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OPINION: Water Deal Will Keep Costs Down

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Mark Muir Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

A historic achievement for the San Diego region passed almost unnoticed when the San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors adopted new wholesale water rates in late June. The rate-setting process highlighted how the water authority’s independent water supplies from the Colorado River are now both less expensive and more reliable than supplies from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. It’s an accomplishment that the region’s water officials started working toward two decades ago, and one that will bear fruit for decades to come.

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Break From Heat And Humidity Should Last A While

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Robert Krier

The summer heat that wouldn’t relent is finally relenting, at least for most of San Diego County. “It’s going to be a pattern for late August that is a little unusual,” National Weather Service forecaster Mark Moede said. “It’s going to give us a break from the heat and humidity, with an onshore flow. And it’s going to be with us for awhile, at least through early next week.”

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Chula Vista Joins Legal Battle Against Monsanto Over PCB Water Pollution

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Joshua Emerson Smith

Chula Vista has joined the city of San Diego and a number of other West Coast cities in an attempt to force chemical giant Monsanto to pay tens of millions to clean up waterways polluted with a class of cancer-linked chemicals, known as polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. The city filed a lawsuit against the St. Louis-based corporation on Tuesday alleging it should help pay for costs associated with cleaning up PCB in its municipal stormwater system.

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Sweetwater Authority Approves Water Rate Hikes For Next Five Years

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby David Hernandez Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Water customers in National City, Bonita and western Chula Vista will see more expensive bills over five years under a proposal the Sweetwater Authority governing board approved Monday. The board voted 5-1 to authorize the plan, which allows the agency to increase rates between 2020 and 2024 based on the annual change in consumer prices. Board member Jose Preciado cast the dissenting vote. Board member Steve Castaneda was absent.

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Oceanside’s North River Farms Project Seeks Talks On Water, Sewer, Streets Needs

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Phil Diehl

North River Farms, a proposed development that would bring hundreds of homes, a hotel and commercial properties to a rural area of northeastern Oceanside, returns to the City Council on Wednesday to request a development agreement. Approval of the agreement would allow the developer, Integral Communities, to negotiate the terms of things such as new water and sewer lines, street improvements and affordable housing that the city requires to be included with the project. Further approvals would be required before any construction begins.

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Water Main Break Floods Coronado Intersection, Shuts Off Water To Block Of Homes

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Alex Riggins

A water main broke Tuesday in Coronado, flooding an intersection and shutting off water to a block of homes in an outage that was expected to last until early Wednesday morning. Brown water flooded the roadway near Pomona Avenue and Sixth Street about 3:30 p.m., city officials said. A contractor reportedly hit the line, causing the break. Crews from California American Water “committed to work around the clock until the broken water line is repaired,” city officials said on Facebook. Water service was expected to be restored a few hours after midnight.

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Plan To Use Reclaimed Tijuana Wastewater In Guadalupe Valley Vineyards Moves Forward

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Sandra Dibbble

A private company’s plan to take Tijuana wastewater, treat it to an advanced level, and pipe it to Baja California’s Guadalupe Valley aims at ending water shortages that confront the celebrated wine-producing region. The proposal is expected to move forward within days as a group of Israeli and Mexican investors finalizes its contract with the state of Baja California to build a sewage treatment plant and a 65-mile aqueduct from southeastern Tijuana to the Guadalupe Valley.

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Smoke Should Clear; Heat To Stay

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Robert Krier

Northwestern San Diego County got off to a smoky start Thursday after smoke from the Holy fire in Orange County drifted over the region Wednesday night. The weather pattern should clear out the smoke Thursday, but it will only add to the heat. The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning, in effect until 8 p.m. Thursday, from the foothills to the coast. Highs at the beaches could reach the mid 90s, while the inland valleys could be as hot as 104. The culprit is a push of hot air from the east.

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Huge Orange County Wildfire Visible From San Diego Area

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gary Robbins

A large and rapidly growing wildfire that erupted Monday afternoon in the Holy Jim Canyon area of Orange County is producing a plume that’s visible from parts of San Diego County, according to the National Weather Service. The fire has so far burned more than 1,000 acres at a spot in the Cleveland National Forest, nor far from Corona, the Orange County Fire Authority said.

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Helix Water Rates Going Up Starting In November

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Karen Pearlman

East County water users in the Helix Water District are going to see higher rates starting in November. On Aug. 1, the Helix Water District Board adopted a 2018-19 budget of $89.5 million, a 5.7 percent increase over last year’s budget. With that, the board voted 3-1 to approve a 3.4 percent rate increase for its nearly 275,000 customers. That translates to a $5.18 increase every two months ($2.59 monthly) for the average Helix Water District customer using 21 units of water or 15,708 gallons of water every two months. One unit is equal to 748 gallons.

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