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During today’s ceremony, city leaders and water experts placed a giant Google Maps “location pin” into the ground at the San Luis Rey Water Reclamation Facility, which marked that the new recycled water project is now officially on the map. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

First Advanced Water Purification Facility in San Diego County is On the Map

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City of Oceanside officials and regional water industry leaders gathered today to break ground on Pure Water Oceanside, the first advanced water purification facility in San Diego County. The $67 million project – scheduled to be completed in 2021 – will purify recycled water sourced from the San Luis Rey Water Reclamation Facility.

“Today, we put Pure Water Oceanside on the map and are one step closer to achieving the goal of greater water-independence for our city, residents and businesses,” said Cari Dale, Oceanside’s water utilities director. “This future-focused project will provide multiple benefits by reusing our water resources to their full potential.”

Reducing dependence on imported supplies

The local project will reduce Oceanside’s dependence on imported water by more than 30%. The purification process is inspired by the natural water cycle and reduces the amount of recycled water discharged into the ocean.

The project is partially funded by the Local Resources Program through the San Diego County Water Authority and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

“The tremendous conservation focus, water infrastructure planning and investment by the Water Authority and its 24 member agencies has put our regional supplies in solid standing,” said Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl. “The mission of providing reliable water supplies to San Diego County can be likened to a puzzle; there are many pieces that fit together to create an overall solution. Our next increment of supply in the San Diego region is from potable reuse projects.”

Improving local resources in a sustainable way

During today’s ceremony, city leaders and water experts placed a giant Google Maps “location pin” into the ground at the San Luis Rey Water Reclamation Facility, which marked that the new recycled water project is now officially on the map. Guests were invited to take tours of the existing facility to see the location of the new infrastructure and learn how purification technology works.

“Being on the map signifies not only that this project will be an historic landmark, but also a symbolic one that will serve as an example for other cities and agencies that are interested in initiating this type of program,” said Jack Simes, acting area manager at the United States Bureau of Reclamation.

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Construction is underway on the $67 million Pure Water Oceanside project, which is scheduled to be completed in 2021. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

In addition to reducing dependence on imported water supplies, the project will improve groundwater resources and help protect the environment by reducing dependency on imported supplies that can disrupt ecosystems.

“We need to pursue new and innovative solutions to protect our land and water for future generations,” said Congressman Mike Levin, whose district includes coastal North County. “Pure Water’s commitment to providing over 30% of the drinking water in the City of Oceanside in a way that is clean, safe, sustainable and environmentally sound is commendable.”

Technologically advanced water purification process

Pure Water Oceanside will use state-of-the-art water purification technology that replicates and accelerates nature’s natural recycling process.

First microfiltration filters remove bacteria and suspended solids from reclaimed water. Then ultra-fine reverse osmosis filters remove salt, viruses, other bacteria, pharmaceuticals and chemicals. Next, the water is treated with ultraviolet light and advanced oxidation technologies that neutralize any remaining substances.

Minerals are injected back into the water before the water is added to Mission Basin in Oceanside. Water can then be extracted from the aquifer, treated once again at the Mission Basin Groundwater Purification Facility and finally, distributed to residents and businesses.

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New California Law Creates Pathway to Water Industry Jobs for Military Veterans

/in , /by /Association of California Water Agencies by Will Holbert

Legislation co-sponsored by the San Diego County Water Authority and the Otay Water District is intended to make it easier for military veterans to launch careers in the water industry.

After Lt. Jose Martinez retired from the U.S. Navy in 2007, he went from serving his country underwater to serving reliable, high quality water to a community. 

His experience aboard a nuclear submarine and on the management staff of Otay Water District shares a few commonalities. Both involve highly complex systems, which often operate away of the public eye, either underwater or underground. 

“People turn on the tap and out comes water,” said Martinez, General Manager for ACWA-member Otay Water District. “It seems rather simple, but it’s really complex. It’s fascinating to me.”

Water industry jobs for military vets

Martinez’s experience as a naval nuclear engineer focused on submarines’ nuclear and non-nuclear systems, including water treatment. This gave him an advantage to transition to a civilian career in water.

A bill and new law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October 2019, sets the stage for making it much easier for military veterans to transition into the water industry. AB 1588, initiated by Martinez and Otay, intends to update the current water and wastewater certification system by giving military veterans credit for their experience and education that is applicable to the water industry. Essentially, veterans would not have to start at the bottom, but instead advance to testing that matches their level of experience. That way, veterans can enter the water workforce at a level that meets their paygrade.

