Tag Archive for: SDCWA

Rincon del Diablo Municipal Water District-customer rebates-MWD-SDCWA

Rincon Water Rebates a Hit With Customers

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Rincon del Diablo Municipal Water District reports that it completed an initiative to provide nearly $1.2 million in rebates to customers and has received overwhelmingly positive feedback about the program.

The rebates were made possible following years of litigation by the San Diego County Water Authority against the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California for violating existing exchange agreements between the two agencies. The customer rebates come as residents across the county prepare for the holiday season, giving Rincon Water customers a boost to help put food on the Thanksgiving table and some extra gifts for family members next month.

Water rebates to customers

“When the San Diego County Water Authority won their lawsuits against the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, we had to decide on what to do with about $1.2 million that was returned to us,” said Clint Baze, General Manager of Rincon Water. “The Rincon Board of Directors said the decision was easy because the money belongs to our customers and that is where it should go. It was the right decision, and it reflects our values of integrity, transparency, and fiscal accountability.”

The Water Authority’s lawsuit against MWD resulted in the SDCWA disbursing over $90 million to 24 member agencies, including Rincon Water. The SDCWA suit was filed against MWD in an effort to remedy overcharges from 2011-2017.

Located in northern San Diego County, Rincon Water is an urban water district consisting of more than 8,600 metered connections, of which 89% are residential customers. Its industrial customers include companies ranging from a high-tech trauma hospital, a nationally popular brewery, and a large vital utility, among others.

Rincon Water delivers customer service to ratepayers

“We take our obligations to our customers seriously – in this case, it meant returning the money as fairly and efficiently as possible, thereby giving the customer the ability to make the decision on how to spend it rather than absorbing it into the budget,” Baze said. “Rincon Water continues to lead through our excellent customer service, our top-tier water and wastewater system, and our commitment to building a sustainable system for the future.”

Rincon Water provides safe and reliable potable and recycled water to a population of 32,000 people through more than 8,000 customer connections. Our potable distribution system consists of nine enclosed reservoirs with the storage capacity of 22.5 million gallons. The potable water system consists of over 117 miles of 8″ or bigger pipeline and four pump stations and has a peak production of 10 million gallons per day.

(Editor’s note: The Rincon del Diablo Municipal Water District  is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.) 

Rincon Water Rebates a Hit With Customers

/in , /by /Business Wire Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Rincon del Diablo Municipal Water District announced today that it completed an initiative to provide nearly $1.2 million in rebates to customers and has received overwhelmingly positive feedback about the program. The rebates were made possible following years of litigation by the San Diego County Water Authority against the Metropolitan Water District for violating existing exchange agreements between the two agencies.

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Drought Prompts Water Transfer Between Loveland and Sweetwater Reservoirs

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Tammy Murga Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Sweetwater Authority has begun transferring water between its two reservoirs in response to drought conditions, the agency announced. The move has paused access to fishing at Loveland Reservoir and local anglers fear that continued draining will result in a permanent end to one of the few, free options to fish in the region.

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CWA Approves New Water Audit Contract With Mission RCD

/in , /by /Village Newsby Joe Naiman Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority has approved a new contract with the Mission Resource Conservation District to administer the SDCWA’s WaterSmart Field Services Program. The Thursday, Oct. 27, CWA board action authorized CWA general manager Sandra Kerl to enter into a three-year professional services agreement with the Mission RCD which will pay $200,000 for administration of the WaterSmart Field Services Program through Oct. 31, 2025.

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CWA Modifies PSAWR Calculation Methodology

/in , /by /Village Newsby Joe Naiman Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority has modified its Permanent Special Agricultural Water Rate calculation methodology. The Thursday, Oct. 27, SDCWA board meeting included approval of the modification which allows participating agencies the ability to prescribe how their local supply is allocated under the PSAWR program.

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Cities Are Leaning on Proven Technology to Meet Climate Goals

/in , , /by /Denver7by Jessie Cohen Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

When you think about renewables, it’s natural that solar power and wind may come to mind. But have you ever thought about how to generate energy when the sun is down and the winds are calm? Neena Kuzmich, with the San Diego County Water Authority, explains with big climate goals on the horizon, cities like San Diego are tapping into the world of pumped storage hydropower.

