Tag Archive for: Sweetwater Authority

L to R (back row): Burbank Conservation Program Specialist Amy Tremmel, Metropolitan board Vice Chair Michael Camacho, Chair Ortega, Director Stephen Faessel, Director Desi Alvarez, Cucamonga Valley Water District President Randall James Reed and Metropolitan mascot Admiral Splash, with attending student artists. Photo: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Student poster winners

San Diego County Student Artwork Featured in 2025 Calendar

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Four San Diego County student artists from four member water agencies are among the 37 Southern California students whose artwork will appear in the 2025 Metropolitan Water District’s 36th annual “Water Is Life” Student Art Calendar.

The creative artwork of 37 kindergarten through 12th-grade students, including the students from San Diego County, was recognized for being selected at the district’s downtown Los Angeles headquarters in December.

The 2025 calendar features art from 37 students in Southern California, including four from San Diego County. Photo: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

The 2025 calendar features art from 37 students in Southern California, including four from San Diego County. Photo: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

During the first in-person calendar celebration in five years following virtual recognition ceremonies, the artists, their families, and local educators heard from Metropolitan Chair Adan Ortega, board director Brenda Dennstedt, and other student artists featured in the calendar.

Students also met five water mascots and took photos with them.

MWD board chairman Adán Ortega, Jr. thanked the students, their family and friends, and the many educators who support the annual contest.

San Diego student art featured in July and August 2025

Charlotte Chatham's winning artwork is featured on the July 2025 page in the calendar. 2025 calendar

Charlotte Chatham’s winning artwork is featured on the July 2025 page in the calendar.

Charlotte Chatham, a talented eighth-grade student at La Mesa Arts Academy, represents the Helix Water District in the 2025 calendar for July 2025. Her teacher is Alison Lindsay.

Three additional winners are featured on the August 2025 page.

Kenziee Bowen, Ava Fabunan, and Tristan Ong are featured in August 2025.

Kenziee Bowen, Ava Fabunan, and Tristan Ong are featured in August 2025.

Kenziee Bowen, a fourth-grade student at Carlton Oaks Elementary in Santee, represents the Padre Dam Municipal Water District. Her teacher is Amile Sicat.

Ava Fabunan, a sixth-grader at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School in Chula Vista, is the Otay Water District’s winner. Her teacher is Christina Stencil-Dare.

Ava’s creative piece highlights ways to use water wisely at home. She explains, “I thought that by making a character talking about how to conserve water, it would really inspire kids of all ages.”

Ava Fabunan's original artwork is on display with the other winners at the Metropolitan Water District in Los Angeles. Photo: Otay Water District

Ava Fabunan’s original artwork is on display with the other winners at the Metropolitan Water District in Los Angeles. Photo: Otay Water District

Calendars are available to Otay customers at its offices at 2554 Sweetwater Springs Boulevard in Spring Valley.

Tristan Ong, a fourth-grade student at Allen Elementary School in Bonita, represents the Sweetwater Authority. His teacher is Ellen Sinong.

 Conservation message delivered through creative talent

Winners were recognized at a celebration in December. Photo: Otay Water District

Winners were recognized at a celebration in December. Photo: Otay Water District

The “Water is Life” Student Art Calendar was created 36 years ago. It selects student art submitted from grades K through 12 to help convey vitally important water conservation messages. Member agencies submit artwork for consideration among the winners of their local competitions.

Artwork from the student winners will remain on display at Metropolitan’s downtown Los Angeles headquarters in January. The traveling artwork will visit member agencies throughout the year. The annual calendar is distributed to 13,000 recipients each year.

San Diego County's member water agencies are channeling their holiday spirit into charitable holiday giving to nonprofits once again this season. Photo: Otay Water District holiday giving

Member Agencies Support Communities During Holiday Season

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San Diego region’s water and wastewater agency employees pitched in to carry on a tradition of holiday giving in 2024 to benefit a wide array of nonprofit community services.

Otay Water District Supports San Diego Food Bank

The Otay Water District's elves decorated its valve maintenance truck with lights to spread joy throughout Chula Vista as part of its annual holiday parade. Photo: Otay Water District

The Otay Water District’s elves decorated its valve maintenance truck with lights to spread joy throughout Chula Vista as part of its annual holiday parade. Photo: Otay Water District

This holiday season, the Otay Water District is partnering with the San Diego Food Bank to provide food assistance through a virtual food drive. The District encouraged its more than 238,000 customers, employees, and anyone able to help to join the fight against hunger by donating safely online at their convenience.

Through the Virtual Food Drive, donors select and purchase food items, such as canned meats, vegetables, fruits, peanut butter, oatmeal, and cereal. Monetary donations are also accepted. For every $1 donation online, the San Diego Food Bank can provide two meals to families in need.