‘Silver tsunami’ of retiring baby boomers creates opportunities

AB 1588 was introduced by Assemblymembers Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) and Adam Gray (D-Merced), and co-authored by several state legislators, including Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath (D-Oceanside). The San Diego County Water Authority and Otay cosponsored the bill, with the goal of increasing the number of veterans entering the water industry to replace retiring baby boomers.

To address this challenge, the Water Authority and its 24 member agencies created a regional workforce development task force to address the oncoming ‘Silver Tsunami’ of retirees. The San Diego region alone employs approximately 4,500 water and wastewater workers, with more than 1,400 of those workers expected to reach retirement age by 2024, according to the Water Authority. Statewide, there are approximately 6,000 active certified wastewater treatment plant operators, and approximately 35,000 drinking water treatment and distribution operators. 

Jobs within the water industry often reflect military experience, and not necessarily ones directly related to water and wastewater treatment on a base or aboard a ship. Don Jones, with the Center for Water Studies at El Cajon’s Cuyamaca College, compared experience within a Combat Information Center on a warship to operating a SCADA system at a water facility, pointing out that experienced SCADA operators can be hard to find.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re opening a pump or firing a missile, the process is very similar, it’s the mechanical and electronic interface that matters. You’re electronically activating a piece of mechanical equipment,” Jones said. 

‘It’s all about serving people’

The water industry can also offer veterans a few other advantages. Shannon Cotulla served in the U.S. Army as a combat engineer between 1987 and 1992. After leaving the service, he contemplated aviation engineering, but a desire to work outdoors in civil engineering led him to the water industry. Today, Cotulla is Assistant General Manager at the South Tahoe Public Utility District and former member of ACWA’s Board of Directors. 

“The work is really meaningful, it’s all about serving people and keeping our communities safe,” Cotulla said. “There’s also security in knowing that your organization has rules and standards that you can look up to and isn’t subject to the whims that you sometimes find in the private sector.”

Otay’s Martinez said that it could take a few years for the state to make the changes called for in AB 1588. Nevertheless, the process is underway and includes having a veteran with water industry experience serve on a regulatory advisory board along with water industry members. In the meantime, news about the bill’s potential for veterans is raising awareness among veterans about why careers in the water industry represent a great opportunity.

“We really want to open up this talent pool,” Martinez said. “Veterans are the right candidates to fill these jobs because of the skilled work they’ve already demonstrated in their careers and their time in the military.”

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Water Agencies Team Up to Reduce Potable Water Use

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The Olivenhain Municipal Water District and Leucadia Wastewater District are reducing potable water use by switching to recycled water to flush sewer lines in their service areas.

With the recent installation of new equipment by both agencies, recycled water is now available to Leucadia for sewer line maintenance in the Village Park neighborhood in Encinitas and in the La Costa neighborhood in Carlsbad.

Regular flushing is important for gravity-fed sewer line maintenance. The process involves filling a specialized sewer cleaning vehicle, known as a vactor truck, with water and injecting the water into a sewer main. Flushing the pipes in proper working condition extends their lifetime by removing materials such as grease and roots, which can cause clogs and sewage overflows. Once flushed, a pipeline can be inspected and its condition assessed.

Recycled water, not potable water, now used to flush sewer lines

Prior to this project, Leucadia did not have access to recycled water in Olivenhain’s service area, instead filling vactor trucks with potable water. Leucadia identified the opportunity to reduce potable water use and save its ratepayers money, and approached Olivenhain about creating points at which the wastewater district could fill trucks with recycled water. Five locations throughout Encinitas and Carlsbad were selected.

“It’s a pleasure to partner with neighboring agencies for the common good,” said Olivenhain Municipal Water District Board President Ed Sprague stated. “Simple changes such as these add up and help ensure a reliable water supply for future generations.”

Regional partnership conserves drinking water

“Leucadia is excited to continue its regional partnership with the Olivenhain Municipal Water District,” said David Kulchin, Leucadia’s board president. “Using recycled water to clean sewer pipelines not only saves precious potable water supplies but continues our efforts to utilize renewable resources to the maximum extent possible.”

In addition to sewer line flushing, municipal street sweeping vehicles that were previously using potable water will be able to access recycled water thanks to the new connections. In accordance with state regulations governing recycled water use, the vactor trucks and street sweeping vehicles will have separate filling systems for potable and recycled water.

