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Fix a Leak Week is a reminder every March to check indoor and outdoor plumbing systems for costly, wasteful water leaks. Graphic EPA WaterSense

Fix-A-Leak Week 2023 Saves Water, Environment

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Fix a Leak Week is an opportunity for all water users to repair leaks and save our most precious resource.  The week (March 20-26) is a reminder every March to check indoor and outdoor plumbing systems for costly, wasteful water leaks.

Increasing awareness of opportunities to repair leaks is supported by the San Diego County Water Authority and its 24 member agencies, and by other regional WaterSense partners throughout North America.

“While Fix a Leak Week is a reminder to save water by repairing leaks, San Diegans continue to be WaterSmart by upgrading plumbing devices with high-efficiency toilets and low-flow showerheads, and by using smart irrigation controllers that automatically adjust with the weather,” said Water Resources Specialist Debby Dunn, with the San Diego County. “We encourage residents and businesses to take advantage of the rebates available to save water indoors and outdoors.”

Minor leaks, water waste

Minor water leaks account for more than a trillion gallons of water wasted each year in homes across the United States. For example, repairing a leaky toilet can save up to 500 gallons of water a day. In just a month, that’s enough to fill a backyard swimming pool.

According to the EPA, an average household’s leaks can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year. Homes with easily correctable leaks can waste 90 gallons or more per day. By fixing easily correctable leaks, consumers can save water cut an average of 10% off their monthly water bill.

Upgrade or repair leaking fixtures indoors and outside

Adding water efficient upgrades will help meet long-term regional conservation goals. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Adding water efficient upgrades will help meet long-term regional conservation goals. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

The Water Authority has partnered with San Diego Gas and Electric to install nearly 4,000 WaterSense-labeled showerheads and 2,213 water-efficient toilets for residents. A $3 million grant from the California Department of Water Resources Urban Community Drought relief grant program will fund the installation of 7,300 additional toilets and smart irrigation controllers. The upgrades will save about 6,000 acre-feet of water. Replacing inefficient or leaking toilets with high-efficiency models reduces water use by 60%.

March Fix a Leak Week 2023

Regional water agencies help customers save water and money

The Vallecitos Water District added a new video for 2023 to its award-winning series helping customers find and fix leaks to save water and money. This year, Vallecitos Water District asks viewers to take the “10 Minute Challenge.”

The Sweetwater Authority is offering tips for consumers and rebates of up to $75 for leak repairs made through June 30. Consumers can schedule a free water audit by calling the Water Efficiency Hotline at 619-409-6779 or email

The Sweetwater Authority also offers customers a $75 rebate to replace or install a new pressure-reducing valve at their home. The valves help to address high pressure that can cause increased wear on fittings, making them more prone to leaks.

A rebate of up to $100 is also available for qualifying leak detectors and flow monitors, which can alert customers to potential leaks through an app on their smartphone. Check out all the water efficiency rebates: www.sweetwater.org/rebates.

Minor water leaks account for more than a trillion gallons of water wasted each year in homes across the United States. Photo: Rajesh BalouriaMinor water leaks account for more than a trillion gallons of water wasted each year in homes across the United States. Photo: Rajesh Balouria

Minor water leaks account for more than a trillion gallons of water wasted each year in homes across the United States. Photo: Rajesh Balouria

The Otay Water District offers helpful tips to fix leaks and save water on its website and its social media, including:

  • Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes, you may have a leak. Visit otaywater.gov/how-to-read-your-meter to learn how to track your water use.
  • Place a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank and wait 10 minutes without flushing. If color appears in the bowl, you have a leak.
  • Examine faucet gaskets and pipe fittings for any water on the outside of the pipe to check for surface leaks.

Easy fix for some leaks

Leaky showerheads or dripping faucets are often easy to fix, requiring common tools and hardware that can pay for themselves in water savings. How much? According to the EPA Fix-A-Week-Leak website, each average household with unaddressed leaks can account for 10,000 gallons of water loss every year, enough to wash 300 loads of laundry.

Investing just 10 minutes to perform a quick search of your home and fixing them can save an additional 10% on your water bill.

Check WaterSmartSD.org for tips and for more information about Fix a Leak Week.

