Tag Archive for: San Diego County Water Authority

Emergency Water Delivery-Tijuana-San Diego County Water Authority

Water Authority Delivers Emergency Water Supply to Tijuana

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Fast action by the San Diego County Water Authority and its partners is helping maintain water service in Tijuana after problems with the city’s aqueduct emerged in December.

Emergency water deliveries started last week after a coordinated effort between the Water Authority, Otay Water District, and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). The typical multi-month approval process was compressed into a few days to avoid additional water supply shortages in Tijuana.

Agency accelerates emergency water delivery

“We’re extremely proud of how quickly the Water Authority staff worked to meet the emergency water needs of our neighbors to the south,” said Mel Katz, Water Authority Board Chair. “Coordinating with multiple agencies and getting the necessary approvals in just three days was a team effort and is a credit to the Water Resources and Operations & Maintenance departments.”

Cross-border emergency deliveries started more than 50 years ago and are governed by an agreement between the United States and Mexico to provide Tijuana with a portion of Mexico’s Colorado River supply. The Water Authority provides emergency water deliveries to Mexico through a cross-border connection in Otay Mesa. These deliveries use Water Authority, Otay Water District, and MWD facilities to transport the emergency supplies from the Colorado River to Mexico, which pays transportation costs on deliveries to Tijuana and provides funds for meter connection upkeep. Deliveries are typically planned months in advance due to the number of government agencies involved.

Coordination with multiple agencies

On January 2, the Water Authority received a request for emergency water delivery to Tijuana. Water Authority staff immediately expedited the complex approval process during this unplanned Tijuana aqueduct outage. Those steps included working with the U.S. International Boundary & Water Commission, Otay Water District, and MWD to confirm system capacity availability and establish costs associated with the additional emergency deliveries.

The current water deliveries are scheduled to continue until the end of February. Consistent with the previously approved schedule, planned water deliveries will restart in April and continue through September 2023.

(Editor’s note: The Otay Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across San Diego County.)

San Diego County Water Authority And its 24 Member Agencies

Water Authority Delivers Emergency Water Supply to Tijuana

/in , /by

Fast action by the San Diego County Water Authority and its partners is helping maintain water service in Tijuana after problems with the city’s aqueduct emerged in December.

Emergency water deliveries started last week after a coordinated effort between the Water Authority, Otay Water District, and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). The typical multi-month approval process was compressed into a few days to avoid additional water supply shortages in Tijuana.

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Director Jim Madaffer Elected Vice Chair of the Colorado River Board of California

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

San Diego County Water Authority Board Member Jim Madaffer has been elected vice chair of the Colorado River Board of California. The CRB represents California in river management discussions with other Basin states, federal agencies, tribes, and Mexico.

Madaffer, the Water Authority’s CRB representative since 2019, will serve a four-year term as vice chair following his election on January 11 during the CRB meeting in Ontario, Calif. He will serve alongside Imperial Irrigation District Board Vice President JB Hamby, who was elected chair.

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San Diego County Water Authority And its 24 Member Agencies

Director Jim Madaffer Elected Vice Chair of the Colorado River Board of California

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San Diego County Water Authority Board Member Jim Madaffer has been elected vice chair of the Colorado River Board of California (CRB), which represents California in river management discussions with other Basin states, federal agencies, tribes, and Mexico.

Madaffer, the Water Authority’s CRB representative since 2019, will serve a four-year term as vice chair following his election on January 11 during the CRB meeting in Ontario. He will serve alongside Imperial Irrigation District Board Vice President JB Hamby, who was elected chair.

“I look forward to working with Chair Hamby and the rest of the Colorado River Board to both protect California’s water supplies during these challenging times and to work collaboratively to keep the river flowing for all users,” said Madaffer, a former chair of the Water Authority Board. “It is essential that California agencies unite to uphold the Law of the River as we seek solutions with the widest possible benefits.”

Established in 1937, CRB consists of agency representatives from the Water Authority, IID, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Coachella Valley Water District, Palo Verde Irrigation District, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Additional representatives include the directors of the California Department of Water Resources and Department of Fish and Wildlife, along with two public representatives.

CRB’s role has been pivotal in protecting the state’s share of the river during this period when two decades of drought have caused a sharp supply/demand imbalance, leading to a severe decline in water levels in the river’s two main reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell.

Led by CRB, California has proposed conserving up to 400,000 acre-feet annually through 2026 to support the river. Though that conservation will not affect the San Diego region’s high-priority Quantification Settlement Agreement supplies, the region is continuing to take active steps to conserve as it has over the past three decades.

