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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.

The San Diego County Water Authority – and San Diego ratepayers – were dealt a major legal loss this week that could leave local water customers back on the hook for billions of dollars over the next several decades. For years, San Diego water officials have argued the region’s major supplier of water – the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California – charges too much to deliver water to San Diego from the Colorado River. In 2015, a lower court judge sided with the Water Authority.

Water rates across San Diego County will soon go up after the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) adopted a $1.58 billion budget and a 3.7 percent rate hike during a public hearing Thursday. On May 18, the Water Authority announced it would push for the rate hike for 2018 to its 24 member agencies for both treated and untreated water. The budget for the fiscal years 2018 and 2019 was presented to the Water Authority’s board on May 22, along with the proposal for a rate hike.