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New General Manager Dives Into Work At Water District

Albert Lau has spent his entire professional career of more than two decades in the water industry, focused on issues related to bringing safe, affordable drinking water to the public.

“I got the water bug in college,” said Lau, 51, a resident of Olivenhain, who earned an undergraduate degree in civil engineering, and water resources and treatment, at Cal Poly Pomona. He later earned graduate degrees in engineering and business at the University of Colorado and San Diego State University, respectively.

Del Mar Expects State To Accept Its Rejection Of Managed Retreat

Del Mar is optimistic that its rejection of “managed retreat” for adapting to sea-level rise will be accepted by the state Coastal Commission, City Councilman Dwight Worden said last week.

“Rejecting managed retreat is central to our plan, and having the coastal staff agree with our position is very significant and encouraging,” Worden said by email.

Managed retreat can take several forms. In some cases, a public agency will buy coastal structures and move or demolish them to leave open space for the advancing ocean.

OMWD Recognized For Water Advocacy In Washington

The Association of California Water Agencies recognized Olivenhain Municipal Water District Feb. 27 with its “Most Effective Agency on Federal Issues” award. The award was presented to OMWD General Manager Kimberly Thorner at ACWA’s annual conference in Washington, DC. In 2018, OMWD engaged House and Senate committees as well as staff from the US Bureau of Reclamation and Government Accountability Office on the Title XVI program that facilitates water reclamation and reuse. The program has been an important funding mechanism for the development of recycled water infrastructure that ultimately increases the reliability of California’s increasingly taxed water supplies.

Ashley Falls Water Quality Project To Begin This Summer

At the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board’s Jan. 24 meeting, the board approved a large-scale storm flow storage and multi-pollutant treatment system in the Ashley Falls neighborhood as part of the city’s water quality improvement strategies. The project, located at the corner of Carmel Knolls and Pearlman Way, includes the construction of three reinforced concrete storm drain pipes for low-flow collection and a shallow biofiltration basin.The system will capture pollutants and stormwater runoff to protect the Los Peñasquitos Creek subwatershed.

Ed Sprague Named President Of OMWD’s Board Of Directors For Fourth Time

At Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s January 16 board meeting, Ed Sprague assumed the position of president for the fourth time. Sprague will serve as president for the 2019-2020 term. In addition, Bob Topolovac is serving as vice president, Larry Watt as treasurer, Robert Kephart as secretary, and Christy Guerin as director and San Diego County Water Authority representative. Sprague began serving on the board in 2008 to represent Division 5, and has previously served as president for two consecutive terms between 2009 and 2012, and again from 2015 through 2016.

Plan To Raise Water Rates Voted Down By Santa Fe Irrigation District Board

A plan to raise rates by an average of 3 percent per year over the next three years was voted down Thursday, Dec. 20, by the Santa Fe Irrigation District Board of Directors. The 3-2 vote by the board followed an eight-month process that included a series of public meetings and a rate study prepared by a consultant, which determined the district’s revenue needs in the coming years, and recommended a new rate structure to generate the additional funds.

 

Robert Kephart Selected To Fill Division 4 Vacancy On OMWD Board Of Directors

Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors selected Robert Kephart at its Nov. 7 meeting as the new director representing Division 4 of OMWD’s service area. Kephart fills the seat left vacant by the resignation of Jerry Varty. Kephart has 20 years of service on the County of San Diego Service Area 107 Fire Advisory Board and currently serves on the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Foundation board. A volunteer firefighter for the Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove Fire Department for 19 years, he achieved the rank of captain and chaired the department’s facilities committee.

Cardiff Beach Living Shoreline Project Construction To Start

The City of Encinitas awarded a construction contract for the Cardiff Beach Living Shoreline Project at the City Council meeting on Sept. 26. The shoreline between Restaurant Row and South Cardiff State Beach is vulnerable to coastal flooding during large storm events and projected sea level rise. The city has partnered with the California Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR), California State Coastal Conservancy (SCC), United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy with grants from the SCC and the Ocean Protection Council to reduce the vulnerability of Coast Highway 101 to flooding, create coastal dune habitat, create a pedestrian path along the dunes, and beneficially reuse sand from future San Elijo Lagoon annual dredging operations.

OMWD Board To Honor Outgoing Director, Appoint Replacement

The Olivenhain Municipal Water District Board of Directors will honor outgoing Division 4 Director Jerry Varty at the board’s Oct. 17 meeting. Varty announced his resignation from the board on Sept. 12, as he is moving out of OMWD’s service area. Upon receipt of the resignation, OMWD Board President Larry Watt thanked Varty for his nine years of dedicated service to OMWD and its ratepayers.

SANDAG Will Preserve Nearly 112 Acres Of Habitat In Carmel Valley

SANDAG recently acquired nearly 112 acres of native habitat and old agricultural lands in Carmel Valley, according to a news release. The old agricultural lands will be restored to wetland habitat and the remaining land will be preserved as open space. The land, referred to as Deer Canyon East, is immediately adjacent to and upstream of the 31-acre Deer Canyon West wetland mitigation site. The acquisition was finalized this June shortly after the West property was deemed successfully restored by federal and state agencies.