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Free “Drought-Proof Your Garden” Webinars Start Nov. 2

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October 26, 2022 – The San Diego County Water Authority and waterwise garden guru Nan Sterman have teamed up to offer a series of free public webinars designed to help San Diego County residents care for their gardens during a fourth straight year of severe drought.

Starting at 7 p.m. on Nov. 2, Sterman will host periodic webinars during the fall and winter called “How to Drought-Proof Your Garden.”

The events include a short update on drought conditions, followed by survival strategies for landscapes and a question-and-answer session. The presentation focuses on how to use water wisely in landscapes, how to care for plants during drought, and how to create beautiful gardens that require little – if any – irrigation.

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Once complete, the Manchester Avenue Recycled Water Project will reduce demand for imported potable water by more than 10 million gallons every year. Photo: Joe Jensen, Olivenhain Municipal Water District

Water Recycling Projects Expanding in San Diego County

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A proactive approach to developing diversified water sources, including water recycling projects and conservation efforts, are helping the San Diego region weather the current drought.

The Olivenhain Municipal Water District is working on multiple projects to expand the use of recycled water. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation awarded the North San Diego Water Reuse Coalition, led by OMWD, $17.8 million in August for the development of recycled water infrastructure in North County.

Combined with the $6.1 million the federal agency granted to the coalition in 2021, up to $23.9 million will help cover costs for work performed on water reclamation and reuse projects through 2025. The coalition consists of nine water and wastewater agencies coordinating recycled water efforts across jurisdictional boundaries.

“Our board is proud to be a water district that consistently innovates to reduce project costs,” said OMWD Board Director Neal Meyers. “We constantly develop new funding partnerships, and we aggressively pursue grant funds to help build our vital infrastructure projects at the lowest possible cost to our ratepayers.”

Recent construction of advanced water treatment facilities at the San Elijo Water Reclamation Facility allows for increased recycled water production using high-salinity influent. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District water supply development

Recent construction of advanced water treatment facilities at the San Elijo Water Reclamation Facility allows for increased recycled water production. Photo: Courtesy SEJPA

Regional Recycled Water Project

The Regional Recycled Water Project will increase the capacity and connectivity of the recycled water storage and distribution systems of the coalition members and maximize reuse of available wastewater supplies.

To do this, the project will replace potable water uses with recycled water components, convert facilities to recycled water service, connect discrete recycled water systems to one another, increase recycled water storage capacity, and distribute recycled water to effectively meet recycled water demands.

Maximizing water reuse, increasing local supply

Project objectives include optimizing available wastewater resources to help offset demands for imported potable water; proactively planning for facilities to meet demands for existing and planned growth in member service areas; combining resources and working together to maximize water reuse; and increasing water supply availability, reliability, and sustainability.

When all long-term project elements are completed, North San Diego County will gain approximately 41 million gallons per day of recycled water and potable reuse water.

Manchester Avenue project underway in Encinitas

Once complete, the Manchester Avenue Recycled Water Project will reduce demand for imported potable water by more than 10 million gallons every year. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District water supply development

Once complete, the Manchester Avenue Recycled Water Project will reduce demand for imported potable water by more than 10 million gallons every year. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District

Work began on OMWD’s Manchester Avenue Recycled Water Project in summer of 2022. As of October 1, more than half of the total 6,884 feet of recycled water pipeline has been installed. Once complete, irrigation customers connecting to the pipeline will reduce demand for imported potable water by more than 10 million gallons every year.

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

Sweetwater Authority Logo 2019Sweetwater Authority Logo 2019

Sweetwater Authority Approves Plans for Bayfront Development Pipelines

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Chula Vista, Calif. – The Sweetwater Authority approved the initial phase of improvement plans for the Chula Vista Bayfront Redevelopment. This phase of the project includes nearly a mile of public water main.

“The Governing Board is excited for the Chula Vista Bayfront Development and the opportunities that it will bring to our community,” said Chair Alejandra Sotelo-Solis. “The Board is supportive of development in the community and looks forward to providing safe, reliable water to the businesses and residents of the Bayfront.”

The Chula Vista Bayfront Redevelopment will provide the region with new spaces for hotels, residential units, and parks with a variety of amenities. The Authority is proud to provide water to the thriving South County community. We continually look for ways to better serve the community, including ways to partner with developers to build the infrastructure needed to keep South County vibrant.

Editor’s Note: The Sweetwater Authority is a public water agency providing safe, reliable water to National City, Chula Vista and Bonita, and is one of the 24 member agencies of the San Diego County Water Authority).

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Sweetwater Authority Logo 2019Sweetwater Authority Logo 2019

Sweetwater Authority Receives Grant from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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Chula Vista, Calif. – Sweetwater Authority received a grant from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for $275,000. The grant money is for the preparation of a draft Habitat Conservation Plan Natural Community Conservation Plan (HCP / NCCP). The Authority will provide a 25% match to these funds to complete the draft plan.

