Californians will vote this fall on a radical proposal to split the state into three: Northern California, Southern California and just plain California. The plan obviously raises a myriad of policy issues. But anyone inclined to vote for the initiative should be particularly concerned with the implications for the state’s most critical resource: water.
Residents of Compton have complained about brown, smelly water coming out of their taps for more than a year. And when officials began talking about dissolving the troubled local water district, the area’s congresswoman scheduled a town hall meeting so community members could weigh in.
The City of San Diego has received an “Award of Excellence for Events and Observances” for using recycled water to make beer. Last year, the City partnered with Stone Brewing to create the beer, “Full Circle Pale Ale.”
A project underneath Long Beach Airport that will transform stormwater runoff into drinking water received $7.5 million Tuesday, June 19, from Los Angeles County supervisors. “Every time it rains, we lose millions of gallons of drinkable water by allowing it to run into the ocean,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “Innovative projects like this mean we can capture rainwater and use it to replenish our local water supply.”
A new map-based tool was released Monday allowing parents of students in California public schools to see if their child’s school has been tested for unsafe lead levels in drinking water.
After a period of cooler weather, the San Diego region is poised to warm up later this week with 90-degree temperatures expected in much of East County. The National Weather Service office in San Diego issued an excessive heat warning for the San Diego County deserts, with temperatures forecast to range from the high 100s to low 110s.
At a town hall Monday, Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán alleged that people were paid to pose as residents to speak out in support of an embattled water district, marking a strange twist in the ongoing controversy over discolored water pouring out of taps in Compton and Willowbrook. The Sativa Los Angeles County Water District serves about 1,600 ratepayers in a half-mile area of Compton and Willowbrook. Residents have been complaining about brown-colored water with a foul odor.
Southland fire officials issued dire warnings Thursday about the upcoming fire season, saying they are preparing for daily outbreaks of vegetation blazes and calling on residents to act now to clear brush around homes and other structures. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby and fire officials from the Inland Empire to Orange County also reminded residents that they need to do their part to prevent fires from erupting.
Projected infrastructure spending for the city of San Diego’s Storm Water Division isn’t even halfway sufficient to meet future needs, a deficiency that could increase the deferred maintenance backlog and affect the city’s ability to meet water quality requirements, according to an audit released Thursday. City Auditor Eduardo Luna said the division needs roughly $891 million to spend on water infrastructure over the next five years, but there’s only $433 million in funds identified over that span.
It’s 2018, not 1918, and the idea that an estimated 360,000 California residents don’t have access to clean, safe water in their homes is both appalling and hard to fathom. While this problem is concentrated in the Central Valley, it’s a concern in rural agricultural areas across the state, including in San Diego County.