Approximately 14% of Olivenhain’s overall water demand is met with recycled water. Olivenhain produces up to two million gallons per day of recycled water at its 4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility and supplements additional demand with recycled water purchased from Rancho Santa Fe Community Services District, City of San Diego, Vallecitos Water District, and San Elijo Joint Powers Authority.

First place winner CM Photography said of her winning photo, “I am thankful for water for many reasons, first it helps keep humans alive. But second, I am thankful for water because it creates beautiful things and landscapes as shown in my image. It creates clouds, lush lands and a beautiful home for sea creatures. I am thankful for everything water gives me and our aina we live on.” Otay Instagram contest winners

Otay Water District Instagram Contest Winners Get Social About Water

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The Otay Water District named eight winners of its first Instagram photo contests, asking customers to depict two distinct themes.

In the first contest, four Otay Water District customers were selected winners of the agency’s first Instagram photo contest, “Thankful for Water.” During the 2019 holiday season, Instagrammers were invited to submit photos reflecting their appreciation for water.

“It might be formula, but it’s also tap water! Keeping baby healthy!” wrote first place winner Alisha Woodman. Instagram photo contest

“It might be formula, but it’s also tap water! Keeping baby healthy!” wrote Alisha Woodman, who won for the most “likes.”

One photo captured the use of water preparing for a holiday meal. Many people submitted wildlife and landscape photos. And, of course, there were selfies. Though the entry image choices varied, all depicted a precious resource — water — needed during the holiday season and year-round.

The second contest in December asked participants to submit photos with the theme “Drink Tap December.”  The focus was the importance of drinking safe and reliable tap water. Entries included a photo of the ocean beneath a pier, representing how tap water helps keep the ocean plastic-free; a toddler enjoying a bottle of milk made with water from the tap; and a photo from a demonstration in Tanzania on the difference between clean and unclean water.

“A moment that truly touched my heart. Seeing the difference between clean and unclean tap water, making a clay pot that will filter tap water and getting to meet the Masai family who will benefit from my gift that prevents typhoid and water borne diseases. We are fortunate to live in a country that has clean water. Only half of Tanzania’s 22 million people have access to clean drinking water,” said winner Margaret Meyer of Chula Vista. Instagram contest winners

“A moment that truly touched my heart. Seeing the difference between clean and unclean tap water, making a clay pot that will filter tap water and getting to meet the Masai family who will benefit from my gift that prevents typhoid and water borne diseases. We are fortunate to live in a country that has clean water. Only half of Tanzania’s 22 million people have access to clean drinking water,” said winner Margaret Minor of Chula Vista.

“I am just thrilled to win,” said first-place winner Margaret Minor, of Chula Vista, within the District’s service area. “My heart was truly touched to donate a water filter while in Tanzania to a Masai family in need of the things we take for granted like clean and safe drinking water.”

Four winners from each contest were chosen based on two categories: photos receiving the most “likes,” and photos selected by District staff based on originality, creativity, and theme. First and second place winners received gift cards to business in the District’s service area.

Additional winners in the “Thankful for Water” category:

Additional winners in the “Drink Tap December” competition:

 

To see all entries, go to the Otay Water District’s Instagram feed.

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OMWD Invites Fourth Graders to Enter Annual Water-Smart Art Contest 

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Encinitas, CA—Olivenhain Municipal Water District encourages fourth-grade students living or attending school within its service area to enter by April 6 the annual poster contest hosted by North County water agencies.

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Olivenhain Municipal Water District Logo landscape design workshops

OMWD Invites Teachers to Apply for Field Trip Grant

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Encinitas, CA—OMWD invites fourth-grade through eighth-grade teachers living or teaching within OMWD’s service area to apply for the California Special Districts Association San Diego Chapter’s Field Trip Grant by March 16.

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SWA joins the California Statewide Communities Development Authority

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The Sweetwater Authority (Authority) Governing Board voted to become a member of the Statewide Community Infrastructure Program (SCIP). The resolution passed at last night’s Governing Board meeting means that the Authority is now a member of the Statewide Communities Development Authority.

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Two of the many happy Kids Fishing Day participants show off their catches. Photo: Lake Jennings

Lake Jennings Hosts Kids Fishing Day

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Hundreds of pounds of rainbow trout were biting for participants on Saturday during the sixth annual Kids Fishing Day at Lake Jennings in Lakeside.

