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San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl Retires

San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl retired June 29, after more than 40 years of public service. Deputy General Manager Dan Denham is acting GM until the Water Authority Board of Directors permanently fills the position.

Kerl’s tenure at the Water Authority included 10 years as deputy general manager and four years as the agency’s top staff member during a period of unprecedented uncertainty regionally and nationally. Following her retirement announcement in April, Kerl was praised by state and local leaders for her steady hand and tireless efforts on behalf of San Diego County and the water industry.

‘Can-do spirit’

“Sandy’s vision and management skills have been crucial in successfully navigating the challenges of an extreme drought while ensuring stability through the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mel Katz, chair of the Water Authority Board. “Her deep experience with water issues, collaborative management style, and can-do spirit guided the agency through an unprecedented period of change. Sandy’s dedication and work ethic on behalf of San Diego region will be missed. We are grateful for her service and wish her nothing but the best in retirement.”

During a June ceremony at the Water Authority’s Kearny Mesa headquarters, California Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins presented Kerl with a framed resolution recognizing her contributions to the region on behalf of the entire San Diego County delegation in the state Legislature. San Diego County Congressmen Scott Peters and Darrell Issa also provided proclamations celebrating Kerl’s service.

As general manager, Kerl launched an era of increased engagement with the Water Authority’s 24 member agencies and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. She took a similar approach with staff, issuing the first agency-wide employee engagement survey and using the results to focus on areas of improvement. The Water Authority was named a Top Workplace in 2021 and 2022 by The San Diego Union-Tribune based on employee surveys by an independent organization.

Sandra L. Kerl retires after decades of public service

Career highlights for Kerl also include playing pivotal role in securing financing for the nation’s largest seawater desalination plant, which started commercial operations in Carlsbad in 2015 and produces approximately 50 million gallons of water a day for the San Diego region. Before joining the Water Authority, Kerl served as the city manager of La Mesa, Calif. Throughout Kerl’s career, she has been active in the International County Management Association and has served as chair of the San Diego City/County Managers Association and San Diego Regional Training Center.

Kerl served as Chair of California Urban Water Agencies (CUWA) for the last year, an organization that has shaped the conversation about drought with state leaders during her tenure. She also served on the Executive Board of the Southern California Water Coalition, chairing the Colorado River Task Force and Southern California Leadership Council Executive Committee.

“It has been my privilege to work with so many talented and dedicated people during my 14 years at the Water Authority,” said Kerl. “Enhancing our workplace culture, breaking down barriers to collaboration, and ensuring safe and reliable water supplies despite intense challenges would not have been possible without the dedication of staff, member agencies, and the Board of Directors. I have complete confidence that they will carry on our mission without skipping a beat.”

In a farewell email to Water Authority staff, Kerl wrote: “So, the time has come for me to depart.  I do so with great respect and admiration for the work that each and every one of you do for the Water Authority to ensure safe and reliable water to the region 24/7/365.  It has been my honor to work alongside you to carry out the mission of the organization.”

Acting General Manager Dan Denham

The Water Authority Board formed a work group to lead the general manager selection process. During the interim, Denham will work closely with staff and the Board to ensure continued execution of Water Authority priorities. The transition team also includes Assistant General Manager Tish Berge, who will serve as acting deputy general manager, and Water Resources Director Kelley Gage, who was appointed acting assistant general manager.

Denham has served in several leadership capacities with the Water Authority over the past 17 years, including deputy general manager. In that role, he oversaw the MWD and Colorado River programs, along with the Engineering, Water Resources, and Operations & Maintenance departments. Denham also oversees the implementation of long-term agricultural-to-urban conserved water transfers that are among the largest in the United States. As a commissioner on the Quantification Settlement Agreement Joint Powers Authority, he leads the Water Authority’s fulfillment of environmental mitigation obligations and legislative advocacy efforts at the Salton Sea.

Before joining the Water Authority in 2006, Denham served in various capacities at the City of San Diego’s Metropolitan Wastewater Department, Financial Management Department and Mayor’s Office. Denham holds undergraduate degrees in public administration and economics, and a graduate degree in public administration – all from San Diego State University.

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Water Authority General Manager Sandra Kerl Celebrated for 40 Year Public Service Career

California Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins June 16 recognized the accomplishments of San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl, who is retiring later this month after a 41-year career in public service.

