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12-Hour Shifts, Sleeping in RVs: Carlsbad Desalination Plant Gets New Crew

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby City News Service

A 10-person crew is in the midst of a three-week shelter-in-place shift at the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, relieving an initial crew that self-quarantined on site for three weeks to continue producing clean drinking water for county residents amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting March 19, the first crew of 10 “mission-critical employees” was stationed at the plant to continue operations, working two 12-hour shifts each day and sleeping in RVs in the plant parking lot, according to Poseidon Water, which manages the plant. Food and other supplies were delivered on a daily basis.

The crew was relieved last Thursday and the current crew will remain at the plant until April 30.

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Second Crew Begins Work at Carlsbad Desalination Plant Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

/in , , /by /City News Service (Fallbrook Village News)by City News Service

A 10-person crew is in the midst of a three-week shelter-in-place shift at the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, relieving an initial crew that self-quarantined on site for three weeks to continue producing clean drinking water for county residents amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting March 19, the first crew of 10 “mission-critical employees” was stationed at the plant to continue operations, working two 12-hour shifts each day and sleeping in RVs in the plant parking lot, according to Poseidon Water, which manages the plant.

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Opinion: California’s Farm Workers Desperately Need PPE and Coronavirus Tests

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Marcela Celorio

The COVID-19 epidemic has made clear how much our society depends on essential services we too often take for granted. Among these is agricultural work and the people who plant and harvest our food.

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Carlsbad Desal Plant Rotates Crew Sheltering In Place to Ensure Continued Production of Water Supply For San Diego County

/in , , /by /Water Worldby Water World

New team of mission-critical employees relieves original 10-person crew, begins 21-day lock-in at critical water facility for operational continuity.

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Water Pros Working Round the Clock To Ensure Service

/in , , /by /Water News Network Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

More than a month into the coronavirus crisis in California, water pros continue to work around the clock to deliver essential services to San Diego County residents.

From the Fallbrook Public Utilities District south to the Sweetwater Authority and east to the Padre Dam Municipal Water District, essential employees at the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies continue to maintain vital water systems and perform emergency repairs so customers have the water they depend on during this time.

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Reservoirs, Lakes Remain Closed to Fishing Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

/in , , /by /Water News Networkby Ed Joyce and Gayle Falkenthal

Although San Diego County’s lakes and reservoirs remain closed to fishing and other recreational activities for safety reasons due to the coronavirus pandemic, staff and volunteers continue to work. Crews are maintaining facilities, providing security, and sharing photos of wildlife and native blooms enjoying the arrival of spring.

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Water Safe to Use and Drink During Pandemic, Officials Reassure

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Alexandra Mendoza Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority
Water agencies are reminding the public that the water supply continues to be safe and reliable during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Sweetwater Authority in the South Bay reassured its customers that the water is safe to use and drink.

“In these difficult and uncertain times, the water that we deliver to our customers is as reliable as ever, and it continues to meet and exceed all federal and state requirements for water quality,”said Steve Castañeda, chairman of the Sweetwater board of directors.

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COVID-19: Water Use When We Stay Home

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Now that most of us are at home more, you may be wondering “how much more water am I using?” The good news is, it’s probably less than you think. This is because the activities that use the most water  – such as outdoor irrigation, showering and doing laundry – happen at the same weekly frequency regardless if you and the family are spending your days at home or not.

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COVID-19: Safe Water Systems Crucial During Outbreak

/in , , /by /Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio)by Ismail Turay Jr.

Local water systems are working to make sure that as so much of the rest of people’s lives are interrupted by the coronavirus quarantines, the source of safe water for the region’s homes remain stable.

The city of Dayton — which supplies drinking water for much of Montgomery County — has launched a campaign in an effort to ease residents’ concerns about the quantity and quality of the region’s drinking water.

The COVID-19 outbreak has also led local water systems to take steps from deep-cleaning offices, staggering shifts of workers, and banning public visitors from the grounds — all to prevent an outbreak of the disease from affecting their staffs.

The steps are part of pandemic emergency plans that local water systems put into effect immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared as a state of emergency both locally and nationally. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency requires all public water systems to have emergency plans.

“With everything else going on, the last thing you need to worry about is your drinking water,” said Joe Bates, the Water Treatment Supervisor for the city of Xenia water system. “Tap water is safe. Drink tap water and save the bottled water for a true emergency or when you are mobile.”

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Opinion: COVID-19 is a Chance to Invest in our Essential Infrastructure Workforce

/in , , /by /Brookings Institutionby Joseph W. Kane

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic keeps millions of people home and many businesses shuttered for social distancing, up to 62 million essential workers are still reporting to their jobs in hospitals, grocery stores, and other critical industries. They are on the frontlines against the coronavirus, vital to our public health and economic survival. Of them, the 17 million workers who operate and maintain our infrastructure are among the most essential—delivering our packages, keeping our water running, ensuring our broadband is up to speed, and more.

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