You are now in Media Coverage San Diego County category.

OPINION: Desalination Loses More Urgency In Hyper-Wet Winter

/in , /by /Ventura County Star (Camarillo, Calif.)by Tom Elias

Desalination began to lose its urgency among Californians and their public officials two years ago, after the drought-busting winter of 2016-17, when heavy rain and snow ended dry conditions in most of the state. The idea of drawing potable water from the sea became even less of a priority this year, when an autumn of record-level fires gave way to one of the state’s wettest winters on record. Reservoirs are brimming. Instead of desperately seeking new sources of water, Californians were moaning about the billions of excess gallons that washed into the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay. Depleted aquifers began their path to replenishment, too, with snow levels in the water-producing Sierra Nevada Mountains far above normal.

Full Story

Ventura Readies The Spigot For State Water

/in , , /by /Ventura County Star (Camarillo, Calif.)by Arlene Martinez

Ventura started paying for its right to state water in 1971. On Monday night, policymakers took the biggest step yet to being able to access it. The Ventura City Council voted 6-0 to approve a study certifying no major environmental impacts would result from building the 7-mile pipeline near Camarillo. The action means the city’s next move is hiring a consultant to draft the interconnection’s final design. The state-mandated Environmental Impact Report flagged six areas of concern. “All issues are temporary, related to construction,” Meredith Clement, a water consultant to the city, told the council.

Full Story

Thunderstorms Possible In East San Diego County

/in , /by /NBC 7 San Diegoby Christina Bravo

Storm clouds developing south of the U.S.-Mexico Border could bring thunderstorms to San Diego’s mountains and deserts Wednesday morning. NBC 7 Meteorologist Sheena Parveen said NBC 7’s Doppler Radar was seeing storms begin to push their way north into the Southern California region at about 8 a.m. No watches or warnings were in effect during that time, according to the National Weather Service. Fast-moving rain may hit areas of East County but will develop further east as the day progresses, Parveen said. Mostly, the monsoonal moisture from the south will bring heavy cloud cover to the area. Parveen said those clouds will be slow to clear.

Full Story

Olivenhain Water District Offers Free Recycled Water

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Deborah Sullivan Brennan Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Residential customers of the Olivenhain Municipal Water District can get free recycled water through a program to conserve water and lower costs for consumers. According to the San Diego County Water Authority, “water recycling is the treatment and disinfection of municipal wastewater to provide a water supply suitable for non-drinking purposes.” Olivenhain produces recycled water by collecting wastewater from the 4S Ranch and Rancho Cielo areas, and processing it at the 4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility in San Diego, the district states. The facility produces over one million gallons of recycled water per day, which is highly treated to meet irrigation standards.

Full Story

Creative WaterSmart Landscaping Wins Sweetwater Authority’s 2019 Landscape Contest

/in , /by /Water News Network

Bonita residents Efren and Ily Niervas won the Sweetwater Authority 2019 Landscape Contest after transforming their front yard from a traditional thirsty expanse of lawn to a watersmart landscaping approach. When the Niervas moved to their home in 2017, they realized the cost of watering their yard, with a large lawn and assorted shrubbery, was too high. They decided to change their landscape and attended home improvement events and expos as part of their research. They also did online research. The research paid off, as the Niervas thoughtfully designed their own xeriscape plan for their creative watersmart landscaping.

Full Story

Deadly Encinitas Cliff Collapse Is A Warning Sign For California Coast

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Soumya Karlamangla

The deadly cliff collapse in Encinitas last week raised questions about the stability of large swaths of the state that are lined by bluffs, many of which support houses or offer enticing patches of shade for families relaxing on the beach. Friday’s collapse, which killed three people, was a tragic consequence of sea cliffs’ natural erosion process, experts say. Chunks of bluffs regularly fall off to create the beach below, so all beach bluffs should be considered unstable, said Brian Ketterer, coastal division chief for California State Parks.

Full Story

Proactive Partnerships Keep Pipelines In Top Shape

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

This summer, the Water Authority is partnering with three technology companies to test the condition of the agency’s oldest pipelines forming the First Aqueduct in Valley Center. Technology providers test their new and improved tools on Water Authority and member agency pipes. The tools are then used to assess the condition of those same pipes. This efficient strategy ensures maximum condition assessment accuracy. The strategy also allows for technology to keep up with what water agencies need and minimizes costs. Targeted repairs and maintenance activities maximize the life expectancy of some of the region’s most critical infrastructure.

Full Story

Farm Bureau Says Goodbye To Longtime Executive Director

/in , , /by /Valley Roadrunner (Valley Center, Calif.)

The San Diego County Farm Bureau’s longtime executive director Eric Larson retired recently after leading the Bureau for 23 years. He told the newspaper two weeks ago, “I decided 70 was a good age to exit. I will be working through the end of September. My replacement will begin July 22 giving us a good transition.” His replacement is Hannah Gbeh (pronounced bay). Gbeh is an environmental impact report preparer, organic farmer, environmental science teacher and researcher who has served for several years on the board of the San Diego County Farm Bureau.  She is also a commissioner on the County’s Fish and Wildfire Advisory Commission and serves on the Jamul-Dulzura Community Planning Group.

Full Story

SANDAG Housing Needs Methodology Questioned By County Leaders

/in , /by /The Coast Newsby Steve Horn

At the July 26 San Diego Association of Governments board of directors meeting, city and county officials voted to advance the proposed draft methodology that it must send to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for approval. If approved, it could mean tens of thousands of additional housing units built in North County in the next decade. Called the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA), SANDAG’s version of it calls for the building for 171,685 new housing units during the 2021-2028 time period. Yet, not only do some board members see the number as high, some said they viewed the city-by-city allocation of housing requirements as flawed.

Full Story

San Diego Explained: An Earthquake Could Impact San Diego’s Water Supply

/in , /by /Voice of San Diegoby Adriana Heldiz

Earthquakes could have a major impact on San Diego’s water supply, even if they happen far away. That’s because San Diego’s water comes from hundreds of miles away, through threads of metal and concrete that connect us to distant rivers and reservoirs. Our biggest source of water is the Colorado River, which is diverted into Southern California from the Arizona border through a 242-mile water system that includes 92 miles of tunnels. On this week’s San Diego Explained, Voice of San Diego’s Ry Rivard and NBC 7’s Catherine Garcia lay out three worst-case scenarios that could affect San Diego’s water when an earthquake hits.

Full Story