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South Bay Businesses Can Save Water and Money With New SWA Partnership Program

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Chula Vista, Calif. – The new Water Efficiency Partner Program recently launched by Sweetwater Authority (Authority) aims at helping businesses save money by assisting them to reduce their water use.

Through the program, businesses gain access to a free water use audit and personalized recommendations. Businesses are also offered exclusive incentives to help offset the costs of installing new water-efficient fixtures.

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Water Conservation is Critical in San Diego County as Colorado River Declines

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Aug. 16, 2022 – Sandra L. Kerl, general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority, issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s 24-month projection for water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell.

“Today’s announcement by the Bureau of Reclamation is a reminder of just how important it is to increase water conservation across San Diego County and the rest of the arid West. An increasingly hot and dry climate is creating unprecedented challenges for water supplies that will impact life in the Southwest for the foreseeable future.

“The San Diego County Water Authority continues to participate in discussions about the future of the Colorado River. We also continue to highlight the value of the conserved water transfer agreement between the Water Authority and the Imperial Irrigation District, the cornerstone of the landmark Quantification Settlement Agreement, or QSA, negotiated in 2003, as well as our investments in concrete lining sections of the All-American and Coachella Canals to conserve water previously lost to seepage. Through the QSA, the Water Authority funds critical conservation efforts in the Imperial Valley that provide the San Diego County region 277,700 acre-feet of highly reliable, cost-effective conserved water supplies each year. Further, the QSA enables California to live within its historic 4.4-million-acre-foot annual Colorado River apportionment while providing a roadmap for current efforts to balance the complex economic, agriculture, environmental, most notably the Salton Sea, and water-use needs in the Colorado River Basin.

“The Water Authority has not been asked to make any voluntary reductions to Colorado River water supplied by IID under Reclamation’s call for additional basin-wide conservation. If cuts were deemed mandatory to IID through an official Secretarial declared shortage to Priority 3 water in California, the Water Authority would take a pro-rata reduction of its IID transfer supplies.

“Investments by San Diego County residents in other water sources and storage facilities will continue to shield the region from the worst effects of the drought. At the same time, the potential for mandated water-use reductions should inspire every San Diegan to decrease their water use, for instance, by taking shorter showers, reducing irrigation of decorative grass, and upgrading to efficient appliances.”

— Sandra L. Kerl, General Manager, San Diego County Water Authority

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Governor’s Resilience Strategy Promotes Needed Investments in Water Reliability

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Aug. 11, 2022 – Sandra L. Kerl, general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority, issued the following statement in response to the water supply strategy released today by Gov. Newsom.

“Gov. Newsom has shown remarkable leadership dealing with extreme drought conditions, and his new strategy to improve California’s water resilience is another important step to protect the state’s economy and quality of life. The governor’s approach aligns closely with the Water Authority’s 30-year strategy that combines new supplies, infrastructure upgrades and conservation.

“While conservation has become a way of life in San Diego County, it’s clear that we cannot conserve our way out of the more frequent severe droughts afflicting the arid West. Both here and across the state, we must continue making strategic investments in supply reliability. We support state efforts to promote long-term thinking and the development of infrastructure to increase our capacity for water storage, water production, and water distribution. Those efforts are already well underway in the San Diego region, where our member agencies are developing repurification plants that extend our supplies by treating wastewater to drinking water standards.

“We applaud Gov. Newsom and the state for continued coordination and consideration of the unique hydrology of California’s different communities as they address long-term water supplies and the aridification of the West. We also welcome former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to the governor’s water leadership team. His experience and know-how will be critical to rapidly deploying solutions that are so urgently needed statewide and securing federal funds for that work.

“As we collectively work to improve California’s water supply, state and federal agencies have an opportunity and a responsibility to help pay for needed upgrades to ensure that safe and reliable water supplies are available and affordable for every Californian.”

