Chula Vista, Calif. – The Sweetwater Authority (Authority) Governing Board approved $2.4M in pipeline projects in Bonita and National City to ensure continued reliable water service for customers. The Board voted to approve these projects at its April 27 Governing Board meeting. SRK Engineering was awarded the contract for construction that will begin in June 2022.
Chula Vista, Calif. – Earlier this month, Sweetwater Authority (Authority) received calls from customers in the City of National City regarding discoloration of their drinking water. Upon receiving these calls, staff from the Authority’s Water Quality department deployed staff into the field to perform site investigations at several homes and businesses. An in-depth investigation led staff to find a significant change in system pressure, which was the result of a new water main that was being installed and a zone valve being inadvertently opened. Once this valve was closed, the water discoloration ceased. The Authority is working on continued enhancements to its best management practices to mitigate these types of events from occurring in the future.
National City resident Ramel Wallace thought maybe he just forgot to flush the toilet on Thursday night.
Come Friday, faucets in the sink, kitchen and shower all spilled apple juice-colored water, he said. Wallace went straight to a National City Facebook group to crowd-source the reason and saw neighbors posted about the issue.
“A lot of people thought they were tripping,” said Wallace, who said he’s lived in National City for five years.
Running his water didn’t flush-out the color. About midday on Friday, his water cleared up. Wallace said he didn’t get any notification about what caused the discoloration.
The public water agency Sweetwater Authority, which supplies drinking water to National City, confirmed it didn’t issue a press release about the problem because there was nothing to fear.
The Water Conservation Garden is celebrating Spring this year by launching San Diego Tree Week. The goal, from April 22-29, is to plant 1,000 trees and bring San Diego residents together through tree planting.
As drought stretches into a third year in California, The Water Conservation Garden hopes the tree week campaign will help educate and increase awareness of the environmental benefits of tree planting. Some of the benefits include removing carbon dioxide from the air, storing carbon in the trees and soil, and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.
The Water Conservation Garden will kick off San Diego Tree Week with a free event and tree giveaway.
Certified arborist Jose Bedoya of Leaf it to Us Tree Service will lead a workshop on April 23, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. on choosing the right tree for the right place. Bedoya teaches at Cuyamaca College, where he received a Certified Arborist Certificate.
The tree giveaway will follow the workshop. After the free tree event, another workshop will start at 11:30 a.m. on tree planting and care, led by Board Certified Master Arborist Brad Brown of Tree Life Consulting. In 2011, Brown obtained Registered Consulting Arborist status. A year later he became a Board Certified Master Arborist.
Registration and attendance to at least one of the workshops is required to receive a tree, which are first come first serve.
San Diego Tree Week features a tree giveaway and workshops. (Photo: Free Tree Giveaway at The Water Conservation Fall Garden Festival in 2021 courtesy of The Water Conservation Garden)
A few more hands-on ways to get involved include leading a tree planting event, volunteering at a local tree planting site, and becoming a tree planting site. They’re also looking for financial help through donations, gifted tree seedlings, and sponsorship opportunities.
Another way to participate with the whole family is attending the San Diego Tree Week Concerts. The concerts, sponsored by Union Bank, will feature certified double platinum singer, songwriter Ryan Cabrera and special guest Lexington Field.
The concerts are suitable for all ages and will close out Tree Week on April 26 and 27, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. on both nights.
Ryan Cabrera, musician, certified double-platinum singer, songwriter.
The venue on April 26 will be The Water Conservation Garden. The April 27 concert is at the Second Chance Beer Company. Tickets are $30 for members of the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum or members of The Water Conservation Garden; general admission is $40. Ticket sales from the April 27 San Diego Tree Week concert will benefit the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum.
Six Joint Powers Agencies own The Garden and have contracted with Friends of the Water Conservation, a nonprofit organization, to manage it. The agencies are the San Diego County Water Authority, the City of San Diego, Helix Water District, Sweetwater Authority, Otay Water District and Cuyamaca College.
The mission of The Water Conservation Garden is to educate and inspire through excellent exhibits and programs that promote water conservation and the sustainable use of related natural resources.
(Editor’s note: The City of San Diego, Helix Water District, Otay Water District, and Sweetwater Authority, are four of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)
Although California’s governor has made overtures to conserve water, most of the water districts in San Diego County are already ahead of the game.
