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Sweetwater Authority To Consider Water Rate Hikes

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby David Hernandez

The Sweetwater Authority governing board next month will consider increases to its water rates under a proposal that would create three separate fees for customers. The charges would include a fee to cover the cost to purchase water from the San Diego County Water Authority and two separate fees to cover costs from the Metropolitan Water District for purchased water. The costs from the outside agencies are embedded in the Sweetwater Authority’s current water rates.

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Temperature Could Hit 117 Degrees In San Diego County During Weekend Heat Wave

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gary Robbins

San Diego reveled in “Goldilocks” weather Wednesday — the Fourth of July. A sea breeze made temperatures “just right” countywide, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to parks and beaches for fireworks shows that were set to begin at nightfall. But there’s about to be abrupt change in a county that’s quickly falling into drought.

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Local Water-Storage Project May Benefit From State Water Bond Measure

/in , /by /Daily Bulletin (Rancho Cucamonga)by Sandra Emerson

An Inland Empire water wholesaler is poised to get a boost in state funding for its effort to create a new local water supply that would provide ecological benefits in Northern California. The California Water Commission has tentatively approved nearly $207 million in Prop. 1 water bond funds for the Inland Empire Utilities Agency’s Chino Basin Conjunctive Use Environmental Water Storage/Exchange Program.

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Diamond Valley Lake Remains Closed Because Of Blue-Green Algae

/in , /by /The Press-Enterprise (Riverside)by Craig Schultz

An outbreak of blue-green algae will keep Diamond Valley Lake closed until at least Friday, July 6. The algal bloom has turned the water green and is releasing cyanotoxins, which in high concentrations can be harmful to humans and animals, especially when ingested. “Cyanotoxin levels continue to improve, however in part of the lake they remain above levels we would like to see to reopen the lake to recreation,” Metropolitan Water District spokeswoman Rebecca Kimitch wrote in a message Tuesday, July 3.

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Deputy Director Of San Diego’s Water Department Retires

/in , /by /NBC 7 (San Diego)by Tom Jones, Consumer Bob and Dorian Hargrove

The Deputy Director for the City of San Diego’s Public Utilities Department has announced his retirement. Michael Vogl will be retiring from the city after more than 28 years of employment, a city spokesperson told NBC 7 Responds. “The City was made aware of his retirement plans in advance, allowing for appropriate transition of knowledge and responsibilities,” the spokesperson said in an email.

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Key San Diego Region Water Rate To Rise Less Than 1% In 2019

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein

The water authority’s board last week approved a 0.9 percent increase in the wholesale rate it will charge 24 member agencies, including the City of San Diego, for treated water in 2019. The authority noted that it’s own supplies from the Colorado River are now less expensive that the water it buys from the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District.

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Backstory: San Diego’s Divestment From The Metropolitan Water District Of Southern California

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Joshua Emerson Smith Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Why is water is such a contentious issue? Water is a scarce resource, especially in California where rainfall is so inconsistent. Compounding capricious hydrological cycles, the southern part of the state gets very little precipitation. This means that nearly all water must be pumped in from Northern California or the Colorado River. Controlling that water is big business. There seems to be an endless stream of litigation concerning water rights and the cost of transporting supplies. It’s important to remember that water is not only crucial for taking showers and doing dishes.

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San Diego’s Efforts To Divest From Rival L.A. Water Agency Have Driven Up Rates For Residents. Is It Worth It?

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Joshua Emerson Smith Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

If the most powerful water officials in San Diego get their way, the county will ratchet down to a trickle one of its cheapest sources of water in the next two decades. Local officials say ongoing efforts to secure alternatives to the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California — known as the Met — have safeguarded businesses and residents against crippling cuts triggered during prolonged drought. However, the strategy of the San Diego County Water Authority to move away from Southern California’s largest wholesaler has come with a cost.

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Heat Wave To Hit San Diego Late This Week

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gary Robbins

A classic summer heat wave will develop in San Diego County on Friday and Saturday with temperatures hitting 80 degrees at-or-near the coast and the upper 90s and low 100s across inland valleys, says the National Weather Service. “The week will start out mild, with temperatures going up a degree or two each day,” said James Brotherton, a weather service forecaster. “The big warmup will come right after the Fourth of July, with Friday and Saturday being the warmest days.”

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Daily Business Report-June 29: Wholesale Water Rates Kept In Check For 2019

/in , /by /San Diego Metro Magazine Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Wholesale water rates adopted Thursday by the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors include some of the smallest increases in the past 15 years due to successful litigation against the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and strategic use of financial reserves, the agency said. They also highlight a historic shift in water costs: The Water Authority’s independent supplies from the 2003 Colorado River Quantification Settlement Agreement are now less expensive for the region than supplies from MWD, and that difference will grow in the years ahead.

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