There will be no state lawmakers on the Colorado River Drought Task Force, though Capitol leadership has a lot of influence over who is on the panel. The 17-member task force charged with spending the rest of the year studying the Colorado River water crisis to help state lawmakers respond is starting to take shape, with most of the panel now appointed.
For eight days last summer, a group of about 80 California ranchers and farmers took more than half the Shasta River’s flow during severe drought conditions, violating state requirements designed to protect salmon. The state’s water regulator couldn’t stop the illegal diversion but fined the group the maximum penalty it could — $4,000. The fine translated to about $50 per person.
The Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors appointed Assistant General Manager Sergio Quiroz to serve as Interim General Manager effective June 3.
The Board’s decision was made following closed session discussions during the May 16 meeting, with directors present voting unanimously in support of the appointment.
As Interim General Manager, Quiroz will replace General Manager Henry Martinez, who will be retiring on June 2. Martinez announced his intent to retire in January, following 45 years of service in the energy and water industries, serving the last five years with IID.
Neal Meyers was seated on the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors on March 20, 2023, representing the Olivenhain Municipal Water District. Meyers serves on the Administrative and Finance and Imported Water committees for the Water Authority.
(Editor’s Note: The Water Authority’s Board of Directors typically meets on the fourth Thursday of each month. The Board invites the public to attend its monthly meetings and to comment on agenda items or other matters before the Board. For meeting times, agendas and documents, go to www.sdcwa.org/board-directors)
(Editor’s Note: This feature highlights new members of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 36-member Board of Directors. Each of the Water Authority’s 24 member agencies appoints at least one representative to the Board, which sets policy for the Water Authority.)
Who: Neal Meyers was seated on the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors on March 20, 2023, representing the Olivenhain Municipal Water District. Meyers serves on the Administrative and Finance and Imported Water committees for the Water Authority.
Background/Education: Meyers, a resident of Carlsbad, earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in local government administration from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where he earned Highest Honors and a J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law. He represents District 5 on the Olivenhain Municipal Water District Board of Directors and is also the Board treasurer. In addition to his duties as Treasurer, Meyers serves on OMWD’s Finance, Safety, and Ad Hoc Insurance committees. He holds a certificate from the Special District Leadership Academy, and he was awarded a Certificate in Special District Governance from the California Special Districts Association. Member: The State Bar of California and Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce.
Water Industry Affiliations: Director, CalDesal Association, AdHoc Insurance Committee Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA).
Q: How did you get interested in water issues?
A: My first interest in water issues was from the severe drought in the mid-1970s while growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area and then from the Proposition 9 peripheral canal vote while I studied local government as an undergraduate. After starting my professional career in San Diego County, I was privileged to represent many water agencies, where I gained a great appreciation of their many challenges, now exacerbated by severe periods of water shortages. I am very appreciative of the opportunity I now have to assist my local community and the region to work on those issues in a policy-making role.
Q: What are your priorities or interests as a Board member?
A: Maintaining a safe and reliable water supply at affordable rates. We must find ways to leverage San Diego County’s forward-thinking investments in water infrastructure into a workable long-term business model that keeps water rates under control. Higher rates are not good for anyone, and we must especially must keep in mind the disproportionate burden higher rates have on low-income ratepayers and the underserved. We should also spend more time looking at developing greater coordination and sharing of resources between our many county public utility agencies.
Q: Besides maintaining safe and reliable water supplies, what do you see as the top three issues facing the San Diego region?
A: Removing barriers to affordable housing, appropriately allocating transportation infrastructure resources, and maintaining high-quality, affordable education at all levels throughout our region.
Q: What do you like to do when you are not working?
A: Family, friends, exercise, and travel. I figure if I can keep that all in balance, I will be around for a while to think about water.
The Water Authority’s Board of Directors typically meets on the fourth Thursday of each month. The Board invites the public to attend its monthly meetings and to comment on agenda items or other matters before the Board. For meeting times, agendas and documents, go to www.sdcwa.org/board-directors
Vallecitos Water District Operations and Maintenance Manager Ed Pedrazzi is the ACWA 2023 “Excellence in Water Leadership” award winner. Pedrazzi received his career honor at the Association of California Water Agencies annual conference on May 9.
