San Vicente Dam, completed in 1943, was designed for ‘200-year extreme rainfall’ (the heaviest rain that will fall once every 200 years). However, when the worst drought hit California in 1991, the state government and residents agreed to prepare for climate change and decided to expand.
The U.S. EPA recognized the San Diego County Water Authority with a 2023 WaterSense Excellence Award for advancing water efficiency through its Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper program, better known as QWEL. The Water Authority received one of 25 Excellence Awards on October 5 at the national WaterSmart Innovations Conference in Las Vegas.
This is the fourth EPA WaterSense award won by the Water Authority. The 2023 award is for Excellence in Promotion and Outreach of the QWEL program. Since the early 1990s, the Water Authority has offered an array of programs and incentives to promote water-use efficiency, and the suite of offerings continues to evolve as needs and conditions change.
“Over the past three decades, the Water Authority has been dedicated to helping the San Diego region save water every day, in every way,” said Mel Katz, chair of the Water Authority Board of Directors. “Water-efficient landscaper trainings in English and Spanish are among the most impactful strategies to help our community thrive in a changing climate. We thank EPA WaterSense for its partnership and guidance as we advance water-saving practices that sustain San Diego County’s beautiful landscapes.”
Flo, the EPA WaterSense “spokesgallon” poses with the award received by the San Diego County Water Authority
The Water Authority has offered the QWEL certification program free of charge to people who live and work in the Water Authority’s service area since 2015. In 2022, almost 300 new participants were certified through the program and half of the QWEL-certified individuals attended webinars to renew their certifications. After conducting more than 25 in-person and online exams, there4 were nearly 460 certified participants for the year.
To reach San Diego’s Spanish-speaking residents, the Water Authority recruited and trained bilingual instructors and offered virtual training in Spanish, attended by more than 40 new participants.
San Diego County Water Authority Principal Water Resource Specialist Lisa Prus (L) Water Resources Specialist Debby Dunn (center) and Wenda Alvarez, with WSA Marketing, accepting the 2023 EPA WaterSense Excellence Award October 5, in Las Vegas.
In 2023, the Water Authority transitioned from QWEL to a new program to achieve similar goals, in partnership with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Through the California Landscape Contractors Association, MWD offers one-of-a-kind certification and education opportunities for landscape professionals in Southern California. The program combines the CLCA Water Management Certification Program with the Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper program to offer the landscape industry an opportunity to obtain two nationally recognized EPA WaterSense Professional Certifications with one course and one written test. New courses will be offered in the San Diego region starting December 2023.
The EPA also recognized two Water Authority member agencies for for their support of WaterSense and water efficiency in 2022, including the San Dieguito Water District and the Vallecitos Water District. Collectively, the Excellence Award winners contributed to annual savings nationwide of 1.1 trillion gallons of water.
WaterSense, a voluntary partnership program sponsored by EPA, is both a label for water-efficient products, programs, and homes and a resource for helping consumers learn ways to save water. More than 2,100 manufacturers, builders, retailers, utilities, government, and nonprofit organizations partner with WaterSense to promote water-efficient products, homes, and programs.
“With extreme weather affecting water supplies and quality, saving this precious resource is more important than ever,” said Veronica Blette, Chief, WaterSense Branch. “The 2023 award winners helped Americans look to WaterSense and save not just water, but the energy required to heat and treat it, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy use.”
Since 2006, over 40,000 certified water-efficient plumbing and irrigation products have helped consumers and businesses nationwide save 7.5 trillion gallons of water; the amount of energy needed to pump, treat, and heat water by 880 billion kilowatt hours; and $171 billion in water and energy bills. These savings also helped prevent 337 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, which is equivalent to planting 5.6 billion trees.
(Editor’s note: For more information about WaterSense, visit www.epa.gov/watersense. For rebates, classes, and water-saving tips go to: sdcwa.org/your-water/conservation/.)
Josh Kane didn’t know a lot about avocado farming 10 years ago, but he does now.
In 2001, Kane’s mother bought a 60-acre avocado farm, the Rice Canyon Ranch, in Fallbrook, thinking it would be a good investment. But, some not-so-good advice, and the 2014 drought, had the business in a nosedive. Rice Canyon took a long-term investment perspective and invested in innovative measures, including tree stumping and grafting. Those strategies, along with smart irrigation, helped turn the farm around.
