Six students from schools in the Otay Water District are the winners of the annual Student Poster Contest. More than 53 students submitted entries from schools in Chula Vista, El Cajon, and Spring Valley. The poster art depicts the value of water and using water wisely.
On a closely packed street in Inglewood, where single-family home after single-family home overlooks a manicured lawn, a spectacular garden filled with California native plants reaches to the sky and spills onto the sidewalk.
In Brian Bautista’s yard, upright showy penstemon, aromatic hummingbird sage, hardy toyon trees, and two types of milkweed — dramatic plants requiring little water — attract birds, butterflies and bees and flourish amid the Bermuda grass lawns.
Winter storms that have dented the drought across much of California have also boosted reservoir levels in several San Diego County lakes — especially those fed by storm runoff.
As Angelenos wither under another hot summer, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is shrinking a discount program that helped low-income families pay their bills.
The utility has no choice; the subsidies that funded the DWP’s discounted water rates were declared illegal by a Superior Court judge in May. That discount will disappear Thursday, although others will remain in place, the DWP said in a letter to customers.
Sweetwater Authority has brought on Roberto Yano as the agency’s new Assistant General Manager. With 30 years of experience in public works, engineering and leadership at the City of Chula Vista and the City of National City, Yano brings a wealth of relevant knowledge and expertise to the Authority.
Residents of San Diego and Orange counties say they are less affected by extreme weather than other parts of the state. Still, a strong majority says extreme weather is a big problem or somewhat of a problem for the region. People in the two counties also have less confidence than residents elsewhere in government’s ability to respond to weather-related problems.
The Otay Water District announced the winner of this year’s WaterSmart Landscape Contest, and “Nana’s Garden,” created by El Cajon resident Lois Scott, earned the title. Scott was recognized by the Otay Water District on July 5 with a certificate of recognition, a gift certificate to a local nursery of her choice, a yard sign, and other promotional items.
The San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors held a special meeting Thursday to determine whether to file a lawsuit to keep the water districts in Fallbrook and Rainbow from leaving to join a district in Riverside County.
In the end, the board voted to enter into settlement negotiations with the Fallbrook Public Utility District and Rainbow Municipal Water District.
“We’re going to try to meet with Fallbrook and Rainbow to better understand some of the challenges they have presented through this process,” said Nick Serrano, vice chair of the Water Authority Board of Directors.
Community leaders and neighbors joined the Santa Fe Irrigation District in celebrating its 100th anniversary at a “Century of Service” event on June 21. The celebration at the San Dieguito Reservoir recognized SFID’s contributions to the community over the past 100 years and reflected on the water agency’s history and milestones.
Congressman Mike Levin also recognized the milestone: “Congratulations to the Santa Fe Irrigation District on 100 years of serving our community! As Californians, we all understand the importance of conserving water and the impact droughts have on our daily lives. I’m grateful to have SFID as a partner in the work to strengthen our local water independence.”
California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot issued a congratulatory message: “Many thanks to the Santa Fe Irrigation District for 100 years of service. We appreciate this century-long legacy of water service to generations of Californians and look forward to continuing to partner on adjusting to the changing climate by improving water efficiency and diversifying our water supply.”
South Orange County’s reliance on imported water through unsustainable sources that will be impacted by climate change must adapt, according to the Orange County Grand Jury, which endorsed desalination plants as a solution in a recent report.
Released in early June, the report highlighted the continued existence of drought conditions in the western United States, Orange County water suppliers’ need to find solutions to growing needs and potential shortages, and the importance of conservation and public education.
