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Electeds See Commitment, Momentum at Salton Sea

/in , /by /Water News Networkby Darren Simon

Momentum for Salton Sea restoration is growing quickly these days and the effort could amass $600 million in state funding by the end of 2018 – a huge increase from just a few months ago.

On June 5, California voters supported Proposition 68, the $4.1 billion water bond that specifically included $200 million for Salton Sea restoration. During a recent press conference, state Senator Ben Hueso, who represents portions of San Diego and Imperial counties, thanked voters for passing Proposition 68 and said the State of California is committed to funding restoration efforts at the sea.

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Is the Cost of a Huntington Beach Desalination Plant Too High? As Vote Looms, Some Officials Say Yes

/in , /by /Press-Telegram (Long Beach)by Martin Wisckol

Water officials throughout drought-prone Southern California are eager to bolster supplies and diversify sources, but some say desalination in Huntington Beach isn’t the way to do it.

Concerns of those skeptics, particularly cost, will be front and center Wednesday, July 18, when new contract terms are considered for Poseidon Water’s proposal. Officials may want greater water security, but not necessarily at any price.

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L.A. County Votes to Put New Property Tax Before Voters to Clean Storm Water

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Nina Agrawal

Los Angeles County supervisors voted Tuesday to place a property tax before voters in November to raise money for projects to capture and clean storm water.

The measure would allow the county to levy a tax of 2.5 cents per square foot of “impermeable space” on private property. Government buildings, public schools and nonprofit organizations would be exempt.

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Stonepeak, Brookfield Weigh Desalination-Plant Sale

/in , /by /Bloomberg Newsby Gillian Tan

The owners of Carlsbad Desalination Plant in California have hired an adviser ahead of a potential sale, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, named after a former mayor, is owned by Orion Water Partners LLC, which is a joint venture comprising Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners and Poseidon Water, an affiliate of Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP. The plant could fetch more than $1 billion, including the assumption of debt, said the people, who asked not to be named. Representatives for Stonepeak and Brookfield declined to comment.

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City Launches Internal Investigation Into Water Department Management

/in , /by /NBC7by Tom Jones, Dorian Hargrove and Consumer Bob

“I’m going to personally apologize for anything that’s been conveyed to the taxpayers of the city that has given the impression that there’s an issue of credibility and trust with the city and or the Public Utilities Department,” Johnnie Perkins said Monday, hours into his first day of work as the city’s Deputy Chief Operating Officer of Infrastructure and Public Works. Perkins was responding to questions surrounding the findings of a joint NBC 7 Responds and Voice of San Diego investigation released last week, showing the city did not take action when informed of a glitch with one of its new smart water meter vendors.

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Why 96 Million Plastic ‘Shade Balls’ Dumped Into The LA Reservoir May Not Save Water

/in , /by /PBS News Hour (Arlington, Va.)by Amanda Grennell

In 2015, the world watched as a video of 96 million “shade balls” getting dumped into the Los Angeles Reservoir went viral. The purpose of the balls: to improve water quality and save water. But a new study raises an interesting question: Could saving water in the Los Angeles Reservoir come at the cost of consuming water in other parts of world? At the time, Californians faced a record-setting drought, and conserving water was on everyone’s minds. Mandatory water restrictions led to brown lawns and shorter showers.

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OPINION: Water The West: Changes To Our Water Usage

/in , /by /Ramona Home Journalby Beth Prinz Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Gov. Brown declared the five-year drought ended in 2017. However, water conservation never stopped being important. Hotter weather for longer periods and less precipitation have created conditions calling for unprecedented lifestyle changes. Water levels are dropping above-ground and underground, and rain and snow pack are diminishing in frequency and depth. As temperatures increase, the elevations of snow pack increase. Mountains get smaller at the pinnacle, so there is less surface area for snow pack. Higher temperatures mean less snow and, theoretically, more rain, but has received little of either in recent years.

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Water Agencies Increase Incentives To Replace Turf

/in , /by /Pomerado News Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Residents in San Diego County now can receive $2.75 per square foot for replacing turf with sustainable landscaping features as part of a new Landscape Transformation Program launched this week across Southern California. The new program includes a partnership by the San Diego County Water Authority and the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to boost the per-square-foot incentive amount available in the water authority’s service area and streamline the application process.

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OPINION: Why Understanding Oceans Is Vital To Economy, Security

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Margaret Leinen

Meteorologists and oceanographers still love to talk about the 2015-16 El Niño that wasn’t. It was the weather event that was meant to deliver California from the horrible drought that had afflicted the state for four years. Emergency officials braced for widespread flooding usually associated with El Niño as Eastern Pacific Ocean temperatures jumped nearly 4 degrees Fahrenheit in the months leading up to that winter, just as they had during the great El Niños of the past. It was supposed to be, as one researcher predicted, the “Godzilla” El Niño.

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Water Authority Offers Homeowners $2.75 A Foot To Replace Grass Lawns

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

San Diego County homeowners can receive $2.75 per square foot to replace their water-wasting turf lawns with sustainable landscaping under a new program in Southern California. The new Landscape Transformation Program was announced this week by both the San Diego County Water Authority and the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District. “Over the past few years, the water authority has helped foster sustainable landscaping through financial incentives, a demonstration garden, hands-on classes and publication of a detailed guidebook,” said Mark Muir, chair of the water authority’s board.

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