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New State Tax Break and Lawn Removal Rebates Save Money and Water

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October 17, 2022 – Fall is the perfect time to yank those thirsty lawns and install drought-tolerant landscapes with the help of cooler days and major financial incentives.

Homeowners and businesses in San Diego County can receive between $2 and $4 per square foot for removing grass and replacing it with low water-use plants that are better suited to withstand the hot and dry conditions that continue to hammer the West. All customers are eligible for the base rebate of $2 per square foot, but other agencies offer additional funding, including the City of San Diego and the County of San Diego. Click here for details: www.sdcwa.org/your-water/conservation/.

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Annual Aqueduct Work Starts Oct. 16 to Ensure Water System Reliability

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October 13, 2022 – Sections of the regional aqueducts will be shut down over the next six months for maintenance projects to ensure a safe and reliable water supply for the region. The San Diego County Water Authority and its member agencies are coordinating on the annual “shutdown season” to minimize impacts to residents and businesses, who are not expected to face service disruptions.

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Pipeline 5-Shutdown-Shutdown Season-Asset Management

“Shutdown Season” for Regional Aqueducts in San Diego County

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Sections of the regional aqueducts in San Diego County will be shut down over the next six months for maintenance projects to ensure a safe and reliable water supply for the region. The San Diego County Water Authority and its member agencies are coordinating on the annual “shutdown season” to minimize impacts to residents and businesses, who are not expected to face service disruptions.

Starting October 16, a portion of Pipeline 5 will be out of service for 10 days to accommodate annual maintenance on the entire untreated water system and to prepare for rehabilitation of other sections of the pipeline. The Water Authority has worked for months to coordinate with the affected retail water agencies: Olivenhain Municipal Water District, San Dieguito Water District, Santa Fe Irrigation District, Helix Water District, Sweetwater Authority, and the cities of San Diego, Oceanside, Ramona, Poway and Escondido. Customers should check with their water utility if they have questions about localized impacts.

Proactive asset management – regional aqueducts and Pipeline 5

The Pipeline 5 work will rehabilitate about 5,000 feet of 96-inch diameter prestressed concrete cylinder pipe by inserting and securing a steel pipe liner. This portion of the pipeline is within the City of San Marcos, between North Twin Oaks Valley Road and the Water Authority’s Twin Oaks Water Treatment Plant. When completed, approximately 50 miles, or 61% of the Water Authority’s existing prestressed concrete cylinder pipe will be relined.

“Proactive asset management and coordination with our member agencies ensures that the region’s major water infrastructure reliably serves the region’s 3.3 million residents,” said Eva Plajzer, the Water Authority’s director of operations and maintenance. “We have worked with our member agencies for several months to minimize any impacts to residents and businesses.”

Safe and reliable water supplies

The Water Authority’s Asset Management Program is a key element of providing safe and reliable water supplies to the region. The agency continually assesses and inspects its 310 miles of large-diameter pipelines, which provide treated and untreated water to 24 member agencies in San Diego County. The program is widely recognized for pioneering work – including a patented inspection device – that promotes water affordability by avoiding costly unplanned disruptions in service. Maintenance work is scheduled during low-demand periods to minimize impacts on water service.

Constructed in 1982, Pipeline 5 is a vital component of the Water Authority’s regional water infrastructure system, delivering untreated supplies from Lake Skinner in southwest Riverside County to the Lower Otay Water Treatment Plant in southern San Diego County.

In addition to the October upgrades on Pipeline 5, a series of three shutdowns on the Water Authority’s First Aqueduct is scheduled from December through April, when portions of the aqueduct will be relined, along with other maintenance.

(Editor’s note: The Olivenhain Municipal Water District, San Dieguito Water District, Santa Fe Irrigation District, Helix Water District, Sweetwater Authority, and the cities of San Diego, Oceanside, Ramona, Poway and Escondido are 10 of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)

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Collaboration Key to Stabilizing Colorado River Basin Decline

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Collaboration among all water users is key to developing solutions for the Colorado River Basin, which is in the midst of a 22-year megadrought. That was one of the common themes during a webinar Thursday, in which water managers and other officials discussed ways to slow or stabilize the rate of decline of the major source of water for seven states and Mexico.

“A Collaborative Approach to Colorado River Management,” was part of the Southern California Water Coalition‘s “What Matters” webinar series. The San Diego County Water Authority, Imperial Irrigation District, Black & Veatch, and Richard Brady & Associates sponsored the webinar.

Webinar participants:

  • Sandra Kerl, San Diego County Water Authority General Manager
  • Henry Martinez, Imperial Irrigation District General Manager
  • Adel Hagekhali, General Manager of the Metropolitan Southern California Water District
  • David Palumbo, Deputy Commissioner – Operations, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
  • Thomas Tortez, Jr., Tribal Chairman, Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians
  • Michael Cohen, Senior Associate, Pacific Institute
  • Chris Harris, Executive Director, Colorado River Board of California

“Unprecendented” and “challenging times”

During the 90-minute discussion, speakers said that drought and climate change impacts on the Colorado River Basin have created “challenging times” and that “unprecedented times require unprecendented management” solutions. Solutions mentioned included sustainable conservation, additional storage, a reduction in demand, and inclusion of all users to ensure the long-term health of the river system.

