In the 1974 classic “Chinatown,” water wasn’t just water — it was power. Los Angeles power brokers quietly drained reservoirs, drove up scarcity, while ordinary citizens paid the price in higher costs and lost trust.
Half a century later, San Diego County is living its own version of “Chinatown,” and the stage is set at Lake Hodges.
Disputes over water have been a constant in California history, and San Diego is going through a particularly rough patch on that front these days.
At the center of the current maelstrom is Dan Denham, general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority.
The driest water year in nearly a decade ended Tuesday in San Diego, which recorded 5.07 inches of precipitation, barely half its seasonal average, the National Weather Service said.
The shortage of rain has produced varying levels of drought across the county, elevating the risk of wildfires at the time of year when dry Santa Ana winds begin to blow.
The Sweetwater Authority, which supplies drinking water to a wide swath of South San Diego County, is joining the ranks of local water agencies seeking to reduce their dependence on the San Diego County Water Authority.
Sweetwater governing board members earlier this month voted unanimously to begin laying the groundwork for a major new groundwater project that would involve pumping and desalinating millions of gallons of water per year from a massive aquifer under southwestern San Diego County.
Mayor Todd Gloria didn’t have the votes on Tuesday to pass the huge water and wastewater rate increase needed to avoid layoffs at the city’s Public Utilities Department. Councilmembers voted 8 to 1 to push the decision on a 63 percent water and 31 percent wastewater vote to Oct. 28. Councilmember Vivian Moreno voted no.
The mayor will need at least five to pass the rates by that date or risk layoffs at the Public Utilities Department or default on loans. In the meantime, councilmembers want to see the mayor’s staff find a way to save San Diegans money on their water bills.
The San Diego City Council delayed a planned vote on steep water and sewer rate hikes Tuesday, saying it needs more time to consider them amid concerns over the potential impacts on the region’s cost of living.
The proposal would raise water rates for San Diego customers by more than 60% and sewer rates by more than 30% over the next four years.
As climate change drives drier winters and shrinking snowmelt across the West, Southern California and Arizona are rushing to diversify their water supplies — investing in recycling, storage and Colorado River imports to guard against another crippling drought.
With fire season approaching, public officials in SoCal are debating not only whether the region has enough water to battle potential blazes like the one in Pacific Palisades, but also whether supplies will be sufficient in the coming months and years to meet basic drinking needs.
The San Diego City Council is poised to decide on significant and needed water rate increases. The City Council – and ratepayers deserve the truth, not a blame game.
City staff have been quick to point the finger at the San Diego County Water Authority, while portraying the City’s multibillion-dollar Pure Water project as a cost-saving alternative. That narrative may make for convenient headlines, but it misrepresents the facts and risks misleading ratepayers about the true drivers of their bills.
The San Diego City Council’s debate over whether to raise water rates on 1.4 million people Tuesday promises to be brutal. San Diego’s independent budget analysts last week answered the question: What happens if City Council doesn’t raise rates? The answer was bad: The Public Utilities Department cuts 30 percent of its budget and cuts staff or defaults on loans.
There’s another question that deserves a look just in case stuff really goes haywire. San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert was so ticked off at the San Diego County Water Authority for its spiking prices back in January, she suggested the city stop paying its water bills.
As San Diego council members prepare to vote on major water and sewer rate hikes, the city’s independent budget analyst warns that higher rates are all but unavoidable in order to keep the Public Utilities Department afloat — and that not raising rates would hurt customers in other ways.
The City Council is scheduled to vote on Tuesday on a proposal that could raise water rates for San Diego customers by more than 60% and sewer rates by more than 30% over the next four years.
