Tag Archive for: Water Conservation

The sustainable landscape demonstration garden at the Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s (OMWD) headquarters provides customers with examples of water-efficient landscaping techniques that can save water and money.

Demonstration Garden is Inspiration for Olivenhain MWD Customers

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Using water efficiently is a way of life and an important responsibility in the San Diego region. Water users have learned how to make the most of every drop and avoid wasteful or careless habits. Homeowners are replacing impractical thirsty lawns with beautiful low-water-use landscaping.

Over the past decade, residents have adopted habits that not only save money, but also create vibrant yards, reduce energy use, protect natural resources, and reduce landscape maintenance.

Customers can visit the California-friendly demonstration garden and hydroponic gardening tower at OMWD’s headquarters free any day of the year. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District

Customers can visit the California-friendly demonstration garden and hydroponic gardening tower at OMWD’s headquarters free any day of the year. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District

The sustainable landscape demonstration garden at Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s headquarters provides customers with examples of water-efficient landscaping techniques that can save water and money. Techniques include rain harvesting, and the garden features a rain barrel, a larger cistern, and a dry stream bed to capture water for later use.

Sustainable landscape demonstration gardens can help inspire homeowners to create and maintain their own beautiful, low-water-use landscapes at home. Since half of the water used in California’s urban areas goes toward landscape irrigation, any reduction contributes to successful conservation efforts.

New hydroponic gardening system 

A hydroponic growing system called a Tower Garden is the newest addition to the Olivenhain Municipal Water District's demonstration garden. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District

A hydroponic growing system called a Tower Garden is the newest addition to the Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s demonstration garden. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District

OMWD has added a hydroponic gardening unit to its demonstration garden. It was provided through a donation by Tower Garden. The Tower Garden unit displays a water-efficient form of growing produce in a compact and vertical system. It is of particular interest to people who are looking for more water-wise methods of growing produce than traditional growing practices.

“OMWD encourages ratepayers to continue to make conservation a way of life and explore the many innovative and water-use efficient products that are available on the market,” said OMWD Board Treasurer Neal Meyers. “A great place to start is outdoors. We hope customers take advantage of free resources and rebates to design a water-efficient landscape, and consider other water-saving options like graywater and hydroponic systems.”

Save water, money and go hydroponic

Hydroponic systems grow plants in a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil. Hydroponic systems use less water than traditional soil-based growing systems. In commercial agricultural settings and farms, hydroponic systems can produce faster growth and higher yields of crops. The systems can also be used in home gardens.  Some units can use up to 90% less water than traditional produce gardens.

The demo garden hydroponic unit is operational and will be maintained by BCK Programs. Local scout troops in the district will help maintain the unit under supervision. The scouts earn conservation patches for their volunteer work. Crops harvested will be donated to scout volunteers, or donated to a local community food bank. A second system donated by Tower Garden will be used by BCK Programs to provide hydroponic gardening lessons in local schools.

Customers can visit the California-friendly demonstration garden and hydroponic gardening tower at OMWD’s headquarters free any day of the year. It is also viewable online. The garden highlights four key principles of sustainable landscaping. Visitors can learn about healthy soils, rainwater as a resource, climate-appropriate plants, and low-water-use irrigation.

Demonstration gardens inspire water savings

Demonstration gardens can provide inspiration to homeowners to achieve water savings through landscape makeover projects. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District

Demonstration gardens can provide inspiration to homeowners to achieve water savings through landscape makeover projects. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District

In a 2007 survey published in The Journal of the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta, half of those surveyed during a visit to the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College, found that making a change to their landscape was due to their visit to the water conservation demonstration garden. The results illustrate the value of demonstration gardens to the community.

The demonstration garden at Olivenhain’s headquarters received financial support from the Hans & Margaret Doe Charitable Trust at San Diego Foundation, Hunter Industries, Grangetto’s Farm & Garden Supply, and Bushman USA.

(Editor’s note: The Olivenhain Municipal Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.) 

Water Authority Testifies on California’s Efforts to Support the Colorado River

/in , , /by /Water News Network Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

During state Assembly testimony on Tuesday, May 2, San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl highlighted the steps taken by the Water Authority and partner water agencies across California to support the Colorado River in the era of climate change.

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IID Testifies on Colorado River Status and Impacts to State Assembly

/in , , /by /KYMAby Faith Rodriguez

Representatives of the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) and the Colorado Board of California testified on Tuesday at an informational hearing about how Southern California is preparing for climate impacts to water supplies and the river’s status.