To educate water users and promote the importance of repairing leaks to conserve and protect the water supply, Fix a Leak Week was created in 2009 by the Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense program.

(Editor’s note: The Vallecitos Water District, Otay Water District and Sweetwater Authority are three of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.) 

NOAA Spring Outlook-drought-snowpack-flooding

NOAA Spring Outlook: California Drought Cut by Half with More Relief to Come

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NOAA’s U.S. Spring Outlook indicates the abnormally wet winter will further improve drought across much of the western U.S. as the snowpack melts in the coming months. Winter precipitation, combined with recent storms, wiped out exceptional and extreme drought in California for the first time since 2020, and is expected to further improve drought conditions this spring.

Significant flooding in the western U.S., especially in California, followed another series of strong Pacific storms that battered the region in March, and piled on to an already historic snowpack.

NOAA’s U.S. Spring Outlook highlights temperature, precipitation, drought and flood predictions for April through June to help the nation prepare for potential weather and climate threats to lives and livelihoods.

Climate change – wet and dry extremes

​“Climate change is driving both wet and dry extremes, as illustrated by NOAA’s observations and data that inform this seasonal outlook,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D.​​ “​Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law​ and Inflation Reduction Act, and in support of the Biden Administration’s priority to tackle the climate crisis​, NOAA ​will invest significant resources ​to build a Climate-Ready Nation that gives communities tailored information about changing conditions so that residents and economies are protected.”

Spring Outlook for drought, temperature and precipitation

On March 9, NOAA forecasters declared La Niña over. The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a climate pattern, based on changes in rainfall and sea surface temperatures across the equatorial Pacific Ocean, that influences temperature and precipitation around the world. La Niña occurs when ocean temperatures are cooler than normal and rainfall is reduced in the eastern to central Pacific Ocean.

El Niño and La Niña

“La Niña has finally ended after being in place nearly continuously for more than two years,” said Jon Gottschalck, chief of the operational prediction branch at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service. “ENSO-neutral —  the transition period between El Niño and La Niña — is likely to continue into the early summer with elevated chances of El Niño developing thereafter. ENSO-neutral is factored into NOAA’s Spring Outlook.”

Moderate to exceptional drought coverage across the U.S. is at its lowest since August 2020 and is likely to continue improving, or end entirely, across much of California and the Great Basin. The spring wet season is expected to improve drought conditions across parts of the northern and central Plains. Current drought conditions in Florida are expected to improve or go away during the next three months.

Areas of extreme to exceptional drought across parts of the southern High Plains are likely to persist through the spring season, with drought also expected to develop into parts of New Mexico. Across parts of the Northwest U.S. and northern Rockies, drought conditions are also expected to continue. Drought may develop into parts of Washington state.

Above-average temperatures are favored for much of the southern and eastern half of the U.S. For April through June, the greatest chance for above-average temperatures exists from the southern High Plains eastward to Florida, and northward along the East Coast. Above-average temperatures are also likely for Hawaii and northern parts of Alaska. Below-average temperatures are predicted for the central Great Basin and the northern Plains.

California endures flooding, landslides, and evacuations

Parts of central and southern California that were still reeling from heavy snowfall earlier this month received yet another powerful atmospheric river which exited the region on March 15. Flooding, landslides, power outages, and evacuations are among the many impacts residents faced from the recent storm. The above graphic depicts most of the state receiving between 300-600% of normal precipitation over the last seven days. — USDA Water and Climate Update

Below-average precipitation like for the Southwest

NOAA forecasters predict above-average precipitation this spring across the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, and into parts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Below-average precipitation is most likely for the Southwest and parts of the Pacific Northwest.

Olivenhain Municipal Water District Logo landscape design workshops

4S Ranch Reclamation Facility Honored as California’s Plant of the Year

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Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors accepted at its March 15 meeting California Water Environment Association San Diego section’s 2022 Plant of the Year Award for its 4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility.

The Plant of the Year award acknowledges OMWD’s 4S Ranch WRF accomplishments in regulatory compliance, innovative practices, cost-effectiveness, and superior plant operations.

The Olivenhain Municipal Water District's award winning 4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility celebrates its 20th anniversary in August 2023. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District

Recycled Water Pipeline Benefits Olivenhain Municipal Water District Customers

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A new recycled water pipeline is being tapped by Olivenhain Municipal Water District customers for landscape irrigation.