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CWA Approves Two-Month Extension of PSAWR Eligibility Transition

/in , , /by /Village Newsby Joe Naiman

When the San Diego County Water Authority adopted the Permanent Special Agricultural Water Rate, the SDCWA also adopted eligibility criteria but allowed previous Temporary Special Agricultural Water Rate customers a six-month grace period to establish eligibility. The CWA extended that transitional eligibility period by an additional two months June 24. The unanimous CWA board vote extends the temporary eligibility period to Aug. 31. Although the six CWA member agencies who requested an extension of the eligibility period sought a six-month extension, the CWA’s Financial Strategy Working Group recommended the two-month extension which was approved by the CWA board.

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Rainbow MWD Places $1.3M in Reserves

/in , /by /Fallbrook Village Newsby Joe Naiman Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority was successful in its rate lawsuit against the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and the SDCWA provided a check to the Rainbow Municipal Water District for Rainbow’s share of the settlement. On March 23, the Rainbow board voted 5-0 to place the money into the district’s reserves rather than to attempt to provide refunds to each individual ratepayer.

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Poway Water Infrastructure Projects to Begin Later This Year

/in , /by /Pomerado News (The San Diego Union-Tribune)by Emily Sorensen Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Poway is gearing up for several years of water infrastructure improvement projects, including replacing the city’s aging clearwell.

The Poway City Council received an update at its Tuesday night meeting on the Water Infrastructure Improvement Program, which includes three projects spanning the next four-to-five years.

The program includes bypassing and then replacing the clearwell with two new storage tanks. Poway’s clearwell, which was built in 1964, is used to store treated water from the city’s Lester J. Berglund Water Treatment Plant before distribution.

The other project in the program is creating a treated water connection to the San Diego County Water Authority. Poway has a raw water connection to the SDCWA and treats its own water, but a treated water connection will build redundancy in the system, said Shadi Sami, principal civil engineer.

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Eric Heidemann-Welcome-Board-City of Poway

Welcome to the Board: Eric Heidemann, City of Poway

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Editor’s Note: This feature highlights new members of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 36-member Board of Directors. Each of the Water Authority’s 24 member agencies appoints at least one representative to the Board, which sets policy for the Water Authority.

Welcome to the Board: Eric Heidemann, City of Poway

Who: Eric Heidemann was seated on the Board of Directors on May 8, 2020, representing the City of Poway. Director Heidemann serves on the Imported Water and Engineering and Operations committees for the Water Authority.

Background/Education: University of Arizona, B.S. Business and M.S. Urban Planning

Water Industry Affiliations: 

City of Poway, Public Works Director

Metro Wastewater Commission JPA

American Water Works Association (AWWA)

American Public Works Association (APWA)

League of Californian Cities

Q & A

Q: How did you get interested in water issues?

A: I was born in California, raised in Arizona, and after graduating college – worked as a planner in Colorado.  I’ve spent my entire life in the Southwest. As a kid from Tucson, I lived through decade-long droughts and watched the Central Arizona Project (CAP) be constructed and deliver Colorado River water to southern Arizona.  That was a big deal back then.  In Colorado, I worked for a small town near Vail (at the headwaters of the Colorado River) and was responsible for managing development and the Town’s very senior water rights portfolio.  Currently, I’m the Director of Public Works for the City of Poway and responsible for, among other things, its water treatment and distribution systems.  I’m a product of the Southwest, and water has had a strong influence on my personal and professional life.

Q: What are your priorities or interests as a Board member?

A: My priorities as a Board member are to work hard, listen carefully, and add value wherever I can.  The SDCWA is a premier organization with excellent staff and strong administrative and financial policies.  I want to see that continue.  I don’t take the responsibly of being a Board Member lightly – I feel honored to work with some of the brightest minds in water.

Q: Besides maintaining safe and reliable water supplies, what do you see as the top three issues facing the San Diego region?

A:  Housing, transportation, and aging infrastructure.

Q: What do you like to do when you are not working?

A: Now that my kids are older I spend a lot of my free time running. Recently, I’ve been stretching myself by training for an ultra-marathon. It really helps me think, clear my mind, and reduce stress.

The Water Authority’s Board of Directors typically meets on the fourth Thursday of each month. The Board invites the public to attend its monthly meetings and to comment on agenda items or other matters before the Board. For meeting times, agendas and documents, go to​ www.sdcwa.org/board-directors.