District staff and board members enjoyed participating in the annual Chula Vista Starlight Parade on December 14. Its valve maintenance truck was covered with lights to spread joy throughout Chula Vista’s Downtown Third Avenue. This truck is typically used for operating, exercising, and turning valves, a vital task in maintaining Otay’s water infrastructure.

Gratitude Walk and Toys for Tots Drive at Helix Water District

Helix Water District employees and customers have packed its Helix sleigh (service truck) with donations to Toys for Toys. Photo: Helix Water District

Helix Water District employees and customers have packed its Helix sleigh (service truck) with donations to Toys for Toys. Photo: Helix Water District

At Helix Water District, Toys for Tots boxes are overflowing with donations from customers and employees. “I can’t remember ever receiving this many toys,” said Helix General Manager Brian Olney. “I’m really touched by the generosity of the residents and businesses we serve and our team here at Helix. Thank you. The more smiles we can bring to children’s faces, the better.”

As of this week, over 350 action figures, Lego sets, musical instruments, balls, and more have been collected, and the donations keep coming. Participating in Toys for Tots is part of Helix’s year-round Helix Helps program.

Helix also kicked off its first annual Gobble and Go Gratitude Walk Thanksgiving week at Lake Jennings. Participants were asked to bring food items for the San Diego Food Bank.

Agencies Support Water For People Fundraising

Padre Dam staff with some of the 100 baskets they assembled for the Water for People nonprofit. Photo: Padre Dam MWD

Padre Dam staff display some of the 100 baskets they assembled for the Water for People nonprofit. Photo: Padre Dam MWD

Employees of the Padre Dam Municipal Water District and Olivenhain Municipal Water District assembled fundraising gift baskets for the nonprofit the CA/NV AWWA-Water for People nut basket fundraiser. Water for People works across Latin America, Asia, and Africa to equip communities with lasting access to clean water and sanitation.

Padre Dam employees prepared 100 gift baskets for the Water for People San Diego Chapter’s annual fundraiser. The organization relies on volunteers to assemble and sell baskets of donated Wonderful Pistachios. Once sold, the gift baskets prepared by Padre Dam employees will raise $2,200 for the nonprofit.

Olivenhain employees participate in a long tradition of support for Water For People. Photo: Olivenhain MWD holiday giving

Olivenhain employees participate in a long tradition of support for Water For People. Photo: Olivenhain MWD

For 19 years, Olivenhain Municipal Water District employees have enthusiastically supported fundraising for the nonprofit Water for People. Olivenhain employees have volunteered abroad, helping set up water and sewer systems with the full support of the agency.

Olivenhain employees volunteered on weekends to assemble nut baskets of donated Wonderful Pistachios. OMWD also sold baskets to the public as holiday gifts. A total of 171 baskets were sold, with a total donation of $3,800 going to WFP.

Helping Hand From Sweetwater Authority

Sweetwater Authority employees Gloria Achutegui, Records Management Specialist, and Michael Garcia, Assistant Board Secretary, display employee donations for the Authority's annual holiday giving effort. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

Sweetwater Authority employees Gloria Achutegui, Records Management Specialist, and Michael Garcia, Assistant Board Secretary, display employee donations for the Authority’s annual holiday giving effort. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

Sweetwater Authority employees have been active participants in the Salvation Army Angel Tree program for more than two decades. Employees take a tag that contains information about their recipient (age, gender, and toy request). The employee shops for the items and brings them back unwrapped to the office. The Salvation Army picks up and delivers the donated toys. This year, employees donated enough toys to help make Christmas bright for 20 South County families and kids.

“Sweetwater Authority employees care about the community we serve,” said General Manager Carlos Quintero. “We’re happy to spread some holiday cheer through our participation in the Angel Tree Program.”

Generous Escondido Employees Make Holidays Brighter

City of Escondido donation drive leaders Gio Cortes and Emma Potratz gather donations to drop off to recipients at the Park Avenue Community Center. Photo: City of Escondido

City of Escondido donation drive leaders Gio Cortes and Emma Potratz gather donations to drop off to recipients at the Park Avenue Community Center. Photo: City of Escondido

City of Escondido employees participated in their annual Holiday Donation Drive effort. Employees put together holiday stockings filled with personal care items, emergency supplies, and fun items for seniors at the Park Avenue Community Center. City staff donated enough items to fill 125 bags for recipients.

Donations from Escondido city employees gathered for distribution. Photo: City of Escondido

Olivenhain MWD Triples the Giving

Olivenhain Municipal Water District employees back multiple traditions for deserving recipients.

Kicking off the giving season in October, donations were collected and dropped off to the San Diego Humane Society to support its efforts to rescue and re-home pets in need during the holiday season.

