Tag Archive for: The San Diego Union-Tribune

Water Officials Take Records Dispute To State Supreme Court

San Diego County water officials have long been at odds with their counterparts in Los Angeles, who control millions of gallons imported every day into the southwest corner of California. But a new dispute has broken out between the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and its member agency, the San Diego County Water Authority — and it’s not about the wet stuff. Instead, lawyers for both sides are fighting over what qualifies as a public record. Attorneys for the San Diego water agency want to know how Metropolitan calculated its rates and other charges.

OPINION: How Prop 3 Helps Ensure California’s Water Future

At no other time in California’s history have its citizens faced such a complex array of extremes affecting the quality and resiliency of our water supply. But if you’re an optimist like me, you can recognize that 2018 gives us an ideal opportunity to make a significant impact, overcome challenges and ensure the best chance possible toward securing California’s water future.

OPINION: Vote No On Proposition 3: A Special Interest Giveaway

Proposition 3 is a special interest giveaway of nearly $8.9 billion to water districts and agribusiness, and provides little or no benefit to San Diego. It was crafted behind the scenes by special interests without input from the public or the Legislature. This measure makes us all pay for specific water districts and for agribusinesses. They should be responsible for their own infrastructure and canal repairs, particularly since their overpumping of the aquifer led to the collapse of some of that infrastructure.

California Sues Federal Government Over Tijuana Sewage Spilling Into San Diego

California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra filed a lawsuit Tuesday night against the Trump administration, alleging that the federal government violated the Clean Water Act by allowing, in recent years, millions of gallons of raw sewage, heavy metals and other contamination to routinely spill from Tijuana into San Diego. Toxic water pollution from Mexico shuttered San Diego beaches located near the Tijuana River Valley on more than 500 days in the last three years, according to the complaint.

Record-Hot August, Dry Year Leave High Fire Risk In County

This month will go down as San Diego’s hottest August on record. It was the second hottest month, any time of year, in city history. The month set or tied 15 daily records for either the highest maximum or minimum temperature. The August heat follows a similarly toasty July, making the July/August combination the second hottest in city history. And the heat comes near the tail end of the second driest rainfall season on record, dating back to 1850. The heat and the prolonged dryness set up the county for a challenging fall, which historically is when the region’s biggest and most destructive wildfires have struck.

Judge Allows South Bay Lawsuit Over Tijuana Sewage Overflows To Move Ahead

A lawsuit brought by South Bay cities alleging the federal government is not doing enough to prevent and treat the flow of Tijuana sewage into the U.S. can move forward, a San Diego federal judge ordered this week. The ruling, filed Wednesday, comes a day after U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Miller toured pumps and water-capture basins in the Tijuana River Valley to get a first-hand look at the issue. The order allows the lawsuit to proceed on claims that the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission violated the Clean Water Act by allowing wastewater from canyon water-capture basins to spill into the surrounding environment without the proper permit.

Santa Margarita River Property To Be Sold To A Wildland Conservancy; Trails Will Remain Open

A three-mile stretch of the Santa Margarita River and the land that surrounds it, property that could have been at the bottom of a reservoir if plans in the 1950s had been realized, will soon be sold to a wildlife conservancy for $10 million. The acquisition of the 1,384-acre property will be known as the Santa Margarita River Preserve and will insure that the extensive and popular trail system along the river will remain forever. The Fallbrook Public Utility District agreed earlier this year to sell the land it has owned for about 60 years to The Wildlands Conservancy.

In Rare Move, Federal Judge Presiding Over Tijuana Sewage Lawsuit Tours Border

Federal court judge Jeffrey T. Miller toured the Tijuana River Valley for several hours on Tuesday to observe pumps and canyon collectors along the border intended to prevent sewage from spilling into San Diego. The unusual move comes as the result of a contentious legal battle in which Miller must decide whether the Trump administration is doing enough to stop sewage that routinely pours into the United States from Mexico.

In Rare Move, Federal Judge Presiding Over Tijuana Sewage Lawsuit Tours Border

Federal court judge Jeffrey T. Miller toured the Tijuana River Valley for several hours on Tuesday to observe pumps and canyon collectors along the border intended to prevent sewage from spilling into San Diego. The unusual move comes as the result of a contentious legal battle in which Miller must decide whether the Trump administration is doing enough to stop sewage that routinely pours into the United States from Mexico. The cities of Imperial Beach and Chula Vista, as well as the Port of San Diego, sued the federal government in March, alleging violations of the Clean Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

East County Water Festival Coming To Santee Lakes Sept. 8

A festival to celebrate water and show how at least one entity recycles waste and turns it into drinkable water is on tap for next month. The East County Water Festival is set for 9 a.m. until 1 p.m, Saturday, Sept. 8, at the East County Advanced Water Purification Demonstration Project Visitor Center at the Padre Dam Municipal Water District in Santee.