In the latest installment of Muni Minute – The Bond Buyer’s 60-second video series that examines a top municipal market story that will impact the coming week – we look at how the San Diego County Water Authority is reaping the benefits from the nation’s largest seawater desalination plant and is expected to hit market with a triple-A rating for the first time ever.
As debate continues in San Diego County and around the state over how aggressively to conserve water amid a historic drought, a new study finds that cuts in urban water use have saved significant amounts of electricity and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The analysis, published by UC Davis, capitalized on the unique circumstances created by California’s drought. It culled statistics that electric utilities and water districts statewide were required to submit because of Gov. Jerry Brown’s unprecedented order for residents and businesses to lower water consumption by an average of 25 percent.
Representatives of 26 water purification, desalinization, wastewater treatment, piping, irrigation, and other companies will travel to Los Angeles at the end of June. Seeking US money, Israeli water companies are turning to drought-stricken California. Representatives of no fewer than 26 water purification, desalinization, wastewater treatment, piping, irrigation, and other companies will travel to Los Angeles at the end of the month in an effort to slake the thirst of Californians, while making a few dollars in the process.
Of all the mistakes, misstatements, and assorted bloviations issuing from Donald Trump during the current presidential campaign, surely one of the leading head-scratchers is his May 27 assertion to the effect that “there is no drought” in California.
Residents and businesses in San Diego County and around the state continued to save large amount of waters in April, even as regulators have eased a mandate for cutting back on urban water use — and are poised to eliminate such targets altogether for many water districts in coming weeks.
State officials reported Monday that water use in California dropped by an average of 26.1 percent in April compared with the same month in 2013, the benchmark year set by Gov. Jerry Brown’s emergency water conservation order. That program began in June, got eased in March and is being downscaled again.
San Diego County farmers, ranchers and businesses may seek some relief from the drought through two loan programs.
Eligible farmers and ranchers of “family-sized” farming operations may apply for a U.S. Department of Agriculture disaster loan for physical damage and crop production loss that has occurred since Jan. 1, 2016. The maximum disaster loan amount is $500,000.
The deadline to apply for the disaster loan is Nov. 2.
To apply, famers need to contact the Farm Service Agency by phone at (661) 336-0967, ext. 2 or by mail at 5000 California Ave., Suite 100, Bakersfield, CA 93309.
The San Diego County Water Authority has released a succinct yet engaging new documentary series that highlights the major events in the San Diego region’s ongoing quest for safe and reliable water supplies. Available at www.sdcwa.org/quench-thirst-documentary-series-highlights-regions-water-history and based on the book “To Quench a Thirst: A Brief History of Water in the San Diego Region,” the three-part video series provides a 13-minute overview that traces the search for water from the region’s indigenous people through generations of area leaders who developed the region’s diversified water supply portfolio and robust infrastructure that today sustains 3.2 million people and a $218 billion economy.
The vaunted “Delta Plan,” which took the Delta Stewardship Council about four years to write, has been largely trashed in court in a decision by Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny.
Four lawsuits filed by local water agencies, Delta farmers, environmental groups, property owners in the Discovery Bay area and others succeeded in their arguments that the plan falls short of what is required by state law.
After over a year of cutbacks and water use restrictions, we are now telling you, “everything is improving, and we have a full water supply.” I am sure that if we water folks had any credibility left with you, it’s probably now vanished.
Yes, water supply wise, things are better. Much of California did receive near normal rainfall and snow pack, though the El Niño was pretty much a no show for southern California and San Diego County. Fortunately, the areas receiving increased precipitation were the critical watersheds in northern California, which supply the State Water Project (SWP).
After over a year of cutbacks and water use restrictions, we are now telling you, “everything is improving, and we have a full water supply.” I am sure that if we water folks had any credibility left with you, it’s probably now vanished.
Yes, water supply wise, things are better. Much of California did receive near normal rainfall and snow pack, though the El Niño was pretty much a no show for southern California and San Diego County. Fortunately, the areas receiving increased precipitation were the critical watersheds in northern California, which supply the State Water Project (SWP). Lake Oroville, the main supply reservoir for the project is near full and the Department of Water Resources has announced that it will be able to meet 60% of the requests of its water contractors, one of which is the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD).