For its November effort, employees created care packages for senior Meals on Wheels clients. Employees wrapped up the year with participation in Toys for Tots and Water for People.

 

 

 

The Cervantes family landscape makeover replaced grass with a beautiful native habitat. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

Beautiful Habitat Named Sweetwater Authority Landscape Makeover Winner

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Laura and Jaime Cervantes knew they wanted to conserve water but still wanted a functional and eye-catching design for their landscape.

Laura and Jaime Cervantes invested careful planning and hands-on work in their landscape makeover project. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

Laura and Jaime Cervantes invested careful planning and hands-on work in their landscape makeover project. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

The transformation from thirsty turf to a beautiful habitat is the 2024 Sweetwater Authority Landscape Contest winner.

The regional WaterSmart Landscape Contest allows residential water agency customers to showcase their waterwise landscapes. Customers submit applications to their respective water agencies, and each agency selects a landscape that best meets the elements of waterwise landscaping. These elements include:

  • Overall attractiveness
  • Appropriate plant selection and maintenance
  • Design
  • Efficient irrigation methods

Patient Planning and Prep Pays Off

The front yard prior to its makeover. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

The front yard before its makeover. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

They planned and worked hard to eventually transform their front yard from thirsty turf into a space that not only required little water but also provided beauty and habitat.

“This rationale behind our landscape project was a no-brainer: we live in a desert, we need to conserve water, and we wanted a functional yet eye-catching design, said Laura and Jaime Cervantes.

“Although we’ve lived in our house for 11 years, it took us a long time to save up for and to plan our ideas, but we finally completed everything about two years ago.”

The completed landscape makeover. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

The completed landscape makeover. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

The transformed landscape includes low-water use plants such as Kangaroo Paw, Orange Bulbine, and Coral Pink Sage, along with various succulents. The yard also features a beautiful Palo Verde tree, which provides nice shade.

Plant Selection Drives Design Choices

A winding dry riverbed retains water overflow from numerous rain barrels. Photo: Sweetwater Authority landscape makeover

A winding dry riverbed retains water overflow from numerous rain barrels. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

The Cervantes family had a large front yard for their canvas, composed mainly of old turf.

“We transformed it by replacing the old turf with a much smaller area of drought-tolerant Bermuda grass,” they explained. “We wanted plants that not only require little water but also provide beauty and habitat.”

The new walkway was created from flagstone and decomposed granite. A winding dry riverbed retains water overflow from numerous rain barrels.

A new fence allows views of the new landscape both inside and outside to complete the picture. It also acts as a graffiti deterrent due to the hog wire and wood construction.

Unexpected Benefits From Landscape Makeover

Colorful containers and plant choices highlight the new front yard. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

Colorful containers and plant choices highlight the new front yard. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

The Cervantes irrigate their yard using rainwater captured from their 14 rain barrels. They water by hand to get out into the sunshine and enjoy the beauty of their landscape. “We have no automated system – I like to get out in the yard and in the sunshine, so watering by hand is something I really enjoy,” said Laura Cervantes.

The winners reported an unexpected and pleasant outcome of their new yard from the nice comments and conversations it elicited from people walking by.

“It is a great feeling to not only add beauty to our neighborhood but also to know that we are able to contribute in our own small way towards being good stewards of the environment,” said Laura and Jaime Cervantes.

South County Report: The Case of the Disappearing/Reappearing Candidate

/in , /by /Voice of San Diegoby Jim Hinch

Voters in division five of the Sweetwater Authority had a mystery to solve last week: Who’s running to represent them at the water agency?

Sweetwater Authority supplies drinking water to roughly 200,000 people in southwestern San Diego County. Division five encompasses Bonita, the Sweetwater Valley and parts of northern Chula Vista.

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Sweetwater Authority hosted a group of students and faculty from Stanford University for a tour and discussion of issues related to climate change and water in California. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

Sweetwater Authority Hosts Stanford University Students and Faculty

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Sweetwater Authority (Authority) recently welcomed fifteen students and faculty from Stanford University’s The Bill Lane Center for the American West. Group members are part of the university’s multidisciplinary course of study on “Coastal Resilience: Problems and Solutions to Extreme Weather Challenges on the West Coast.”

The Bill Lane Center for the American West is dedicated to advancing scholarly and public understanding of the past, present, and future of western North America. The Center supports research, teaching, and reporting about Western land and life in the United States.

The Stanford University group visited the Robert A. Perdue Water Treatment Plant and Sweetwater Reservoir, as well as the Richard A. Reynolds Groundwater Desalination Facility in Chula Vista. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

The Stanford University group visited the Robert A. Perdue Water Treatment Plant and Sweetwater Reservoir, as well as the Richard A. Reynolds Groundwater Desalination Facility in Chula Vista. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

The students and faculty first toured the Robert A. Perdue Water Treatment Plant and Sweetwater Reservoir, where they learned how the Authority secures and treats local water, maintains a historic dam, and manages watershed activities for the beneficial use of agency operations and the protection of environmental resources.

