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OMWD to Hold Open House at 4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility on August 18

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Encinitas, CA—Olivenhain Municipal Water District invites the public to attend its annual 4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility open house on Saturday, August 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The event is free of charge and will feature guided facility tours, a water‐wise landscape workshop, and more.

California Landscape Technologies, OMWD’s landscape water conservation services contractor, will present an informative and interactive workshop that will feature methods to reduce outdoor water use and increase irrigation efficiencies. The free workshop will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and is open to the public.

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Water Authority General Manager Maureen Stapleton, State Sen. Ben Hueso, Water Authority Board Chair Mark Muir, and Christy Guerin, chair of the Water Authority’s Legislation and Public Outreach Committee (left to right). Photo: Water Authority

State Sen. Hueso’s Interest in Water Runs Deep

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San Diego County is a leader in water conservation and management strategies that will become even more critical in coming years, state Sen. Ben Hueso (San Diego) said during an Aug. 1 Legislative Roundtable at the San Diego County Water Authority’s headquarters.

“San Diego is really a model in the state,” Hueso told an audience of about 90 water agency representatives, business and civic leaders and other stakeholders from around the county who attended the morning event. “San Diego leads the state in conservation. How we’re able to manage the system without an increase in the growth of consumption is just amazing. It’s just a testament to the great minds and people that we have managing our system, ensuring that we continue to have water … given the enormous challenges we have in providing for San Diego compared to other parts of the state.”

The Water Authority regularly hosts roundtables to hear from elected officials about water issues and other important developments in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., and to promote collaboration with civic, business and elected leaders in ensuring continued water supply reliability for the region.

“We’re so pleased Senator Hueso could join us today because he plays such an important role in water issues and water plays such a critical role in our region,” said Mark Muir, chair of the Water Authority’s Board of Directors. “Senator Hueso has been a true champion in protecting important independent water supplies for San Diego and has always been willing to work closely with us to balance all the important interests related to those water supplies.”

Hueso has been a leader on water issues since he was elected to the state Senate in 2013. He  chairs the Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications, and he also sits on the Natural Resources and Water Committee. His 40th Senate District includes cities in south San Diego County, the southern portion of the City of San Diego, and all of Imperial County. A former San Diego City Councilmember, Hueso was elected to the state Assembly in 2010 and previously chaired the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee.

Finding Common Ground

Hueso’s commitment to water started as a youngster delivering newspapers. “Every morning when I used to fold those papers I would see ‘Drought,’ ‘Drought,’ ‘Drought.’ ‘Water scarcity.’ ‘Water scarcity,” he said. “If you’re a native San Diegan, that’s something you hear about a lot.”

Drought or no, water remains an important topic in the nation’s largest state, creating a complex challenge for policymakers. “It gets complicated when you consider that our water policy in California started in 1848 before our state was even formed with the Treaty of (Guadalupe) Hidalgo – the treaty with Mexico,” Hueso said. “There was actual language in that treaty that was aimed at protecting property rights and water rights for the people that owned property back then. And those water rights still apply.”

While those complexities can create division, they also create opportunity for bipartisan solutions. “The most important things that we’ve done in the state of California have been bipartisan,” Hueso said. “And that has taken effort. It has taken effort on both sides to come to a common ground and say we’re going to agree to do what’s in the best interest of the state in general. And when there has been an urgent matter facing the people of California, both sides have come together to forge relations and form solutions that truly help everyone.”

How that will play out in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta is still unclear, even as the state pursues a $17 billion project called California WaterFix that involves routing water underneath the Bay-Delta in twin tunnels.

A sense of urgency at the Salton Sea

Salton Sea restoration – a legislatively mandated responsibility of the State of California – is another priority for Hueso.

“My focus is set on how do we solve this problem, what’s the best vehicle, and how can we do it in a way that still takes care of the public funds,” he said. “We have to be mindful of how to spend this money because we don’t have a lot of it. We have to stretch every penny, stretch every dime, and there’s really little room for error. And that’s how I think we need to proceed.”

Then he added: “I really believe in creating an agency that is going to focus on solving this problem. We really need an agency that has a sense of urgency.”

 

 

U-T Publishes Response to Errant Story on Water Issues

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The San Diego Union-Tribune on July 28 published and In Response article by Water Authority Board Chair Mark Muir that addressed a serious omission in a July 1 story about the cost of the regional water supply diversification strategy.

