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Desalination ‘Only Option’ For Resilient, Reliable Water Supply — Expert

In Jordan, desalination is major component in meeting rising demand for water.

 Seawater desalination is the “only option” for countries seeking to become more resilient and have reliable water supply, according to an expert in water resource management, who stressed that water facilities should seek diversification of their water supplies.

While acknowledging that desalination of seawater is an expensive, highly technical and long process, the water resource management expert said that “… in some areas you have to make that investment because you just do not have the other sources of supply or resources that you can tap into.”

 

OPINION: Hot Politics In The Cul-De-Sac

San Diego has been trying for decades to wean itself from water supplied by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which is dominated by Los Angeles. The feud between San Diego and The Met, as it’s known, has been waged in the Legislature and in the courts.

Effort To Preserve Coastal Smokestack Gets Cold Shoulder From Commission

A proposal to save Carlsbad’s 400-foot-tall coastal smokestack found little support Monday when presented to the city’s Historical Preservation Commission.

“It’s interesting that people want to save something that we have been fighting for years to remove,” said Commissioner Laurie Boone. “We are going to work with (the power company) NRG to build something beautiful and new there.”

A proposal to save Carlsbad’s 400-foot-tall coastal smokestack found little support Monday when presented to the city’s Historical Preservation Commission.

“It’s interesting that people want to save something that we have been fighting for years to remove,” said Commissioner Laurie Boone. “We are going to work with (the power company) NRG to build something beautiful and new there.”

Another Day, Another Labor Wrench in City Plans

Just a few days after it was revealed that emergency state legislation is being prepared to save the city’s massive Pure Water project from being derailed over a fight over union-friendly agreements, it looks like similar labor fights could upend local cities’ plans to form a government-run energy utility.

 

City Council Unanimously Approves Plan To Increase Mission Valley’s Housing By 28,000 Units

The San Diego City Council Tuesday unanimously approved an update to the Mission Valley Community Plan that calls for increased mixed-use development that is pedestrian-friendly and helps residents make better use of public transit.

The update will be applied to the original community plan, which the council first approved in 1985 and has amended more than 20 times since. According to city officials, the update was necessitated to plan for future growth in the area and bring the Mission Valley plan into compliance with the city’s current General Plan and its Climate Action Plan.

Los Angeles OKs A Deal For Record-Cheap Solar Power And Battery Storage

For a long time, there were two big knocks against solar power: It’s expensive, and it can’t keep the lights on after sundown.

A contract approved Tuesday by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power shows how much that reality has changed.

Under the 25-year deal with developer 8minute Solar Energy, the city would buy electricity from a sprawling complex of solar panels and lithium-ion batteries in the Mojave Desert of eastern Kern County, about two hours north of Los Angeles. The Eland project would meet 6% to 7% of L.A.’s annual electricity needs and would be capable of pumping clean energy into the grid for four hours each night.

 

Southern California Water Agency Approves $5 Million For Stormwater Pilot

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California on Tuesday, Sept. 10, approved $5 million for a stormwater pilot project to determine the best and most efficient way to capture the tens of billions of gallons of rainwater that flow off roofs and pavement each year.

“A lot of hope has been placed in the potential of stormwater as a local water supply for Southern California,” said Metropolitan Chairwoman Gloria Gray. “We want to better understand that potential, and its cost, as part of our commitment to developing local resources.”

Citizens Water Academy ‘Inspiration’ For Water Agency Board Member

The Citizens Water Academy helps educate civic leaders and many graduates have gone on to become water agency board members in San Diego County.

The application and nomination period remains open for the Fall 2019 class of the San Diego County Water Authority’s pioneering Citizens Water Academy.

The closing date is September 16. More than 700 people have completed the award-winning program since 2014.

The Citizens Water Academy provides an opportunity for emerging civic leaders to learn about visionary local efforts to ensure a safe and reliable water supply for the San Diego region. Participants get an in-depth look at how the Water Authority helps the region’s economy and quality of life through strategic planning, innovative programs, and cost-effective investments.

EPA Action Plan To Boost Water Reuse Across U.S.

The U.S. EPA today released a draft plan to advance water reuse nationally at the WateReuse Association Symposium in San Diego.

The National Water Reuse Action Plan identifies 46 proposed actions organized around 10 strategic objectives, including leadership and collaboration, to support the implementation of water reuse.

“Forty states anticipate experiencing fresh water shortages in certain regions within their borders over the next decade,” said David Ross, EPA’s assistant administrator for water. “Diversifying our nation’s water portfolio must be a nationwide priority, and water reuse has the potential to ensure the viability of our water economy for generations to come.”

Lead In NJ Drinking Water: Suez Adds More Anti-Corrosion Chemical To Water Supply

Suez has begun to adjust the acidity of its water and increase the amount of an anti-corrosion chemical, in the company’s latest effort to lower the amount of lead leaching into some Bergen and Hudson county residents’ drinking water.

It is the first time the company has changed the chemistry of its water since lead levels shot up to 18.3 parts per billion in the second half of 2018, exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 15-parts-per-billion threshold for action.