During a ceremony at the Water Authority’s Kearny Mesa headquarters, Atkins presented Kerl with a framed plaque of the resolution on behalf of the entire San Diego County delegation in the state Legislature. The resolution honors Kerl’s long career, highlighting many of her accomplishments, including her work the past 14 years at the Water Authority.

The resolution, in part, reads:

“Sandy Kerl was named General Manager in 2019, and having helped the Water Authority overcome numerous obstacles during her tenure, which was dominated by drought and countless other high profile issues, she has consistently expressed her gratitude for the dedication and determination of her Water Authority colleagues and Board members who have ensured the continuity of safe and reliable water supplies regardless of the challenges, including those presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, during which time the operations and maintenance staff consistently showed up every day in the field while the entirety of the office staff was moved to remote work in just one week to continue providing water around the clock.”

Atkins highlighted many of Kerl’s accomplishments, leadership and her success in meeting numerous challenges during the past four years as Water Authority general manager.

“I am incredibly honored by this recognition,” said Kerl. “I have the most incredibly talented people to work with, including the Board of Directors. We have done the hard work to secure the reliability of our water supply in San Diego and that is an accomplishment we all share.”

Dedicated to public service

Kerl joined the Water Authority as deputy general manager in November 2009 and served as acting general manager from March through November 2019 before being appointed by the Board of Directors to her current post.

As general manager, Kerl’s priorities include enhancing relations with the Water Authority’s member agencies, minimizing rate increases, concluding the long-running litigation with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and ensuring long-term water supplies for the semi-arid San Diego region.

One of Kerl’s first challenges as general manager was leading the transition to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic for about three-quarters of the Water Authority’s 250 employees. She also commissioned the first employee survey in the agency’s history as part of a larger effort to integrate different generations of employees, embrace the diversity of the agency’s workforce and empower all employees to reach their full potential.

Kerl’s career highlights in the water industry include leading the effort to secure financing for the nation’s largest seawater desalination plant, a public-private partnership that was hailed as a model for other large-scale water works around the country.

Kerl has more than 35 years of progressively responsible experience in all aspects of municipal management. She served as city manager of La Mesa, California, and has broad experience with city management, extensive knowledge of organizational issues, and a pragmatic understanding of capital project management and delivery.

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PPIC Video: Surplus and Shortage — California’s Water Balancing Act

After three years of virtual events, the PPIC Water Policy Center’s annual fall conference made a welcome return to an in-person format in Sacramento on Friday, November 18. The half-day event began with a welcome from PPIC Water Policy Center assistant director Caity Peterson and a presentation by senior fellow Jeffrey Mount.

This year was “brutal” for agriculture, said Thad Bettner of the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District during the first panel, moderated by PPIC Water senior fellow Alvar Escriva-Bou. “We took about 300 square miles out of production.” The drought hit rural and urban communities hard, too: Kyle Jones of the Community Water Center said that “over 1,300 [drinking water] wells went dry.” Bill Hasencamp of Metropolitan Water District described in vivid detail how once-reliable water management strategies are failing, in part due to a lack of interconnections: his agency had to restrict deliveries to “one-third of our service area despite having a record amount of dry-year storage reserves.”

Drought and climate change

The environment suffered as well, though Sandi Matsumoto of The Nature Conservancy praised the State Water Board, River Partners, and others for efforts to aid wildlife. Well-timed curtailments in some basins, she said, were helpful. But the stakes are high, she said: “Over half of California’s salmon and steelhead species are on a trajectory towards extinction.” And as Hasencamp put it, “drought and climate change have outstripped us.”

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Sandra Kerl commended Scripps Institution of Oceanography for their “game-changing” atmospheric river forecasts—and panelists highlighted the promise of Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) as a tool to make the most of storage infrastructure. Photo: Screenshot from PPIC Water Policy Center annual fall conference Nov. 18.

Reservoir storage capacity

Capturing more water during wet periods will help California weather the dry periods, said participants in the second panel, moderated by research fellow Andrew Ayres. Sandy Kerl of the San Diego County Water Authority said that investing in reservoir capacity was key after the county suffered a crippling drought in the late ‘80s. “We now have enough storage capacity…to sustain the population at a 75% service level for six months,” she said.

Socking water away in underground water banks is another important strategy, said Mike Tognolini of EBMUD. Such projects rely on good relationships. After some early missteps in a water banking pilot project, he said “we [now] have solid partnerships with local water agencies in San Joaquin County and, importantly…with growers in the region.”

