Some residents in San Diego neighborhoods including Pacific Beach and La Jolla told CBS 8 that they have recently picked up on a strong chlorine flavor and questioned what was happening. One of whom was a Pacific Beach resident, Marie Kracha, who said she noticed something unusual about her tap water a few days ago.
A cold Pacific storm that dropped rain across the eastern half of San Diego County over the weekend will clear by Tuesday, allowing temperatures to return to seasonal levels by Thursday, the National Weather Service says. The system was weak, but it dropped 0.67 inches of precipitation on Otay Mountain, 0.34 inches in Alpine, and 0.26 inches in Julian, during the 24-hour period ending at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. The rain should help reduce the risk of wildfires.
San Diego’s water world is very happening right now. As our Scott Lewis reported, San Diego County Water Authority is facing an existential crisis. The high cost of water has one of the water supplier’s most powerful members — the city of San Diego — has leaders who are wondering if it’s time to do something drastic to the Water Authority.
San Diego residents and business owners may need to start making more adjustments, as their next water bills will be soon be more expensive. Starting Thursday, a 5.5% water rate increase goes into effect in the city of San Diego. The city council approved the hike back in March.
The Carlsbad City Council approved a plan last week to increase water, sewer, and recycled water rates by 49% during the next three years following recent cost-of-service studies. The council voted 4-1 to implement the new rate structure starting on July 1 with a 20% increase. Council member Melanie Burkholder cast the sole vote against the proposal.
As former San Diego County Water Authority Board Chairs, we heard and responded to demands from the region’s working families, civic and business leaders in the 1990s when our only major water source dried up.
Collectively, with our member agencies, we then spent three decades relentlessly securing new water supplies and investing in multi-billion-dollar upgrades that will last for generations. We remained steadfast in making the necessary and difficult decisions to support the entire San Diego region.
Carlsbad’s residential water and sewer rates will increase 20% on July 1 and a total of 49% over the next three years under a plan approved Tuesday by the City Council. Several residents opposed the rate hikes, but city staffers said they are needed to pass along a 14% increase in the price of water purchased from the San Diego County Water Authority and to cover inflation and the rising costs of maintenance and capital improvements.
The story: For more than 80 years, the San Diego County Water Authority and its 22 member agencies have worked together to deliver safe and reliable water to more than 3.3 million people. Despite climate challenges and a limited local water supply, strategic investments ensure that water continues flowing to support homes, businesses and the economy — all day, every day.
I have a special podcast interview scheduled next week with Daniel Denham, the general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority. It could not come at a better time. This week, San Diego City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera said it may be time for the city to begin discussing leaving or dissolving the Water Authority.
What a difference three years of cold, wet weather makes for the State of California — and experts are breathing a sigh of relief, at least for now.
