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Rainbow and Fallbrook Fight to Leave San Diego County Water Authority Amid Rising Water Rates

/in , , /by /NBC 7by Priya Shridhar Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Nick Serrano, a board member of the San Diego County Water Authority and Deputy Chief of Staff to San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said if Fallbrook and Rainbow detach from the water authority, the rest of the ratepayers in the county could see their bills increase as much as 5% per year.

“I think it’s stunning that there is an argument to not allow people to vote, that people do not deserve a say in this matter and we just disagree with that,” Serrano said. “I think at the very least, we believe that the ratepayers, who will be impacted by this decision, should have the opportunity to vote. It’s not to say that detachment can’t occur, but they have the opportunity to vote.”

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Illegal Levels of Mercury and More Emitted From East Valley Power Plant, Feds Say

/in , /by /Desert Sunby Janet Wilson

Fourteen months after Environmental Protection Agency inspectors quietly notified the operator of the Desert View Power Plant that it had repeatedly emitted illegally high levels of mercury and other dangerous pollutants upwind of the low-income east Coachella valley community of Mecca, federal regulators will meet with residents and community groups on Tuesday night.

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One of 11 gunite bench sections along the Flume under construction in 1925. The Flume is the Vista Irrigation District’s main water conduit and has been indispensable in the area’s development. When water first flowed through the Flume, the District served a population of 337, compared to serving 134,000 customers today. Photo: Vista Irrigation District celebrates

Vista Irrigation District Celebrates 100 Years of Service

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

The Vista Irrigation District, one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies, is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

In the 1920s, citrus and avocado farming in the Vista area increased so quickly that the growing region faced the real danger of running out of water. Completing the Henshaw Dam in 1923 made it possible for the Vista community to receive a reliable water source instead of relying on well water.

The arrival of the new water source sparked discussion about forming a water district to secure additional imported water to make continued growth possible. On August 28, 1923, voters approved the formation of the Vista Irrigation District (VID) in a landslide: 104 votes to four votes in a 100% voter turnout.

One of 11 gunite bench sections along the Flume under construction in 1925. The Flume is the Vista Irrigation District’s main water conduit and has been indispensable in the area’s development. When water first flowed through the Flume, the District served a population of 337, compared to serving 134,000 customers today. Photo: Vista Irrigation District celebrates

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Scripps Oceanography to Develop Sewage Contamination Tool, Amid Calls For Emergency Declaration

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union Tribuneby Tammy Murga

In front of Imperial Beach’s deserted shoreline dotted with red “warning” signs, members of San Diego’s legislative delegation announced Friday that $3 million from the state budget will fund a new model aimed at more accurately predicting sewage contamination days in advance at South County beaches.

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Agency Veteran Dan Denham Appointed GM of San Diego County Water Authority

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority board of directors has voted unanimously to appoint Dan Denham as general manager, following the retirement of former GM Sandra L. Kerl in June.

“We are fortunate to have Dan’s knowledge of the San Diego County Water Authority and his depth of experience managing multiple programs, including the landmark agreements that have ensured a safe and reliable water supply for San Diego County,” said Mel Katz, chair of the Water Authority board, after the vote on Thursday.

Before joining the agency in 2006, Denham served in various capacities at the city of San Diego’s Metropolitan Wastewater Department, Financial Management Department and mayor’s office. He holds undergraduate degrees in public administration and economics, and a graduate degree in public administration, all from San Diego State University.

Dan Denham-Water Authority General Manager-Denham

San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Dan Denham. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

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San Diego’s Fire Weather Risk Worsens Over 50 Years

/in , /by /Axios San Diegoby Kate Murphy

Fire weather days in San Diego increased by 3 days annually on average between 1973 and 2022, per an analysis from Climate Central, a nonprofit climate science research organization, Axios’ Andrew Freedman and Kavya Beheraj report.

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Dan Denham-Water Authority General Manager-Denham

Dan Denham Appointed San Diego County Water Authority General Manager

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

The San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors August 24 voted unanimously to appoint Dan Denham as general manager. The appointment follows the June retirement of former General Manager Sandra L. Kerl. Denham has served in several leadership capacities with the Water Authority for the past 17 years, including his most recent post as deputy general manager.

Denham has served in several leadership capacities with the Water Authority for the past 17 years, including his most recent post as deputy general manager. In that role, he oversaw the MWD and Colorado River programs, along with the Engineering, Water Resources, and Operations & Maintenance departments. Denham also continues to oversee the implementation of long-term agricultural-to-urban conserved water transfers that are among the largest in the United States. As a commissioner on the Quantification Settlement Agreement Joint Powers Authority, he leads the Water Authority’s fulfillment of environmental mitigation obligations and legislative advocacy efforts at the Salton Sea.

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Opinion: SANDAG’s Voting System Unfairly Disadvantages Small Cities, Stifles Regional Collaboration

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Jim Desmond Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Hasan Ikhrata, the departing CEO of the San Diego Association of Governments, inherited a board plagued by dysfunction when he took office in December 2018. Though not solely the fault of its membership, the dysfunction is due to a change in the voting process of the countywide transportation agency. The new process was passed by Sacramento politicians and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2017. The new voting process alienated many of SANDAG members and drove a wedge into the agency that still exists today.

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Dan Denham Appointed Water Authority General Manager

/in , /by /The Vista Press

The San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors today voted unanimously to appoint Dan Denham as general manager, following the retirement of former General Manager Sandra L. Kerl in June. Denham has served in several leadership capacities with the Water Authority for the past 17 years, including his most recent post as deputy general manager.

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‘Boil Water’ Alert Issued for Imperial Beach and Parts of Coronado, Chula Vista, San Diego

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein

California American Water on Thursday issued a “boil water” order for its customers in Imperial Beach and parts of Coronado, San Diego and Chula Vista after E. Coli bacteria was found in the supply. The company said customers should boil tap water or use bottled water for the next 24 to 48 hours.

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