— Sandra L. Kerl, General Manager, San Diego County Water Authority

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Sweetwater Authority’s New Scholarship Program Supports Careers In The Water Industry

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Chula Vista, Calif. – Sweetwater Authority (Authority) recently launched a new scholarship program to provide funding for people interested in pursuing a career in the water industry. The Work for Water Scholarship is available to anyone living in the Authority’s service area.

Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to new or currently enrolled students at the Center for Water Studies at Cuyamaca College or another accredited college, community college or trade school with a career goal in the water industry.

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Padre Dam Board Vice President James Peasley Passes Away

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Santee, Calif. – Padre Dam Municipal Water District’s longtime Board member and Board Vice President James Peasley passed away on August 2. Board President Bill Pommering shares, “I have been honored to work with Jim for over a decade. Our community has lost a friend and a champion of serving the water needs of our community. Our prayers are with his wife Linda and his entire family.”

James Peasley served on Padre Dam’s Board of Directors for the last twelve years since 2010. He served as Board President in 2014 & 2019 and Vice President in 2013, 2018 & 2022. Additionally, he made significant contributions as a representative on the San Diego Metro Commission/Metro Wastewater Joint Powers Authority, San Diego Area Wastewater Management Committee, and the Santee Chamber of Commerce.

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Manchester Pipeline Projects Continue with Installation of Recycled Water Pipeline

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Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District is beginning construction this week on a new recycled water pipeline in Encinitas along Manchester Avenue and South El Camino Real from Via Poco to Tennis Club Drive. Once complete, customers connecting to this new pipeline will irrigate with recycled water, which will reduce demand for imported potable water by more than 10 million gallons every year.

Recycled water is a sustainable water source that reduces the region’s dependence on imported water. OMWD is currently meeting approximately 14% of its total water demands using locally supplied recycled water for irrigation.

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Agencies Cooperating to Refurbish Reservoir for Recycled Water

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As drought conditions worsen in California, the San Elijo Joint Powers Authority is partnering with the San Dieguito and Olivenhain Municipal water districts to expand water recycling in north San Diego County.

The three districts’ cooperation in the planning and building of recycled water infrastructure dates to the early 1990s. Today, the agencies are planning a $2.2 million rehabilitation of the Wanket Reservoir. The San Dieguito and Olivenhain water districts built the 3-million-gallon reservoir in 1974.

The concrete tank, which overlooks the Encinitas Ranch Golf Course east of Quail Gardens Drive, was last used to store potable water in 2008, as water conservation efforts and more-efficient indoor plumbing rendered the tank unnecessary.

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Helix Recognized For Openness and Accessibility

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La Mesa, Calif. – The Special District Leadership Foundation has announced that Helix Water District is the recipient of the District Transparency Certificate of Excellence in recognition of the district’s outstanding efforts to promote transparency and good governance. The district has consistently received this award since 2015.

“This award demonstrates the commitment of our board and staff to open government and accountability to the people and communities we serve,” said Helix General Manager Carlos Lugo. “We are very proud of what we have done to empower the public and facilitate engagement with our customers.”

 

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Helix Recognized for Excellence in Financial Reporting

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La Mesa, Calif. – The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA)  announced today that Helix Water District is the recipient of a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for our fiscal year 2022-23 budget document.

“This award shows the commitment by the district’s board of directors and staff to serving the public with integrity, fiscal accountability, and transparency.” Said Kathleen Hedberg, Helix Water District’s Board President. “Our budget is well organized and easy to read. We want customers to easily see what we are doing, how we are efficient, and how we keep our operating costs steady.”

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Water Authority General Manager Sandra Kerl Named CUWA Board Chair

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July 21, 2022 – San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl is taking the reins as board chair of California Urban Water Agencies (CUWA), a nonprofit corporation that supports development of sound water policy statewide.

The Water Authority is one of 11 member agencies of CUWA that are collectively responsible for serving drinking water to about two-thirds of California’s population. As the united voice for the state’s largest urban water purveyors, CUWA provides a technical perspective to promote common understanding and consensus-based solutions for urban water issues.

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