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Sweetwater Authority Board Appoints New Leadership For 2024 Term; Adjusts Meeting Times For New Year

Chula Vista, CA – Last month, the Sweetwater Authority (Authority) Governing Board (Board) appointed Director Paulina Martinez-Perez as Board Chair and Director Hector Martinez as Vice Chair for the 2024 term. Martinez-Perez has served on the Board since 2020 and Martinez has served since 2018.

At the same meeting, the Board adopted Resolution 23-23, adjusting the Authority Board Meeting times to 5:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month.

Funding is still available in 2024 to install water-efficient toilets and smart irrigation controllers in underrepresented communities across the region. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority low-flow upgrades

Funding Still Available in 2024 For Free Low-Flow Upgrades

Income-qualifying residents in the San Diego region can still benefit from a grant-funded program replacing outdated toilets with high-efficiency models in 2024.

More than 6,000 high-efficiency toilets have been installed free of charge to date in under-represented communities across the region through a grant-funded program run by the San Diego County Water Authority.

Funding remains available to replace about 4,000 more outdated toilets with professionally installed, high-efficiency models at no cost. Eligible communities include mobile home communities, multi-family units, and income-qualifying single-family homes.

Qualified applicants for low-flow upgrades include mobile home communities, multi-family housing, and income qualifying single family homes. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Qualified applicants for low-flow upgrades include mobile home communities, multi-family housing, and income-qualifying single-family homes. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Smart irrigation controllers are also available at no cost through the program. Participants must be residential customers within the Water Authority’s service area.

Learn more about the program, including eligibility requirements and the application process at Direct Install Program.

Free upgrades conserve water, save money

High efficiency toilets and smart irrigation controllers conserve water while saving costs. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority low flow upgrades

High-efficiency toilets and smart irrigation controllers conserve water while saving costs. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

“This is a great way for residents to get a free home upgrade that conserves water and saves on water bills,” said Mel Katz, chair of the Water Authority’s Board of Directors. “Water affordability is a top priority for the Water Authority, and this program is one of many ways we are combatting inflationary pressures on water prices.”

Through the Direct Install Program, toilets that use 1.6 gallons or more per flush are replaced with premium, high-efficiency models that use half the water. The program is entirely funded by more than $4 million in grants from the California Department of Water Resources Integrated Regional Water Management and Urban Community Drought Relief programs and through the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Water Authority pursues funding for region’s water system

In addition to the Direct Install Program, the Water Authority is taking numerous other steps to enhance affordability. For instance, the agency helped secure $25 million to cover overdue residential water bills resulting from the economic impacts of COVID-19.

The Water Authority also operates an industry-leading asset management program designed to avoid the extreme costs of emergency repairs on large-scale water pipelines.

In 2024, the Water Authority is working with Washington, D.C. officials to secure federal funds to defray the cost of generational upgrades to local dams and reservoirs.

Two North County water districts will pay $25 million to the San Diego County Water Authority in a settlement over their detachment. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Water Authority Settles Detachment Issue with Water Districts

The San Diego County Water Authority has agreed to a settlement with the Rainbow Municipal Water District (RMWD) and Fallbrook Public Utility District (FPUD), allowing both to detach from the Water Authority while dropping all litigation.

In exchange, the two districts agreed to an immediate $25 million payment plus related costs and fees. The settlement minimizes rate impacts on San Diego County’s 3.3 million residents while avoiding expensive litigation. It also provides institutional certainty moving forward.

“While the majority of SDCWA’s remaining 22-district membership remains opposed to detachment, they agree that this settlement makes the best of a bad situation,” said Mel Katz, chairman of the Water Authority Board. “While we continue to believe the detachment award should have been higher, RMWD and FPUD are required to pay all costs above the amount ordered by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) in addition to its entire exit fee upfront, meaning there will be no immediate rate impacts for ratepayers.”

Settlement addresses detachment conditions and future claims

As part of the settlement agreement, both RMWD and FPUD have agreed to pay all costs related to the decommissioning of Water Authority facilities not being used post-detachment. The two agencies have agreed to indemnify and hold harmless the Water Authority against any future claims related to detachment. Both will complete all administrative, technical, and infrastructure-related tasks before the facilities can be transferred.

These settlement conditions exceed the conditions prescribed by LAFCO as part of its conditions for detachment.

In response to LAFCO’s July decision to approve RMWD and FPUD’s request for detachment, Assemblymember Tasha Boerner introduced and passed Assembly Bill 399: The Water Ratepayer Protection Act. Mayor Todd Gloria and the City of San Diego supported AB 399.

This legislation was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom this fall and will go into effect in January 2024.  It will require a countywide election to be held for a detachment of a local district moving forward. Its provisions protect the long-term integrity of the Water Authority and the San Diego region’s ratepayers.

