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Safe Drinking Water A Deep Subject

/in , /by /The Acorn (Agoura Hills, Calif.)by Ian Bradley

Running water is often taken for granted. Thirsty? Grab a glass and turn on the tap. But the delivery of safe drinking water across mountains and desert to millions of Southern California residents isn’t as easy at it seems. The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District serves 75,000 customers in Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills and Westlake Village, as well as unincorporated areas of western Los Angeles County. But LVMWD is just the middle man. The district buys 100 percent of its drinking water from the Metropolitan Water District, which supplies water districts from Oxnard to the Mexican border. MWD supplies water to 25 million Californians.

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Water Dept. Updates City On Its Reform Policies: ‘We developed Standard Operating Procedures That We Did Not Have Before.’

/in , /by /La Jolla Lightby Ashley Mackin-Solomon

Just over a year after the San Diego Public Utilities Department (PUD) held a meeting in La Jolla to talk with residents about implausible spikes in their water bills, PUD provided the City Council’s Audit Committee with a “progress report” on its activities to ameliorate the concerns. The morning of March 20, PUD representatives addressed changes to water billing operations and the water meter cover replacements program, and told the committee that the majority of City Auditor recommended adjustments to department operations have been implemented. The rest, they said, were expected to be in effect by June.

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New Recycled Water Purification System Coming To Oceanside

/in , , /by /The Coast News by Samantha Taylor

The city is suiting up for construction of a new facility later this year that will purify recycled water to create a new, local source of drinking water for residents by 2022. Pure Water Oceanside is a water purification system that aims to reduce the city’s reliance on imported water, improve groundwater resources, increase local water supply and strengthen the city’s resiliency to drought and climate change in an environmentally sound process.

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Colorado River Drought Plan Gets First Congressional Hearing

/in , , /by /The Associated Press

A plan that outlines how seven states will deal with declining flows in a major river in the U.S. West is getting its first hearing in Congress. The drought contingency plan aims to keep two Colorado River reservoirs from crashing. Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming recently agreed to push for federal legislation to implement the plan. Their goal is to have a bill approved by April 22 so that Mexico’s water contributions also kick in next year, though nothing’s been introduced yet.

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Some Backers And Foes Of Bill Seeking IID Remake Have Financial Connections

/in , /by /The Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by Janet Wilson

A battle over a controversial state bill that seeks to remake the Imperial Irrigation District board is exposing political connections and payments to key players on both sides. Elected officials, business and labor groups are staking out sides on Assembly Bill 854, which would wrest control of the water and power district from Imperial County where it’s headquartered and shift it north to Riverside County, home to a majority of its electricity customers.

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Western Groups Push For Water Infrastructure

/in , /by /Capital Press (Salem, Oregon)by Dan Wheat

More than 100 Western water and agricultural organizations are urging Congress to include rebuilding and improving water infrastructure in any construction legislation it considers. The group sent a letter March 25 to key committees and Western senators, saying investments are needed to meet current and future water demands. The group is led by the Western Growers Association, California Farm Bureau Federation, Family Farm Alliance and the Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association. The group noted that President Donald Trump has said rebuilding highways, roads and bridges is an area both political parties should be able to work on together. The Democratic party’s list of priorities includes an ambitious infrastructure program.

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Water Officials Press Senate On Urgency Of Colorado River Drought Plan

/in , /by /Cronkite News (Phoenix)by Andrew Howard

The director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources told a Senate panel Wednesday there is an “urgent need” to authorize a multistate drought contingency plan for the Colorado River basin. Tom Buschatzke was one of several state and federal officials pressing Congress on the plan, years in the making, that is designed to head off a potential water “crisis” in the region and help settle disputes over water allocations if the Colorado does drop to crisis levels. Despite recent rains, there is still a pressing need for the plans in a region that has been hit by “its worst drought in recorded history,” said Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman.

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Here’s What The Colorado River Deal Will Do, And Why Some Criticize Arizona’s Approach

/in , , /by /The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)by Ian James

Gov. Doug Ducey has called Arizona’s Colorado River drought plan the most significant piece of water legislation signed in the state in nearly 40 years. The plan was worked out during seven months of negotiations and enables Arizona to join a larger shortage-sharing agreement with California and Nevada that will spread around the burden of expected water cutbacks. Now that all the states have endorsed the agreement, Congress will hold initial hearings on Wednesday and Thursday to consider authorizing the deal.

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Helpful Tips On How To Save Water And Create A Thriving Garden In A Desert Climate

/in , /by /The Coast News by Lexy Brodt

Spring is just around the corner — and whether you’re a novice plant enthusiast or a green-thumbed gardener, it’s time to get growing. After a seven-year drought finally came to an end this winter, California has been hit with a deluge of vibrant greenery and super blooms. But we’re still keeping an eye out for how to make our own backyards more sustainable and water-friendly.

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Long Beach Water Expands Lawn To Garden Rebate Program

/in , /by /The Grunion (Long Beach)

Thanks to an infusion of cash from the Metropolitan Water District, Long Beach residents can now get more money and replace more turf with drought-tolerant landscaping. The Long Beach Water Department announced changes to the water conservation program Tuesday. In addition to reopening applications to receive rebates, there were a number of changes to the residential program. Starting Monday, April 1, the front yard conversion incentive goes to $3 per square foot of turf removed (from $2). The maximum square footage allowed for rebate has increased from 1,500 square feet to 5,000 square feet.

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