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Humidity, Sizzling Heat And Even Some Thunderstorms Are In The Forecast

/in , /by /NBC Los Angelesby Shanna Mendiola and Jonathan Lloyd

Heat and humidity will punish Southern California Tuesday, when temperatures will exceed 100 degrees and some communities face the threat of thunderstorms.

A heat advisory will be issued for the San Fernando Valley at 11 a.m., and it’s expected to expire Tuesday night. Temperatures and high humidity will combine to create a situation in which heat illnesses are possible. Temperatures in the area will range from 90 to 103 degrees.

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Environment Report: Officials Worry Water Notices Are More Confusing Than Informative

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diego by Ry Rivard

Two weeks ago, the San Diego County Water Authority notified thousands of customers across the region that San Diego’s main drinking water treatment plant wasn’t doing everything it was supposed to do to kill viruses and parasites.

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California’s Clean Energy Conundrum

/in , , /by /American Water Works Associationby Gary Bousquet and Mike Lee

San Diego – While California draws nearly one third of its power from renewables, solar and wind energy systems are periodically pulled offline because there’s not enough demand when the wind is blowing and the sun is shining. These so-called “curtailments” increased significantly between 2014 (when they were almost non-existent) and today. They could soon become a major barrier to a more sustainable future as more and more renewable energy sources are developed to meet peak demands.

Thankfully, California water agencies are well-positioned to play a pivotal role with a solution that makes the state’s electrical grid more flexible, stable and efficient. Strategic deployment of large-scale, long-duration pumped storage facilities could minimize curtailments and provide many other benefits.

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Environment Report: Officials Worry Water Notices Are More Confusing Than Informative

/in , /by /Voice of San Diegoby Ry Rivard Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Two weeks ago, the San Diego County Water Authority notified thousands of customers across the region that San Diego’s main drinking water treatment plant wasn’t doing everything it was supposed to do to kill viruses and parasites.

We reported on this and rounded up other violations issued to local water agencies by state drinking water regulators.

A few water officials worried that the notices were likely to cause more alarm than necessary. Federal law requires that water agencies notify customers of drinking water issues.

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Dead Fish Line Shore Of Scripps Ranch fishing Spot

/in , /by /ABC10by Jonathan Horn

Dozens of dead fish are now lining the shore of a popular Scripps Ranch fishing spot.

The die-off, largely of catfish and bluegill, happened over the weekend at Evans Pond, which is adjacent to the Scripps Miramar Branch Library.

On Sunday, the water was reflecting a deep green color, likely due to an algal bloom that contributed to the die-off.

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It’s Not Your Imagination — Humidity Is Getting Worse In San Diego

/in , , /by /KPBSby John Carroll

It’s part of the reason so many of us love living here so much, the beautiful sunny weather. But inject humidity into the picture and the sunny becomes sticky. That’s when what meteorologists call the “heat index” comes into play. Some people call it the “real feel” temperature.

But are we really feeling more humid weather in San Diego over the last several years?

Meteorologists at the local National Weather Service office in Rancho Bernardo said yes. “In recent years, it has definitely been more humid than normal,” said meteorologist Brandt Maxwell.

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District Raises Water And Sewer Rates, Despite Protests

/in , , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Julie Gallant Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

After objections from the public and lengthy discussions, Ramona Municipal Water District Board of Directors approved four types of rate increases recommended by staff. The first action — to adopt an ordinance increasing water rates and fees — was approved 3-2 with President Jim Robinson and directors Thomas Ace and Bryan Wadlington in favor, and directors Jim Hickle and Jeff Lawler opposed. Monthly water charges will increase in different amounts depending on meter size and treated vs. untreated water. The increase reflects a 7 percent revenue adjustment each year for the next five years. Because meters and water quality vary for each customer, the increase in rate revenues do not necessarily directly correlate to the increase in proposed rates.

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OPINION: Desalination Makes More Sense For California Than A Multi-Billion Dollar Water Tunnel

/in , /by /Ventura County Starby Ted Kuepper and John P. MacHarg

There is an obvious connection between the proposed multibillion-dollar Sacramento Delta Water Tunnels, the proposed mining/pumping of water from the Mojave Desert, Central Valley farmers lacking the water resources to maximize food production, and the Sacramento River and fishing stocks suffering from inadequate water flows. That connection is the State Water Project, which pumps water to Southern California and reduces the river water needed for fisheries, farmers, and the river itself. The reality is Southern California needs water and if we don’t produce it here, then we’re going to take it anywhere we can find it, regardless of environmental damage and economic considerations.

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New History Exhibit Shows City’s Deep Relationship With Water Is Everywhere

/in , /by /Long Beach Postby Barbara Kingsley-Wilson

Long Beach’s origin story is awash in water. It was a resort and farming town of transplanted Iowans who got water from aquifers under Signal Hill; the drill bits even found a more lucrative resource underneath: oil. Then when the city outgrew the wells, the Metropolitan Water District was forming and voters jumped in. Freshwater for drinking and saltwater for playing. The Pike, the L.A. River, the aquarium and Alamitos Bay, then there are the coastal wetlands that have largely disappeared, though, thanks to climate change, those wetlands seem to be coming back. The city’s evolving relationship with water is the subject of the Historical Society of Long Beach’s new exhibit “Water Changes Everything.”

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San Diego Company Awarded EPA Grant To Develop Water Quality Testing Tech

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Debbie L. Sklar

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday that it awarded a $100,000 contract to a San Diego-based technology company to develop technology to monitor water quality. The grant, awarded to 2W iTech LLC, is one of nearly two dozen awarded by the EPA through its Small Business Innovation Research program. The EPA awarded grants worth a combined $2.3 million to 21 companies across the country to develop technologies to improve environmental and human health, monitor air and water quality and clean contaminated areas. With its grant, 2W iTech will develop a low-cost method to identify trace amounts of perfluoroalkyl substances in water at a rate as small as 10 parts per trillion.

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