As the unprecedented drought continues to affect California and the San Diego region, homeowners can still balance the need to conserve water as efficiently as possible while preserving valuable landscaping, including trees. Trees can be maintained while following California’s water guidelines.
The mighty Colorado River isn’t so mighty anymore. The U.S. Department of the Interior announced Tuesday steps will be taken to protect the increasingly fragile source of water.
“The worsening drought crisis impacting the Colorado River Basin is driven by the effects of climate change, including extreme heat and low precipitation. In turn, severe drought conditions exacerbate wildfire risk and ecosystems disruption, increasing the stress on communities and our landscapes,” said Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau.
The Golden State is doing more than just praying for rain amidst the historic drought that is battering the state and the western United States.
Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a plan that would increase California’s water supply and combat the extreme weather patterns caused by climate change. The initiative, its scope captured in the 19-page “California’s Water Supply Strategy, Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future” document released by Newsom’s administration, will invest $8 billion in water recycling, storage, and desalination.
Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled a new water strategy on Thursday that plans for a future with 10% less water and shifts the emphasis from conservation to capturing more water that otherwise flows out to sea.
Climate change has contributed to more severe drought but has also set the stage for more intense flooding when rain does fall, as was demonstrated last week in California’s Death Valley, one of the hottest, driest parts of the United States.
The question persists even though it shouldn’t: Can California conserve its way out of this drought?
The answer is clearly no. But then again, if water policy in California were as clear as water itself, Jake Gittes would never have been told to “forget it.”
As the current drought stretches into a third year, the San Diego County Water Authority is providing water saving tips as part of a drought survival kit to San Diegans.
Scientists confirm California and the Southwest U.S. is experiencing the worst megadrought in the last 1,200 years. It has prompted Governor Gavin Newsom to order new emergency water rules and cutbacks with the goal of preparing the state for a 10% decrease in the available water supply by 2040.
“The hots are getting a lot hotter, the dries are getting a lot drier and … the wets are getting wetter,” Newsom said in announcing the plan at a desalination plant under construction in Antioch, 45 miles inland from San Francisco, that will turn brackish water into drinking water.
Without action, extreme weather could diminish our water supply by up to 10% by 2040. So we’re acting now.
CA’s Water Supply Strategy outlines how we can replace what we’ll lose including ways to store, recycle, conserve, & de-salt like they are at Antioch Brackish Desalination. pic.twitter.com/4jd2Fevxzz
— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) August 11, 2022
Many years ago, San Diego regional water leaders had the foresight to call for conservation efforts to help build our resilience. Now we are in a more fortunate position thanks to our diversified water supply than much of the state.
San Diegans have learned how to conserve water, but there is always more we can do. San Diego County Water Authority Water Resources Specialist Efren Lopez joined CBS 8 Anchor and Reporter Carlo Cecchetto on the news program “The Four” to discuss the Governor’s report and offer additional ways San Diegans can reduce water use.
“San Diego’s great at conservation. Conservation is a way of life here, but there is always something more we can do,” said Lopez. He suggests homeowners use a shutoff nozzle when hand watering using their garden hose and test soil with a moisture sensor to determine when soil is dry enough before irrigating.
In addition to water-saving measures, San Diego County residents can take advantage of the Water Authority’s rebate programs for turf replacement, irrigation devices, and WaterSmart landscape gardens. Countywide, San Diegans have removed more than one million square feet of turf through rebate programs, resulting in annual water savings of 36.5 million gallons.
“In San Diego, we’ve been diversifying our water supply for decades,” said Lopez. “So we’re prepared for this drought. It’s great to see the governor supportive of resilient supplies and a portfolio approach to our water supply so that we don’t rely on just one source.”
Lopez encouraged San Diego County residents to get additional tips for saving water at www.watersmartSD.org.
Sandra L. Kerl, general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority, issued the following statement in response to the water supply strategy released today by Gov. Newsom. https://t.co/3ReE8hw5Rt #cawater #cadrought pic.twitter.com/Sg35xnZTpq
— San Diego County Water Authority (@sdcwa) August 11, 2022
Aug. 11, 2022 – Sandra L. Kerl, general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority, issued the following statement in response to the water supply strategy released today by Gov. Newsom.
“Gov. Newsom has shown remarkable leadership dealing with extreme drought conditions, and his new strategy to improve California’s water resilience is another important step to protect the state’s economy and quality of life. The governor’s approach aligns closely with the Water Authority’s 30-year strategy that combines new supplies, infrastructure upgrades and conservation.