“The San Diego region is committed to doing our part to be good stewards of our water supplies,” said Water Authority Board Chair Mel Katz. “We also believe in working collaboratively with all stakeholders on the river, and Jim’s leadership on the Colorado River Board in his new role as vice chair will only advance those efforts.”

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San Diego Farmers Say Rain Will Let Them Go Weeks Without Irrigation

/in , , /by /NBC 7 San Diegoby Omari Fleming Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Vendors at the Ocean Beach farmers market are singing rain’s praises after a series of storms that have passed through San Diego.

“I love it, we love it,” exclaimed farmer Mario Pasqual.

“We definitely need the water. You know, we haven’t had a lot of rain,” fellow farmer Eduardo Valdivia said.

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Storms Helping in San Diego County Drought, More Rain Needed

/in , , /by /FOX 5 San Diegoby Sarah Alegre Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The series of storms that are moving through California are helping with the drought, but there’s still more work to be done. Despite the ongoing rain, experts suggest while it’s beneficial, the state and the county aren’t out of the woods quite yet.

The wet weather has led to a cautious celebration for Pam Meisner with the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyama College. The wave of atmospheric river storms, although leading to dangerous coastal flooding, has helped in her efforts to combat the statewide drought.

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Landscape Makeover Program Adds New ‘Designer At Your Door’ Service

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

There is a new opportunity for San Diego County residents who want to save water through the WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program: “Designer At Your Door.” This new in-person service offers on-site and in-studio technical design assistance from landscape industry professionals for qualified residents.

As 2023 begins with cool, rainy weather, now is the ideal time to attend a virtual three-hour workshop to start your makeover.

This new iteration of the WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program features the original award-winning WaterSmart curriculum delivered in three ways: special topic workshops available online and in-person; virtual skill-building videos; and in-person technical design assistance.

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Mission Trails Water Project Completed; Park Trails Reopened

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

One of the San Diego County Water Authority’s large-scale capital improvement projects – the Mission Trails Flow Regulatory Structure II and Flow Control Facility (FRS II) – is now completed. The project upgraded the Water Authority’s untreated water supply system by improving the delivery of water to treatment plants serving the central and southern areas of San Diego County.

The FRS II project, which began construction in spring 2020, includes a new 5-million-gallon underground covered reservoir, a flow control facility and pipeline interconnections. The reservoir is covered with soil and vegetation, except for several access hatches and vents that allow for air movement inside the reservoir.

FRS II is the Water Authority’s second underground water tank located in Mission Trails Regional Park – the other one, located just west of the new one, is a treated water tank. The two tanks work to efficiently move water through the region, ultimately to customer’s homes and businesses.

“The Water Authority thanks the community for their patience while crews work to successfully build this important water delivery project,” said Michael Heu, the Water Authority’s construction manager for the project. “With the project completed, we are pleased to reopen the park trails which were previously impacted due to construction activity. The public’s safety was a top priority during this work.”

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Snow Survey: Good Start but Drought Relief Depends on Coming Months

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

The California Department of Water Resources first manual snow survey of the season Tuesday at Phillips Station recorded 55.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 17.5 inches, which is 177% of average for the location. The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast. Statewide the snowpack is 174% of average for this date.

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Turn Off Irrigation During and After Rainstorms

/in , , /by /Times of San Diego by Debbie L. Sklar Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

A series of storms bringing much-needed rain to the San Diego region is also a reminder for residents and businesses to turn off irrigation systems when wet weather is predicted and for at least a week after significant rainfall.

While a series of atmospheric rivers is boosting the Sierra snowpack and easing dry conditions statewide, there is still a long way to go to overcome three arid years. Water-saving actions today can help conserve more of our most precious natural resources when needed.

“Outdoor watering accounts for at least half of a typical household’s water use, which means that cutting back on irrigation during damp and cool periods is one of the easiest ways to live WaterSmart,” said Efren Lopez, a water resources specialist for the San Diego County Water Authority. “With a half-inch of rain in many areas on Tuesday night and several more damp days in the forecast, this is the perfect time to turn off the sprinklers for an extended period.”

Despite the most severe drought conditions in more than 1,200 years, San Diego County continues to have enough water to meet demands due to significant investments in water conservation and supplies. The region’s long-term supply reliability depends on a continued commitment to water-use efficiency indoors and outdoors by homes and businesses both large and small.

Rain barrels are one easy way to save water. “Water stored in rain barrels can gradually be released into landscapes between rains,” said Lopez. “With our region’s traditionally wet months just ahead, this is a great way to increase your outdoor water efficiency.”

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