The effects of climate change are already “far-reaching and worsening” throughout all regions in the United States, posing profound risks to virtually every aspect of society, whether it’s drinking water supplies in the Midwest or small businesses in the Southeast, according to a draft scientific report being circulated by the federal government.
For two winters in a row, La Niña has steered desperately needed rain and snow storms away from the U.S. Southwest, exacerbating a decades-long drought that has shriveled reservoirs and spurred horrific wildfires.
Now, hopes that the climate pattern would relent and allow moisture to rebound next winter have suffered a serious blow.
In the coal fields of eastern Montana, climate change is forcing a stark choice: halt mining that helped build everything from schools to senior centers or risk astronomical future damage as fossil fuel emissions warm the planet and increase disasters, crop losses and premature deaths.
One of the largest mines in this arid region straddling the Wyoming border is Spring Creek — a gaping hole among sagebrush hills where house-sized mechanical shovels dig up millions of tons of coal annually, much of it shipped overseas and burned in Asian power plants.
The Water Utility Climate Alliance has added the Water Authority’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to its mitigation case studies library. The case studies provide valuable information and inspiration for greenhouse gas mitigation or sewage thermal energy use projects from concept to implementation for water utilities across the U.S.
The Water Utility Climate Alliance has added the Water Authority’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to its mitigation case studies library. The case studies provide valuable information and inspiration for greenhouse gas mitigation or sewage thermal energy use projects from concept to implementation for water utilities across the U.S.
Water Authority Senior Water Resources Specialist Goldy Herbon said case studies are developed in partnership with WUCA. Contacts are provided in each case study to facilitate follow-up and enable interested readers to learn more. WUCA recognizes the importance of greenhouse gas mitigation as a key climate adaptation strategy and an issue of climate leadership in the water sector.
“By sharing our efforts and experience in GHG reduction with our peers across the U.S., we hope to set an example for other industries and business sectors, leading to even more mitigation efforts,” said Hebron. “The case studies are by no means an exhaustive list, but it is a great starting point for water utilities exploring the potential of implementing their own GHG mitigation projects. Additionally, WUCA is open to adding more GHG projects to its roster.”
The Water Authority greenhouse gas mitigation case study is on WUCA’s webpage.
The Water Authority installed solar panels at three locations in 2011: its Kearny Mesa headquarters and Escondido operations center; and the Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant.
Energy generated by the solar power systems reduces the Water Authority’s energy costs as well as GHG emissions, making agency operations more efficient for water ratepayers. Combined, the solar power systems will reduce the agency’s energy expenses by nearly $3 million over 20 years. The solar power systems were installed at no cost to the Water Authority through a 20-year power purchase agreement with CleanCapital.
Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant. Photo: Poseidon Water
The Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, which supplies nearly 10% of San Diego County’s drinking water, is also featured as a case study. The plant’s energy recovery project, part of its High-Energy Efficiency Design, uses state-of-the-art pressure exchanger technology to recover and reuse a significant portion of the energy from the reverse osmosis process.
The Water Authority recently earned Climate Registered gold status from The Climate Registry for verifying and publicly reporting its greenhouse gas emissions. The effort fosters transparency for the agency’s climate mitigation initiatives and will help the Water Authority track and validate emissions reductions in the future.
The Climate Registry operates North America’s largest voluntary registry for greenhouse gas emissions. The Water Authority’s 2019 and 2020 inventories were verified and published in The Climate Registry’s public database in November, earning the agency gold status for both years.
The Water Authority first developed its Climate Action Plan in 2014 and updates it every five years. GHG emissions against a baseline and tracking progress toward State of California goals. Annual GHG inventories are provided to the board of directors.
The Twin Oaks Reservoir dual solar array total production is roughly 3.6 mWh annually, enough to power 340 homes. Photo: Vallecitos Water District
The Water Authority’s GHG mitigation case studies offer crucial examples of progressive GHG mitigation projects at water utilities with lessons learned during implementation. The selection of case studies represents a wide range of project types (pump optimization, wind power, and battery storage) to provide a strong starting point for utilities to learn from each other. Many of the projects can be applied equally to wastewater and stormwater utilities.
