Although California is experiencing a drier than normal winter so far, San Diego County has enough water to meet demand in 2018 and into next year, said local water officials. San Diego County has enough water to meet its needs due to a number of factors, said Jeff Stephenson, principal water resources specialist with the San Diego County Water Authority, the region’s water wholesaler.
It’s a repeat of the unusually hot, dry and windy weather that helped fuel huge brush fires in December. Since the end of last February, downtown Los Angeles has seen just 2.26 inches of rain — an anemic amount over an 11-month period. Los Angeles has seen just 28% of its average precipitation since October — with most of it coming from the rainstorm that caused the deadly mudslides in Santa Barbara County.
A broken water main flooded parts of Coronado Tuesday forcing hours-long closures of multiple streets, according to city officials. The flow of debris and water rushed dangerously close to businesses and transformer boxes. Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey tweeted that the flooding was due to a large 16-inch water main that broke on B Avenue. A sinkhole measuring approximately 200 square feet opened up.
News 8 continues to receive emails from viewers who are upset over water bills that are hundreds and in some cases thousands of dollars higher than normal. San Diego District 6 Council Member Chris Cate said since News 8 launched its water investigation last week, his office has been inundated with calls. “This is just not explainable and we need to know what is happening. We have seen instances where we have seen 400 percent increases in a person’s water usage in one billing period,” said Cate.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is giving away more than $1 million a year in ratepayer money to charities and nonprofits, an investigation by CBS2’s David Goldstein has uncovered. He also found money going to one non-profit that has a DWP executive sitting on the board.
If the blowup over President Trump’s new solar tariff proves anything, it proves that the renewable energy transition is inevitable. A new hydroelectricity project for the City of San Diego, California is a case in point. The city recently raised the level of an existing hydropower dam to hold more water, and now it is considering a massive new energy storage element that would help the grid support more wind and solar power.
Helix Water District customers like the service they’re getting, are mindful of water conservation, believe the water they get is a good value for what they pay, and like the taste of the water they’re drinking from their taps. East County customers also like Lake Jennings and The Water Conservation Garden, according to Probe Research, Inc., a company that was paid $21,700 to conduct a customer survey for Helix.
Amajor U.S. beer manufacturer’s decision to build a giant production plant in Baja California’s desert capital has been cause for much celebration in Gov. Francisco Vega de Lamadrid’s administration. But not everybody is applauding. Constellation Brands, maker of Modelo and Corona beers, finds itself in the crossfire of a bitter dispute. On one side are government officials who are vowing to see the project through; on the other, opponents determined to shut it down, saying the plant will use a large amount of water that should go to local farmers.
That’s a year’s supply for two million households. MWD’s report says most of the water savings were accomplished through using less outdoors, as drought-tolerant landscaping replaced turf lawns, and smart timers controlled sprinklers to not overwater. Our low-flow toilets and super-efficient washing machines saved water indoors. The agency spent about $45 million in 2017 on rebates, education programs and ads to encourage conservation.
Strong Santa Ana winds whipped across San Diego County Sunday, prompting a utility company to shut off power to about 2,500 customers as a precaution and making play more challenging at the Farmers Insurance Open in Torrey Pines. The winds help push temperatures to record levels in Vista, Oceanside Harbor and El Cajon, and tied records in Chula Vista and Ramona. San Diego International Airport reported a high of 82 — 18 degrees above average.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
