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Local Elementary School Students Show Water Conservation and Environmental Stewardship Through Art

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Chula Vista, Calif. – Last week Sweetwater Authority selected 10 local elementary school students as winners of the “Being Water Wise Is…” Poster Contest. The annual contest is open to K-6th graders in the Authority’s service area, and encourages the students to think about the importance of water in their everyday lives, and how they can help protect and conserve water in their homes and community.

“We are thrilled to have received so many incredible posters this year from so many talented students,” said Board Chair Hector Martinez. “The Authority runs this contest every year with the goal of helping students think critically about the importance of water. This year students did a fantastic job illustrating what being water wise means to them.”

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Olivenhain Municipal Water District Logo landscape design workshops

OMWD Receives 2023 Environmental Excellence Award from Industrial Environmental Association

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Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District was recognized today by the Industrial Environmental Association as one of three winners of the 2023 Environmental Excellence Awards. The awards event was held at the San Diego Convention Center during the 2023 Environmental Training Symposium and Conference, and recognizes OMWD’s Recycled Water Pipeline Extension 153A Project.

The project involved the installation of a 1,400-foot pipeline under the San Dieguito River which reduced the region’s potable water demand. This project has effectively provided environmentally friendly recycled water service to San Diego communities since 2019.

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San Diego County Water Authority And its 24 Member Agencies

Assembly Bill Would Protect Water Ratepayers Across County

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May 25, 2023 –  The San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors today voted to support Assembly Bill 530, which would ensure ratepayer protections when water districts separate.

The bill was authored by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner of Encinitas and sponsored by the City of San Diego. It seeks to amend California’s County Water Authority Act so that all voters within such a district can vote on proposed separations from an authority, actions that are also known as detachments. A majority vote in both the separating district and the County Water Authority would be necessary to complete a detachment.

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San Diego County Water Authority And its 24 Member Agencies

Thanks for Planting Me! ‘Spokesplants’ Promote Landscape Transformation

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May 25, 2023 – The San Diego County Water Authority is launching a public outreach and education campaign this summer to encourage wider adoption of sustainable landscapes that are more suitable for the region’s Mediterranean climate.

The “Thanks for Planting Me!” campaign offers gratitude to the hundreds of thousands of San Diegans who are using water efficiently along with friendly encouragement to expand regenerative low-water landscapes as climate change stresses water supplies across the Southwest. It complements similar efforts to promote on-going water-use efficiency by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the State of California’s Save Our Water program.

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Otay Water District Announces New Theme for Annual Student Poster Contest

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Spring Valley, Calif. – Students in kindergarten through 12th grade are invited to unleash their creativity in the Otay Water District’s annual Student Poster Contest. This year’s theme is “being water wise is…”

Otay’s annual educational program encourages students to create a poster demonstrating their water awareness. Water conservation or stewardship should be reflected in the artwork. Some examples include turning off the water while brushing your teeth, taking short showers, protecting water from pollution, or collecting rainwater in buckets and reusing it to water plants.

“This year’s theme ‘being water wise is…’ invites students to share the many ways they can use water efficiently inside and outside their homes or schools,” said Eileen Salmeron, communications assistant and poster contest coordinator for the Otay Water District. “Because our region and the state has faced many droughts, it is vital that younger generations start making water efficiency their way of life.”

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San Diego County Water Authority And its 24 Member Agencies

Water Authority Issues Statement on Consensus-Based Plan for the Colorado River

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May 22, 2023 – San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl today issued the following statement regarding a new consensus-based plan to conserve water on the Colorado River:

“Today, the Lower Colorado River Basin states, California, Arizona, and Nevada, provided the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation with a plan to conserve up to 3 million acre-feet on the river through 2026 to address long-term drought and protect elevations in Lakes Mead and Powell, the two critical reservoirs the Lower Basin depends on for its river supplies.

“This consensus-based plan was offered to replace alternatives Reclamation is considering under its draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS), released in April to consider changes to the river’s near-term operations. Those existing alternatives, one of which would bypass the Colorado River priority right system so important to California, would potentially mandate reductions to the Lower Basin.