Groundwater recharge and water banking

Aaron Fukuda of the Tulare Irrigation District emphasized the importance of trust-building too. “I tell everybody when you want to strike up a partnership, just take them out to dinner,” he said, to laughter. Groundwater recharge works best when relationships are formed first, and how you approach water right holders matters, he said. “When you ask a farmer for help, they will help.”

Kerl commended Scripps Institution of Oceanography for their “game-changing” atmospheric river forecasts—and panelists highlighted the promise of Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) as a tool to make the most of storage infrastructure. Local agencies are also making good progress in accounting for water once it’s in the ground—key to facilitating more water banking projects.

And, as Julie Rentner of River Partners noted, the stakes for managing the increasingly flood-prone wet periods of our changing climate could not be higher. In 1997, the San Joaquin Valley was hit by a flood that broke the valley’s flood control system in 17 places. Climate projections show that a flood three to five times that magnitude “will likely hit the San Joaquin Valley in our lifetimes.” The damage, she said, would be incalculable. But California’s “new Central Valley flood-protection plan…takes a solid look at multi-benefit projects” that slow floods, recharge groundwater, and support habitat restoration.

‘Climate whiplash’

The day’s final panel looked at policy’s role in responding to climate conditions. PPIC Water Policy Center director Ellen Hanak sat down with California Department of Water Resources director Karla Nemeth, State Water Board chair E. Joaquín Esquivel, and US Army Civil Works Program assistant secretary Mike Connor. Hanak asked these policy heavy-hitters to share progress and gaps in “this moment of climate whiplash.”

“We’re now in a moment where it’s like ‘Everything, Everywhere, All at Once,’” said Karla Nemeth. “We’re in a multiverse….everything is moving.” Hotter temperatures have now become “their own water demand,” she said, and Californians need to embrace water recycling, desalination, recharge, and conservation—all while keeping water affordable. But California also needs to think big, she said. “We can’t be afraid of taking out big infrastructure or putting in big infrastructure.” As an example of the former, she noted progress on removal of the dams on the Klamath River. And for the latter, she noted that “the Delta conveyance project is enormously important to climate adaptation.”

Hydrology and resilience

Esquivel said that water projects that were state-of-the-art 50 years ago now find themselves “mismatched for the climate that we have.” While data has improved, “data alone is not enough. It has to turn into better decision making.” A “greater fidelity to reality,” he said, will be essential. He said compliance across multiple basins with water right curtailments is heartening. “People want to use rights in ways that help support the resilience of us all.”

Mike Connor shared that much of the country still struggles to understand how profoundly conditions have changed. In one eight-week period this summer, he said, “there were six one-in-one-thousand-year precipitation events across the continental US.” He said that “restoring hydrologic function wherever we can…always adds to water availability by keeping it in the system.” All panelists agreed that increased funding, including from the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act, will be a boon to efforts.

We invite you to watch the videos from this event:

(Editor’s Note: Permission to republish blog post granted by PPIC Water Policy Center)

Urban Water Suppliers Report Water Savings Progress Statewide

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.

L to R: Governor Gavin Newsom; Clifford Chan, East Bay Municipal Utility District: Rick Cailender, Valley Water District; Joaquin Esquivel, State Water Resources Control Board; and Sandy Kerl, San Diego County Water Authority met on July 29 to discuss ways to maximize water supplies. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority water savings

Urban Water Suppliers Report Water Savings Progress Statewide

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.

“Water conservation a way of life”

“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.”

Water savings increase; long-term drought resilience the goal

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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.

Opinion: Every Californian Holds the Key to Drought Response

All Californians play a role in preserving and enhancing our water supplies for a drought-resilient future. California again is in a familiar state of drought, although not all communities are affected equally. Some regions are in extreme water shortage; others are not. We must address these differences. That starts with all Californians understanding where their water comes from and what they can do to use it wisely.

California’s Drought Leads to Cutbacks in Marin County but Not in San Diego

At the southern end of California, residents have been assured their water supplies are secure and plentiful despite the state’s severe drought.

In Marin County, 500 miles north, lawn sprinklers are allowed only two days a week, washing a car at home is banned, and decorative fountains can’t be refilled. The orders are part of an effort by the local water district to cut usage by 40% after a precipitous fall in the local reservoirs.

