Tag Archive for: San Diego County Water Authority

Offshore Wind, Solar Along San Diego Highways and More: Some Key Energy Bills Heading to Newsom’s Desk

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Rob Nikolewski Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Gavin Newsom better have a big desk.

Of more than 2,600 bills introduced in the legislative session that wrapped up late last week, about 840 managed to navigate their way through the Assembly and Senate. The bills that survived the legislative gauntlet now await their respective fates at the hand of the governor, who has an Oct. 13 deadline to sign them into law or veto them.

Here’s a look at some of the noteworthy energy bills Newsom will consider:

A late provision by outgoing Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, included a proposed pumped hydroelectric storage project at San Vicente Reservoir near Lakeside to the list of potential projects that AB 1373 helps facilitate.

If constructed, the San Vicente project will pump water from the existing reservoir to a smaller reservoir (still to be constructed) and then generate emissions-free electricity by sending the water back downhill.

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Free WaterSmart Classes Help Residents Transform Landscapes

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

The San Diego County Water Authority offers free WaterSmart classes, with both virtual and in-person options, taught by local landscape design professionals. Classes help participants understand landscape design and maintenance, soil identification and health, turf types and removal tips, plant selection, rainwater catchment, irrigation retrofits and project installation, whether completed as a DIY project or with contractor assistance.

Participants get the knowledge and skills they need to transform their yards into spaces that are water-efficient, sustainable, and beautiful year-round.  The workshops are typically offered in spring and in fall clusters, with fall classes scheduled for September through November.

Five topics are available to choose from, including:

  • Plan Ahead: Understanding Soil and Site Assessments
  • Design: Shape Your Space
  • Plants: Inspiring Choices for our Region
  • Water & Irrigation: Utilizing a Precious Resource
  • Installation and Maintenance: Protecting Your Investment

Local professionals can help you create a customized plan

Participants who attend all five workshops and meet other program criteria can sign up to receive an in-home visit by a landscape professional who will help them create customized landscape transformation plans, through the Designer at Your Door service. For more information, visit sdcwa.org/your-water/conservation/classes.

“The workshops are designed to help residents create and maintain their own beautiful and water-efficient outdoor spaces,” said Debby Dunn, a water resources specialist for the Water Authority. “Most of our residential water use is outdoors in our landscapes. This is why learning how to create water-efficient spaces is a great way for San Diegans to continue doing their part to use water efficiently.”

Short videos offer an educational and entertaining experience

For people who prefer to learn at their own pace, the Water Authority offers short, entertaining and educational on-demand videos, with topics that mirror the workshops. To watch the videos go to sdcwa.org/your-water/conservation/classes and click on the videos link.

Low-water plants, improved irrigation technologies, and WaterSmart classes not only save water, but also reduce energy use, protect our natural resources, and create beautiful outdoor living spaces.

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What You Need to Know to Vote in California’s 2023 Special Election

/in , , /by /KPBS FM/TVby KPBS Staff Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

San Diego is holding four special elections on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023. Understanding the “who, what, where when and how” of voting can be daunting. KPBS researched answers to frequently asked voter questions.

What is the special election about?

Voters will weigh in on four special elections in different parts of the County. Only those who live in the County’s Fourth Supervisorial District, the city of Chula Vista or in Fallbrook and Rainbow’s districts are eligible to vote in the special election.

In the county’s Fourth Supervisorial District voters will decide on who will fill the seat vacated by former Supervisor Nathan Fletcher and make the final choice among the top two vote-getters in the special general election — voting for either Monica Montgomery Steppe, a Democrat, attorney, and San Diego City Council president pro tem or Republican Amy Reichert, founder of ReOpen San Diego.

Voters in the city of Chula Vista will vote to fill the vacant City Attorney seat. This term expires in December 2026. Candidates include Bart Miesfeld, who served as a city attorney for Chula Vista in the past, Dan Smith Diaz, an attorney, and Marco Verdugo, also an attorney with Burke, Williams & Sorensen.

Detachment

In Fallbrook and Rainbow voters will weigh in on whether the Fallbrook Public Utility District and the Rainbow Municipal Water District should detach from the San Diego County Water Authority and join the Eastern Municipal Water District.

Special Election 2023: Rainbow, Fallbrook water districts detachment measure

By Alexander Nguyen / Multimedia Producer, North County

www.kpbs.org/news/politics/2023/09/15/special-election-2023-rainbow-fallbrook-water-districts-detachment-measure

For the full list of races and candidates on your ballot, visit the KPBS interactive guide.

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Bill to Require Countywide Vote on Water Districts’ Divorce Passes, but Likely Too Late for San Diego

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Jeff McDonald Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

State lawmakers on Tuesday passed a bill that would require voters across broadwater authorities to allow individual districts to withdraw before they can legally detach from regional agencies.

But the legislation may be too late to prevent two North County water districts from divorcing from the San Diego County Water Authority.

