The Vallecitos Water District and the City of San Marcos will celebrate the installation of five new hydration stations at local parks while also supporting pet adoption. The “Wags & Water Festival” takes place at Woodland Park in San Marcos on Saturday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to Noon.
The Vallecitos Water District and the City of San Marcos will celebrate the installation of five new hydration stations at local parks while also supporting pet adoption. The “Wags & Water Festival” takes place at Woodland Park in San Marcos on Saturday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to Noon.
San Marcos and Vallecitos partnered on the new project to encourage water conservation. Five hydration stations have been installed in San Marcos parks to facilitate easy refilling of reusable bottles during outdoor activities instead of using purchased bottled water. Both the City of San Marcos and the Vallecitos Water District are committed to reducing single-use plastics. Each station features a quick-fill mechanism to encourage reusable water bottle use alongside a regular water fountain spout.
In addition, at the suggestion of San Diego County Water Authority Water Resources Specialist Joni German, each station also has a water bowl for pet owner use.
“I’m a dog lover who knows that hydrating is just as important to dogs as it is to their humans,” said German. “Adding the dog water bowls to the bottle filling stations makes our walks to the park more enjoyable.”
Find your new best friend and save a life at the Wags and Water Festival. Photo: Tatiana Tati/Pixabay
San Diego County dog adoption agencies will be at the event with adoptable dogs and adoption information. Participating groups include A New Life Rescue, Labs and More, Operation Greyhound, Paws 4 Thought Animal Rescue, and Tragic to Magic.
The hydration station project received $25,000 in grant funding from the Water Authority and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to cover the purchase and installation of the stations and educational signage informing the public about the benefits of tap water over bottled water. The signage also offers several additional steps people can take to conserve water.
The new hydration stations help conserve water and avoid the production of single use plastic bottles. Photo: Vallecitos Water District
Vallecitos worked with the San Marcos Public Works Department to install hydration stations at Mission Sports Field Park, Bradley Park, Connors Park, Buelow Park, and Woodland Park.
Reusable water bottles and free dog treats will be provided while supplies last. Dogs must be leashed.
More event information: https://www.facebook.com/events/
Bottled water is a wasteful convenience. According to the Water Footprint Calculator, it takes 1.5 gallons of water to manufacture a single plastic bottle holding 16 ounces of drinking water. All plastic drinking bottles are made from new plastic material, so there is no recovery due to recycling.
(Editor’s note: The Vallecitos Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)
In observance of growing drought conditions statewide, the Vallecitos Water District has declared new water conservation requirements for thousands of customers in San Diego County’s inland area under a Level 2 drought alert.
To comply with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order N-7-22, the Vallecitos Water District Board of Directors voted to move to a Level 2 Drought Alert April 21. The new drought level will prompt mandatory water-use restrictions for all Vallecitos customers starting April 21 and into the foreseeable future.
San Marcos, Calif. – California’s drought, which seemed to be retreating after soaking storms in both October and December, is now all but certain to continue into a third year after the driest January and February in recorded history. The record-breaking dry period and the absence of significant rains in March have required the State Department of Water Resources to reduce anticipated deliveries from the State Water Project to 5 percent of requested supplies. While the state continues to take necessary actions to help extend the state’s existing water supply, state agencies are asking all Californians to do their part now to conserve as much water as possible to make it last.
San Diego County high school students whose Instagram Reels and TikTok skills impress their friends can put them to good use and earn scholarship money for their efforts.
The 2022 California Special Districts Association San Diego Chapter video scholarship competition is open through the end of April. The annual “Districts Make The Difference” contest promotes public awareness and understanding of the special districts providing communities with essential services like water, sanitation, healthcare, fire protection, and parks.
San Diego County high school students whose Instagram Reels and TikTok skills impress their friends can put them to good use and earn scholarship money for their efforts.
The 2022 California Special Districts Association San Diego Chapter video scholarship competition is open through the end of April. The annual “Districts Make The Difference” contest promotes public awareness and understanding of the special districts providing communities with essential services like water, sanitation, healthcare, fire protection, and parks.
