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Construction of San Diego’s Sewage Recycling System on Track, but Still Facing Challenges

Crews building San Diego’s Pure Water sewage recycling system continue to pass major milestones, including finishing key stretches of pipeline across the city, tunneling work under Interstate 805 and breaking ground on treatment plants.

But they’ve also been faced with some major hurdles and setbacks, including delays caused by lingering supply chain issues and a two-year-old flooding problem on Morena Boulevard that still hasn’t been fully solved.

San Diego Ranked ‘Greenest’ City in the U.S. Thanks to Clean Energy, Environment Policies

San Diego was ranked the “greenest” city in the United States, thanks largely to clean energy sources and environmentally friendly policies, in a new study by WalletHub.

The Miami-based personal finance website compared the 100 largest cities using 28 indicators ranging from greenhouse-gas emissions per capita, green job opportunities and public transit to organic farms, bike lanes and air quality.

Council Member Defends Water Rate Increases for Residents

Reacting to the City Council’s recent approval of his amendment to spread out an approximately 19% increase in water rates Citywide over a longer period, District 1 Councilmember Joe LaCava (above) said it was necessary to soften the financial blow.

The City Council voted 5-3 to increase water rates by 5% beginning Dec. 1, 2023, then increase another 5.2% effective July 1, 2024, for a total one-year increase of 10.2%. Another increase of 8.7% overall will take effect the following year on Jan. 1, 2025.

More Than $1 Billion Needed to Overhaul San Diego’s Stormwater System

Engineers with the city of San Diego say local neighborhoods are always one rainstorm away from disastrous flooding. They say it’s because our storm system is decades past its lifetime. And right now, they say, the city doesn’t have enough money to set aside to fix problems that keep them up at night.

New Bill Makes it Harder for Small Agencies to ‘Divorce’ Water Authority

After three years and a contentious fight, ratepayers in Fallbrook and Rainbow will finally have their say on whether to leave the San Diego County Water Authority in November’s special election.

But for a while, that vote was in jeopardy.

When the San Diego County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) approved the detachment in July, there was a bill making its way through the California Legislature that could have upended that.

San Diego City Council Approves First Significant Water Rate Increase Since 2015

On a 5-3 vote, the San Diego City Council approved a series of water rate increases Tuesday totaling nearly 20% over the next two years, following a public hearing during which San Diegans largely urged the body to reject the hikes.

The first adjustment will be an increase of 5%, effective Dec. 1, 2023, followed by a 5.2% increase on July 1, 2024, and an increase of 8.7% effective Jan. 1, 2025. While ratepayers have previously seen smaller increases, Tuesday’s rate adjustment is the first comprehensive jump in rates since 2015.

“This is a significant magnitude of a fee increase,” said Councilmember Kent Lee. “I think it was pointed out earlier that we have not had a rate increase of this magnitude for several years and it will have a significant impact on residents.”

San Diego Raises Water Rates by Nearly 20% Over Two Years

San Diego water rates will rise nearly 20 percent over the next two years after a divided City Council approved Tuesday the first comprehensive rate hike in nearly eight years.

The rate increases, approved by a vote of 5-3, will come in three parts: A 5 percent hike on Dec. 1, a 5.2 percent increase next July 1 and an 8.75 percent jump in January 2025. An earlier version of the proposal would have raised the rates more quickly — by 10.2 percent on Dec. 1 and 8.75 percent in January 2025.

City Council to Vote on Water Rate Increase Tuesday

City council is expected to vote on a nearly 20% increase to water rates for San Diego residents.

If approved, this would increase rates 10.2% beginning Dec. 1, 2023, then up to an additional 8.7% beginning Jan. 1, 2025.

Mayor Todd Gloria said this would equate to an approximate $12 increase to the average residents’ monthly bill.

San Diego’s Pure Water Site First in State to Follow Innovative Water Recycling Process

California is looking to boost water supply and considering new regulations to recycling wastewater straight to your tap. Some refer to it as toilet to tap, however experts in the field say this phrase is anything but accurate.

“It never has been toilet to tap. That has never happened,” said Andrew Salveson, the Carollo Water Reuse Chief Technologist.

San Diego Expected to Approve Water-Rate Hikes of Almost 20%

San Diego water bills would rise nearly 20% under a rate-increase proposal the City Council is scheduled to consider Tuesday.

The increase, which city officials began studying last fall, would be the first comprehensive rate hike approved by the council in nearly eight years. It would include a 10.2 increase this December and an 8.75% jump in January 2025.