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California Bakes As Winter Temperatures Set New Records Across The State

/in /by /Los Angeles Timesby Rong-Gong Lin II and Alene Tchekmydian

Under a baking sun, Russell Neches peeled off his long-sleeved base layer to hit the ski slopes at Royal Gorge Cross Country Resort near Lake Tahoe. Early February should be the the dead of California’s winter, yet Neches was skiing in — and sweating through — his T-shirt. “As soon as there was sun, it was unbearably hot,” said the 37-year-old Oakland resident. Unseasonably warm and dry temperatures blanketed California over the weekend, shattering records across the state and bringing clear blue skies that were expected to linger through next weekend.

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OPINION: High San Diego Water Bills Need Explanation

/in /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune

Dozens of San Diegans are howling over soaring water bills, complaining on social media and to the city. In response, Mayor Kevin Faulconer has promised every complaint will be reviewed and independent City Auditor Eduardo Luna has promised to conclude that review by June. City utilities officials have a range of explanations for the spikes, starting with meter-reading errors, higher usage because of warmer weather, leaks in water systems and homes, a 6.9 percent rate increase that took effect Aug. 1, and a change that led to one bill covering more days.

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Skyrocketing Water Bills In San Diego Prompt Internal City Investigation

/in /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Joshua Emerson Smith

It sounds like something out of a Kafka novel. You get an inexplicable bill from a government agency for thousands of dollars and no manner of protest or pleading will reverse it. Instead, you’re told by the bureaucracy to pony up the money or face losing access to an essential resource — water. That’s the situation being described by residents across the city of San Diego who say the Public Utilities Department is charging them for water they didn’t use.

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44 Percent of California, Including All of San Diego County, in Drought: US Drought Monitor

/in /by /NBC 7 San Diego Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Much of Southern California is once again in a drought and there is little relief in sight, a report by the United States Drought Monitor revealed.  About 44 percent of California was in drought Thursday, up from 12 percent last week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor report. As of this week, all of San Diego County and most of Los Angeles County has been elevated from an “abnormally dry” category to a “moderate drought” category.

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San Diego County Moves a Step Up in Drought Severity

/in /by /10 News Quoted: Jeff Stephenson

The US Drought Monitor moved San Diego County up to the next level of severity Thursday.  It’s now at moderate, which is the second highest level of the five.  At the same time, the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada was woefully low.“We’re around 27-percent of normal,” said San Diego County Water Authority Water Resources Specialist Jeff Stephenson.

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‘Moderate Drought’ Declared Across San Diego County

/in /by /KPBS

A U.S. Drought Monitor report released Thursday shows all of San Diego County is now in a moderate drought. The Category 1 declaration comes a year after water officials declared the region’s drought was over. According to the Drought Monitor, a “moderate drought” means ongoing dry conditions could cause damage to crops, and a possibility of water shortages could develop.

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City Councilmember Calls For Audit Of Water Department Billing

/in /by /NBC San Diegoby Tom Jones

With more water billing complaints being heard and a city council member calling for an official audit of the Public Utilities Department’s billing procedures, NBC 7 Responds is looking into the committee formed years ago that was tasked with oversight of the water department.  “I’m paying $5,000 a year for water, that’s crazy,” Stephen Hanson out of Pacific Beach said about his water bills last year.

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In Spite Of Dry December, Water Officials Don’t Foresee Shortage

/in /by /Rancho Santa Fe Reviewby Joe Tash Quoted: Jeff Stephenson

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.

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Amid Record Heat And Dry Conditions, Fears Of Another Drought In California

/in /by /Los Angeles Timesby Rong-Gong Lin II

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.

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Flooding from Water Main Break Shuts Down Streets in Coronado

/in /by /NBC 7 San Diego

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.

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