North County Water Agencies Offer Low-Cost Rain Barrels to Help Customers Save Water

Encinitas, CA — To encourage water conservation, Olivenhain Municipal Water District, San Dieguito Water District, and Santa Fe Irrigation District have partnered to offer discounted rain barrels to area residents. Fifty-gallon barrels are on sale for $97, with a final cost of $62 after a $35 rebate from water wholesaler Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Rain barrels ordered from January 1 to February 29 will be available for pick up at Solana Center for Environmental Innovation located at 137 North El Camino Real in Encinitas.

Olivenhain Municipal Water District Logo landscape design workshops

Olivenhain Municipal Water District Partners with Village Park Manor Condos to Reduce Drinking Water Demand

Encinitas, CA—Olivenhain Municipal Water District continues to reduce its imported drinking water demand by converting seven meters within the Village Park Manor Condominium community to recycled water. Village Park Manor is located in Encinitas and began in December irrigating its common areas using recycled water.

With the successful conversion of the seven meters to recycled water, Village Park Manor will save nearly six million gallons of imported water each year.

Long term drought and dwindling Colorado River supplies have Phoenix urgently pursuing highly treated recycled sewage as a drinking water supply. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Colorado River Shortages Drive Major Advances in Recycled Sewage Water Use

After more than two decades of drought, water utilities serving the largest urban regions in the arid Southwest are embracing a drought-proof source of drinking water long considered a supply of last resort: purified sewage.

Water supplies have tightened to the point that Phoenix and the water supplier for 19 million Southern California residents are racing to adopt an expensive technology called “direct potable reuse” or “advanced purification” to reduce their reliance on imported water from the dwindling Colorado River.

“[Utilities] see that the river is overallocated, and they see that the climate is changing,” said Kathryn Sorensen, former director of Phoenix Water Services Department. “They’re looking at this and understanding that the river supply is highly variable and extremely uncertain in the future.”

The Colorado River that sustains nearly 40 million people and more than 4 million acres of cropland across seven states is shrinking because of climate change and overuse. The river’s flows have declined approximately 20 percent over the past century, and a more than two-decade drought that began at the turn of this century has pushed the system to its limits.

With so much at stake, cities dependent on the river are strengthening water conservation measures and pursuing new sources of water with urgency.

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Top (L to R): Mel Katz, chair SDCWA Board; Jim Madaffer, Vice Chair Colorado River Board of CA and SDCWA Board member; Gloria Cordero, MWD’s representative to the Colorado River Board; Adan Ortega, chair MWD Board; J.B. Hamby, Chair Colorado River Board of CA. Bottom (L To R): Dan Denham, SDCWA General Manager; Camille Touton, Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; Adel Hagekhalil, MWD General Manager; Jamie Asbury, Imperial Irrigation District General Manager. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Historic Agreement Signed To Protect The Colorado River  

The San Diego County Water Authority today joined the Imperial Irrigation District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, Palo Verde Irrigation District, Coachella Valley Water District, and the United States Bureau of Reclamation in signing a historic agreement to protect the Colorado River Basin. It is the first in a series of agreements to conserve 1.6 million acre-feet of water to remain in Lake Mead.

The landmark water agreements are a vital part of the Lower Basin Plan by Arizona, California, and Nevada to protect the Colorado River from extended drought — a plan identified this fall as Reclamation’s proposed action for near-term Colorado River operations. Funds to facilitate the deal are from the federal 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

Water Authority Board Chair Mel Katz, General Manager Dan Denham, and Board member and vice chair of the Colorado River Board of California Jim Madaffer, were part of today’s signing ceremony in Las Vegas in conjunction with the Colorado River Water Users Association annual conference. The Water Authority’s piece of the multi-party pacts is expected to save the San Diego region $15 million to $20 million (depending on hydrological variables), which will help offset the impact of inflation and other factors pushing up water rates.

Water Authority General Manager Dan Denham speaks at the Dec. 13 signing ceremony in Las Vegas, supporting a set of agreements to sustain the Colorado River and save money for San Diego County water ratepayers. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority historic agreement

Water Authority General Manager Dan Denham speaks at the December 13 signing ceremony in Las Vegas, supporting a set of agreements to sustain the Colorado River and save money for San Diego County water ratepayers. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

“This is a significant moment not just for today but for the long-term survival of the Colorado River,” said Denham. “All the critical pieces are here: willing partners, meaningful levels of conservation, federal funding, environmental benefits for the Salton Sea, and respect for the Law of the River.”

Today’s signed agreement ensures Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir, can continue delivering water to millions of people and millions of acres of farmland, including in San Diego County, over the next three years. Additional agreements are anticipated to be signed in 2024 with the Bard Water District, the Coachella Valley Water District, and the Imperial Irrigation District.

