San Diego County Water Authority is installing low-flow toilets in low-income San Diego homes for free. Many conventional toilets use 1.6 gallons of water or more per flush. If it’s running between flushes, it could be wasting up to 200 gallons an hour. Over four days, that’s enough to fill a swimming pool.
With the new year, Fallbrook residents are seeing a reduction in their water rates as a result of the detachment from the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) — the so-called “water divorce.”
Income-qualifying residents in the San Diego region can still benefit from a grant-funded program replacing outdated toilets with high-efficiency models in 2024.
More than 6,000 high-efficiency toilets have been installed free of charge to date in under-represented communities across the region through a grant-funded program run by the San Diego County Water Authority.
Funding remains available to replace about 4,000 more outdated toilets with professionally installed, high-efficiency models at no cost. Eligible communities include mobile home communities, multi-family units, and income-qualifying single-family homes.
Qualified applicants for low-flow upgrades include mobile home communities, multi-family housing, and income-qualifying single-family homes. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority
Smart irrigation controllers are also available at no cost through the program. Participants must be residential customers within the Water Authority’s service area.
Learn more about the program, including eligibility requirements and the application process at Direct Install Program.
High-efficiency toilets and smart irrigation controllers conserve water while saving costs. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority
“This is a great way for residents to get a free home upgrade that conserves water and saves on water bills,” said Mel Katz, chair of the Water Authority’s Board of Directors. “Water affordability is a top priority for the Water Authority, and this program is one of many ways we are combatting inflationary pressures on water prices.”
Through the Direct Install Program, toilets that use 1.6 gallons or more per flush are replaced with premium, high-efficiency models that use half the water. The program is entirely funded by more than $4 million in grants from the California Department of Water Resources Integrated Regional Water Management and Urban Community Drought Relief programs and through the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
In addition to the Direct Install Program, the Water Authority is taking numerous other steps to enhance affordability. For instance, the agency helped secure $25 million to cover overdue residential water bills resulting from the economic impacts of COVID-19.
The Water Authority also operates an industry-leading asset management program designed to avoid the extreme costs of emergency repairs on large-scale water pipelines.
In 2024, the Water Authority is working with Washington, D.C. officials to secure federal funds to defray the cost of generational upgrades to local dams and reservoirs.
More than 6,000 high-efficiency toilets have been installed free of charge for income-qualifying residents and those in under-represented communities across the region through a grant-funded program run by the San Diego County Water Authority.
The Ramona Municipal Water District is looking forward to continuing to increase customer service while seeking options to help control costs as they move into the new year, said general manager Erica Wolski.
The California Department of Water Resources (CDWR) issued its first snowpack report of 2024. It isn’t great. The snow in the Sierra Nevada is roughly 25% of the state’s average for this time of year.
The bowl-shaped common space at the Mall III Homeowners Association property in Lake San Marcos was once a pricey, turf-heavy problem for its HOA board. After a water-smart landscape upgrade, it’s now a point of pride that’s easier on the budget.
Weeks after North County residents voted to secede from the San Diego County Water Authority by a margin of 19 to 1 early last month, county water officials directed their lawyers to resolve a lawsuit challenging the divorce.
The San Diego County Water Authority has agreed to drop its lawsuit over the proposed departure of two North County water agencies, it was announced Thursday.
The San Diego County Water Authority has agreed to a settlement with the Rainbow Municipal Water District (RMWD) and Fallbrook Public Utility District (FPUD), allowing both to detach from the Water Authority while dropping all litigation.
In exchange, the two districts agreed to an immediate $25 million payment plus related costs and fees. The settlement minimizes rate impacts on San Diego County’s 3.3 million residents while avoiding expensive litigation. It also provides institutional certainty moving forward.
“While the majority of SDCWA’s remaining 22-district membership remains opposed to detachment, they agree that this settlement makes the best of a bad situation,” said Mel Katz, chairman of the Water Authority Board. “While we continue to believe the detachment award should have been higher, RMWD and FPUD are required to pay all costs above the amount ordered by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) in addition to its entire exit fee upfront, meaning there will be no immediate rate impacts for ratepayers.”
As part of the settlement agreement, both RMWD and FPUD have agreed to pay all costs related to the decommissioning of Water Authority facilities not being used post-detachment. The two agencies have agreed to indemnify and hold harmless the Water Authority against any future claims related to detachment. Both will complete all administrative, technical, and infrastructure-related tasks before the facilities can be transferred.
These settlement conditions exceed the conditions prescribed by LAFCO as part of its conditions for detachment.
In response to LAFCO’s July decision to approve RMWD and FPUD’s request for detachment, Assemblymember Tasha Boerner introduced and passed Assembly Bill 399: The Water Ratepayer Protection Act. Mayor Todd Gloria and the City of San Diego supported AB 399.
This legislation was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom this fall and will go into effect in January 2024. It will require a countywide election to be held for a detachment of a local district moving forward. Its provisions protect the long-term integrity of the Water Authority and the San Diego region’s ratepayers.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