The event started in 2015 has been an annual highlight ever since its inception. Kids ages 9 and under fished for free all day Saturday at the Kids Pond, which is a 20-by 20-foot cube within the lake.

Recreation Manager Kira Haley says Lake Jennings was stocked with 2,000 pounds rainbow trout from Wright’s Rainbows in Thatcher, Idaho the week of February 3. Eight hundred pounds went directly into the Kids Pond, which is then attached to the floating accessible fishing dock.

“Kids don’t remember their best day in front of the television, but they remember the first day they caught a fish with a proud parent cheering them on,” said Haley.

Two hundred kids got to catch and take home a trout. Haley says kids as young as two years old participated with a little adult help, including volunteers from the Lakeside Optimist Club, who helped prepare the fishing rods for the kids. Bait choices included nightcrawlers, cheese, white power worms, and mealworms.

Lake Jennings home to trout, catfish, bass, bluegill and sunfish

Getting your hands a little slimy is part of fun at Kids Fishing Day at Lake Jennings. Photo: Lake Jennings

Getting your hands a little slimy is part of fun at Kids Fishing Day at Lake Jennings. Photo: Lake Jennings

Operated by the Helix Water District, Lake Jennings stocks 20,000 pounds of trout annually on a biweekly schedule between November and April when water temperatures are cool enough for trout to survive and 10,000 pounds of catfish in the warmer summer months.

In addition, large-mouth bass, red-ear sunfish and bluegill, as well as channel and blue catfish live in Lake Jennings. Sign up for the Lake Jennings Fish Report online to see what fish are biting.

Recreational fishing is the second most popular leisure activity in the U.S., second only to running. While the majority of avid fishermen and women are over 45, approximately 11.25 million youth ages six to 17 participate in fishing in the U.S. annually

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‘Baking Skills’ Used for Repair at Lake Hodges Pumped Storage Facility

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You might not think ‘baking skills’ would come in handy to fix a recent problem at the Lake Hodges Hydroelectric and Pump Station Facility. But those skills, along with initiative and ingenuity, were demonstrated by San Diego County Water Authority staff as part of the creative and complex repair.

The facility connects the City of San Diego’s Hodges Reservoir with the Water Authority’s Olivenhain Reservoir. The connection provides the ability to store up to 20,000 acre-feet of water at Hodges for emergency use.

The Lake Hodges Hydroelectric and Pump Station Facility moves water between Olivenhain and Hodges, and is able to generate up to 40 megawatts of energy on demand, helping to manage electrical demands throughout the County. It also generates revenue and helps offset energy costs.

Ground fault alarm alerts staff

A ground fault alarm on August 25, 2019 alerted staff to a potential problem with Unit 2, one of the facility’s two 20-MW pump-turbine units. A series of tests and inspections by staff with the Water Authority’s Rotating Equipment team discovered the insulation on the copper bus bars of the generator’s rotor were worn and damaged. The bus bars are part of a system that provides DC power to the 12 electromagnets which surround the outer surface of the pump turbine unit’s rotor.

The rotors are designed to spin at 600 revolutions per minute and it’s the rotor’s electromagnets acting upon the stators windings that generates power. The electromagnets are connected together by copper bus bars located on top of the rotor and the bus bars are secured to the rotor by clamping plates and rim studs. The bus bars are insulated to ensure the copper does not touch any other metal surface and cause an inadvertent ground fault.

“Although a single ground fault may not damage the pump-turbine unit, it may prevent it from starting, if two ground faults were to occur, significant damage to the pump-turbine unit would occur and would also be an extreme danger to anyone within the facility,” said Jim Fisher, Water Authority director of operations and maintenance.

Creative solutions and ingenuity save time, money

Among various factors, the primary cause of the insulation failure was determined to be improper wrapping and curing of the insulation during initial installation.

Water Authority staff developed solutions and also took on the repair tasks in September. By doing the work in-house, the Water Authority avoided a more extensive outage due to long lead times required by contractors and vendors to perform the same work, saving time and money.

“Staff did an excellent job maintaining the operation of Unit 1 while making the repairs to Unit 2,” said Fisher, “which allowed the Water Authority to avoid a total shutdown and loss of all revenue during this period.”