As part of California’s seventh annual Water Professionals Appreciation Week, the San Diego County Water Authority is proud to highlight the essential role of water professionals and local public water agencies in providing water and wastewater services.
“We appreciate the dedication of our highly trained operators, technicians and other specialists who ensure the San Diego region has safe and reliable water supplies,” said Dan Denham, Water Authority General Manager. “And we appreciate all of the water industry professionals who keep the water flowing in communities throughout California, including district managers, customer service representatives, treatment plant operators and engineers.”
This year’s theme for Water Professionals Appreciation Week (Oct. 7-15) is “Show water professionals some love.” This week and every week, we encourage you to offer gratitude to the dedicated professionals working every day to deliver our most precious resource to our homes and businesses – professionals like Victor DeJesus, Patty Duran, and Kevin James.
Victor DeJesus is a Senior Electrical/Instrumentation Technician with the San Diego County Water Authority. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority
“As a Senior Electrical Instrumentation Technician my role includes working on a variety of systems that support the ability for the Water Authority’s System Operators to safely and accurately perform remote control water delivery throughout San Diego County,” said Victor DeJesus, Senior Electrical/ Instrumentation Technician at the San Diego County Water Authority. “Our Technical Services group is responsible for maintaining upwards of 75 Flow Control Facilities in the region. Every day here is unique and interesting. On any given day our work can range from calibrating electronic flow meters, upgrading programmable logic controllers, troubleshooting cellular and fiber communication networks, maintaining access control software/hardware or the installation of new LED fixtures. Our work is never static! There is always something interesting to do. I like that what my colleagues and I do is enduring.”
Patty Duran is a Human Resources Analyst with the San Diego County Water Authority. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority
“The work is challenging, yet it is rewarding to work with a team to find solutions to issues that directly impact our community,” said Patty Duran, Human Resources Analyst at the San Diego County Water Authority. “My advice to anyone interested in joining the water industry is to seek out learning and networking opportunities through professional associations and industry certifications.”
(To learn more about career opportunities in the water industry go to: www.sandiegowaterworks.org.)
Kevin James is a Facilities Services Technician with the San Diego County Water Authority. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority
“I was inspired to work in the water industry by my former Supervisor Baldemar Troche also known as BT,” said Kevin James, Facilities Services Technician at the San Diego County Water Authority. “At the time, I wasn’t fully sure if I was ready to make a change in my career path of HVAC. But after being mentored and speaking on the possible issues of this transition, BT reassured me of a brighter future I could have in the water industry. Also after seeing how successful his time was at the Water Authority and the gratification of helping our community to provide water to the San Diego region, it was a no brainer. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. And I am happy to have made the right choice.”
Follow the Water Authority’s social media accounts to learn more about our amazing team and the essential role they play in our community, and to get more information about jobs in the water industry.
For the sixth consecutive year, the San Diego County Water Authority’s Water News Network website was recognized as the Best Public Service/Consumer Advocacy Website. The Water News Network was awarded for its public outreach and education at the San Diego Press Club’s 50th annual Excellence in Journalism Awards.
Among the largest annual competitions in the United States, San Diego’s finest reporters, photographers, writers, artists, and communicators were honored with the region’s top awards.
The Water News Network was awarded first place as the Best Public Service or Consumer Advocacy Website. The WNN has won the award every year since the website launched in mid-2018.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria congratulated winners at the San Diego Press Club Journalism Awards. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority
The award for best public service website is one of five awards the WNN received during a ceremony October 3 at Balboa Park. At the event, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria recognized the contributions of the San Diego journalism community and the San Diego Press Club over its 50-year history.
Water Authority Senior Public Affairs Representative Ed Joyce and former public affairs department intern Noah Harrel received second place for original reporting in the Online and Daily Newspapers: Military category for “Marine Corps Veteran Shawntrel McCoy Finds Perfect Fit in the SkillBridge Program.”
Writer Gayle Falkenthal received third place in the Online and Daily Newspapers: Public Service/Consumer Advocacy category for “Special Water Rates Program Reduces Costs for San Diego County Growers.”
The WNN team took home a third-place award in the PR, PIO, and Trade Publications Video category, for its Landscape Optimization Program video series.