The group then visited the Richard A. Reynolds Groundwater Desalination Facility in Chula Vista. There, the students and Authority representatives discussed challenges facing groundwater supplies due to climate change before touring the award-winning facility.

Collaboration Addresses Challenges of Climate Change

“It was our honor to host the Stanford group and engage in these important discussions with the next generation of leaders," said Board Chair Paulina Martinez-Perez. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

“It was our honor to host the Stanford group and engage in these important discussions with the next generation of leaders,” said Board Chair Paulina Martinez-Perez. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

“The challenges presented by climate change as it relates to providing a sustainable and drought-proof water supply are great, and we need the brightest minds working to ensure long-term resilience for the western region,” said Authority Board Chair Paulina Martinez-Perez.

In its vision to become a leader in sustainability and the fight against climate change, the Authority’s Governing Board sets objectives within the agency’s Strategic Plan to work toward achieving carbon neutrality.

Current fiscal year objectives include implementing a Green Fleet Plan, installing EV stations at its facilities, and exploring green energy solutions like a proposed floating solar project at Sweetwater Reservoir to reduce costs and offset carbon generated as part of water agency operations. For more information, visit www.sweetwater.org/workplan.

 

Authority Hosts Women in Water

/in , /by /The Star Newsby Albert Fulcher

Sweetwater Authority held its San Diego Women in Water meeting at is Robert A. Perdue Water Treatment Plant on Aug. 14. Co-sponsored by the Authority, Otay Water District, Santa Fe Irrigation District, and Olivenhain Municipal Water District, the event brought more than 150 water professionals and elected officials together to share ideas and connect with industry professionals.

Guest speaker Dr. Maria-Elana Giner, P.E., shared her career journey that led her to be appointed by President Joe Biden as Commissioner of the United States International Boundary Commission in 2021. Giner is the second woman, and first Latina, to hold this position. Attendees were also provided with an in-depth tour of the Authority’s treatment facility, given and insider-look at the agency’s operations.

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CalFIRE firefighting helicopter flies over Loveland Reservoir. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

Loveland Reservoir Serves As Vital Resource in Fighting Recent Wildfire

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Earlier this week, a fire broke out near Sweetwater Authority’s (Authority) Loveland Reservoir in Alpine, California. Authority staff swiftly responded to assist emergency services with access and logistics in their effort to fight the wind-driven fire, which burned approximately 18 acres before being contained.

Loveland Reservoir, an important drinking water resource for Authority customers, served as a vital asset in providing water to firefighters during a recent wildfire response. Approximately 32,000 gallons of water were lifted from the near-full reservoir by San Diego Gas & Electric and San Diego Sheriff helicopters to aid with fire suppression.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFIRE) water trucks also used the reservoir property’s on-site fire hydrant for their fire-fighting efforts.

During the incident, the reservoir property was used as a staging area and incident command center.

“This shared effort between Sweetwater Authority and emergency services demonstrates the importance of community partnership in times of crisis,” said Board Chair Paulina Martinez-Perez. “We greatly appreciate the dedication and bravery of first responders and are proud to have been able to assist them during this incident.”

Loveland Reservoir is once again open for recreational activities. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

Loveland Reservoir is once again open for recreational activities. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

During the incident, the Authority temporarily closed its Loveland Recreation Program to protect the safety of those in the area. The program has since reopened to normal hours. View more information at www.sweetwater.org/recreation.

 

Floating Solar Panels Proposed for Sweetwater Reservoir

/in , , /by /NBC San Diegoby Joe Little

They generate green energy. The save money. They slow evaporation. They float.

And the Sweetwater Authority wants to put them on its Sweetwater Reservoir.

General Manager Carlos Quintero said the water agency is exploring the environmental impact of a 9.5 acre floating solar array that would be placed near the Sweetwater Dam.

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Sweetwater Authority Logo 2019Sweetwater Authority Logo 2019

South Bay Irrigation District transforms into “South Bay Water,” announces upcoming community logo contest

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Chula Vista, CA  – On April 9, 2024, the South Bay Irrigation District Board of Directors approved a proclamation to rebrand the district as “South Bay Water.” The updated name enhances the connection between the district and its important role as the governance branch of Sweetwater Authority, a public water agency that serves 200,000 residents in South Bay with safe and reliable tap water.

WaterSmart Makeover: A Gardenful of Succulents

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Caron Golden Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

When Catalina Schultz and her husband, Steve, bought their National City home in 2011, the front yard was basically just lawn. And Catalina, a self-described housewife, had no interest in mowing it.

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