Lee Hicks, Senior Water Systems Technician, was Valley Center Municipal Water District’s 2018 recipient of the Manager’s Award recognizing excellence among the District’s staff members. A 19-year employee, Hicks was nominated from among his co-workers for the award. The nomination cited his commitment and willingness to go the “extra mile,” in doing his job. The nomination also It also mentioned his willingness to fill-in for others on short notice.
The San Diego County Water Authority tried to interfere with the delivery of water to five local Indian tribes based on illegal actions and illogical arguments, a former federal judge has ruled. Last year, five San Diego Indian tribes got back the rights to water taken from them a century ago. In response, the San Diego County Water Authority this spring blamed the tribes for cutting into its bottom line and sued them for $2 million.
A period of moderate Sundowner winds will rattle coastal areas of Southern California into early Friday. Gusts to 45 mph are likely with the potential for a few locally higher gusts from parts of Santa Barbara County to just north and west of Los Angeles. Gusts will be strong enough to make for difficult travel with lightweight and high-profile vehicles. The combination of dry air and gusty winds will raise the risk of wildfire ignition and quick spread of any existing fires.
Although the storm system that brought recent rainfall has left the region, the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health Wednesday urged the public to avoid water contact at all coastal beaches and bays. County health officials issued a general rain advisory Tuesday warning swimmers, surfers and other water users that rain brings urban runoff, which can cause bacteria levels to rise significantly in ocean and bay waters — especially near storm drains, creeks, rivers and lagoon outlets.
A fast moving Pacific storm blew through San Diego County on Christmas Day, dropping an inch or more of rain in some areas while also producing snow furries in Julian and the local mountains. The system had largely moved off to the east by 4 p.m. Tuesday, though forecasters said sporadic showers were possible Tuesday night. Here is a sample of the 24-hour rainfall totals through 5 p.m. Tuesday: Julian, 1.51’’; Lake Cuyamaca, 1.42”; Pine Hills, 1.10”; Ramona, 1.06”; Descanso, 1.03”; Henshaw Dam, 0.80”; Santee, 0.65”; Fallbrook, 0.62”; Alpine, 0.53”; San Marcos, 0.52”; San Diego International Airport, 0.18”.
One of the most expensive capital projects in city history — a massive water-recycling plant — is costing almost $100 million more than expected because San Diego Gas & Electric is declining to pay to relocate its equipment to make way for the project. At the request of Mayor Kevin Faulconer, the San Diego City Council has agreed to pay SDG&E $35 million to move gas and power lines so work can start on Pure Water San Diego, the $3 billion plan to promote water-independence by treating wastewater and returning it to city taps.
It was just three years ago that the nation’s largest, most technologically advanced and energy-efficient desalination plant came on line in Carlsbad. The plant provides San Diego County with more than 50 million gallons of high-quality, locally controlled, water every day. It is a foundational water supply for the county that helps to minimizes the region’s vulnerability to drought or other water supply emergencies.
The Otay Water District recently began using drones to assist district personnel with water-facility inspections. The district, which distributes water to more than 225,000 customers in southeastern San Diego County, is using the drones primarily to survey its reservoirs, pump stations and a recycled water treatment plant, according to a news release. “The District’s use of drone technology is a reflection of its continued process improvement philosophy to conduct efficient maintenance operations, improve the safety of its workers, and ultimately deliver greater value to its customers,” the release stated.
It boils down to bringing more women into the water and wastewater industry. That’s the central message from organizers of the second annual Women in Water – Exploring Career Pathways conference set for Jan. 17 at the Center for Water Studies at Cuyamaca College in El Cajon. Registration for the day-long series of workshops and panel discussions is open through Jan. 15.
The San Diego County Water Authority board meeting Dec. 6 approved the 2019 vote entitlements for SDCWA member agencies, and the weighted vote for the Rainbow Municipal Water District and the Fallbrook Public Utility District will decrease from the agencies’ 2018 vote entitlements. The Rainbow Municipal Water District will have a 3.99 percent share of the CWA’s weighted vote total during calendar year 2019 board meetings. Rainbow had 4 percent of the 2018 weighed vote. FPUD’s weighted vote, which was 2.32 percent in 2018, will drop to 2.30 percent for the 2019 meetings. The U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton share of the weighted vote will remain at 0.09 percent.
