In April, the governor issued an executive order that barred water shutoffs for customers who don’t pay their water bills. State leaders are looking for ways to bail out struggling residents and smaller water systems alike, both buckling under $1 billion in water debt statewide.
Editor’s Note: This feature highlights water utility employees in the San Diego region working during the coronavirus pandemic to ensure a safe, reliable and plentiful water supply. The water industry is among the sectors that are classified as essential. Ivan Martinez, City of Poway Wastewater Utilities Worker, is the Water Utility Hero of the Week.
Wastewater wasn’t my first choice, I had planned to work in another industry, but now I am very happy to be working in this field.
Our job has changed in a big way. With this pandemic and with a shortage of toilet paper, people are using other alternatives such as paper towels and wipes. It has made an impact on our wastewater system because these items are being flushed down the toilet and that slows down the flow or causes a blockage. We are reporting to more alarms than usual, at all hours of the day, to make sure the wastewater flows.
Nothing much has changed because we already take sanitary precautions. We just need to clean our equipment more frequently, constantly wash our hands, and ensure we wear our additional PPE (personal protective equipment) during this pandemic.
I just hope that everyone is safe and healthy. Also I hope that everyone goes back to using toilet paper. LOL.
The San Diego County Water Authority is distributing 25,000 cloth masks to water and wastewater agency employees in six Southern California counties as part of the national effort to ensure essential workers have enough protective gear during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The masks are available to public and private water and wastewater utilities in Mono, Inyo, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego and Imperial counties. Water Authority staff created a drive-through operation to maintain physical distancing while handing out the facemasks.
“It’s a tall order, but one that leverages our core values of collaboration and communication on behalf of our community,” said Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl. “It’s part of our duty as water and wastewater professionals to continue ensuring a clean, safe, and reliable water supply for our region – and beyond.”
The San Diego County Water Authority is distributing 25,000 cloth masks to water and wastewater agency employees in six Southern California counties as part of the national effort to ensure essential workers have enough protective gear during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The masks are available to public and private water and wastewater utilities in Mono, Inyo, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego and Imperial counties. Water Authority staff created a drive-through operation to maintain physical distancing while handing out the facemasks.
“It’s a tall order, but one that leverages our core values of collaboration and communication on behalf of our community,” said Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl. “It’s part of our duty as water and wastewater professionals to continue ensuring a clean, safe, and reliable water supply for our region – and beyond.”
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Water Authority and its 24 member agencies have increased regional coordination, and taken precautionary measures to protect employees. Public water supplies in the region remain safe to drink due to numerous robust treatment processes used by local and regional water providers.
San Diego County Water Authority Safety Officer Stephen Lee about to place a bag containing protective cloth masks in the front seat of the the Rincon del Diablo Municipal Water District truck as the District’s Steve Plyler waits in the driver’s seat. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority
The mask distribution effort in San Diego County is part of a statewide distribution of 200,000 masks to water and wastewater industry staff. The masks are being dispersed nationwide to 16 different critical infrastructure sectors.
The masks were provided through a joint effort by FEMA, the U.S. EPA and the California Water & Wastewater Agency Response Network, or CalWARN, with assistance from the California-Nevada American Water Works Association and the California State Water Resources Control Board.
The EPA asked CalWARN to organize distribution of masks within the state. CalWARN asked the Water Authority to manage a distribution point. The distribution will continue until the masks are gone.
Water agencies are required to apply at CalWARN.org to receive the masks, free of charge. Once applications are approved, details regarding pickup dates, times, location, and quantity are sent to the applicants.
The COVID-19 epidemic has made clear how much our society depends on essential services we too often take for granted. Among these is agricultural work and the people who plant and harvest our food.
Nearly three in four water and wastewater treatment plants are worried about running out of masks, gowns, and gloves to protect workers from the deadly coronavirus, according to a survey of utilities.
The survey, released late Tuesday, reveals that the same proportion of utilities are also concerned about being able to keep workers 6 feet apart at all times to prevent transmission of the virus that causes Covid-19.
The findings are a snapshot of the concerns a subset of the nation’s water and wastewater utilities shared with the nonprofit American Water Works Association, which conducted the survey March 25-30. Responses came from 532 utilities, and the margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.
With the nation grappling to keep the coronavirus pandemic in check, clean and safe running water for washing hands and other cleaning has been deemed an essential service.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