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Initiative and ingenuity by San Diego County Water Authority staff led to a creative repair solution at the Lake Hodges Hydroelectric and Pump Station Facility. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

‘Baking skills’ come in handy to create new bus bars

New copper bus bars were fabricated, and each had to be precisely wrapped by 5 different types of insulating tape materials. This wrapping process alone took approximately 8 hours per bus bar. The bus bars were then baked for ten hours within newly designed and fabricated aluminum molds to ensure proper pressure was applied to the insulation layers during the baking and curing process.

Staff efficiently re-purposed and utilized an oven that had been retained from the San Vicente Dam Raise Project to perform the baking. The Rotating Equipment team’s efforts produced excellent quality results which would have been difficult even for a vendor to meet. The newly insulated bus bars were re-installed, and the unit has been operating safely and without issues.

“The initiative, ingenuity, and highly technical skills and knowledge of our staff were once again on display throughout the repairs,” said Fisher. “Their dedication, talents and outstanding efforts continue to ensure the Facility’s efficient and safe operation.”

Unit #2 was tested and placed back into service on November 17, 2019.

Along with the bus bar insulation and curing process repair, staff also performed many other highly technical, innovative and precise processes to complete this repair work.

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Imperial Valley Conservation Efforts Benefit San Diego, Southwest

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The San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors visited the Imperial Valley January 30 for a day-long tour that highlighted areas critical to the agency’s Regional Conveyance System Study.

Board members approved a study in July 2019, to evaluate a new regional water conveyance system that would deliver water from the Colorado River to San Diego County and provide multiple benefits across the Southwest.  The Board will hear results from the first phase of the study this spring before deciding whether to move ahead with Phase B.

Imperial Valley tour of potential routes for regional conveyance

The tour started in southwestern Imperial County, where the All-American Canal meets the Westside Main Canal, an historic location where, starting in 1919, water from a canal system in Mexico first flowed into the western half of the Imperial Valley. It is also the place where three potential routes for a new water conveyance system, now being analyzed in the study, would begin.

“The goal of the study is to determine first, whether there is a cost benefit to the Water Authority and its member agencies in the long-term to build a regional conveyance system to transport our independent Colorado River supplies from the Imperial Valley directly to San Diego County,” said Dan Denham, the Water Authority’s deputy general manager.

One specific benefit to the Water Authority, the Imperial Irrigation District, and farmers in the Imperial Valley, would be the proposal to build an operational storage facility in the valley’s western area. The facility could help manage water deliveries to serve the needs of agriculture in the valley, while helping the Water Authority manage its transfer supply.

The trip included visits to several agriculture fields for a first-hand look at the latest conservation techniques used by farmers under the 2003 Colorado River Quantification Settlement Agreement.

Tom Brundy: Conservation is ‘extremely important’

Tom Brundy has been farming in the Imperial Valley for more than 40 years, and today he grows hay on 4,000 acres. Most of the hay produced by the farm is sold to customers in San Diego County, one of many connections between Imperial and San Diego counties.

“Every farmer in Imperial County is conserving water, and quite a bit,” said Tom Brundy, president of the Imperial County Farm Bureau. “I have subsurface drip on alfalfa, we’re using soil monitors and soil sensors to help us in our water scheduling, and we continue to modify our methods using new technology that saves water.”

Farmer Alex Jack: ‘out of the box thinking’

Jack Bros. Inc. also is an innovator in on-farm conservation. Alex Jack is a third-generation farmer using pump back systems and permanent drip irrigation. Many of his crops, from lettuce to cauliflower, are grown with zero water runoff.

Jack calls his progressive approach “out of the box thinking.”

“My goal is to be the best farmer possible,” said Jack. “If I happen to conserve water, that’s fantastic, but most of the new high-technology methods are conserving water.”

Salton Sea Restoration Program

The east side of the Salton Sea was the final stop on the Imperial Valley tour. Board members got an update on restoration efforts, including the 500-acre Red Hill Marina Wetlands Project, one of the first Salton Sea Management Program projects.

Representatives from the California Department of Water Resources, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Imperial Irrigation District described how the area was once a prime bird-watching location before the Salton Sea began receding. The 500-acre project will decrease dust emissions by creating a shallow marine habitat using water from the Salton Sea and a nearby river.

The project is a partnership between the federal and state government, and the Imperial Irrigation District – with a portion of the funding coming from a federal assistance program that the Quantification Settlement Agreement Joint Powers Authority helped fund. Work is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

The Imperial Valley tour, which highlighted the partnerships between San Diego and Imperial County, was part of an on-going series of tours led by the Water Authority’s Colorado River Program.