A joint entry from the Water Authority and the Vallecitos Water District public affairs team of Chris Robbins, Lisa Urabe, and Alicia Yerman won First Place in the Television/Online Video, Community Service/Public Affairs Reporting category for its Landscape Optimization Program video series, published in the Water News Network and on the Vallecitos Water District YouTube channel.
In its sixth year of operation, the Water News Network is viewed as a reliable source of factual information upholding the standards of journalism to benefit the Water Authority, its 24 member agencies, its stakeholders, and the residents of San Diego County.
The San Diego Press Club honors the region’s best communicators in media each year at the Excellence in Journalism Awards.
Websites, Public Service or Consumer Advocacy Site: First Place, Water News Network
Online/Daily Newspapers, Military: Second Place, Marine Corps Veteran Shawntrel McCoy Finds Perfect Fit in the SkillBridge Program, Ed Joyce and Noah Harrel
Online/Daily Newspapers, Public Service/Consumer Advocacy: Third Place, Special Water Rates Program Reduces Costs for San Diego County Growers, Gayle Falkenthal
PR, PIO, and Trade Publications, Video: Third Place, Landscape Optimization Program Video Series, Water News Network Team
(Editor’s note: The Vallecitos Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)
As the official 2024 California water year began Sunday, the San Diego County Water Authority predicted “reliable supplies” thanks to full reservoirs and and continued investment in desalination and other diversified sources.
At the end of August 2023, reservoirs in the county had an additional 137,400 acre-feet of storage, an 80% increase from the same time in 2022 amid drought conditions. And compared to recent years, the condition of the Colorado River is improved and California will not face supply restrictions.
October 2, 2023 – Thanks to a decades-long supply diversification strategy and continued efficient use of water across the region, the San Diego County Water Authority announced today that the region has reliable supplies to meet demands in Water Year 2024, which started Oct. 1.
Hydrologists use Oct. 1 to begin measuring the snow and rain that will help carry water users through dry summer months the following calendar year. This fall, El Niño conditions continue to strengthen and could bring above-average precipitation to Southern California. In a recent El Niño forecast by NOAA, there is a greater than 95% chance that El Niño continues across the Northern Hemisphere through the winter into 2024. The chance of a “strong” El Niño is 71%.
“San Diego County continues to have the water necessary to support our $268 billion economy and quality of life for 3.3 million residents,” said Mel Katz, chair of the Water Authority Board of Directors. “We are grateful for the reprieve from drought – but we recognize that dry times will return, probably sooner than later. We are ready when they do.”
Despite significant rain and snow over the past 12 months, longer-term trends indicate a hotter, drier Southwest climate. Across the arid Southwest, water agencies are spending billions of dollars to increase water supply reliability as they balance the costs of investments against the costs of not having enough water for homes and businesses.
Since the early 1990s, the Water Authority and its 24 member agencies have made major investments in supply reliability, including in the landmark conservation-based 2003 Quantification Settlement Agreement, which provides over half of the region’s water, the building of the nation’s largest seawater desalination plant, and in the maintaining and upgrading of water infrastructure. That strategy has paid off during dry times. Just one year ago, the situation was dramatically different in other parts of Southern California, as millions of residents were reduced to health and safety water rations – though regional investments meant the San Diego region was spared.
Compared to recent years, the new water year begins with improved supply conditions at the Water Authority’s two imported water sources – the Colorado River and the Sierra Nevada. On the Colorado River, a good water year and conservation efforts raised storage levels, prompting the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to declare that California will not face supply restrictions through 2024.
Meanwhile, in Northern California, Lake Oroville and San Luis Reservoir – two key State Water Project reservoirs – had 2.76 million more acre-feet in storage combined at the end of August 2023 compared to the prior August. (An acre-foot is approximately 325,900 gallons, or enough water to meet the annual needs of three typical single-family households.)
In the San Diego region, water users also benefit from the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, as well as increased water storage levels in many local reservoirs. At the end of August 2023, member agency local storage was up 137,400 acre-feet, or 80%, compared to the same time in 2022. Meanwhile, the Water Authority had approximately 100,000 acre-feet available in emergency and carryover storage. This represents emergency storage for up to six-months and carryover storage to minimize or avoid potential supply cutbacks during periods of drought or other supply shortage events.
For information on water-efficient programs and rebates, go to: www.sdcwa.org/your-water/conservation/.