Said Muir: “Unfortunately, the story omitted clear-cut evidence that the region’s supply reliability strategy is an unqualified success: Our independent water supplies from the Colorado River are both less expensive and more reliable than supplies from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which have been cut twice in the past decade by drought.”

Click here to read Muir’s published response. In addition, the paper has posted two corrections to the story.

However, the paper’s In Response format didn’t allow enough space to address other substantive problems in the July 1 story that the Water Authority had raised with the U-T.

For instance, the story inaccurately presented MWD’s water costs, which are actually about 30 percent higher than cited in the story because MWD adds substantial fixed charges on top of its volumetric charges, requiring additional calculations to arrive at a valid comparison with the cost of water from the Water Authority’s other sources.

“Clearly, Water Authority investments in more reliable supplies and large-scale infrastructure have contributed to higher local water rates, and we have never said otherwise,” said Muir in the article submitted to the U-T that was edited for space constraints. “However, no factor has had a bigger impact on wholesale treated water rates in our region since 2008 than rate increases imposed on us by MWD – a fact that would have helped readers understand the value of reducing reliance on MWD.”

The story also failed to serve readers by presenting Steve Erie as an objective, disinterested academic. In fact, Erie has been a paid consultant and expert witness for MWD in two major lawsuits against the Water Authority. Mr. Erie is entitled to his opinions and the U-T is entitled to print them – but the paper should have disclosed his business relationship with MWD, in which he was paid $250 an hour for his services.

Finally, it’s important to note that the story significantly undercounted the amount of water produced locally. In 2020, for example, the Water Authority expects the San Diego region will generate 39 percent of its supplies locally (not 30 percent, as the article said).

“Converted to gallons, that’s approximately the annual production of the drought-proof Claude ‘Bud’ Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant – a critical component of a successful, cost-effective strategy to support our region’s economy and quality of life,” Muir said.

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Water Authority Expands Water-Use Efficiency Opportunities For Low-Income Homes

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San Diego, Calif. – The San Diego County Water Authority is expanding a long-running partnership with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) to increase the availability of devices that save both water and energy for thousands of income-qualified residents across the region. The Water Authority’s investment of $150,000 will supplement funding for water-saving devices, allowing SDG&E’s Energy Savings Assistance Program to serve more customers.

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Sweetwater Authority Awards WEEP Grant to the City of Chula Vista’s Naturescape Program

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Chula Vista, Calif. – Sweetwater Authority (Authority) presented a $5,000 award check to the City of Chula Vista Office of Sustainability at its July 25 Board meeting as part of the Authority’s Water Efficiency Education Program (WEEP) grant program.

The grant award will assist the City of Chula Vista relaunch its NatureScape Program. Originally implemented in 2006, the goal of the program is to create “Certified Wildlife Habitats” in yards by using a certification process from the National Wildlife Federation.

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Water Authority Prevails in Open Meetings Lawsuit

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San Diego, Calif. – Superior Court Judge John S. Meyer ruled in favor of the San Diego County Water Authority on July 20, 2018, in a lawsuit that erroneously alleged the agency was violating the state’s primary open meetings statute, known as the Brown Act.

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Salton Sea Management Program projects are moving ahead with new state funding. Photo: Water Authority

Electeds See Commitment, Momentum at Salton Sea

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Momentum for Salton Sea restoration is growing quickly these days and the effort could amass $600 million in state funding by the end of 2018 – a huge increase from just a few months ago.

On June 5, California voters supported Proposition 68, the $4.1 billion water bond that specifically included $200 million for Salton Sea restoration. During a recent press conference, state Senator Ben Hueso, who represents portions of San Diego and Imperial counties, thanked voters for passing Proposition 68 and said the State of California is committed to funding restoration efforts at the sea.

Salton Sea phased restoration program receives $170 million

Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, who represents parts of Riverside and Imperial counties, said $170 million of that funding is for the state to implement its phased restoration program, called the Salton Sea Management Program, and $30 million is for the Salton Sea Authority, which is working with the state on restoration. Of the $30 million portion, $10 million is destined for improving the New River, a main tributary that flows from Mexico into the Salton Sea.

Garcia also said that if other projects funded by Proposition 68 do not materialize, the Salton Sea could benefit from up to $200 million more. And he highlighted additional money that could help: In November, California voters will be asked to support another water bond that would provide an additional $200 million for the sea.

Garcia said it is realistic to think that by year’s end, the sea could have up to a total of almost $600 million in state funding to implement the management plan.