“With the new proposal, Reclamation has announced it is temporarily suspending the SEIS process to allow more time to analyze the Lower Basin proposed plan. As a result, the May 30 deadline for comment letters on the draft SEIS is no longer in effect. As part of its announcement, Reclamation stated it plans to complete the SEIS process later this year.

“The Water Authority applauds the efforts of California, through the Colorado River Board of California, of which the Water Authority is a member, for working closely with the other Lower Basin states to develop a consensus proposal to submit to Reclamation. The Water Authority has been a long-time advocate of collaboration on the Colorado River, and today’s announcement appears to be a positive step in that direction.

“The Water Authority continues to review this proposal, which relies upon voluntary and federally compensated conservation as opposed to mandatory reductions, to make sure it best serves California, protects our region’s Colorado River supplies, and provides equitable, realistic solutions in the near term that will keep the river flowing for all users. If that end is achieved, we can then focus our attention on planning for the river’s long-term operations in a balanced Basin-wide approach.”

(Editor’s Note: Attached are two letters, including the Lower Basin proposal to Reclamation, and a letter from all seven Basin states calling on Reclamation to pause the SEIS process to review the Lower Basin proposed plan. To see the federal response, click the following link – www.doi.gov/pressreleases/biden-harris-administration-announces-historic-consensus-system-conservation-proposal)

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OMWD Recognizes Winners of the Annual Water Awareness Poster Contest

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Encinitas, Calif. — At its May 17 meeting, Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors recognized the top three entries in the 2023 North County Water Agencies Water Awareness Poster Contest. Nearly 100 fourth graders who live or attend schools in OMWD’s service area participated in this year’s competition.

The recognized entries were submitted by Lillian Cook from El Camino Creek Elementary School, Leo W. from Olivenhain Pioneer Elementary School, and Talia Elizabeth Abordo from Stone Ranch Elementary School. Lillian’s poster depicts her creative interpretation of a sunset on an ocean horizon. Leo’s poster featured an ocean wave cresting over planet Earth as it floats on the ocean, and Talia’s artwork showcases an otter holding a sign advocating to “save water, save one of us!” next to a smiling planet Earth.

“This contest is a wonderful way to showcase the creativity and talent of students throughout the communities OMWD serves,” said OMWD Board Vice President Matthew Hahn. “By highlighting the importance of water use efficiency,  elementary school children illustrate through their artwork the importance of protecting this finite natural resource.”

This year marks the 30th year of the annual Water Awareness Poster Contest. The theme for this year’s contest was “Love Water, Save Water.” The contest teaches students the value of water as a limited resource and the importance of using it wisely, while providing OMWD with locally produced artwork to reinforce this message to its customers.

The recognized posters will be featured in a 2024 Water Awareness Calendar.

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OMWD Pipeline Named “Project of the Year”

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Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Manchester Avenue Potable Water Pipeline Replacement Project was recognized today as a 2023 Project of the Year by American Public Works Association’s San Diego and Imperial County Chapter at its awards event in Mission Valley.

“Everything is subject to the effects of aging, even critical water infrastructure,” said OMWD Board Secretary Larry Watt. “To help avoid emergency water outages and provide dependable service to customers, our preventative maintenance program includes replacement of infrastructure before it fails. Through these new pipelines, OMWD can continue to provide its customers with reliable water service for decades to come.”

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OMWD Continues to Convert More Customer Meters to Recycled Water

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Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District continues to reduce demand for imported drinking water by converting additional customer meters within The Lakes Above Rancho Santa Fe community to recycled water for irrigation.

The Lakes is a community in Rancho Santa Fe that will include 387 homes, large outdoor natural spaces, and several lakes, when fully developed.

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Sweetwater Authority Logo 2019Sweetwater Authority Logo 2019

Sweetwater Authority High School Photo Contest Winners Announced

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Chula Vista, Calif. – Eight local high school students were honored for their award-winning photographs at the Sweetwater Authority Board Meeting on April 26. The winners were selected from a group of 62 students from high schools across the South Bay who submitted 148 entries for the Authority’s High School Photo Contest.

“The Board is proud to support this annual contest, and looks forward to seeing the entries and continued involvement from our local high school community,” said Board Chair Hector Martinez. “We are continually amazed by the talent and photography skills of students in our service area and we encourage residents to go to see the photos at the Bonita Museum and Historical Society.”

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