Olivenhain Municipal Water District has successfully converted Westmont of Encinitas to recycled water for landscape irrigation. The assisted living facility is the first of many customers along the Manchester Avenue and South El Camino Real corridor to tap into the newly installed recycled water pipeline.

Additional customers along the corridor are working to convert their irrigation systems to accommodate the new recycled water supply, which will ultimately reduce demand for imported potable water by more than 27 million gallons every year. As the impact of California’s drought continues to be challenging, projects like this that help save potable water are even more urgent.

Drought-resilient supplies

“With the unprecedented drought situation we’re in, reducing our reliance on imported water is essential,” said OMWD Board Secretary Larry Watt. “Investing in drought-resilient supplies is a top priority and every new recycled water customer we connect to our distribution system decreases demand for imported water.”

North San Diego County Regional Recycled Water Project

The new pipeline is an element of the larger North San Diego County Regional Recycled Water Project — a collaborative effort among nine North County agencies that coordinate across jurisdictional boundaries. The recycled water being delivered through the new pipeline is produced at San Elijo Joint Powers Authority’s water reclamation facility in Cardiff.

State and federal grants

OMWD has aggressively sought grant funding for the pipeline project to make it cost-effective for ratepayers. The efforts have been successful, with OMWD achieving $1,350,000 from California’s Department of Water Resources for two separate segments of the pipeline. The pipeline is part of a suite of OMWD recycled water projects included in the North San Diego County Regional Recycled Water Project that was awarded $23.9 million in funds from the US Bureau of Reclamation’s Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program.

The Olivenhain Municipal Water District is a public agency providing water, wastewater services, recycled water, hydroelectricity, and operation of Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve. Organized in 1959, OMWD currently serves approximately 87,000 customers over 48 square miles in northern San Diego County.

(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 San Diego County region.) 

Olivenhain Municipal Water District Logo landscape design workshops

OMWD Converting More Customers to Recycled Water

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Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District has successfully converted Westmont of Encinitas to recycled water for landscape irrigation. The assisted living facility is the first of many customers along the Manchester Avenue and South El Camino Real corridor to tap into the newly installed recycled water pipeline.

Additional customers along the corridor are working to convert their irrigation systems to accommodate the new recycled water supply, which will ultimately reduce demand for imported potable water by more than 27 million gallons every year. As the impact of California’s drought continues to be challenging, projects like this that help save potable water are even more urgent.

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Olivenhain Municipal Water District Logo landscape design workshops

Water Districts Partner to Offer Complimentary WaterSmart Landscape Design Workshop

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Encinitas, Calif. — In order to promote outdoor water use efficiency, Olivenhain Municipal Water District, San Dieguito Water District, and Santa Fe Irrigation District invite members of the public to attend a free WaterSmart landscape design workshop on Monday, April 3, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at the Encinitas Community and Senior Center at 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive in Encinitas.

Steve Sherman of California Landscape Technologies will provide an informative and interactive workshop that will feature methods to reduce outdoor water use and increase irrigation efficiencies. The workshop will provide homeowners simple, step-by-step approaches for creating attractive, water-wise landscapes that are easy to maintain.

Registration for the workshop is required at www.olivenhain.com/events.

This free two-hour workshop is offered through a partnership between OMWD, San Dieguito Water District, and Santa Fe Irrigation District.

Olivenhain Municipal Water District Logo landscape design workshops

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Colorado River Board of California-River Board-Tour

San Diego County Water Authority Hosts Colorado River Board of California

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The San Diego County Water Authority will host water leaders from throughout Southern California March 15 for the monthly meeting of the Colorado River Board of California. On March 14, before the formal meeting, CRB board members will tour projects in the region that promote water resiliency.

The CRB will consider the complex water supply issues facing the Southwest U.S. during its meeting. San Diego Congressman Scott Peters is also scheduled to address the CRB.

Colorado River Board of California

The tour is part of a new program implemented by CRB, under the leadership of Chair JB Hamby, Imperial Irrigation District’s representative, and Vice Chair Jim Madaffer, the Water Authority’s representative and Water Authority board member, to build greater awareness of each CRB member agency’s efforts to serve their region and manage their river supplies.

