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To help showcase how California Friendly™ plants beautify homes and businesses, the Metropolitan Water District has unveiled a new monthly video featuring different types of watersaving garden on the agency’s water conservation webpage, bewaterwise.com. The two-minute videos will showcase a specific plant each month to educate gardeners across the region that being California Friendly can be easy and beautifying. California Friendly describes native and non-native plants that use less water, require minimal maintenance and can
better withstand drought conditions.

Water and sewer rates for Padre Dam Municipal Water District customers are going up, despite pushback from some residents at a public hearing last week. The five-member water board approved rate hikes which will take effect in November. The average residential Padre Dam customer will pay about $155 a month for water and sewer services, up from $151. Further rate hikes are scheduled yearly through 2021. Increases will vary by customer based on water consumption and the type of dwelling — single family, multifamily, commercial, condominiums, hotels or apartments.

A California state appeals court ruling gave both sides victory claims in litigation between the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the largest of its 26 member agencies. The First District Court of Appeal last week affirmed the legality of the aspect of Metropolitan’s rate-setting methodology that includes State Water Project costs, reversing a 2015 trial court decision that had awarded $188.3 million in breach of contract claims to the San Diego County Water Authority. The SDCWA pays water transportation rates to Metropolitan for the movement of imported water the San Diego authority purchases from the Imperial Irrigation District.

Kudos and heartfelt thanks to Ian James, Sammy Roth and the Desert Sun for their recent four-part series on the Salton Sea. They did and excellent job of showing the history and crisis (human health and environmental) looming. Combined with the Salton Sea seminar hosted by the Sun last Tuesday night, it is not easy to be optimistic for our future, health wise. We have the highest percent of childhood asthma in the state near the sea, and it is getting worse daily.

An algae bloom in the Sweetwater Reservoir has given water coming out of taps in the South Bay a funny taste and smell. Since May, dozens of Sweetwater Authority customers have called in to complain about unpleasant tasting and smelling water. Officials figured out this month that algae in the reservoir was causing the musty smell and earthy taste, and said an organic compound called geosmin was to blame. Chula Vista resident Katherine Hoyt said she first noticed an issue with the water in her Congregational Tower apartment in late May.