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Sweetwater Authority Launches Community Advisory Work Group, Seeking Engagement and Input from Stakeholders on Future Projects

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Chula Vista, Calif. – On September 26, 2023, Sweetwater Authority will hold the first meeting of its newly-formed Community Advisory Work Group. The group offers Authority stakeholders a platform to actively engage in the projects and initiatives of the water agency. By providing input, participants will help shape the future of their community’s water services and infrastructure.

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Hosing Down the Driveway? Why California Has No Statewide Water Wasting Rules as it Heads Into a New Drought

/in , /by /The Mercury Newsby Paul Rogers

Anyone who lived through California’s last big drought from 2012 to 2016 remembers the rules.

You couldn’t water your yard so much that the water ran off into the street or sidewalk. Or hose down a driveway. Hotels had to put up signs telling customers they could choose not to have sheets and towels washed every day. Ornamental fountains were prohibited unless they recycled water. Watering landscaping within 48 hours of rain was forbidden. Cities couldn’t water grass on street medians. And if you washed a car with a hose, it had to have a nozzle.

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Gardening Community Responds To Growing COVID-19 Food Need

/in , , /by /KPBSby Bennett Lacy

Three days a week, cars line up by the dozens at Kitchens for Good at the Jacobs Center in Chollas View. Drivers open their trunks to receive prepared meals and produce. This is just one of many distribution events in high demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Regional Water Agencies Boost Efforts to Fight Hunger

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San Diego – An effort to bolster food bank supplies in San Diego County is getting a helping hand from the region’s public water agencies.

The San Diego County Water Authority and its member agencies are supporting a virtual food drive in partnership with the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. The campaign allows donors to select and purchase items such as canned meats, vegetables, fruits, peanut butter and oatmeal for distribution to needy residents. To donate, go to https://bit.ly/SDWaterAgencyFoodDrive. 

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San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors Chair Jim Madaffer-primary-View from the Chair

Jim Madaffer: Supporting Our Community in Challenging Times

/in , /by by Jim Madaffer, Board Chair

Coronavirus is on all our minds these days, with the countless challenges that we face at every level of society, including our homes and families.

While there are many uncertainties, I want to assure you that the Water Authority and its 24 member agencies are doing everything possible to address this complex situation, from following health and safety protocols to ensuring the continued operation of the water treatment and delivery system regardless of the challenges.

Public water supplies in the San Diego region remain safe to drink due to robust standard treatment processes by local and regional water providers. Drinking water provided by the Water Authority and its member agencies is treated by a combination of technologies – including sedimentation, filtration and disinfection – that chemically deactivate and physically remove bacteria, viruses and other contaminants. The U.S. EPA recommends that Americans continue to use and drink tap water as usual.

To support continued operation of critical infrastructure, the Water Authority has activated its Emergency Operations Center, increasing the region’s ability to respond to any challenges that emerge. The EOC supports the need for enhanced communication between the Water Authority and its member agencies as the public health crisis evolves. In addition, the agencies have back-up plans to assist each other should key personnel be unable to work.

We’ve taken other operational steps as well. Agency employees identified as critical to operation and maintenance of key infrastructure will continue to report to work and conduct normal job functions while complying with enhanced safety precautions such as social distancing measures. Non-critical staff at many agencies, including the Water Authority, are telecommuting or will begin remote work shortly to minimize the potential for virus transmission.

Of course, we will continue to monitor this situation closely and make strategic decisions to support our community in these difficult times. I will update you periodically, and we will keep information on our website – www.sdcwa.org – current as the situation evolves.

View From The Chair represents the viewpoints of Jim Madaffer, Chair of the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors.