Tag Archive for: Drought

San Marcos, Nearby Communities Restricted to Watering Twice a Week

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Joshua Emerson Smith Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Outdoor irrigation in San Marcos and nearby communities will be restricted to two days a week starting Tuesday, according to the Vallecitos Water District.

The agency — which also serves parts of Carlsbad, Escondido and Vista, as well as the Lake San Marcos and other unincorporated communities — had limited watering of lawns and other landscaping to three days a week from June through October.

Residents can choose the days they would like to water. The restrictions don’t apply to farmers with agricultural water accounts or nurseries.

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Opinion: Desalination Will Be Key to California’s Water Future. It Needs to Improve First

/in , /by /CalMattersby Grayson Zulauf

If the climate crisis is coming, the water crisis is already here. As rice fields were fallowed in California, Lake Mead water levels almost sunk so low that Hoover Dam could no longer generate power, and life-threatening toxic dust blew off the dried-up Salton Sea. Thirty percent of the world population will face water shortages of some kind by 2025. Things are only going to get worse.

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Carlsbad Desalination Plant Celebrates 100 Billion Gallons Served

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Carlsbad, Calif. (Nov. 1, 2022) – The Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant has served more than 100 billion gallons of high-quality, locally controlled water over the past seven years – a milestone passed in late October, as California entered a fourth consecutive year of severe drought.

The plant produces an average of more than 50 million gallons of high-quality, locally controlled water every day. It’s a foundational water supply for the San Diego region that minimizes vulnerability to drought and other water supply emergencies. The facility is the largest, most technologically advanced and energy-efficient desalination plant in the nation, and it has provided a sustainable water supply to residents and businesses in San Diego County since December 2015.

“As we mark this achievement, water from the seawater desalination plant continues to reduce our dependence on imported water sources, which has the effect of making more water available for drought-stricken communities elsewhere,” said Mel Katz, Board chair for the San Diego County Water Authority. “Since coming online in 2015, the Carlsbad Desalination Plant has met nearly 10% of the region’s water demand, and it will be a core water resource for decades to come.”

The desalination plant is a key piece of the region’s multi-decade strategy to diversify its water supply portfolio. A 30-year Water Purchase Agreement between Poseidon (Channelside) LP and the Water Authority allows for the production of up to 56,000 acre-feet of water per year, enough to meet the needs of approximately 400,000 people.

Desalination uses reverse osmosis technology to remove water molecules from seawater. Water from the ocean is forced through tightly-wrapped, semipermeable membranes under very high pressure. The membranes allow the smaller water molecules to pass through, leaving salt and other impurities to be discharged from the facility.

“Reaching 100 billion gallons demonstrates the value, effectiveness, and reliability of the desalination plant, as it produces high-quality water to help meet the needs of the region’s residents and businesses,” said Channelside President, Sachin Chawla.

More information about the desalination plant is at carlsbaddesal.com and sdcwa.org.

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New US Plan Could Lead to Federal Action on Colorado River

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Felicia Fonseca and Kathleen Ronayne

The Interior Department announced Friday that it will consider revising a set of guidelines for operating two major dams on the Colorado River in the first sign of what could lead to federal action to protect the once-massive but shrinking reservoirs behind them. The public has until Dec. 20 to weigh in on three options that seek to keep Lake Mead and Lake Powell from dropping so low they couldn’t produce power or provide the water that seven Western states, Mexico and tribes have relied on for decades.

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As Climate Change Erodes Western Snowpacks, One Watershed Tries a ‘Supershed Approach’ to Shield its Water Supply

/in , , /by /Western Water (Water Education Foundation)by Nick Cahill

The foundation of California’s water supply and the catalyst for the state’s 20th century population and economic growth is cracking. More exactly, it’s disappearing.

Climate change is eroding the mountain snowpack that has traditionally melted in the spring and summer to fill rivers and reservoirs across the West.

Now, with less precipitation falling as snow and that snow melting faster and earlier in parts of major mountain ranges like California’s Sierra Nevada and the Rockies in the West, managers of a major Sierra Nevada watershed east of Sacramento are replumbing their water systems to better handle bursts of rain instead of trickling snowmelt. Their “Supershed Approach” to replace the loss of the once-reliable snowmelt is being touted as a possible model for other Western watersheds that are expected to experience stronger, more frequent snow droughts.

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Public Comment Wanted for MWD’s Recycling Program Pure Water Southern California

/in , , /by /Spectrum News 1by Sarah Pilla

MWD has been working on a new source of reliable water called the Pure Water Southern California recycling program, that takes cleaned wastewater and purifies it into high-quality drinking water.

MWD is asking for public comment on this project through Nov. 14.

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New Push to Shore up Shrinking Colorado River Could Reduce Water Flow to California

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

With the nation’s two largest reservoirs continuing to decline, federal officials announced plans Friday to revise their current rules for dealing with Colorado River shortages and pursue a new agreement to achieve larger reductions in water use throughout the Southwest.

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Federal Cash Arrives for San Diegans Drowning in Water Bills as Shutoffs Resume

/in , , /by /The San Diego-Union-Tribuneby Joshua Emerson Smith

Thousands of San Diegans are struggling to pay their water bills as shutoffs resume across much of the state. Experts fear the burden will only get worse as the cost of water continues to soar, driven in part by ongoing historic drought.

However, federal emergency cash is now providing temporary relief for many low-income residents — up to $2,000 for unpaid water bills.

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U.S. Warns Western States It May Impose Colorado River Water Cuts

/in , , /by /Reutersby Daniel Trotta

The U.S. government warned on Friday that it may impose water supply cuts on California, Arizona and Nevada to protect the Colorado River and its two main reservoirs from overuse, drought and climate change.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation unveiled three possible action plans: one to impose cutbacks, another to allow western states to work out a reduction plan on their own, or a third and least likely option of taking no action.

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Free “Drought-Proof Your Garden” Webinars with Waterwise Garden Guru

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

The San Diego County Water Authority and waterwise garden guru Nan Sterman have teamed up to offer a series of free public webinars designed to help San Diego County residents care for their gardens during a fourth straight year of severe drought.

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