In 2019, San Marcos High School student Jordan Chan’s winning video featured a Wild West time travel theme to illustrate the importance and variety of special districts serving San Marcos and other California communities, including the Vallecitos Water District.
Entrants must attend a San Diego County, high school. The video should be 60 seconds long and educate the public about any aspect of how special districts make a difference in their everyday lives. Videos can highlight the following content areas:
Special districts are local government organizations formed by communities to provide essential services like drinking water, parks, or fire protection. San Diego County’s 24 member water agencies are special districts. There are more than 30,000 special districts across the U.S. Students can learn more about special districts in San Diego County at the California Special District Association (CSDA) San Diego Chapter website.
San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones presents winner Jordan Chan with a certificate of appreciation at the Vallecitos Water District’s February board meeting. Photo: Vallecitos Water District
Helix Water District Board President Kathleen Coates Hedberg and the San Diego Chapter of the California Special Districts Association launched the original video contest. It grew into a statewide competition.
Videos can be submitted straight from a phone or uploaded from a computer. Entrants will upload their video to YouTube, marked as “unlisted,” and provide the link in their application.
The video submission window will be open until April 30, 2022. The San Diego Chapter CSDA “Districts Make the Difference” judging committee will choose the top ten finalists. At the end of May, winners will be announced and receive $1,500 for the first-place winner, $1,000 for the second-place winner, and $500 for the third-place winner.
The video entries will be scored on the following criteria: incorporating the theme “How San Diego Special Districts Make a Difference,” creativity and originality, entertainment value, the accuracy of information, effectiveness and value of information, and production quality.
See more winning videos and learn more about special districts at DistrictsMaketheDifference.org.
(Editor’s note: The Vallecitos Water District and the Helix Water District are two of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)
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.)
The City of San Marcos and the Vallecitos Water District partnered on a new project with funding from the San Diego County Water Authority and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to encourage water conservation and reduce the use of plastic.
Five hydration stations have been installed in San Marcos parks to encourage the use of refilling reusable bottles during outdoor activities instead of using purchased bottled water. Both the City of San Marcos and the Vallecitos Water District are committed to reducing single-use plastics.
The City of San Marcos and the Vallecitos Water District partnered on a new project with funding from the San Diego County Water Authority and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to encourage water conservation and reduce the use of plastic.
Five hydration stations have been installed in San Marcos parks to encourage the use of refilling reusable bottles during outdoor activities instead of using purchased bottled water. Both the City of San Marcos and the Vallecitos Water District are committed to reducing single-use plastics.
The new hydration stations help conserve water and avoid the production of single-use plastic bottles. Photo: Vallecitos Water District
The hydration station project received $25,000 in grant funding from the Water Authority and MWD to cover the purchase and installation of the stations and educational signage informing the public about the benefits of tap water over bottled water. The signage also offers several additional steps people can take to conserve water.
“Adding hydration stations throughout the community has been a longtime goal for Vallecitos and is a step in the right direction to increase access to clean drinking water and reduce single-use plastic waste for environmental sustainability,” said Vallecitos board member Mike Sannella. Sannella accepted a proclamation from the City of San Marcos commemorating the partnership, making this project possible.
(L to R): Vallecitos Water District Board President Mike Sannella, San Marcos City Councilmember Randy Walton, Mayor Rebecca Jones, Councilmembers Maria Nunez, Ed Musgrove, Sharon Jenkins, and Vallecitos Water District Board Jim Pennock. Photo: Vallecitos Water District
Each of the five new hydration stations features a quick-fill mechanism to encourage reusable water bottle use, a regular water fountain spout, and a dog bowl. Vallecitos worked with the City of San Marcos’ Public Works Department to install hydration stations at Mission Sports Field Park, Woodland Park, Bradley Park, Connors Park, and Buelow Park.
Bottled water is a wasteful convenience. According to the Water Footprint Calculator, it takes 1.5 gallons of water to manufacture a single plastic bottle holding 16 ounces of drinking water. All plastic drinking bottles are made from new plastic material, so there is no recovery due to recycling.
(Editor’s note: The Vallecitos Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)
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