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Contractors See Pure Water Case As A Test For Big Projects Across The Region

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

Scientists suspect hydrogen first met oxygen and formed water amid interstellar clouds as the earliest stars began to die, a billion years after the creation of our universe. With that perspective in mind, the city of San Diego’s plan create a third of the city’s drinking water from recycled sewage isn’t taking that long. But it is definitely delayed. That’s thanks to a dispute between non-union contractors and the city. In November, the City Council required builders looking to work on a big part of the water recycling project, known as Pure Water, to agree to union-friendly contracts.

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Surf, Jousting And Rock ‘N’ Roll: Switchfoot’s Bro-Am Festival Celebrates 15 Years

/in , , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Phil Diehl

Success has hardly gone to the heads of the San Diego rock band Switchfoot, as they showed Saturday at their 15th annual Bro-Am surf and music festival at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas. The musicians mingled with youngsters flown in from across the country by the nonprofit Challenged Athletes Foundation, and with guests and lifelong friends, including professional surfer Rob Machado, a co-sponsor of the event. “It’s the best day of the year,” said Chad Butler, the band’s drummer. “We grew up here. Music and surfing kept us out of trouble. We wanted to give something back to the community that we love.”

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Water Authority Marks 75th Year, Approves $1.7 Billion 2020-21 Budget

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority officially celebrated it 75th year at a board meeting Thursday, while also approving a record $1.7 billion, two-year budget. On June 9, 1944, San Diego voters approved the Water Authority’s formation. Three years later, water from the Colorado River began arriving to support the growing post-war population of San Diego. “It is a pleasure to celebrate the San Diego County Water Authority’s 75th anniversary. We share a common history and a common vision for water-supply reliability that has been essential to the economic vitality and prosperity to all San Diegans.

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Judge Halts Pure Approved Water Construction Contracts

/in , , /by /KUSI News (San Diego)

In a recent ruling, Superior Court Judge John S. Meyer awarded an injunction against the City of San Diego after the City Council, last year, voted to exclude non-union contractors from bidding on the Pure Water project.  In his ruling, Judge John S. Meyer, rightfully stated that the City’s action “is puzzling because it appears to be an attempt to amend or repeal SDMC 11.4401 (Prop A), et seq., which is precluded under the Ordinance. ‘This Ordinance shall not be amended or repealed except by a majority vote of the voters of the City of San Diego.”

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San Diego Tops Clean Beach Honor Roll

/in , , /by /Fox 5 San Diego by Mathew Meyer and Aric Richards

Some San Diego beaches are among the cleanest in the state, according to a water quality report card by a Southern California environmental group. Each year, Heal the Bay releases its Honor Roll and notorious “Beach Bummers” list ranking the bacteria levels found in water at beaches throughout the state. San Diego County had the most beaches on the honor roll with 12 this year — more than Orange County’s 10 and Los Angeles’ two.

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Search Begins For The Next General Manager Of The County Water Authority

/in , , /by /San Diego Metro Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority has hired the executive search firm William Avery & Associates to manage the recruitment and selection of the agency’s next general manager. The Los Gatos-based Avery & Associates has decades of experience recruiting candidates for public and private sector positions. After a competitive selection process, a work group of the Water Authority’s Board of Directors chose the firm to fill the position vacated in March by the retirement of longtime Water Authority General Manager Maureen Stapleton.

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Scripps Scientist Explains Beach Nourishment And Sand Movement Along The Coast

/in , /by /Imperial Beach Eagle & Timesby Pete Laszcz

Bonnie Ludka, PhD, of Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO), spoke to about 40 people at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve June 15 as part of the their bi-monthly speaker series. Ludka presented the results of her research into the movement of beach sand along the coast and the impact of beach nourishment on the closure of the Tijuana River in 2016. Southern California beaches are experiencing a sand deficit. She explained that beach sand is normally created by sediment flowing from rivers and cliff erosion. Unfortunately, river sand that would normally flow into the ocean is now trapped behind dams that are present in every southern California river except the Santa Margarita river near Oceanside.

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Long Beach Is Home To The 4th Worst California Beach, According To Heal The Bay 2019 Report

/in , /by /Press-Telegram (Long Beach)by Martin Wisckol

Long Beach’s dirty ocean water at Coronado Avenue, north of Belmont Pier, makes in one of the 10 worst beaches in the state, according the 2018-2019 Beach Report Card released Wednesday by Heal the Bay. It’s the first time the beach has made the group’s “Beach Bummer” list. On the bright side, the report singled out the city’s long-term project to restore Colorado Lagoon North, a “chronic Beach Bummer” — on the 10 worst list until 2012 — but dramatically improving in water quality thanks to the work. Throughout Southern California, 95% of beaches received an “A” or a “B” for water quality in the summer. Of 33 Honor Roll beaches with perfect grades, two were in Los Angeles County and 10 were in Orange County. None were in Long Beach.

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Morning Report: Pure Water Up In The Air Amid Labor Dispute

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diego

A project that is supposed to eventually provide a third of the city’s drinking water is now held up in court because of a dispute between anti-union contractors and a union-friendly city government.The city was about to open bids from contractors who want to work on the Pure Water project, which will take sewage and make it drinkable.

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Water Payments Projected To Exceed Cash Reserves By $3.4M

/in , , , /by /Imperial Valley Press (El Centro, Calif.)by Michael Maresh Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The ag community at a Friday afternoon IID water conservation meeting wanted to know what the IID plans to change with water conservation payments projected to exceed the budget by $11.7 million. IID’s conservation needs under water transfer agreements with the San Diego County Water Authority and others are 303,000 acre feet. Of that, 103,000 acre feet comes from system conservation. The rest comes from on-farm water conservation.

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