IID Board Vice President and California’s Colorado River Commissioner JB Hamby and IID Water Department Manager Tina Shields testified before the California State Assembly’s Water, Parks, and Wildlife standing committee.

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A student at the science fair showcases her project board. Innovation-technology

Students Showcase Innovation in Water Technology

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Middle and high school students from San Diego and Imperial counties showcased their creativity and innovation in water technology at the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair.

Winning students at the March event presented multi-faceted water technology designed for use in agriculture, water conservation, safety and treatment, creating solutions to some of the San Diego region’s most pressing water issues.

For decades, the San Diego County Water Authority has partnered with the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair to inspire students to pursue water industry careers and experiment with sustainable water designs.

High school students invent next-generation water technology

Kyle Tianshi and Sarah Gao tied for first place in the senior division for their development of water purifying technologies. Tianshi, an eleventh grader at The Cambridge School, focused on water pollutant identification through light scattering. Tianshi said the project used fluorescent emissions and lasers to detect microplastics in drinking water.

Gao’s work with wastewater treatment experimented with plant seeds as flocculants for water purification. A Canyon Crest Academy sophomore, Gao was also named an ISEF finalist for her work and will compete in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Dallas, Texas in May.

Srija Sengupta from Westview High School took home the second-place senior award for her project, “Good on Land and Bad in Water: Effects of Fertilizer-Rich Runoff on Algal Growth.” Sengupta’s research tested the effects of fertilizer runoff in Dixon Lake and the subsequent impact on marine life, finding that phosphorous-rich fertilizers contributed the most to algae growth.

Middle school students ‘wow’ with work in water technology

In the junior division, Ryan Richardson was awarded first place for his automatic faucet invention. When tested, Richardson’s faucet was found to save more than 50% of water in a household of four, prioritizing water conservation. He is already pursuing a patent for his invention.

From Saint Gregory the Great Catholic School, seventh graders Joaquin Revilla Harker and Tyler Rowe earned the second-place junior division title. Harker and Rowe’s research tested the growth capabilities of different water on grass, finding that gray water was the most suitable for growth, which can help conserve drinking water.

Caleb Raagas, who is also a seventh grader at Saint Gregory the Great Catholic School, was awarded the junior division’s third place award for his research on the effects of salinity levels on the production of hydroelectricity.

“This year’s winners all developed projects that address or could help solve a critical issue related to water, such as water quality, water supply management, and water purification,” said Sami Sweis, Engineer P.E. at the Water Authority. “Our industry needs bright young people like these students to use cutting-edge technology and innovation to help maintain safe and reliable water supplies for generations to come.”

Welcoming future environmental innovators

There are more than 2,800 professionals in the water and wastewater industry in San Diego County, who work hard to provide safe and reliable water supplies to the region. The Water Authority’s continued partnerships with the community work to guarantee a future of opportunity for students interested in being a part of this industry.

Colorado River-river-Climate Change-Sandra L. Kerl-Water Authority

Water Authority Testifies on California’s Efforts to Support the Colorado River

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During state Assembly testimony on Tuesday, May 2, San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl highlighted the steps taken by the Water Authority and partner water agencies across California to support the Colorado River in the era of climate change.

Kerl joined representatives from the Colorado River Board of California, the Imperial Irrigation District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the California Natural Resources Agency, and the environmental community. A theme throughout the hearing was that California is prepared to do more to help the river, but all seven Basin states must be involved in a consensus-based approach.

“When you ask how California is responding and preparing for the effects of climate change, I offer the San Diego region’s focus on a diversified water supply portfolio as an example of focusing on conservation and water management while also developing new drought-proof supplies,” Kerl told the committee.

Climate change and water supply

Tuesday’s hearing before the state Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife in Sacramento focused on the effects of climate change on the Colorado River and actions California water agencies have taken to address the river’s challenges.

More than 20 years of drought have led to record low elevation levels in lakes Mead and Powell, the two critical reservoirs California and the Lower Basin depend on for their river supplies. While heavy storms this winter and spring improved river conditions, concerns remain over the long-term effects of climate change. Efforts are underway to find lasting, durable solutions for the river.

Kerl highlighted the leadership California has shown in conservation through the 2003 Quantification Settlement Agreement or QSA, which has enabled California to live within its 4.4-million-acre-foot apportionment while helping the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation manage river supplies. At the center of the QSA, is the conserved water transfer agreement between the Water Authority and the Imperial Irrigation District.

