San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl retires today after more than 40 years of public service, with Deputy General Manager Dan Denham taking over as acting GM until the Board of Directors permanently fills the position. Kerl’s tenure at the Water Authority included 10 years as deputy general manager and four […]
Encinitas, Calif. — At its June 21 meeting, Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors honored Brad Lefkowits as winner of its annual contest designed to inspire attractive landscape transformations that reduce outdoor water use.
Encinitas, Calif. — At its June 21 meeting, Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors recognized seven photographers for their winning images in the sixteenth annual Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve photo contest. The contest offers amateur photographers an opportunity to connect viewers with wildlife and the outdoors. Submissions support EFRR efforts to protect wildlife and […]
The San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors today approved wholesale water rates for 2024 following a public hearing and approved the recommended budget for the next two fiscal years. The budget and rates support continued work on numerous agency priorities, including capital projects critical for maintaining safe and reliable water supplies. “The Board […]
June 15, 2023 – On June 22, the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors will hold a public hearing about proposed wholesale water rates for 2024, followed by votes on the rate proposal and the recommended budget for the next two fiscal years. The Water Authority Board is seeking to manage cost increases […]
The 2022–2023 snow season started off relatively active across the West, with a few modest storms bringing snow accumulations to the mountains in early November. By the start of December, snow water equivalent (SWE) across much of the region was above normal. Starting in early December, several storm cycles brought moisture-laden families of atmospheric rivers […]
June 8, 2023 – California’s Department of Water Resources announced that it has awarded Helix Water District $10.3 million in grant funds for the district’s drought resilience and drinking water supply reliability project. Helix was one of 26 California agencies, and the only San Diego County agency, to receive a portion of the $217 million […]
Carbon dioxide levels measured at NOAA’s Mauna Loa Atmospheric Baseline Observatory peaked at 424 parts per million (ppm) in May, continuing a steady climb further into territory not seen for millions of years, scientists from NOAA and Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego announced today. Measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) obtained by NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory averaged […]
Chula Vista, Calif. – Last week Sweetwater Authority selected 10 local elementary school students as winners of the “Being Water Wise Is…” Poster Contest. The annual contest is open to K-6th graders in the Authority’s service area, and encourages the students to think about the importance of water in their everyday lives, and how they […]
Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District was recognized today by the Industrial Environmental Association as one of three winners of the 2023 Environmental Excellence Awards. The awards event was held at the San Diego Convention Center during the 2023 Environmental Training Symposium and Conference, and recognizes OMWD’s Recycled Water Pipeline Extension 153A Project. The […]
May 25, 2023 – The San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors today voted to support Assembly Bill 530, which would ensure ratepayer protections when water districts separate. The bill was authored by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner of Encinitas and sponsored by the City of San Diego. It seeks to amend California’s County Water Authority […]
This winter produced record snowfall in California, but a new study suggests the state should expect gradually declining snowpacks, even if punctuated with occasional epic snowfalls, in the future. An analysis by Tamara Shulgina, Alexander Gershunov, and other climate scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography suggest that in the face of unabated […]
May 25, 2023 – The San Diego County Water Authority is launching a public outreach and education campaign this summer to encourage wider adoption of sustainable landscapes that are more suitable for the region’s Mediterranean climate. The “Thanks for Planting Me!” campaign offers gratitude to the hundreds of thousands of San Diegans who are using […]
Spring Valley, Calif. – Students in kindergarten through 12th grade are invited to unleash their creativity in the Otay Water District’s annual Student Poster Contest. This year’s theme is “being water wise is…” Otay’s annual educational program encourages students to create a poster demonstrating their water awareness. Water conservation or stewardship should be reflected in the […]
May 22, 2023 – San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl today issued the following statement regarding a new consensus-based plan to conserve water on the Colorado River: “Today, the Lower Colorado River Basin states, California, Arizona, and Nevada, provided the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation with a plan to conserve up to […]
Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl Retires
/in Agency News, News /by Mike LeeSan Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl retires today after more than 40 years of public service, with Deputy General Manager Dan Denham taking over as acting GM until the Board of Directors permanently fills the position. Kerl’s tenure at the Water Authority included 10 years as deputy general manager and four […]
OMWD Board Recognizes Winner of 2023 WaterSmart Landscape Contest
/in Agency News, News /by Mike LeeEncinitas, Calif. — At its June 21 meeting, Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors honored Brad Lefkowits as winner of its annual contest designed to inspire attractive landscape transformations that reduce outdoor water use.
