Tag Archive for: Drinking Water

Lomita Receives Grant to Remove Chemical from Drinking Water

/in , , /by /Daily Breezeby Nick Green

A grant of up to $2 million will allow Lomita to install a filtration system that removes a potentially carcinogenic chemical from its drinking water, allowing the community to resume using groundwater instead of more expensive imported supplies.

The small city had taken its sole well offline last year and drained its 5 million gallon reservoir after the levels of benzene discovered in its groundwater exceeded state drinking water standards.

The community was forced to tap pricey imported water from the Metropolitan Water District to serve its 4,242 residential and commercial customers.

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Pandemic Could Complicate Efforts to Upgrade State Drinking Water Systems

/in , , /by /SF Gate/Bay City News Foundationby Kiley Russell

An unprecedented and fledgling statewide effort to shore up hundreds of struggling drinking water systems could face intense pressure from the novel coronavirus pandemic as the program is rolled out in coming months.

For almost a year now, the California Water Resources Control Board has been working to craft the program, and on Tuesday it approved a policy designed to guide the spending of $1.3 billion over 10 years to save some 300 water systems that are failing or at-risk of failing.

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Regulating Microplastics in Drinking Water: California Retains its Vanguard Status

/in , , /by /The National Law Reviewby Olivia Molodanof

The California State Water Resources Control Board is poised to become “the first regulatory agency in the world to specifically define ‘Microplastics in Drinking Water.”‘ In September 2018, the California legislature adopted Health and Safety Code section 116376 via Senate Bill No. 1422, adding microplastics regulations to California’s Safe Drinking Water Act.

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Water Quality Issues, Safety Concerns are Significant Drags on Water Utility Customer Satisfaction

/in , , /by /WaterWorld Magazine

As the Environmental Protection Agency moves closer to implementing regulations for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), commonly referred to as “forever chemicals,” in the U.S. drinking water supply, many Americans are “just saying no” to tap water. According to the J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Water Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study released today, 25 percent of Americans say they never drink their tap water, setting the stage for a serious set of customer satisfaction challenges on the part of regional water utilities.

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Opinion: How to Waste $1 Billion in Less than a Minute

/in , /by /Moterey Heralsby Michael DeLapa

Why would a public agency support an unnecessary and risky billion-dollar desalination plant and let a private utility profit hundreds of millions of dollars at the public’s expense? Here’s the story.

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Farmers Hijack Community Water Access Despite Groundwater Act, Activists Say

/in , , /by /KCETby Alastair Bland

When a fire started on the property next door to Ray Cano’s home, the neighbors used Cano’s hose and well to fight the flames. Running the pump at full throttle, they managed to control the blaze until the fire department arrived. Then, the well’s pump sputtered to a stop.

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New Poll Shows Voters Overwhelmingly Favor Investments Into Water/Wastewater Infrastructure

/in , , /by /Treatment Plant Operators magazine

A new poll recently released by the Value of Water Campaign shows that 84% of American voters want state and federal leaders to invest in water infrastructure. The near-unanimous support amid the COVID-19 pandemic reveals that voters value water and want elected officials to prioritize investing in infrastructure — specifically, drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.

For the fifth year in a row, the Value of Water Campaign poll surveyed over 1,000 American voters for the annual Value of Water Index. The poll asked voters how the nation should solve infrastructural issues and which priorities it should meet. Support for water infrastructure investment cuts across demographic, political and geographic divisions.

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Opinion: Coronavirus Related Updates

/in , , /by /Village Newsby Brian Jones

Some quick and important updates: Tap water is safe to drink! The San Diego County Water Authority would like everyone to know that the region’s tap water is safe to drink, and that there is no evidence that the Coronavirus is transmitted through treated water.

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Tank Cleaning Program Helps Vallecitos Water District Maintain Safe Water Supply

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Seventeen above ground steel tanks and two underground concrete reservoirs play a vital role in the Vallecitos Water District’s mission to provide clean, safe, and reliable water to its 105,000 district residents. Maintenance and cleaning of the tanks and reservoirs is a critically important process.

Without regular washouts, tanks can accumulate large amounts of sediment, prohibiting proper inspections.

 

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San Diego Regional Water Agencies Boost Efforts to Fight Hunger

/in , /by

An effort to bolster food bank supplies and fight hunger 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 www.bit.ly/SDWaterAgencyFoodDrive.

The Water Authority Board leadership launched the effort for staff and Board members about two weeks ago, then expanded it by inviting 24 retail member agencies countywide to join the effort to fight hunger. So far, nearly $6,000 has been contributed through that portal, and some member agencies are setting up their own portals for their service areas.

Help fight hunger

In addition, water agencies have partnered with the Food Bank to inform its clients that it is unnecessary to purchase bottled water when convenient, clean drinking water is available 24/7 at the tap for about a penny a gallon.

“The region’s water industry is committed to sustaining our community in this time of acute need,” said Water Authority Board Chair Jim Madaffer. “The San Diego region has come together time and again to meet challenges such as wildfires, and we’re doing the same to provide hunger relief during this crisis.”

Demands for food increase during pandemic

The San Diego Food Bank typically helps feed 350,000 people each month at 200 distribution sites — and demands have skyrocketed as the economic impacts of coronavirus closures ripple across the region.

Donations to the San Diego Food Bank are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. The San Diego Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Essential workers on the job

In response to the pandemic, the Water Authority and its 24 member agencies have increased regional coordination and communication to ensure continued delivery of safe and reliable water service for San Diego County. Public water supplies in the region remain safe to drink due to numerous robust treatment processes used by local and regional water providers.

As essential workers, the region’s water and wastewater system employees will continue to work to ensure safe and reliable water services.