The cutting-edge world of desalination and the future of water supply in Southern California is the topic for conversation and insight from water agency officials in a new podcast. The four distinguished guests are from San Diego County Water Authority, Eastern Municipal Water District, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District and South Coast Water District.
The San Diego County Water Authority’s new SkillBridge Program intern came ashore in the perfect location. Of all the adventures Trevor Bland’s military service has taken him on, he regards San Diego as his favorite. It is here where he enjoys physical fitness, trips to the beach and the city’s Mexican food scene.
Luckily, when Bland joined the Department of Defense SkillBridge program he didn’t have to go far.
Bland was assigned as a human resources analyst intern with the Water Authority in August after five years of Naval service. Drawing from his experience as a U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer, he says, gave him the skills to address personnel issues in the civilian workforce.
The San Diego County Water Authority’s new SkillBridge Program intern came ashore in the perfect location. Of all the adventures Trevor Bland’s military service has taken him on, he regards San Diego as his favorite. It is here where he enjoys physical fitness, trips to the beach and the city’s Mexican food scene.
Luckily, when Bland joined the Department of Defense SkillBridge program he didn’t have to go far.
Bland was assigned as a human resources analyst intern with the Water Authority in August after five years of Naval service. Drawing from his experience as a U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer, he says, gave him the skills to address personnel issues in the civilian workforce.
“My time in the Navy taught me how to stay calm, think clearly and problem solve in high pressure situations,” Bland said. “This experience with problem mitigation and solutions prepared me for the many roles in the human resources department.”
After receiving his B.A. in Psychology from Suffolk University in 2019, Bland commissioned in the U.S. Navy. Inspired by his father’s service of more than 30 years, he says the path to service always felt natural.
Bland began his first naval tour aboard the USS Dewey in San Diego, where he served as a Repair Officer and Boarding Officer.
In August of 2021 when the USS Dewey’s homeport was transferred nearly 6,000 miles away to Yokosuka, Japan, Bland followed.
During this 12-month stay in the South China Sea, Bland led a team of 10 specially trained sailors in counter-piracy missions that tackled smuggling and theft.
Bland finished his military career in late 2022 with his second and final tour as the Auxiliaries Officer and Assistant Chief Engineer on board the USS Harpers Ferry.
“My time in the Navy taught me how to stay calm, think clearly and problem solve in high pressure situations,” Trevor Bland said. “This experience with problem mitigation and solutions prepared me for the many roles in the human resources department.” Photo: San Diego County Water Authority
Now at the Water Authority, Bland’s role includes promoting job openings, ensuring consistency among various HR projects and assisting other outgoing military personnel with their career changes.
Transitioning from active duty to civilian life can be intimidating, says Bland. Without a clear vision for one’s career path and daily life, many members leave the service fearful for the future.
“For the first time in however many years, the service member is alone in ensuring everything from their medical insurance to financial stability is in order, when prior to that, those benefits were awarded to them,” Bland said.
It’s at this pivot point where SkillBridge makes the difference. SkillBridge offers service members a chance to gain new experience and skills in the civilian workforce before they leave the military.
Upon joining the four-month program, members receive the same military benefits and pay they received on active duty while working full-time in a civilian field of their choice.
“When you’re in SkillBridge, you still have the security of your military career while experimenting with different jobs,” Bland said.
Participation in the program not only helps service members, but it’s rewarding for employers as well. Employers gain early access to the new perspectives, diverse and dedicated skills that SkillBridge interns bring from years in the military.
“Interns like Trevor are a great addition to our department because they bring skills and a proven work ethic from the military that would otherwise be untapped if not for SkillBridge,” said Gretchen Spaniol, Water Authority acting director of human resources.
As the first public agency in California to partake in the Department of Defense’s Skillbridge Program, the Water Authority has led the way in integrating former military personnel into the water industry. Since joining the program in 2020, the Water Authority has welcomed eight military interns.
For the interns, the payoff is clear. “The cooperation and support provided by the Water Authority make this life change a lot less scary,” Bland said.
As the home to both Navy and Marine Corps families, San Diego has more than 110,000 active-duty personnel, with military families constituting nearly 8% of the county’s population. Of the more than 30,000 service members departing from the military each year in California, over half reside in the San Diego region.
The Water Authority’s successful participation in SkillBridge highlights the agency’s commitment to military personnel and families.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