“While conservation has become a way of life in San Diego County, it’s clear that we cannot conserve our way out of the more frequent severe droughts afflicting the arid West. Both here and across the state, we must continue making strategic investments in supply reliability. We support state efforts to promote long-term thinking and the development of infrastructure to increase our capacity for water storage, water production, and water distribution. Those efforts are already well underway in the San Diego region, where our member agencies are developing repurification plants that extend our supplies by treating wastewater to drinking water standards.
“We applaud Gov. Newsom and the state for continued coordination and consideration of the unique hydrology of California’s different communities as they address long-term water supplies and the aridification of the West. We also welcome former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to the governor’s water leadership team. His experience and know-how will be critical to rapidly deploying solutions that are so urgently needed statewide and securing federal funds for that work.
“As we collectively work to improve California’s water supply, state and federal agencies have an opportunity and a responsibility to help pay for needed upgrades to ensure that safe and reliable water supplies are available and affordable for every Californian.”
— Sandra L. Kerl, General Manager, San Diego County Water Authority
Following Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent executive order and a State Water Board emergency regulation, members of the California Urban Water Agencies, or CUWA, including the San Diego County Water Authority continue to advance water-saving efforts, yielding measurable results.
These efforts come on the back of the driest first quarter in California’s history, which prompted the Governor to call for local water conservation steps rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. As severe drought conditions persist, state and local agencies are working together to support the Governor’s call to action and lower water use across all sectors through a variety of measures.
“Governor Newsom has demonstrated strong leadership in directing water agencies to implement actions that are the best fit for the communities we serve,” said Water Authority General Manager and CUWA Board Chair Sandy Kerl. “We look forward to continued collaboration at the state and local level as we collectively prepare for a more resilient future.”
“While we have made historic investments to protect our communities, economy, and ecosystems from the worsening drought across the West, it is clear we need to do more,” said Governor Newsom in a press release. “Amid climate-driven extremes in weather, we must all continue to do our part and make water conservation a way of life.”
The Carlsbad Desalination Plant uses reverse osmosis to produce approximately 10% of the region’s water supply; it is a core supply regardless of weather conditions, and it is blended with water from other sources for regional distribution. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority
Over the past few months, the Governor has convened a series of meetings with local water agencies, including Kerl and other CUWA representatives, to discuss progress and call for continued action. Since the first meeting in May, Californians have made substantial progress in conservation. Preliminary numbers suggest overall water use was down 7.5% in June compared to June 2020.
Based on an analysis of provisional data, CUWA agencies anticipate even greater water savings in July — about 10% on average compared to 2020, with several agencies exceeding 15% savings. This is due to significant investments in conservation rebates, turf replacement programs, public messaging, and outreach including stringent water use restrictions where necessary.
Beyond the immediate need for water conservation, Governor Newsom supports long-term drought resilience. “We are dealing with a changed climate in California that demands we reimagine not just how we use water, but how we capture, store and distribute it throughout the state,” Newsom said in a recent meeting.
In alignment with state priorities, CUWA members continue to invest in storage and drought-resilient supplies, such as water reuse and desalination, through local and collaborative regional efforts.
The Center for Water Studies at Cuyamaca College and San Diego County water agencies are hosting a free career day August 10 for military veterans looking to transition into the water and wastewater industry. The in-person career day is 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cuyamaca College Student Center, 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway in El Cajon.
Registration is online at CenterforWaterStudies.org. The San Diego County Water Authority is co-sponsoring the military career day.
Many water agencies are hiring, and veterans have key skills needed to provide safe, reliable drinking water for San Diego communities.
The opportunities for both transitioning servicemembers and local water agencies are significant. More than 30,000 service members separate from the military each year in California, and more than half are transitioning out of active duty in the San Diego region. Roughly half of the current water industry workforce in the San Diego region will be eligible to retire in the next 15 years – and approximately 1,400 water and wastewater industry jobs are expected to open in the region in the next five years.
Veterans will have the opportunity to meet water agency recruiters, learn about industry pay and benefits, and receive advice on different career pathways and fast-track educational opportunities offered by the Center for Water Studies, which provides specialized training in water and wastewater operations.
The “Warriors2WaterWorks” career day will be filled with many opportunities for veterans entering the civilian work world:
In October 2020, The San Diego County Water Authority and its 24 member agencies launched a website – SanDiegoWaterWorks.org – that provides the first comprehensive posting of regional water and wastewater industry job openings in one location. The San Diego Water Works website includes:
Jason Gumbiner, a Senior Engineering Technician for the San Diego County Water Authority and Navy veteran, shares why he thinks the water industry is a good fit for veterans. https://t.co/2BZw0vESah
— San Diego County Water Authority (@sdcwa) August 4, 2022