Seven Local Photographers Honored for Their Images of Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve
/in Agency News, News /by Mike LeeEncinitas, Calif. — At its June 21 meeting, Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors recognized seven photographers for their winning images in the sixteenth annual Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve photo contest. The contest offers amateur photographers an opportunity to connect viewers with wildlife and the outdoors. Submissions support EFRR efforts to protect wildlife and […]
Water Authority Board Approves 2024 Wholesale Rates After Public Hearing
/in Agency News, News /by Mike LeeThe San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors today approved wholesale water rates for 2024 following a public hearing and approved the recommended budget for the next two fiscal years. The budget and rates support continued work on numerous agency priorities, including capital projects critical for maintaining safe and reliable water supplies. “The Board […]
Water Authority Board Holds Public Hearing on 2024 Wholesale Water Rates
/in Agency News, News /by Mike LeeJune 15, 2023 – On June 22, the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors will hold a public hearing about proposed wholesale water rates for 2024, followed by votes on the rate proposal and the recommended budget for the next two fiscal years. The Water Authority Board is seeking to manage cost increases […]
This Year’s Snow Season Wipes Away Drought in Much of the West
/in California and the West, News /by Mike LeeThe 2022–2023 snow season started off relatively active across the West, with a few modest storms bringing snow accumulations to the mountains in early November. By the start of December, snow water equivalent (SWE) across much of the region was above normal. Starting in early December, several storm cycles brought moisture-laden families of atmospheric rivers […]
Helix Water District Awarded $10.3 Million Grant
/in Agency News, News /by Mike LeeJune 8, 2023 – California’s Department of Water Resources announced that it has awarded Helix Water District $10.3 million in grant funds for the district’s drought resilience and drinking water supply reliability project. Helix was one of 26 California agencies, and the only San Diego County agency, to receive a portion of the $217 million […]
Broken Record: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Levels Jump Again
/in California and the West, News /by Mike Lee /Scripps Institution of Oceanography / UC San Diegoby Robert MonroeCarbon dioxide levels measured at NOAA’s Mauna Loa Atmospheric Baseline Observatory peaked at 424 parts per million (ppm) in May, continuing a steady climb further into territory not seen for millions of years, scientists from NOAA and Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego announced today. Measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) obtained by NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory averaged […]
Local Elementary School Students Show Water Conservation and Environmental Stewardship Through Art
/in Agency News, News /by Mike LeeChula Vista, Calif. – Last week Sweetwater Authority selected 10 local elementary school students as winners of the “Being Water Wise Is…” Poster Contest. The annual contest is open to K-6th graders in the Authority’s service area, and encourages the students to think about the importance of water in their everyday lives, and how they […]
OMWD Receives 2023 Environmental Excellence Award from Industrial Environmental Association
/in Agency News, News /by Gayle FalkenthalEncinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District was recognized today by the Industrial Environmental Association as one of three winners of the 2023 Environmental Excellence Awards. The awards event was held at the San Diego Convention Center during the 2023 Environmental Training Symposium and Conference, and recognizes OMWD’s Recycled Water Pipeline Extension 153A Project. The […]
Assembly Bill Would Protect Water Ratepayers Across County
/in Agency News, News /by Mike LeeMay 25, 2023 – The San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors today voted to support Assembly Bill 530, which would ensure ratepayer protections when water districts separate. The bill was authored by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner of Encinitas and sponsored by the City of San Diego. It seeks to amend California’s County Water Authority […]
California Snowlines On Track To Be 1,600 Feet Higher by Century’s End
/in California and the West, News /by Mike LeeThis winter produced record snowfall in California, but a new study suggests the state should expect gradually declining snowpacks, even if punctuated with occasional epic snowfalls, in the future. An analysis by Tamara Shulgina, Alexander Gershunov, and other climate scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography suggest that in the face of unabated […]
Thanks for Planting Me! ‘Spokesplants’ Promote Landscape Transformation
/in Agency News, News /by Mike LeeMay 25, 2023 – The San Diego County Water Authority is launching a public outreach and education campaign this summer to encourage wider adoption of sustainable landscapes that are more suitable for the region’s Mediterranean climate. The “Thanks for Planting Me!” campaign offers gratitude to the hundreds of thousands of San Diegans who are using […]
Otay Water District Announces New Theme for Annual Student Poster Contest
/in Agency News, News /by Mike LeeSpring Valley, Calif. – Students in kindergarten through 12th grade are invited to unleash their creativity in the Otay Water District’s annual Student Poster Contest. This year’s theme is “being water wise is…” Otay’s annual educational program encourages students to create a poster demonstrating their water awareness. Water conservation or stewardship should be reflected in the […]
Water Authority Issues Statement on Consensus-Based Plan for the Colorado River
/in Agency News, News /by Mike LeeMay 22, 2023 – San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl today issued the following statement regarding a new consensus-based plan to conserve water on the Colorado River: “Today, the Lower Colorado River Basin states, California, Arizona, and Nevada, provided the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation with a plan to conserve up to […]