross-border sewage, and new trade agreements. This level of binational cooperation was a stark contrast from the divisive rhetoric and partisan fighting coming from each nation’s capital. “Part of the challenge that we have in border towns is basically convincing Washington and Mexico City to work like we are working here in this region,” said Tijuana Mayor Arturo Gonzalez Cruz.

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County Approves JPA for East County Advanced Water Purification Program

/in , , /by /The Alpine Sunby Joe Naiman

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors, who are also the board members of the San Diego County Sanitation District, ap­proved a joint powers agreement for the East County Advanced Water Purification Program. The supervisors’ 5-0 vote Oc­tober 30 also appointed Super­visor Dianne Jacob as the sani­tation district’s representative on the Joint Powers Authority board which will also include representatives from the Padre Dam Municipal Water District, the Helix Water District, and the City of El Cajon.

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Imperial County Declares New River Emergency, Sends Newsom Demands For Salton Sea

/in , , /by /Palm Springs Desert Sunby Janet Wilson

Imperial County is doubling down on its efforts to wrest help from state and federal officials to clean up raw sewage and other pollutants flowing into the New River, and to tamp down lung-clogging dust along the fast-drying Salton Sea.

Two weeks after county supervisors declared a local air pollution emergency at the sea, they voted unanimously again this week to proclaim a local emergency at the New River due to the discharge of raw sewage and other pollutants that cause “extreme peril to the health, safety, and welfare of people and properties near and around the river.”

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Rep. Levin Touts Bipartisan Efforts to Fund Water Supply Reliability

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

Rep. Mike Levin said California’s innovations and investments in water supply reliability and renewable energy are a model for the nation – and that the state’s efforts protect the environment while growing the economy at the same time.

Levin, an attorney and congressman from San Juan Capistrano, represents the 49th District, which includes, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Vista, Oceanside and a portion of southern Orange County.

He made his remarks November 6 during a Legislative Roundtable at the San Diego County Water Authority attended by water agency board members and staff, local civic and business leaders and Citizens Water Academy graduates.

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San Diego Taking Steps To Revive Landmark Water Recycling Program Amid Legal Dispute

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune by David Garrick

San Diego took key legal steps Tuesday aimed at reviving efforts to construct the city’s $4 billion Pure Water pipeline, which was abruptly halted this summer by a legal dispute over the use of unionized construction workers.

The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to remove pro-union language from contracts for Pure Water, a recycling system that would purify treated sewage into drinking water and supply one-third of San Diego’s water supply by 2035.

The pro-union language had prompted a judge to issue an injunction halting the project. Council members said Tuesday they hope removing it will persuade the judge to let city officials resume awarding construction contracts.

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