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San Diego Radio DJs Promote WaterSmart Lifestyles

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Well-known local radio DJs Geena the Latina from Channel 93.3, Beto Perez from Jam’n 95.7 and Tati from Star 94.1, are teaming up with the San Diego County Water Authority this summer to thank San Diegans for using water wisely and are encouraging residents to keep our region drought-safe.

While drought conditions persist across the western U.S., San Diego County has reliable water supplies thanks to investments made by the region’s ratepayers, the Water Authority and its member agencies. 

San Diego region “drought-safe” thanks to WaterSmart practices

San Diegans have adopted WaterSmart practices and continue to make the most of every drop, helping ensure there’s enough water to meet the region’s needs now and for decades into the future. Simple but important steps like washing full loads of laundry and dishes, rinsing fruit and vegetables in a bowl, and checking for leaks save water.

Radio DJs thank San Diegans

“I do my daily routine to make sure I turn off my water when I brush my teeth,” said Beto Perez. “I’m huge when it comes to preserving our water because a couple of years ago when we had the drought here in our county I was freaking out.”

Beto Perez – Jam’n 95.7

Beto Perez from Jam’n 95.7 was born in Tijuana, Mexico, and raised in South San Diego. He is a well-known on-air DJ and local favorite with more than 13 years of experience at English and Spanish radio stations, including Magic 92.5 and Z90.3.

Geena the Latina – Channel 93.3

Originally from Los Angeles, Geena the Latina has been a staple on Channel 93.3 for more than a decade. As the co-host of the Geena the Latina & Frankie V morning show, she is one of the most recognized and beloved radio personalities in San Diego.

Tati – Star 94.1

Tati of Star 94.1 began her radio career in Honolulu, Hawaii, and has followed her career from coast to coast. Most recently, she worked as a morning co-host at Jam’n 95.7 before joining Jesse and Tati in the Morning on Star 94.1.

Jon Foreman of Switchfoot

The Water Authority also recently released a video featuring musician Jon Foreman of the San Diego band Switchfoot at San Vicente Reservoir. Foreman talks about the investments the region’s water agencies and ratepayers have made to protect San Diego County’s economy and quality of life, especially during dry times.

Previous video collaborations between Foreman and the Water Authority have collectively generated hundreds of thousands of views on various digital platforms. The videos also helped to introduce new audiences to the importance of safe and reliable water supplies.

To learn more about ways to stay WaterSmart, go to watersmartsd.org.

San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors Chair Jim Madaffer-primary-View from the Chair

Major Water Rate Case Victory; San Diego County is Stronger Together

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As you know, the Water Authority has been working for years to conclude lawsuits over rates set by the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California – and this week, we have taken a big step forward with the entry of final judgment in two major cases.

Yesterday, a Superior Court judge has awarded the San Diego County Water Authority $44,373,872.29 for two cases covering rates paid by San Diego County ratepayers during 2011-2014. The award included $28,678.190.90 in damages for MWD’s breach of contract for the four years at issue, plus pre-and post-judgment interest. As these first two cases are finally concluded, the Water Authority is also working to narrow the scope of the remaining 2014, 2016 and 2018 cases (a 2017 case has already been dismissed).

Entry of final judgment caps a 10-year effort by the Water Authority Board of Directors on behalf of San Diego County ratepayers, proving once again our region is stronger together in charting our water future. While the damages and interest award is important, the entry of judgment will also help avoid future overcharges and thereby minimize future disputes based on rulings by the Court of Appeal. MWD’s improper charges – if they had continued – would have cost San Diego County residents more than $500 million over the life of the Water Authority’s water delivery contract with MWD.

The lawsuits generated other substantial benefits, such as requiring an increase in the Water Authority’s preferential rights to MWD water by approximately 100,000 acre-feet a year, equivalent to about twice the annual production of the $1 billion Carlsbad Desalination Project.

In February, the Water Authority’s Board of Directors voted to dismiss certain issues from the litigation after securing more than $350 million in local project subsidy benefits for the San Diego region, beginning late last year. In doing so, the Water Authority acknowledged the MWD Board action to stop imposing the district’s Water Stewardship Rate as a charge for transporting the Water Authority’s independent water supplies through MWD facilities, thus resolving for now that issue in future rate years. Consistent with the Water Authority Board’s direction, its attorneys are taking the steps necessary to narrow the litigation and have recently dismissed one case in its entirety.

As the lawsuits continue to wind down – which remains my personal goal – the Water Authority is working collaboratively with MWD member agencies across the district’s six-county service area to update MWD’s long-term water resource and financial planning. MWD’s Integrated Resources Plan, or IRP as it is called, will be its roadmap for the future, factoring in updated data and plans by many MWD member agencies who are working to develop their own local water supplies like the Water Authority and its member agencies have done over the past two decades and we will continue to do in the future.

View From The Chair represents the viewpoints of Jim Madaffer, Chair of the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors.