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Water Authority Finance Director Lisa Marie Harris Celebrated as CFO of the Year

March 25, 2022 – San Diego County Water Authority Finance Director Lisa Marie Harris has been named CFO of the Year in the Public Sector category by The San Diego Business Journal.

Omnibus Package Opens Spigots for Water Project Earmarks

A sprawling $1.5 trillion fiscal 2022 spending deal is awash in cash for water and natural resources projects, including a number of Republican proposals to gird coastal communities against the effects of climate change.

The omnibus package is the first in years to contain congressionally directed spending, also known as earmarks. Lawmakers revived them under tight rules and only for certain parts of the federal budget.

Newsom’s Budget Would Add Billions to Fight Drought, Fires and Boost California Farms

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday will propose spending billions of additional dollars on drought response, wildfire suppression and rural workforce development programs, according to budget documents reviewed by The Sacramento Bee. The governor’s plan includes $750 million in one-time money to help communities affected by the drought, including for water conservation, water efficiency, replenishing groundwater supplies and helping small farmers.

 

Federal Drought Funding Includes $40 Million to ‘Stabilize’ Lake Mead Water

A federal plan to spend $210 million on water conservation programs includes $40 million for “conserving 500,000+ acre-feet of water over the next two years to stabilize the decline of Lake Mead.”

The plan also includes $10 million for efforts to suppress wildfires in the West.

Initiative Would Allocated Two Percent of State Budget to Water

There have been all kinds of efforts and money allocated to trying to solve California’s water woes. Now an organization states it has the solution — the 2 percent solution.

In what it’s calling the 2 percent solution More Water Now is working to place an initiative on the November 2022 ballot that would require 2 percent of the state budget to be allocated to the state’s water resources. If placed on the ballot and approved the water abundance ballot initiative would set aside 2 percent of the state budget to water.

There has been a great deal of water allocated toward dealing with California’s water issues, which includes a $7.5 billion bond measure that was passed by the state’s voters in 2014. But seven years later that bond has done little to place a dent in dealing with the state’s water woes.

Will Salton Sea Efforts Get Promised $220 Million in California Budget or Not?

Concerned that tens of millions of dollarspromised to help address woes at the Salton Sea could vanish from this year’s state budget, a chorus of Riverside and Imperial County officials this week wrote to Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot politely demanding that the funding stay on track.

“In May, we joined regional leaders in lauding your decision to include $220 million for the Salton Sea as part of a $5.1 billion dollar ‘California Roars Back’ plan,” wrote the president and vice president of the Salton Sea Authority, a joint powers agency comprising area water districts, both counties and the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians.

Sweetwater Authority Board Approves $68 Million Budget for Fiscal Year 2021-22 and Ensures Customers Water Reliability in the Face of Drought

Chula Vista, Calif. – The Sweetwater Authority Governing Board approved the budget for fiscal year 2021-22 at its June 9, 2021 meeting with a net zero impact to customer rates.

Water Authority Board Adopts $1.7 Billion Two-Year Budget, Approves 2022 Water Rates

The San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors today adopted a $1.7 billion budget for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 – a 0% change from the current two-year budget – and approved water rates and charges for 2022, following a public hearing.

The all-in rate, which is a blend of fixed and variable rates, will rise by 3.6% for treated water and 3.3% for untreated water in calendar year 2022, due to more rate increases by the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, continued payments for past investments in supply reliability, and inflationary pressures on energy, chemicals, and construction materials. Actual water bills will vary based on customers’ water use, along with factors unique to their local retail water agencies.

County Water Authority Raises Rates by 3.6%

The San Diego County Water Authority said Thursday it has adopted a $1.7 billion budget for the next two fiscal years that will keep its spending steady compared with the current budget.

What the agency calls the “all-in” water rate – which is what it charges customers like the city of San Diego – will rise by 3.6% for treated water and 3.3% for untreated water beginning in January.

San Diego County Water Authority Adopts Budget Including Water Rate Hike

The San Diego County Water Authority said Thursday it has adopted a $1.7 billion budget for the next two fiscal years and will keep its spending steady compared with the current budget.

What the agency calls the “all-in” water rate — which is what it charges customers like the city of San Diego — will rise by 3.6% for treated water and 3.3% for untreated water in calendar year 2022.