“In total, our QSA partnerships have conserved more than 3 million acre-feet of Colorado River water since 2003 and done so in a way that supports California’s critical agricultural economy, funds socio-economic needs, and addresses the environment, most importantly the Salton Sea,” Kerl said. She noted that the QSA is an example for other Basin states to follow in implementing conservation.

Collaboration on Colorado River Basin solutions

Kerl and others expressed hope that Basin states can collaborate to keep the water flowing for all river users.

“I am confident that we will find a shared solution that moves us forward to conserve the water we need to stabilize the system and then look forward to guideline updates,” said California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot.

His comments referenced upcoming discussions on the river’s future operating guidelines, which take effect in 2026.

Colorado River Board of California Chairman JB Hamby from the Imperial Irrigation District said, “California is working with our in-state stakeholders, tribes, and Mexico via the United States to be able to deal with this in the next short-term basis and the long term.”

Metropolitan Water District General Manager Adel Hagekhalil added, “Working together, we must develop equitable, realistic solutions that reduce our collective reliance on the river.”

During her testimony, Kerl told the committee that any solutions must uphold the Law of the River, the priority right system and California’s senior rights. “It’s critical that Reclamation consider both the near-term and future operations of the river by building on the foundation of the laws, court decisions, compacts and agreements that have come before,” she said.

OMWD Continues to Convert More Customer Meters to Recycled Water

/in , , /by /Water News Network

The Olivenhain Municipal Water District continues to reduce demand for imported drinking water by converting additional customer meters within The Lakes Above Rancho Santa Fe community to recycled water for irrigation. This phase included the installation of four new water meters that will measure an anticipated savings of over nine million gallons of imported drinking water each year.

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BOS Declares End to Local Drought Emergency in Mendocino County

/in , , /by /The Mendocino Voice by Kate Fishman

A drought emergency declaration in place over the past two years was lifted in the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday. “Current conditions are not beyond the control of the services, personnel equipment and facilities of the county” after a stormy winter and spring helped replenish local water reserves, the resolution states.

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Opinion: Every Day is Earth Day for Water Agencies in San Diego County

/in , , /by /Times of San Diego by Sandra L. Kerl Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Each year on April 22, one billion people across the globe take action to promote conservation and sustainability. Earth Day can drive a year — and even a lifetime — of energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to protect our planet.

This year’s Earth Day theme — “Invest in Our Planet” — aligns perfectly with what the San Diego County Water Authority and its 24 member agencies have done for decades. It points to the necessity of dedicating time and resources to ensuring a sustainable water supply for our community. And it speaks to the thoughtful investments we make in infrastructure and innovation that keep the water flowing while being mindful of the environment.

Investing in our planet can take many forms, and the challenges we face differ from community to community. One investment I encourage San Diegans to think about this Earth Day is landscape transformation. This is important because the biggest users of water at homes are our landscapes — perhaps as much as 70% of our water use, depending on where we live.

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Above-Average Snowpack Will Raise Lake Mead, Buy Time for Collaboration

/in , , /by /Water News Network Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

A federal report released April 20 says near-record snowpack in the Colorado River Basin could raise the elevation of Lake Mead by more than 20 feet by the end of the year, providing a critical opportunity for water agencies to improve long-term management of the river.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s report shows vastly improved hydrological conditions are also expected to raise the water level in Lake Powell by more than 50 feet. California relies heavily on lakes Powell and Mead for water, as do Arizona and Nevada.

Despite the good news this year, the ongoing trend toward a hotter and drier climate means long-term solutions remain critical. About two-thirds of San Diego County’s supplies are conserved Colorado River water.

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Every Day is Earth Day for Water Agencies in San Diego County

/in , , /by /Water News Network Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

“Invest in Our Planet” is the theme for Earth Day 2023. Investing in sustainable, local water supply sources and conservation has long been a way of life in San Diego County by water agencies and residents.

“Investing in our planet can take many forms, and the challenges we face differ from community to community,” said Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl. “One investment I encourage San Diegans to think about on this Earth Day is landscape transformation. This is important because the biggest users of water at our homes are our landscapes – perhaps as much as 70% of our water use, depending on where we live.”

Sustainability is a priority of the San Diego County Water Authority and its 24 member agencies. Creating and maintaining a safe, reliable, sustainable water supply for the region ensures the vitality of San Diego County’s $268 billion economy for its 3.3 million residents.

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