The San Diego County Water Authority has the reliable water supplies to meet the region’s needs for 2024, owing in part to more efficient water use and a supply diversification strategy, it was announced on Oct. 2.
The water year began Sunday, Oct. 1, which hydrologists used to begin measuring the snow and rain that will help carry users through dry summer months the following calendar year.
Thanks to a decades-long supply diversification strategy and continued efficient use of water across the region, the San Diego County Water Authority announced today that the region has reliable supplies to meet demands in Water Year 2024, which started Oct. 1.
Hydrologists use Oct. 1 to begin measuring the snow and rain that will help carry water users through dry summer months the following calendar year. This fall, El Niño conditions continue to strengthen and could bring above-average precipitation to Southern California.
A county agency is offering San Diegans free water-smart classes taught by landscape professionals, with sessions beginning this month.
The virtual classes start Saturday and continue through Nov. 15.
San Diegans could be paying more for water by the holiday season this year.
The city is considering a 10.2% rate increase to take effect on Dec. 1. Then, a second rate hike of 8.7% would take effect January 2025.
The San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) last week started a months-long public process to refine its next two-year budget and draft a preliminary proposed rate increase for 2024. The average rates charged by the Water Authority are currently projected to rise by approximately 14% next year, though agency staff and board members are assessing strategies to lower the number.
People don’t eat much alfalfa, at least not directly. But the crop widely grown throughout California and the West to feed cows across the world has become central to discussions about managing a future with limited water. That’s part of the larger debate over what’s being grown and where it goes, and even what people should eat to ease pressure on the water supply and fight climate change.
The cost of desalinated water in San Diego is about to dramatically increase, as Poseidon scrambles to meet state environmental regulations for protecting fish and other marine life at its Carlsbad facility. An ongoing overhaul of the Claude “Bud” Lewis plant’s intake system is estimated to cost roughly $274 million, regional water officials announced Thursday.
Last week, California announced initial allocations of just 5 percent of requested supplies from the State Water Project in the coming year. That was actually an improvement from last December, when the state called for zero allocations for 2022. The eventual allotment for this year eventually rose to 5 percent.
Higher utility rates will be here starting on Jan. 1. NBC 7 has already talked about higher energy rates, but water and wastewater rates are rising too. That means higher utility bills are on the way for many San Diegans. But just how much are they going up? Some, like water and wastewater increases, are set in stone, while others are being modified right up to the last minute. That can make it hard for families to plan.
The city will release around 250 million gallons of water from Hodges Reservoir into the San Dieguito River over a two-day period starting Monday. The water release, using valves in Hodges Dam, will begin Monday and is intended to reduce the reservoir’s elevation by around two feet to 275 feet, according to the city.