The Water Authority’s supply portfolio includes high-priority, conserved Colorado River supplies negotiated through the landmark 2003 Quantification Settlement Agreement, or QSA. The conserved supplies are the cornerstone of the San Diego region’s long-term water supply diversification strategy.

Colorado River Basin: Voluntary reductions from California

The webinar came a day after California water agencies that use Colorado River water supplies, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, voluntarily offering to reduce their use of water from the river starting in 2023:

“Given dire drought conditions across the region and dangerously low reservoir levels, we firmly believe that all water users within the Basin must take immediate voluntary actions to stabilize water supplies in the Basin’s major reservoirs.

“California water agencies that utilize Colorado River water supplies propose to conserve up to an additional 400,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead each year, beginning in 2023 and running through 2026. This water, which would otherwise be used by California’s communities and farms, will meaningfully contribute to stabilizing the Colorado River reservoir system. While a broad multi-state agreement to conserve water across the Basin has not been reached, the California agencies propose to take voluntary action now to conserve water in coming months.”

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Graphic shared October 6, 2022, during the Southern California Water Coalition webinar “A Collaborative Approach to Colorado River Management.”

(Editor’s note: The October 5 webinar was recorded and, when posted, can be viewed/heard here: socalwater.org/podcasts/).

Sweetwater Authority Logo 2019Sweetwater Authority Logo 2019

State Water Resources Control Board Chair Tours Sweetwater Authority’s Desalination Facility

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Chula Vista, Calif. – The Sweetwater Authority Governing Board welcomed the Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, E. Joaquin Esquivel, at the Richard A. Reynolds Groundwater Desalination Facility today for a tour.

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Water Affordability Focus of Water Authority Roundtable

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Water affordability for ratepayers was the topic of discussion during a legislative roundtable Thursday at the San Diego County Water Authority.

The Water Authority convened state, regional and local officials in search of winning strategies for enhancing water affordability for ratepayers across the county and the state.

Water agency managers, board members, elected officials and their representatives from throughout the county joined E. Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, to assess and address water affordability issues.

Esquivel was appointed to the Water Resources Control Board by Governor Jerry Brown in March 2017. In February 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom named Esquivel chair of that five-member board, to which he was reappointed in 2021.

During the roundtable, Esquivel said maintaining water affordability and access to safe water for Californians is challenged by pressures that include aging infrastructure and climate change.

“How to sustain our systems in the next 10, 20, 50 years is a complex issue, but we need to collectively expand access, while maintaining affordability and supply,” he said.

Water affordability and infrastructure projects

Esquivel said state loans to water projects statewide help water affordability and access to a safe, clean supply.

“Water has created the wealth of this state, and water supply investments made here are examples of what needs to be done,” said Esquivel, referring to successful supply diversification investments by the Water Authority and its 24 member agencies.

He also discussed the need for additional water infrastructure projects – including desalination, groundwater recharge, and potable reuse, and an increase in funding sources for those projects – and the importance of federal funding to help ensure access to safe and affordable water for all communities.

Water Affordability-Joaquin Esquivel-San Diego County Water Authority

State Water Resources Control Board Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel and San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl discussed water affordability Sept. 29 in San Diego. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Water Authority commitment to affordability

Water Authority General Manager Sandra Kerl detailed some of the agency’s affordability efforts in recent years.

“The Water Authority is committed to maintaining an affordable water supply and finding solutions to inherently complex challenges related to water costs, rates and investments,” said Kerl. “Significant advances in affordability can only be achieved through the combined efforts of all four sectors that affect the cost of water for our region. Those sectors are the federal government, state government, wholesale water agencies and local water retailers.”

Reliable supply

Kerl said the Water Authority’s commitment to affordability includes securing $25 million from the State of California to pay water bills for San Diego County residents impacted by COVID-19; securing $90 million over the past two years through successful litigation efforts and distributing that money directly to its 24 member agencies; avoiding hundreds of millions of dollars in future costs on water deliveries; and maintaining strong credit ratings that reduce the cost of infrastructure.

“Everything at the Water Authority is designed to deliver a safe and reliable water supply at an affordable cost, and the agency has taken numerous steps over the past three years to enhance affordability,” Kerl said. “Water affordability is imperative to equitable water access. This resource should be available to all regardless of race, ethnicity, or income level. Nobody should have to choose between safe, clean water and affordable water.”

Collaboration on solutions

Kerl said that the federal and state government, wholesale water agencies, and local water retailers can work together in finding solutions to the complex challenges related to water costs, rates and investments.

A recent poll by the Water Authority found that more than half of the residents of San Diego County would support a hypothetical program that provided water discounts or an assistance program for low-income ratepayers – even if they had to pay a few dollars more a month to fund it.

The Water Authority holds periodic legislative roundtables to promote collaboration with the water industry, civic and business leaders, on critical water issues in the San Diego region.