Hueso: Legislation introduced to create local authority

Hueso spoke about legislation he introduced to create a local authority to restore the sea and about public-private partnerships that could further advance Salton Sea restoration. “The area around the sea can be a very healthy place to live,” Hueso said. “That is our goal.”

Garcia said the first 10 years of the state’s management plan for the sea includes two focused goals — addressing public health and the ecological system. He is also working with legislation to advance the development of geothermal energy in California with the intent that geothermal development can be a piece of the restoration program at the Salton Sea.

“The ball is moving down the court,” Garcia said, adding: “The idea nothing is happening is not factual.”
Bruce Wilcox, assistant secretary of California Natural Resources in charge of Salton Sea policy, said with the passage of Prop. 68, he is more optimistic about the sea than he has been in years. He said Salton Sea Management Program projects are moving ahead and that in September there will be a new round of public meetings to share information and receive input on the program.

Regarding 11 proposals submitted to the state for importing water to the sea, Wilcox said a committee will be reviewing them to determine which ones will move forward to another phase of consideration. The proposals involve importing water from the Sea of Cortez to the Salton Sea, which state officials say could represent a long-term solution. While that process moves forward, the state remains focused on addressing the immediate air quality and habitat needs at the sea and surrounding communities.

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Two Seats Open in the Nov. Election for FPUD Board of Directors

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Fallbrook, Calif. – Two seats are open in the November election for the Fallbrook Public Utility District board of directors. Local residents interested in serving on the FPUD board and wishing to take part in the election can now file for candidacy with the San Diego County Registrar of Voters office. The terms are for four years.

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Supervisor Kristin Gaspar, chairwoman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, officials from the San Diego County Water Authority and several of its member agencies, the San Diego County Taxpayers Association, the Industrial Environmental Association, and more than 30 agencies and organizations have voiced strong opposition to any effort by state legislators to impose a drinking water tax.

San Diego Coalition Remains Vigilant on Water Tax

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Due in part to vigorous statewide opposition by a coalition of business, civic, and water industry officials, a proposed $135 million per year tax on drinking water in California has failed to advance in the state Legislature. But opponents of the bill said their victory should be considered temporary, and the anti-water-tax coalition in San Diego County remains on alert for attempts to revive the proposal.

In June, the legislative Budget Conference Committee failed to approve a Brown Administration budget trailer bill that included the water tax, and the trailer bill was not a component of the final state budget package passed by the Legislature on June 14. The proposed drinking water tax would have raised about $135 million a year to help provide clean, safe water in disadvantaged communities, mostly in the Central and Salinas valleys, where groundwater has been contaminated by farming operations.

Tax proponents likely to renew efforts in August

Tax proponents are likely to renew their efforts to advance another water tax proposal in August, the final month of the legislative session. Several legislative vehicles could allow them that opportunity.

Regional leaders in San Diego understand the need to improve water quality in poor, rural areas of the state. However, they say that should be done without adding another tax burden to residents who live in one of the nation’s most expensive states. They have also said the tax undermines access to the very thing it aims to support – clean water – by making it more expensive.

In addition, there is a major concern with the lack of administrative infrastructure – including appropriate managerial, technical, financial, and operational expertise – within the communities and regions suffering from poor groundwater quality. Without the appropriate governance structure or administrative infrastructure in place to make lasting improvements, the proposed water tax will not provide a lasting solution.

Supervisor Kristin Gaspar, chairwoman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, officials from the San Diego County Water Authority and several of its member agencies, the San Diego County Taxpayers Association, the Industrial Environmental Association, and more than 30 agencies and organizations have voiced strong opposition to any effort by state legislators to impose a drinking water tax.

New legislation offers help to boost clean drinking water access

There are other ways to help boost access to clean drinking water statewide. Assembly Bill 2050 offers a more systemic, long-term approach. AB 2050 would authorize the creation of small system water authorities that will have powers to absorb, improve, and competently operate noncompliance public water systems.

Co-sponsored by Eastern Municipal Water District and the California Municipal Utilities Association, AB 2050 approaches the challenge of unsafe and undrinkable water sources within disadvantaged communities in a more methodical and well-structured manner, acknowledging the need to first improve service delivery infrastructure and governance structure of failing and noncompliant water systems as a condition precedent to any broader funding solution such as a water tax.

 

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New Landscape Transformation Program Increases Incentives in San Diego County

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San Diego, Calif. – Residents in San Diego can now receive $2.75 per square foot for replacing turf with sustainable landscaping features as part of a new Landscaping Transformation Program launched today across Southern California.

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