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Dozens Show Up to Thank San Diego Farmworkers With a ‘Caravan of Appreciation’

With many people working during the pandemic, a North County group gathered to thank farmworkers by having a “Caravan of Appreciation.”

Those who joined in the car parade want to remind people farmworkers are still out in the fields maintaining the region’s food supply during COVID-19.

“We want to bring light to the importance of their labor and the essential nature of their labor,” said Maria Figueroa, a volunteer with FarmWorker CARE Coalition.

Spring Cleaning: Ways To Keep San Diego’s Water System Clean

All water leads to a recycling center so even it’s going down the drain, there are some things San Diegans can do to ensure our region’s water is as clean as possible. Water is always in high demand in California, so it’s necessary to take care of it in any way possible. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department says one easy thing to protect the county’s waterways is to avoid dumping perscription pills. Tossing prescription medication down the drain or toilet contaminates the water system, which can cause bigger problems when it drains back into the ocean and threatens the environment, SDSO said.

San Diego Airport Captures Rainwater To Prevent Pollution

As rain continues in the county, the San Diego International Airport is doing its part to prevent pollution of the ocean and bay. When heavy rain comes, much of it runs off into bodies of water, adding to pollution problems. The airport recently installed one of the region’s largest storm water capture systems. The new system captures rain that falls on the Terminal 2 Parking Plaza, so that it can be recycled and put to good use. The water is diverted to the Central Utility Plant, where it is used in place of potable water in the airport’s cooling systems.

Project to Turn Wastewater Into Drinking Water To Begin Construction in Spring 2019

The San Diego City Council voted Thursday to move forward with the Pure Water San Diego project, which intends to provide one-third of San Diego’s water supply by 2035. The vote allows the city to award contracts for the first phase of the project, which will involve pipeline construction to move wastewater from a planned pump station in the Morena area to the North City Pure Water Facility in Miramar. The water will then be stored at the Lake Miramar Reservoir before it’s sent to the nearby treatment plant. Next, the water will be blended with other imported water before making its way to taps.

Why Fall Season Is the Best Time To Switch To Drought-Resistant Landscape

Local water districts are offering rebates to homeowners that replace their grass with sustainable landscape, as many do all year, but a local water district says fall may be the perfect season to jump on the offers. “You’ve got cooler temperatures, shorter days so it gives a chance for the plants that you plant in the fall to take root before the heat of summer kicks in,” Michelle Curtis with the Helix Water District said.

Proposals To Save Salton Sea To Be Presented

Once considered pipe dreams, the concept of saving the Salton Sea by tapping ocean water from Mexico, to keep the accidental salt lake from drying up, will get an official consideration at two meetings in the desert this week. The California Natural Resources Agency will look at three competing proposals at a hearing in Coachella Monday evening, and in El Centro on Thursday. One group of engineers proposes a pumping plant in Mexico to lift the water 100 feet, 130 miles of canals, a four-mile pipe under the U.S.-Mexico border, and a power plant to generate electricity as the water falls 225 feet down to the Salton Sea.

Water Department Has Backlog Of Repairs Needed

New issues continue to surface from inside San Diego’s Water Department. The latest: a backlog of broken water meter boxes citywide. NBC 7 Responds has learned that the water department needs to repair or replace 21,605 boxes holding water meters across the city. The city confirmed this number to NBC 7 Responds days before the City Auditor is expected to release its own audit looking into the backlog.

Sweetwater Authority Board Approves Water Rate Hikes

The Sweetwater Authority Governing Board voted 5-1 Monday night to raise water rates over the next six years. Rates will increase every year from starting on Jan. 1, 2019 until 2024.  The last time the water authority raised their rates was in 2015. Since then, the cost of water has increased by about 17 percent, the Sweetwater Authority said in a memo to the governing board.

Water Main Break Leaves More Than 100 San Marcos Homes Without Water

A water main break in San Marcos has left more than 100 homes Coronado Hills residents without water, Vallecitos Water confirmed. All homes east of Indian Ridge are out of water, Vallecitos said. The break happened at Indian Ridge and Washitonia around 7 a.m. Vallecitos crews are excavating the site to get down to the break – which takes time, Vallecitos said, as crews have to jackhammer through granite. and expect wear to be restored around 2 a.m. Monday. The cause of the break is unknown at this time.

Ocean Temperatures In La Jolla Measure Highest In Over 100 Years

Surface water temperatures in August hit the highest they have ever been in at least a century, according to researchers with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. On Wednesday, August 1, water samples pulled from the end of Scripps Pier showed a reading of 78.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Researchers said it broke an all-time record. Since 1916, scientists have been tracking water temperatures near the pier in La Jolla every single day. It’s one of the longest ongoing data sets in history. But why are the waters warm now? Researchers are not exactly sure but have theories.