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The Promise and Pitfalls of Desalination

/in , , /by /The Economist Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Carlsbad State Beach is a Southern California idyll. Palm trees adorn the cliffs above the sand, and surfers paddle out for the waves. From the beach it is impossible to tell that a huge desalination plant not half a mile away is sucking in seawater to produce 50 million gallons of new drinking water each day. It is the largest in America—for now. Soon it may share that title with a proposed sister plant 60 miles (97km) north in Huntington Beach. But only if that one is built.

Poseidon Water, the developer that also built the Carlsbad plant, first proposed the Huntington Beach facility in the 1990s. But it has taken the company more than two decades to persuade Californians of the plant’s necessity.

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Opinion: I’m a Scientist in California. Drought is Worse Than We Thought.

/in , , /by /The New York Times by Dr. Andrew Schwartz

This past week, I joined teams of other scientists gathering the most important measurements of the Sierra Nevada snowpack from over 265 sites throughout the state. Typically, this measurement marks the transition from snow accumulation season to the melt season and contains the most snow of any measurement throughout the year. The 2022 results, however, confirmed what those of us monitoring the state’s drought had feared: California’s snowpack is now at 39 percent of its average, or 23 percent lower than at the same point last year.

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Sweetwater Authority Encourages Continued Water Efficiency and Applauds Customers’ Ongoing Efforts

/in , /by

Chula Vista, Calif. – Sweetwater Authority continues to encourage customers to use water wisely and efficiently. On March 28, Governor Newsom called upon water agencies in California to activate their Drought Response Plans to higher levels of water restrictions to mitigate concerns of the long-term drought impacting our state. Because of the hard work and water efficient lifestyle that Authority customers have always embraced, we are already meeting the 20 percent water reduction associated with higher levels of the Drought Response Plan.

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Governor’s New Water Saving Order Will Have Minimal Effect on San Diego

/in , , /by /Times of San Diego by Chris Jennewein Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Monday calling for increased water conservation after the driest first quarter in California’s history, but the San Diego region will be largely spared.

Newsom called on local water suppliers to move to their Level 2 drought plans, which anticipate shortages of up to 20% and could include restrictions on watering in many parts of the state.

 

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‘Continue With Our Water Conservation Practices’ | Californians Aren’t Conserving Enough Water

/in , , /by /CBS 8by Steve Price

Even with our recent storm, San Diego County is still well below our average for rain this year. And as bad as the drought conditions are here, in Northern California they are even worse.

As a result, Governor Gavin Newsom just issued an executive order that moves the state into a stricter level of water saving, but he’s allowing each local district to set its own rules.

“We’re going to continue with our water conservation practices,” said Jeff Stephenson, Water Resources Manager with the San Diego County Water Authority. “We’ve ramped up our messaging and then directing people to our conservation programs.”

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What Newsom’s Drought Actions Mean for San Diego

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diego / Morning Reportby MacKenzie Elmer Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

It rained almost two inches over Monday night in certain parts of the San Diego region, but the drought is not over. In fact, Jeff Stephenson, water resources manager at San Diego County Water Authority, said residents should consider turning off their sprinklers for the next seven days.

Of the six levels of emergency actions taken during a drought, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday moved California from the first to the second level. That means local water suppliers must act like supplies have dipped by at least 10 to 20 percent, as CalMatters explained.

But he isn’t requiring everybody to cut water use by the same amount across the board. This time he’s letting cities and jurisdictions trigger their local plans for action during drought prepared back in 2020.

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Here’s How Much the Latest Rainstorms Affected Water Levels in California’s Reservoirs

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Danielle Echeverria

The storms that rolled across the Bay Area and much of California on Sunday and Monday delivered some of the highest rainfall totals of the calendar year so far, as meteorologists predicted — but that still isn’t much, they said Tuesday.

“On a bigger picture, this is one of the biggest storms we’ve had of 2022,” said Matt Mehle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “But we’ve only had a handful of systems actually bring any precipitation to the Bay Area in January and February.”

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Newsom Imposes New California Water Restrictions — Leaves Details to Locals

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Rachel Becker

As a dry summer looms, California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered water suppliers across California to step up their local drought responses, but fell short of requiring water rationing or setting a statewide conservation target.

Despite pressure from experts urging a strong mandate, the order leaves the exact conservation measures up to the urban water providers and major water wholesalers that supply the vast majority of Californians. It does not affect agricultural water providers, or the small water systems that are especially vulnerable to drought.

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Governor Calls for Increased Conservation in Response to Statewide Drought

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March 29, 2022 – “Governor Newsom issued the fifth in a series of executive orders March 28 asking Californians to increase water conservation, while at the same time allowing every local water supplier to determine where additional water-use measures are needed and set rules accordingly. This strong but measured approach for locally appropriate actions will provide aid and assistance to areas of the state that are most suffering the impacts of drought, while maximizing flexibility where warranted by local conditions. The Governor’s approach is especially insightful because it acknowledges and rewards past investment in water conservation and local supply development, as Californians come together to address the real-world impacts of our changing climate.

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LADWP Water Conservation Rebates Increase Amid Drought

/in , , /by /NBC 4by City News Service

Amid a historic drought in California, water conservation rebates were increased by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Thursday, offering residential customers $500 rebates for high-efficiency clothes-washer purchases and $250 for water-efficient toilet purchases.

The rebates were previously $400 for high-efficiency washers, which use up to 55% less water than standard ones. According to the DWP, the more efficient appliances can reduce water use by more than 11,000 gallons per year.

DWP’s rebates for water-efficient toilets were previously $150. Rebate eligible toilets use more than 30% less water than standard models.

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