“The Colorado River Board is so important to ensuring California’s voice is heard on the river, especially during these difficult times as we work to find collaborative solutions to the river’s challenges now and into the future,” Madaffer said. “We look forward to showcasing the local supply projects, online now and planned, that create water resiliency locally, but that also reduce the demand on the river.”

Established in 1937, the CRB is a state agency tasked with protecting the interests and rights of the state and its agencies in water and power resources from the Colorado River.

The Water Authority is a member of the CRB along with IID, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Coachella Valley Water District, the Palo Verde Irrigation District, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the California Department of Water Resources, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. CRB representatives, including two additional members from the public, are appointed by the Governor.

Colorado River Board-river board-Jim Madaffer

The facility tour and meeting is a new CRB program under the leadership of Chair JB Hamby, Imperial Irrigation District’s representative, and Vice Chair Jim Madaffer (L), the Water Authority’s representative and Water Authority board member. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Management of the river

The CRB represents California in discussions and negotiations with the Basin states, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, governmental agencies at all levels, tribes, and Mexico regarding the management of the river.

CRB members on the tour will see two local water supply projects generating water now – the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant – and planned – the East County Advanced Water Purification Plant.

Seawater desalination

The seawater desalination plant, the largest in the nation, came online in 2015 and recently passed the milestone of producing more than one-billion gallons of water for the San Diego region.

Colorado River Board-CRB-desalination-water supply

The San Diego County Water Authority added desalinated seawater to its supply portfolio in 2015 with the start of commercial operations at the nation’s largest seawater desalination plant. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

“The desalination plant is not only important to our region, but the Water Authority believes the plant could be part of an overall long-term solution to support Lake Mead, California’s critical river reservoir, under a proposal we are considering to expand the plant,” said Madaffer.

Water purification

Now under construction, the East County Advanced Water Purification facility, or East County AWP, is a collaborative partnership between two Water Authority member agencies, the Padre Dam Municipal Water District and the Helix Water District, and the County of San Diego and City of El Cajon.

The plant is projected to generate a local, reliable and drought-proof drinking water supply utilizing state-of-the-art technology to recycle and reuse the region’s wastewater. The East County AWP is expected to produce 30% of East San Diego County’s water supply by early 2026, and is one of the innovative water purification facilities in the county either in operation or in development.

East County AWP-groundbreaking-June 2022-CRB-Colorado River Board

Scheduled to be operating in 2026, the East County AWP is projected to generate up to 11.5 million gallons per day of purified water— meeting approximately 30% of current drinking water demands for East San Diego County residents and businesses. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Following the facility tours on March 14, the CRB will hold its monthly meeting March 15 at the Water Authority’s Kearny Mesa headquarters in San Diego. The meeting is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. and is open to the public.

(Editor’s note: The Helix Water District and Padre Dam Municipal Water District, are two of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.) 

San Diego County Water Authority And its 24 Member Agencies

Water Authority Launches Budget-Rate Setting Process for 2024

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March 10, 2023 – The San Diego County Water Authority on Thursday started a months-long public process to refine its next two-year budget and a draft preliminary proposed rate increase for 2024. The average rates charged by the Water Authority are currently projected to rise by approximately 14% next year, though agency staff and board members are assessing strategies to lower the number.

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Sweetwater Authority Logo 2019Sweetwater Authority Logo 2019

Sweetwater Authority Awards Local Business $5,000 in Grant Funds for Water Efficient Devices

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Chula Vista, Calif. – Sweetwater Authority recently awarded $5,000 to a National City laundromat as part of its Savings Through Efficiency Program (STEP) Grant program. The STEP grant is one of many resources the Authority offers businesses in its service area that help them reduce water use and save money.

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Snow Survey-snowpack-DWR-Snowpack above normal-water conservation

California’s Snowpack Shows Huge Gains from Recent Storms

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The snow water equivalent of California’s snowpack is 190% of average for March 3, 2023. After three years of drought, the bountiful winter is good news, but a drier future demands more conservation and innovative solutions for water supply in the Southwestern U.S.

The Department of Water Resources on March 3, conducted the third snow survey of the season at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada. The manual survey recorded 116.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 41.5 inches, which is 177% of average for the location on March 3. Snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast.