“Less than a year ago, we faced the worst possible consequences of drought and interstate conflict. Today, California’s agricultural, urban, and tribal users are banding together through these agreements to protect the Colorado River as part of the Lower Basin Plan with the instrumental support of the Bureau of Reclamation. It’s an incredible turnaround,” said JB Hamby, chairman of the Colorado River Board of California and Colorado River Commissioner for California.

Earlier Partnership Creates Foundation for Cooperation 

Supporters await the Dec. 13 signing ceremony in Las Vegas, supporting a set of agreements to sustain the Colorado River and save money for San Diego County water ratepayers. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority  historic agreement

Witnesses to history await the Dec. 13 signing ceremony in Las Vegas, supporting a set of agreements to sustain the Colorado River and save money for San Diego County water ratepayers. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Today’s agreements build on the groundbreaking 2003 Quantification Settlement Agreement. The QSA achieves several goals by helping California meet conservation obligations under Reclamation’s Lower Colorado River Basin conservation program, supporting financial viability for participating agencies, and reducing the chances for more shortages. The river system has suffered drought-induced decline for more than 20 years.

“IID remains fully committed to working proactively with its partners for the long-term sustainability of the Colorado River and Lake Mead, the source of IID’s only water supply,” said Imperial Irrigation District General Manager Jamie Asbury. “We are equally committed to ensuring any impacts to the Salton Sea resulting from regional solutions with broader beneficiaries are appropriately addressed to protect our community.

“IID’s involvement, and particularly that of Imperial Valley growers who will be generating much of this water through voluntary on-farm conservation measures, exemplifies our collective commitment and support that will be paramount in the long-term success of the River.”

Metropolitan General Manager Adel Hagekhalil said: “Each one of these agreements is evidence of what we can achieve when we work together. This collaborative effort, including federal financial support and Metropolitan’s commitment to leave more than 400,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead this year, will help stabilize the reservoir while we negotiate longer-term solutions.

“There is much work ahead. Building lasting solutions will take even greater partnership and investment from us all.”

The Water Authority, MWD, and IID have been working together for several months on ways to capitalize on current water supplies. Due to a historically wet year, the State Water Project is delivering complete supplies to MWD, refilling reservoirs, and reducing demand for imported Colorado River water. The MWD Board of Directors approved the agreement in November, and the IID Board followed with its approval on December 1.

How the Water Authority’s Piece Works

The Water Authority will leave 50,000 acre-feet of conserved QSA water in the Colorado River. This helps raise the level of Lake Mead, which has dropped in recent years. The volume is equivalent to the amount of water used in a year by approximately 150,000 single-family homes.

The Water Authority agreed to buy 50,000 acre-feet from MWD to meet current and future demands. The Water Authority’s cost savings result from the difference between the MWD rate and the rate for IID’s conserved water through the QSA. The Bureau of Reclamation will cover the cost of the Water Authority’s QSA supplies left in the river.

 

 

Padre Dam Municipal Water District Files Lawsuit Against Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Over Required Water System Upgrades

SANTEE – Padre Dam Municipal Water District (Padre Dam) has filed a lawsuit against Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District (Grossmont) in California Superior Court – San Diego aimed at resolving a dispute over necessary water system upgrades on the Grossmont college campus and transferring ownership of the water system to Grossmont.

Vallecitos Water District Board of Directors (left to right): President Tiffany Boyd-Hodgson, District 5; Vice President Jim Pennock, District 1: Director Erik A. Groset, Division 4; Director Jim Hernandez, Division 2; Director Craig Elitharp, Division 3. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

Boyd-Hodgson Named 2024 Vallecitos Board President

The Vallecitos Water District Board of Directors selected its leadership for 2024 at its December board meeting.

2024 President Tiffany Boyd-Hodgson, District 5. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

Tiffany Boyd-Hodgson

Dr. Tiffany Boyd-Hodgson was selected to serve as president. Boyd-Hodgson represents Division 5 which includes San Elijo Hills, Discovery Lake, and part of Lake San Marcos. She is a neuroscientist by training and mother of four.

Boyd-Hodgson’s priorities include water equity, water education, diversifying water supply, and providing clean, reliable water at the lowest possible rate. In 2023, she chaired the Personnel/Policy/Public Awareness Committee and served on the Finance Committee.

During her tenure on the Board, Boyd-Hodgson has been instrumental in establishing the Vallecitos Water District internship program with Palomar College, the scholarship program for area youth, and codifying single-use plastics reduction at the district.

 

Pennock Will Serve as Vice President

2024 Vice President Jim Pennock, District 1. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

Jim Pennock

Jim Pennock was selected as Vice President. Pennock was first elected to the Vallecitos Water District board in 2020. A resident of San Marcos since 1995, Pennock’s involvement in the community includes having served on the Budget Review Committee, Student and Neighbor Relations Commission, and Planning Commission.