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Voters in North County, 4th Supervisorial District Sent Details About Upcoming Special Election

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Jeff McDonald Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

San Diego County elections officials have mailed out more than 430,000 notices to registered voters eligible to participate in the November special election, alerting people to the issues and how they may cast their ballots.

Voters in the 4th District of the county Board of Supervisors will choose between San Diego City Councilmember Monica Montgomery Steppe and activist Amy Reichert in the runoff election to succeed former supervisor Nathan Fletcher.

Residents of the Fallbrook Public Utilities District and Rainbow Municipal Water District will decide whether to secede from the San Diego County Water Authority, a plan that was approved by the Local Agency Formation Commission in June but is still being challenged in court.

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Opinion: 37,000 County Residents Want to Raise Water Costs for 3.3 Million San Diegans Without a Vote

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diego by Brigette Browning and Carol Kim Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Imagine going to dinner with a large group where everyone orders a full meal and one couple leaves just as the bill arrives. Unfortunately, this “dine and dash” is happening right now in San Diego County. Except it’s not just friends at dinner but rather two water districts attempting to leave us all with a tab of more than $200 million as they form a new partnership in Riverside.

What does this mean for the rest of us? All our water bills will go up as we’re forced to foot the bill.

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11 Billion Gallons of Water Released from Hodges Reservoir

/in , /by /CBS8by David Gotfredson, Dorian Hargrove Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Over the past year, eleven billion gallons of water have been wasted/released from the Hodges Reservoir.

The City of San Diego said it is under a state order to keep the water level low in the lake. Water districts said the city is to blame because the San Diego Public Utilities Department failed to maintain the dam for decades.

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State Bill is Just a Little Too Late

/in , /by /Voice of San Diego Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

A bill that would have made it harder for two water districts to break up with the San Diego County Water Authority lost a bit of steam late last week.

What happened: The state Senate Appropriations Committee passed AB 399 to the Senate floor for debate but got rid of a clause that would have allowed the bill to become law more quickly.

The bill would require that voters across the county approve any water district’s desire to leave the Water Authority. And that clause was important to the bill’s supporters because it would have stopped two districts from leaving.

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San Diego County Water Authority And its 24 Member Agencies

Water Authority Earns National Conservation Innovation Award

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The San Diego County Water Authority was recognized with a national award from the Alliance for Water Efficiency for programs that help county residents and businesses conserve water. The Water Authority earned the 2023 Utility Innovation Award for developing and deploying of one of the first and most comprehensive multi-benefit water-use efficiency incentive programs in the nation, in partnership with the County of San Diego.

 

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Alliance for Water Efficiency-Award-AWE-Water Authority

Water Authority Earns National Conservation Innovation Award

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The San Diego County Water Authority was recognized with a national award from the Alliance for Water Efficiency for programs that help county residents and businesses conserve water. The Water Authority earned the 2023 Utility Innovation Award for developing and deploying of one of the first and most comprehensive multi-benefit water-use efficiency incentive programs in the nation, in partnership with the County of San Diego.

The partnership combines the strength of the region’s wholesale water supplier with the county’s stormwater department, which together have co-funded incentive and educational programs that produce both water supply and water quality benefits.

Water Authority recognized with national award for regional partnership

The partnership also includes a technical assistance program, the Landscape Optimization Service, which helps large landscape owners replace turf grass with sustainable landscaping. In addition, the Water Authority launched the “Multi-Benefit Stacked Incentives Learning Network” to bring together its 24 member agencies and 21 stormwater agencies to foster investments with multiple benefits.

The Alliance for Water Efficiency is a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Chicago dedicated to the efficient and sustainable use of water. The organization advocates for water-efficient products and programs and provides information and assistance on water conservation efforts.

Innovative programs

“The Alliance for Water Efficiency was thrilled to present the 2023 Utility Innovation Award to the San Diego County Water Authority,” said AWE President and CEO Ron Burke. “The Water Authority … has been a longtime, trusted partner in this work. Our staff was excited to present this award in recognition of their innovative programs to provide services to their customers that conserve water and advance water efficiency throughout San Diego County.”

In addition to its partnership with the county, the Water Authority regularly works with other agencies to promote water efficiency as a way of life. Since 2021, the Water Authority has partnered with SDG&E to install water-efficient toilets along with energy saving devices for income qualified residents.

“Helping water users improve efficiency reduces the need for imported supplies as we embrace sustainable practices,” said Mel Katz, chair of the Water Authority’s Board. “This award highlights successful efforts by the Water Authority and its partners to ensure San Diego County can sustain our safe and reliable water resources for the long-term.”

Earlier this year, the Water Authority secured $3 million from DWR’s Urban Community Drought Relief Grant and $250,000 from the Proposition 1, Round 2 IRWM Grant to expand the program, bolstering the agency’s long-running efforts to enhance water affordability. The program is also funded through a partnership between the Water Authority and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

(Editor’s Note: For rebates, classes, and water-saving tips go to: sdcwa.org/your-water/conservation/.)