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Plans are in the works for an energy storage facility at the San Vicente Reservoir in San Diego’s East County that could ease pressure on electric grids by producing locally generated renewable energy, according to the San Diego County Water Authority. The San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors on Thursday authorized the Water Authority, in conjunction with the City of San Diego, to begin seeking detailed proposals for the project that also would lessen upward pressure on water rates by providing a new source of revenue, officials said.

Federal land managers have advanced plans for a $1.4 billion energy-storage project in which desert groundwater would be pumped to high-elevation reservoirs near Joshua Tree National Park and then released downhill to generate electricity. Late last week, the Bureau of Land Management found that using 1,150 acres of public land — mainly for the project’s power and water lines — would not cause significant harm to the environment. The acreage stretches between Interstate 10 and the national park. The finding moves the project, which was licensed by federal energy officials in 2014, into a 30 day period to allow for official protests.

After two years of sitting empty, Silver Lake’s namesake and signature icon is being refilled. City officials cranked open the tower valves to begin refilling the Silver Lake Reservoir complex on Tuesday, nearly a year ahead of schedule. The 96-acre reservoir is expected to be fully refilled by the middle of June. Officials previously said refilling would begin in May and take about one year. Now water is expected to reach the Silver Lake Reservoir’s historic level of 440 feet above sea level within two months.

California may be coming out of the drought, but LA’s water system is in dire need of fixing. Angelenos will soon be asked to pay more for their water and they must stay alert to ensure their money is being invested wisely and not wasted on projects for special interests. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is set to make its customers pay higher rates and taxes for a project misleadingly named the “California Water Fix.” This project involves building two massive water tunnels underneath the San Joaquin Delta in Northern California and could cost $25-67 billion.

District officials updated the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) Board Tuesday night on its lead sampling program for campus water. According to Board documents, the City and the school district plan to test all schools on district property for potential lead in drinking water by mid-June. With about 200 schools total to test, the district is about half-way through the process. A slide in a Power Point presentation made to elected officials shows the district has submitted sampling plans to the city for 109 schools. Of that, 72 schools have already been tested.