California’s Snowpack

DWR’s electronic readings from 130 snow sensors placed throughout the state indicate the statewide snowpack’s snow water equivalent is 44.7 inches, or 190% of average for this date.

Recent Storms

“Thankfully the recent storms combined with the January atmospheric rivers have contributed to an above-average snowpack that will help fill some of the state’s reservoirs and maximize groundwater recharge efforts. But the benefits vary by region, and the Northern Sierra, home to the state’s largest reservoir Lake Shasta, is lagging behind the rest of the Sierra,” DWR Director Karla Nemeth said. “It will also take more than one good year to begin recovery of the state’s groundwater basins.”

It Will Take More than a Single Wet Year to Recover Groundwater Levels in Some Parts of the State

Although the statewide snowpack is currently just behind the record snow year of 1982-83, the snowpack varies considerably by region. The Southern Sierra snowpack is currently 209 percent of its April 1 average and the Central Sierra is at 175 percent of its April 1 average. However, the critical Northern Sierra, where the state’s largest surface water reservoirs are located, is at 136 percent of its April 1 average. With one month of the traditional wet season remaining, DWR is providing updated runoff forecasts to water managers and is closely monitoring spring runoff scenarios and river flows to ensure the most water supply benefits from this year’s snowpack while balancing the need for flood control.

“The recent storms over the past week broke a month-long dry spell in a dramatic way,” said DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit Manager Sean de Guzman. “We are hopeful that we will see more cold storms to add to our snowpack for the next month and help set up a long, slow melt period into spring.”

‘Good News’ but Conservation Remains Critical

“The results of today’s snow survey is good news for the state’s water supply, especially for those parts of the state that rely on snowmelt as their primary source of water,” said San Diego County Water Authority Water Resources Manager Jeff Stephenson. “The above average snowpack levels come after three consecutive years of drought that resulted in below normal water levels at the state’s major reservoirs. For the San Diego region, the recent local storms allow residents and businesses to turn off sprinklers and irrigation for at least several weeks, if not longer. This allows the region to keep more water in local reservoirs for use later in the year.”

California’s Snowpack and a Hotter, Drier Climate

“Despite the recent wet weather and the region’s diverse water supply portfolio, the long-term forecast of a hotter, drier climate, for the Southwest U.S., means that water use efficiency remains a key part of saving our most precious resource, in wet or dry years,” added Stephenson.

Stephenson said that there are rebates and other free services available to residents and businesses of San Diego County that can help conserve water and save money.

Airborne Snow Observatory Surveys

To ensure water supply managers have the most current forecasts of snowpack runoff, DWR is utilizing the best available technology to collect the most accurate snow measurements. DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit is utilizing Airborne Snow Observatory (ASO) surveys across 12 of California’s major snow-producing watersheds to collect data on the snowpack’s density, depth, reflectiveness, and other factors down to a 3-meter resolution. These flights, which utilize LiDAR and imaging spectrometer technology, provide DWR with more information on water content than ever before, which is then fed into advanced physically based and spatially explicit models to generate the most accurate water supply runoff forecasts possible. These forecasts are used to develop the Bulletin 120 for forecasted spring run-off to determine water allocation and stream flows for the benefit of the environment.

Groundwater Basins ‘Slower to Recover’ From Drought

While winter storms have helped the snowpack and reservoirs, groundwater basins are much slower to recover. Many rural areas are still experiencing water supply challenges, especially communities that rely on groundwater supplies which have been depleted due to prolonged drought. It will take more than a single wet year for groundwater levels to substantially improve at a statewide scale. Drought impacts also vary by location and drought recovery will need to be evaluated on a regional scale and will depend on local water supply conditions.

On February 13, Governor Newsom issued an Executive Order directing state agencies to review and provide recommendations on the state’s drought response actions by the end of April, including the possibility of terminating specific emergency provisions that are no longer needed, once there is greater clarity about the hydrologic conditions this year.

Save Our Water

Californians should still continue to use water wisely so that we can have a thriving economy, community, and environment. DWR encourages Californians to visit SaveOurWater.com for water saving tips and information as more swings between wet and dry conditions will continue in the future.

DWR conducts five media-oriented snow surveys at Phillips Station each winter near the first of each month, January through April and, if necessary, May. The next survey is tentatively scheduled for April 3.