Water utilities have a unique role to play in mitigating GHGs due to the high energy usage of the water industry and being a reliable purchaser of energy, as well as being a trusted leader for other industries and business communities. A key objective for WUCA is for the alliance to continue developing practical examples and case studies of climate adaptation and climate mitigation.
The Water Authority works with its 24 member agencies to deliver water affordably and efficiently across San Diego County, and the agency has championed energy efficiency and environmental sustainability for decades.
The San Diego County Water Authority has earned Climate Registered gold status from The Climate Registry for verifying and publicly reporting its greenhouse gas emissions. The effort fosters transparency for the agency’s climate mitigation initiatives and will help the Water Authority track and validate emissions reductions in the future.
The Climate Registry operates North America’s largest voluntary registry for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Water Authority’s 2019 and 2020 inventories were verified and published in The Climate Registry’s public database in November, earning the agency gold status for both years.
The San Diego County Water Authority has earned Climate Registered gold status from The Climate Registry for verifying and publicly reporting its greenhouse gas emissions. The effort fosters transparency for the agency’s climate mitigation initiatives and will help the Water Authority track and validate emissions reductions in the future.
The Climate Registry operates North America’s largest voluntary registry for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Water Authority’s 2019 and 2020 inventories were verified and published in The Climate Registry’s public database in November, earning the agency gold status for both years.
“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the face of climate change is a critical part of our commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Water Authority Board Chair Gary Croucher. “We take our responsibility as a climate leader seriously, and we are developing forward-thinking resource solutions to ensure a sustainable environment for generations to come.”
The Water Authority works with its 24 member agencies to deliver water affordably and efficiently across San Diego County, and the agency has championed energy efficiency and environmental sustainability for decades. For instance, about half of the agency’s water is from the nation’s largest conservation-and-transfer program, and the agency is a leader in developing pumped energy storage to maximize the use of renewable wind and solar resources.
As a centerpiece of its sustainability efforts, in 2014 the Water Authority voluntarily developed a Climate Action Plan and updates it every five years, comparing GHG emissions against a baseline and tracking progress toward State of California goals. Since the Plan’s adoption, the Water Authority has conducted annual GHG inventories and provides updates to the board of directors. Verification of the annual inventory by a third-party was another step toward validating the Water Authority’s climate mitigation efforts for stakeholders.
The Climate Registry is a nonprofit organization governed by U.S. states and Canadian provinces and territories. The registry designs and operates voluntary and compliance GHG reporting programs globally, and assists organizations in measuring, reporting and verifying the carbon in their operations in order to manage and reduce it. The registry also builds capacity for emissions reductions among government agencies, and spearheads innovative projects such as the Water-Energy Nexus Registry. More information is at www.theclimateregistry.org
“Organizations that become Climate Registered are the leaders in a growing movement to address climate change by managing and reducing emissions at the subnational level,” said Amy Holm, executive director of The Climate Registry. “We have just over a decade to take action that will ensure we avoid the worst effects of climate change. This kind of leadership is needed now more than ever.”
The San Diego County Water Authority has earned Climate Registered gold status from The Climate Registry for verifying and publicly reporting its greenhouse gas emissions. The effort fosters transparency for the agency’s climate mitigation initiatives and will help the Water Authority track and validate emissions reductions in the future.
California is on fire. And the wildfires we’ve seen already this year are not just alarming – they’re a forewarning. In 2020 alone, record temperatures and tens of thousands of dry lightning strikes led our state to experience five of its six largest wildfires in recorded history.
San Diego County is already working on another climate action plan, hoping they can finally come up with one that stands up to legal scrutiny.
The county has, over the past 10 years, put together four climate action plans. Each was a spectacular failure.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
