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Keep Conserving, Officials Say, San Bernardino Valley Groundwater Basins Are ‘Historically Low’

/in , , /by /The Mercury News (San Jose)by Jennifer Iyer

As the Inland area dries out from this winter’s soaking, residents might be tempted to crank up their lawn sprinklers and wash the dust off their driveways, but not so fast, water officials say. All that rain has done little to erase the deficits in local groundwater basins which are at historic lows thanks to two decades of drought, according to the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, which manages water for 700,000 residents from Fontana to Yucaipa. Riverside is also a big user of water from San Bernardino valley basins. “The sky is not falling by any stretch, but the trend is negative,” said Bob Tincher, deputy general manager of resources for the district.

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EXCLUSIVE: Farmers and IID fight for water rights

/in , /by /KYMA-TV (Yuma, Ariz.)by Ray Dorantes

EL CENTRO, Calif. – A growing number of Imperial Valley residents said the area is in serious danger, threatened by a possible change in how water rights are implemented locally, giving just a few people the power to do with water as they please. Alex Cardenas, IID Director Division 1, said, “If they were able to sell water or transfer water out of here it would be absolutely devastating to our economy.”

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San Diego Grown Photo Contest Highlights County’s Agricultural Bounty

/in , /by /Water News Network

The San Diego County Water Authority is hosting a social media photo contest during Water Awareness Month in May to celebrate how safe and reliable water supplies fuel the region’s local farms and food production. The “San Diego Grown Photo Contest” on Instagram and Twitter highlights the significance of agriculture to the regional economy. As one of the nation’s top producers of avocados, ornamental trees and shrubs, flowers, succulents, lemons, and other agricultural products, San Diego County’s farms generate nearly $4.8 billion in total annual economic activity on some 250,000 acres.

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4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility Wins State Award

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Elizabeth Marie Himchak

Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s 4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility has won a statewide award. It was named the California Water Environment Association’s 2019 “Small Plant of the Year” at the association’s annual conference on April 12. “OMWD is gratified to have CWEA confirm what we’ve known for years, our 4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility is second to none,” said Christy Guerin, the district’s director. “The facility produces over a million gallons of recycled water each day through advance treatment processes. Almost every drop of wastewater is reclaimed and converted into a drought-resilient, sustainable water supply.”

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Former Utilities Department Leader Says City Diverted Ratepayer Funds To Unrelated Services

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Lauryn Schroeder

A former Public Utilities Department leader is accusing the city of San Diego of illegally diverting $1 million in water and wastewater funds to other city services and firing her for refusing to conceal the activity, according to a claim she filed with the city on Monday. Susan LaNier, a former deputy director and internal auditor for the utilities department, was one of five utility leaders the city fired in February, following public outcry over billing errors and accusations of mismanagement within the department.

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Poseidon Desalination Would Hurt Low Income Ratepayers

/in , /by /The Orange County Breeze

Today Azul released a new report conducted by UCLA’s Luskin Center for Innovation that looked at potential impacts of Poseidon’s proposed desalination project on disadvantaged households in Orange County. The expert analysis confirmed what equity groups like Azul, Oakview ComUNIDAD and OC Earth Stewards have long asserted: that the plant’s billion dollar price tag would drive up water rates, harming low-income ratepayers without providing any benefit in terms of water reliability or quality.

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PWD Approves More Groundwater Tests

/in , /by /The Antelope Valley Pressby Allison Gatlin

To better understand if a proposed project to bolster the underlying groundwater basin with recycled water may work, the Palmdale Water District Board of Directors on Monday agreed to a contract amendment with its consulting firm to conduct more tests. The Palmdale Regional Groundwater Recharge and Recovery Project is planned near Avenue L and 100th Street East, where treated wastewater will be allowed to percolate into the ground to be stored. However, the district is still studying the area to ensure it is appropriate for the water recharge.

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45 Day Moratorium On Drilling Of Certain Oil Wells Passes

/in , , /by /Ventura County Starby Kathleen Wilson

County supervisors have outlawed drilling of certain new oil wells in the vicinity of a major aquifer for 45 days in light of water-safety questions. The decision Tuesday by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors came a couple of months after scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey reported that they had found petroleum-related gases in wells supplying irrigation water on the Oxnard Plain.The moratorium applies to the drilling of new wells and the re-drilling of existing ones near the Fox Canyon Aquifer, which is described as a major source of drinking quality groundwater.

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San Diego Ranks 6th Among Most Polluted Cities In US

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union Tribune by Lauryn Schroeder

Greater San Diego has the sixth worst ozone pollution in the country for the fifth year in a row, a report released Wednesday by the American Lung Association says. Local officials said it’s time to take action and protect the communities most affected.San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher and officials from the American Lung Association and local environmental groups held a press conference at Cesar Chavez Park in Barrio Logan to discuss the annual air quality report, which estimates more than 40 percent of Americans live with unhealthy air quality.

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Will San Diego Aquaculture Bring Back Abalone?

/in , /by /San Diego Readerby Sheila Pell

Port officials looking to expand local aquaculture heard some good news this month. A two-year project by federal scientists that mapped the potential for aquaculture in the U.S. found ample promise in San Diego. And zeroing in on those spots is getting easier. “We think this is the most exhaustive analysis ever done at the estuary scale in the U.S.,” said James Morris, a marine ecologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who presented the results to the Port.

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