The largest project in the city of San Marcos is only a few weeks from completion.
The city dedicated millions of dollars and spent three years improving the area around San Marcos Creek, which runs through the center of town. The creek regularly flooded streets when it rained, prompting road closures and backed–up traffic.
Following an epic winter that has grown the California snowpack to historic levels, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is preparing for an equally epic runoff season. With the Eastern Sierra snowpack at 296% of normal, the municipally owned water agency for the City of Los Angeles is anticipating runoff to be 225% of normal and is implementing safety measures.
Mark Pestrella is the director of L.A. County Public Works, which oversees 27 spreading grounds and 14 dams that both hold most of our local water supply as well as prevent massive flooding in the cities below.
Pestrella said he isn’t losing sleep over a megaflood. His biggest concern? The increasing severity of smaller, but intense storms — like many we experienced this winter.
Over the last four months, storm after storm pounded the California coast – leading to dramatic changes in our water supply and drought conditions – including in San Diego. But many are asking whether it’s safe to say the drought is complete “over.”
The weekly published Drought Monitor shows that conditions significantly improved compared to last year.
Each year on April 22, one billion people across the globe take action to promote conservation and sustainability. Earth Day can drive a year — and even a lifetime — of energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to protect our planet.
This year’s Earth Day theme — “Invest in Our Planet” — aligns perfectly with what the San Diego County Water Authority and its 24 member agencies have done for decades. It points to the necessity of dedicating time and resources to ensuring a sustainable water supply for our community. And it speaks to the thoughtful investments we make in infrastructure and innovation that keep the water flowing while being mindful of the environment.
Investing in our planet can take many forms, and the challenges we face differ from community to community. One investment I encourage San Diegans to think about this Earth Day is landscape transformation. This is important because the biggest users of water at homes are our landscapes — perhaps as much as 70% of our water use, depending on where we live.
California’s snowpack is more than two-and-a-half times larger than average right now, according to the state’s Dept. of Water Resources. As the weather gets warmer, it’s going to melt. Geologists say there’s no question we needed the snow.
The San Diego County Water Authority said a new federal report that forecasts significant increases in reservoir levels along the Colorado River is “welcome news” for San Diego’s water supply.
The report released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation forecasts that a near-record snowpack will raise Lake Mead at Hoover Dam by over 20 feet and Lake Powell farther north by 50 feet.
About two-thirds of San Diego County’s supplies are conserved Colorado River water.
Dan Denham, the Water Authority’s deputy general manager, said the federal report “is definitely welcome news and will buy us time to make crucial decisions.”
“Invest in Our Planet” is the theme for Earth Day 2023. Investing in sustainable, local water supply sources and conservation has long been a way of life in San Diego County by water agencies and residents.
“Investing in our planet can take many forms, and the challenges we face differ from community to community,” said Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl. “One investment I encourage San Diegans to think about on this Earth Day is landscape transformation. This is important because the biggest users of water at our homes are our landscapes – perhaps as much as 70% of our water use, depending on where we live.”
Sustainability is a priority of the San Diego County Water Authority and its 24 member agencies. Creating and maintaining a safe, reliable, sustainable water supply for the region ensures the vitality of San Diego County’s $268 billion economy for its 3.3 million residents.
Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s 4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility is the California Water Environment Association statewide 2022 Plant of the Year. The award was presented April 19 at CWEA’s Annual Conference in San Diego. The award acknowledges the facility’s accomplishments to increase water supply reliability by reducing imported water demand and plant operations.
Design is underway on the $500-million Donald C. Tillman Advanced Water Purification Facility, one of the largest potable reuse projects in the country.
Led by LA Sanitation and Environment (LASAN) and the Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power (LADWP), the facility will be constructed via progressive design-build, with Jacobs serving as the lead contractor.