The pain of a two-year drought drying up the American West isn’t being felt evenly across the country’s most populous state.

That is because Southern California water agencies have for decades invested in new ways to diversify their supplies and recycle what they get, say people who study and work with water in the West. In Northern California, meanwhile, a history of more plentiful rain and snow meant many communities were less prepared for the latest drought and now more homes and businesses must cut back.

 

Utilities Aim to Keep Specially Trained Employees Healthy and Working

Some municipal water utilities are taking emergency measures to sequester some employees to assure that they can keep the water flowing as the coronavirus spreads.

In this country, millions of Americans can follow advice to stay at home so long as the electricity stays on and the water and the phone service. Utility workers need to keep moving about. And to stay on the job, they also need to stay safe. Iowa Public Radio’s Clay Masters reports that some utilities are taking extraordinary measures, including locking in employees at work.

MASTERS: After two weeks, a new group of workers with the same set of skills, who are currently sitting at home, will switch with the current onsite crew. Something similar is happening at a desalination plant in Carlsbad, California, that produces 50 million gallons of water a day. Ten workers are living there for three weeks. Sandy Kerl is general manager for the San Diego County Water Authority.

SANDY KERL: “These are critical services, highly trained individuals, not easily replaceable, so they have to be protected to ensure that water continues to flow.”

Select Download File to hear the 3-minute story as featured on National Public Radio.

 

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Water Utilities Aim to Keep Specially Trained Employees Healthy and Working

Some municipal water utilities are taking emergency measures to sequester some employees to assure that they can keep the water flowing as the coronavirus spreads.

In this country, millions of Americans can follow advice to stay at home so long as the electricity stays on and the water and the phone service. Utility workers need to keep moving about. And to stay on the job, they also need to stay safe. Iowa Public Radio’s Clay Masters reports that some utilities are taking extraordinary measures, including locking in employees at work.

Water utilities take special steps to keep water flowing

MASTERS: I’m standing next to Fleur Drive, which leads into downtown Des Moines. And normally, this is a pretty busy road. It’s not right now because, well, a lot of businesses are shut down. And right next to it is the Des Moines Water Works treatment facility. And what’s different about the grounds right now is that there are 10 campers just parked out front on the lawn.

Water treatment process effective

TED CORRIGAN: At our three treatment plants, we have a total of 21 people who will be living onsite 24/7 in those campers that we’ve placed.

MASTERS: That’s Ted Corrigan. He’s the interim CEO for the Des Moines Water Works that provides drinking water for more than half a million customers. He says they’ve gone deeper into their contagious disease response plan than ever before.

CORRIGAN: But the treatment process is unchanged. It’s unaffected by what’s going on. And it is very effective against viruses, to be sure.

MASTERS: Behind the tall, barbed wire fence, a skeleton crew of operators is doing things like running the control centers and testing the water. Kyle Danley heads water production here. He’s part of the crew that’s putting in at least 12 hours a day before leaving the facility and walking to his isolated camper for the night. He says while some of the workers aren’t used to camper life, the utility can’t take the risk that they get sick. And he says most of the jobs require unique skills and licenses.

KYLE DANLEY: We’re in a specialty field. There’s always a shortage of operators throughout the country, trying to get people interested in this field, but it certainly is something that takes months and years to be able to get those licenses needed. And then just even if you have a license, every plant is specific.

Workers sequester-in-place at Carlsbad Desalination Plant

MASTERS: After two weeks, a new group of workers with the same set of skills, who are currently sitting at home, will switch with the current onsite crew. Something similar is happening at a desalination plant in Carlsbad, California, that produces 50 million gallons of water a day. Ten workers are living there for three weeks. Sandy Kerl is general manager for the San Diego County Water Authority.

SANDY KERL: “These are critical services, highly trained individuals, not easily replaceable, so they have to be protected to ensure that water continues to flow.”

Sandra L. Kerl Appointed General Manager of San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors approved a contract with Sandra L. Kerl to be the new general manager of the region’s wholesale water agency, following a months-long national search. The Board approved the contract in open session during its regular monthly meeting Nov. 21 at Water Authority headquarters.

Kerl fills the position vacated by longtime General Manager Maureen Stapleton, who retired in March. She has served as the agency’s acting general manager since Stapleton’s departure, working closely with the Board to lead a staff of approximately 250 employees at offices in Kearny Mesa, Escondido, the Imperial Valley and Sacramento.