Pennock has also coached youth sports in San Marcos for the past 26 years. Pennock currently works in the insurance industry, and has owned his own insurance agency for the last 26 years.

Boyd-Hodgson and Pennock are joined by three directors on the 2024 board. They are Director Jim Hernandez, Division 2; Director Craig Elitharp, Division 3; and Director Erik A. Groset, Division 4.

(Editor’s note: The Vallecitos Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.)

A new landmark agreement led by the San Diego County Water Authority will provide regional water solutions which include storing water in Lake Mead. Photo: National Park Service

Landmark Water Exchange Agreement Saves Water and Costs  

A new landmark water exchange agreement will increase water levels in Lake Mead, fight upward pressure on wholesale water rates, and create a new template for water management in the arid West.

The one-year agreement was announced on Friday, December 1 by the San Diego County Water Authority. The agreement is supported by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and executed in coordination with the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Metropolitan). Funds to facilitate the deal are from the federal 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

The new agreement highlights ways water agencies can work together under existing laws and agreements to adapt to the changing climate.

“This is a great example of what happens when we collaborate and work together. Cooperation by all three water agencies and the Bureau of Reclamation produced a creative solution that helps sustain the Colorado River,” said Water Authority Chair Mel Katz. “Today’s announcement is an innovative win-win-win solution that helps us all meet the incredible challenges we face.”

Agreement Reduces Threat of Water Shortages

The agreement builds on the groundbreaking 2003 Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA). It achieves several goals by helping California meet conservation obligations under the Bureau of Reclamation’s Lower Colorado River Basin conservation program, supporting financial viability for participating agencies, and reducing the chances for more shortages. The Colorado River system has suffered drought-induced decline for more than 20 years.

The new arrangement is expected to save the Water Authority a projected $15 million to $20 million (depending on hydrological variables), which will help offset the impact of inflation and other factors on water rates.

Water Agency Cooperation Builds on Original QSA Partnership

Officials recognizing the Quantification Settlement Agreement 20th Anniversary (L to R): Jim Barrett, Coachella Valley Water District GM, Miguel Luna, Chair of the Legal and Claims Committee with the MWD Board, State Assemblyman David Alvarez (D-80), Water Authority GM Dan Denham, Colorado River Board of California Vice Chair and Water Authority board member Jim Madaffer, Water Authority Board Chair Mel Katz, Jamie Asbury, IID GM, MWD General Manager Adel Hagekhalil, IID GM Alex Cardenas. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Officials recognizing the Quantification Settlement Agreement 20th Anniversary (L to R): Jim Barrett, Coachella Valley Water District GM, Miguel Luna, Chair of the Legal and Claims Committee with the MWD Board, State Assemblyman David Alvarez (D-80), Water Authority GM Dan Denham, Colorado River Board of California Vice Chair and Water Authority board member Jim Madaffer, Water Authority Board Chair Mel Katz, Jamie Asbury, IID GM, MWD General Manager Adel Hagekhalil, IID GM Alex Cardenas. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

The Water Authority, Metropolitan, and IID have been working together for several months on ways to capitalize on current water supplies. Due to a historically wet year, the State Water Project is delivering full supplies to Metropolian, refilling reservoirs and reducing demand for imported Colorado River water. The Metropolitan Board of Directors approved the agreement in November, and the IID Board followed with its approval on December 1.

“This partnership between Metropolitan, Imperial Irrigation District, the San Diego County Water Authority, and the Bureau of Reclamation is another example of how solutions developed collaboratively can benefit everyone,” said Adán Ortega, Jr., chair of the Metropolitan Board of Directors. “Our individual efforts to reduce our reliance on the Colorado River can be magnified by our growing and mutual interdependence leading to creative and lasting solutions, where the people we all serve win, as does the environment.”

How the Water Exchange Works

QSA-Colorado River-modeling framework-USBR landmark exchange landmark agreement

In October 2003, the San Diego County Water Authority, Coachella Valley Water District, Imperial Irrigation District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, State of California, and U.S. Department of the Interior completed a historic set of agreements to conserve and transfer Colorado River water.

The Water Authority will leave 50,000 acre-feet of conserved QSA water in the Colorado River. This helps raise the level of Lake Mead, which has dropped in recent years. The volume is equivalent to the amount of water used in a year by approximately 150,000 single-family homes.

The Water Authority agreed to buy 50,000 acre-feet from Metropolitan to meet current and future demands. The Water Authority’s cost savings result from the difference between the Metropolitan rate and the rate for IID’s conserved water through the QSA. The Bureau of Reclamation will cover the cost of the Water Authority’s QSA supplies left in the river.

“This transfer is an example of how Southern California water agencies are leading with creative water management,” said Water Authority General Manager Dan Denham. “This agreement is based on decades of working together through the QSA, and it makes good on our collective commitment to the river. While this is a one-year arrangement, it will open the door for additional talks between partnering agencies in 2024.”