Gov. Gavin Newsom recently asked everyone to try to conserve up to 20% of their water as the state endures another drought. The Sweetwater Authority in San Diego’s South Bay area, however, said it’s 200,000 customers are already ahead of those savings.
“We’ve been able to manage this drought pretty well so far because of our local investments and local resources,” said Doug Roberts, a program manager for Sweetwater.
Chula Vista, Calif. – Sweetwater Authority continues to encourage customers to use water wisely and efficiently. On March 28, Governor Newsom called upon water agencies in California to activate their Drought Response Plans to higher levels of water restrictions to mitigate concerns of the long-term drought impacting our state. Because of the hard work and water efficient lifestyle that Authority customers have always embraced, we are already meeting the 20 percent water reduction associated with higher levels of the Drought Response Plan.
Chula Vista, Calif. – On March 23, 2022, Sweetwater Authority (Authority) received a refund check of $211,954 from the Association of California Water Agencies-Joint Powers Insurance Authority (JPIA).
“The Governing Board is so proud of staff for their hard work and commitment to safety. We appreciate their efforts and the positive impacts that these sorts of refunds have on our budget,” said Chair Alejandra Sotelo-Solis.
Chula Vista, Calif. – At its meeting on March 9, the Governing Board (Board) of the South Bay Irrigation District (SBID) adopted the Final Redistricting Plan, which sets Board Member Division boundaries to ensure divisions equally reflect voter population. Prior to adoption of the plan, public participation was invited at two public hearings.
The processing of redistricting is required by law for public agencies, and occurs every ten years in conjunction with the release of new census data. Based on data from the 2020 census, there were no significant changes to population numbers within the SBID Divisions. Therefore, the approved division boundaries remain the same.
Fix a Leak Week is a time to check indoor and outdoor plumbing systems for leaks. This year’s reminder about water conservation comes as California and much of the U.S. Southwest are in the third consecutive year of drought.
Minor water leaks account for more than one-trillion gallons of water wasted each year in homes across the United States. One-trillion gallons equals 3.068 million acre-feet, nearly enough water to meet the needs of San Diego County for seven years.
Fix a Leak Week started in 2009 by the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program to educate water users and promote the importance of repairing leaks to conserve and protect the water supply.
The week highlighting water conservation is supported by regional WaterSense partners throughout North America, including the San Diego County Water Authority, its 24 member agencies and water agencies throughout the country.
The Water Authority won its third WaterSense award for Excellence in Collaboration and Promoting WaterSense Labeled Products in 2021.
The Water Authority also partnered with San Diego Gas and Electric to install nearly 4,000 WaterSense labeled showerheads for residents in the area and helped residents save water outdoors through its WaterSmart Contractor Incentive Program, which installed more than 1,000 WaterSense labeled irrigation controllers to achieve six million gallons in water savings
Repairing a leaky toilet can save up to 500 gallons of water a day. In just a month, that’s enough to fill a backyard swimming pool.
The Vallecitos Water District and City of San Marcos are partnering to provide Fix a Leak resources to its customers, including a new website, bill statements, and a demonstration video. It features San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones showing a simple method for detecting a toilet leak.
The Sweetwater Authority will participate in Fix a Leak Week 2022, offering tips for consumers and rebates of up to $75 for leak repairs made through June 30. See its website for details and an application. Sweetwater customers can schedule a free water audit by calling the Water Efficiency Hotline at 619-409-6779 or email
Spending a little time during Fix a Leak Week 2022 to repair simple leaks saves water and costs. Photo: Pixabay
Common water leaks such as leaky showerheads or dripping faucets are often easy to fix, requiring common tools and hardware that can pay for themselves in water savings. How much? According to the EPA Fix a Week Leak website, each average household with unaddressed leaks can account for 10,000 gallons of water loss every year, enough to wash 300 loads of laundry.
Investing just 10 minutes to perform a quick search of your home and fixing them can save an additional 10% on your water bill.
Check WaterSmartSD.org for tips, rebates, and more information about Fix a Leak Week.
(Editor’s note: The Vallecitos Water District and Sweetwater Authority are two of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)
Sweetwater Authority Logo 2019