You are now in Media Coverage San Diego County category.

Long Beach Gears Up to Fight Upstream Sewage Spills That Pollute Its Coastline

/in , /by /Long Beach Post by Maison Tran

Long Beach had to close its coastline for 63 days over the last five years because of upstream sewage spills, but city staff told council members Tuesday that the total amount of economic or environmental damage caused by the recurring spills is hard to estimate.

Beach closures caused by raw sewage are a perennial problem in Long Beach because the city is downstream from much of Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles and San Gabriel rivers carry debris and pollutants into the ocean, which can make bacteria levels in Long Beach’s water unsafe for use.

Full Story

Council Member Defends Water Rate Increases for Residents

/in , /by /SDNews.comby Dave Schwab

Reacting to the City Council’s recent approval of his amendment to spread out an approximately 19% increase in water rates Citywide over a longer period, District 1 Councilmember Joe LaCava (above) said it was necessary to soften the financial blow.

The City Council voted 5-3 to increase water rates by 5% beginning Dec. 1, 2023, then increase another 5.2% effective July 1, 2024, for a total one-year increase of 10.2%. Another increase of 8.7% overall will take effect the following year on Jan. 1, 2025.
Full Story
The East County Advanced Water Purification project is making significant progress on construction toward its 2026 opening. Photo: East County AWP

East County Advanced Water Purification Project Progressing

/in , , /by /Water News Network

The East County Advanced Water Purification project is progressing, with construction underway at multiple East San Diego County locations. The project will create a new, local, sustainable, and drought-proof water supply using state-of-the-art technology to purify East San Diego County’s recycled water.

Construction for the East County AWP is expected to be completed in 2025, and water production will begin in 2026. When completed, the project is expected to provide approximately 30% of current drinking water demands for East San Diego County residents and businesses.

Full Story

Hilary Causes $9.3M in Damage; Imperial County Waits for Help

/in , , /by /Calexico Chronicle by Richard Montenegro Brown

As federal and state lawmakers based in California continue to petition President Biden to declare a federal disaster in the wake of Tropical Storm Hilary, local assessments show Imperial County was among the hardest-hit areas in terms of property damage per capita.

Overall, Imperial County received some $9.3 million in property damage during the weekend storm in which 3.26 inches of rain fell on Aug. 19 and 20, but perhaps the most shocking statistic shared by Imperial County Fire Chief and Office of Emergency Services Coordinator David Lantzer was that Imperial County was the second-highest county in property damage per capita at $51.

“Those are pretty significant numbers. I’m actually a bit surprised, but not completely surprised,” Lantzer said during his department report at the Imperial City Council meeting of Wednesday, Sept. 20.

Full Story

Environment Report: We’re Diving Into the Western Water Wars

/in , /by /Voice of San Diego by MacKenzie Elmer Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

In two years, almost every major agreement currently keeping battle swords sheathed on the Colorado River will expire. Seven western states and Mexico will have to wrestle with the fact that there’s less water for their people and industries than before. And they have until 2026 to get new agreements to use much, much less water in place.

Full Story
SkillBridge Program-U.S. Navy-Trevor Bland-Water Authority SkillBridge Program intern-intern

Navy Vet Joins Water Authority as SkillBridge Program Intern

/in , , /by /Water News Networkby Athena Jreij Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority’s new SkillBridge Program intern came ashore in the perfect location. Of all the adventures Trevor Bland’s military service has taken him on, he regards San Diego as his favorite. It is here where he enjoys physical fitness, trips to the beach and the city’s Mexican food scene.

Luckily, when Bland joined the Department of Defense SkillBridge program he didn’t have to go far.

Bland was assigned as a human resources analyst intern with the Water Authority in August after five years of Naval service. Drawing from his experience as a U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer, he says, gave him the skills to address personnel issues in the civilian workforce.

Full Story

An Atmospheric River Will Drench Northern California Early This Week — But Entirely Miss Greater San Diego

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gary Robbins

An atmospheric river will bring significant rain to Northern California Monday and Tuesday but entirely miss San Diego County, which is days away from wrapping up an otherwise wet year, the National Weather Service said.

But there will be a slight chill to the air along the San Diego coastline — the kind that reminds people that it’s a good idea to keep a sweater handy. And you’ll need your winter wetsuit before long.

Full Story

San Diego County Water Authority Honored for Climate Change Efforts

/in , , /by /Water News Network Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority has earned Climate Registered gold status from The Climate Registry for the fourth consecutive year. The Water Authority was recognized for verifying and publicly reporting its greenhouse gas emissions, an effort that fosters transparency for the agency’s climate mitigation initiatives and helps the agency track and validate emissions reductions in the future.

Full Story

Major Reservoir Upgrade is Part of Poway Water Infrastructure Program

/in , , /by /Water News Network Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Construction on the City of Poway’s clearwell replacement is anticipated to begin this fall following the award of contract to Gateway Pacific Contractors, Inc. The contract was awarded at the Sept. 19 Poway City Council meeting.

The clearwell is Poway’s major storage reservoir for water treated at the water treatment plant, prior to being distributed to Poway water customers.

Full Story

Los Cerritos Wetlands Awarded Multimillion-Dollar Grant

/in , /by /Spectrum News 1 by Jeremy Lindenfield

The Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority was recently awarded a $31,852,000 grant from the California Coastal Conservancy that will fund ongoing restoration efforts.

According to wetland ecology expert Christine Whitcraft of California State University, Long Beach, restoring coastal wetland ecosystems is a crucial step in protecting the endangered wildlife that calls places like Los Cerritos home.

Full Story