The award recognizes individuals who have “made a remarkable and visible contribution to the enhancement, protection, or development of water resources in California,” according to ACWA.
Vallecitos Water District Operations and Maintenance Manager Ed Pedrazzi is the ACWA 2023 “Excellence in Water Leadership” award winner. Pedrazzi received his career honor at the Association of California Water Agencies annual conference on May 9.
The award recognizes individuals who have “made a remarkable and visible contribution to the enhancement, protection, or development of water resources in California,” according to ACWA.
Vallecitos Water District Operations and Maintenance Manager Ed Pedrazzi receives his ACWA 2023 “Excellence in Water Leadership” award. Photo: ACWA
Pedrazzi was nominated by his peers for his efforts toward improving operations and safety at the Vallecitos Water District as well as his dedication to public service.
“When I started here we were a very small district,” said Pedrazzi. “There were only about 50 employees. We’re over 100 employees now. We serve 96,000 customers over 40 square miles. To me, it’s a fantastic place to work. I love it, love coming to work every day. Vallecitos is more than just a job to me. It’s a career and it’s a family.”
Pedrazzi has worked for the Vallecitos Water District 34 years. In his current role, Pedrazzi manages six operations departments. He began in 1989 on a construction crew, transferring a year later to the Water Systems Operations department. He quickly worked his way up through the department and was promoted to his current position as Operations and Maintenance Manager in 2014.
Pedrazzi’s career in public service is devoted to protecting public health by working toward the best and safest water quality possible. He is also responsible for the operations of the wastewater system, striving to protect the public from any harmful wastewater discharges or leaks.
Ed Pedrazzi working on water quality in 2001. Photo: Courtesy Ed Pedrazzi
“The entire District has always taken water quality as job one. Everything that we do is to protect the public,” said Pedrazzi.
He and his team work diligently to track the District’s water usage and devise ways to stop water loss. Recently, Pedrazzi worked with a contractor to perform water main flushing services to minimize water loss via storm drains.
Pedrazzi addresses the District’s infrastructure needs by increasing maintenance where it is needed and developing the District’s Asset Management Program with the Engineering Department.
Pedrazzi researched sonic technology to address algae issues at both the Mahr Reservoir and South Lake Reservoir. By implementing this solution, Pedrazzi improved water quality and protected the environment and nearby wildlife habitat. The District has been honored with national and state awards for Pedrazzi’s innovative approach.
Ed Pedrazzi (far right) in 1996 with brother-in-law Jon Sherwood (second from right) and Vallecitos Water District employees Joe Lomeli and Rocky Eltzroth. Photo: Courtesy Ed Pedrazzi
Pedrazzi plays a key role in the District’s safety training and emergency response. He serves on the District’s Hazardous Materials team and can be called on as an incident commander to run the District’s Emergency Operations Center during large-scale incidents such as wildfires. Pedrazzi has played a role in every major emergency operation at the District since 1989.
Pedrazzi also devoted his time to training the next generation of water and wastewater professionals. He taught courses at Palomar College, serving as program coordinator for 15 years. He is active with the California-Nevada Section of the American Water Works Association, and task forces including the North County Operating Heads Group, the Water Agency Emergency Collaborative and the San Diego Regional Internship Program, where he is a founding member.
He assists other staff with school and public tours of District facilities and had the opportunity to educate exchange students from Iraq about water conservation in California.
In conjunction with the award, Pedrazzi received a grant of $5,000 to donate to a nonprofit organization. Pedrazzi selected the California Farm Water Coalition, whose mission is to inform the public about agricultural water use and advocate for environmental safety.
Pedrazzi comes from an agricultural family as his father operated a farm in Salinas, California. The family’s farm currently grows strawberries after previously farming small white beans and alfalfa hay.
ACWA is the largest statewide coalition of public water agencies in the country. Its more than 460 public agency members collectively are responsible for 90% of the water delivered to cities, farms, and businesses in California. Its mission is to provide comprehensive leadership, advocacy, and resources for California public water agencies to ensure a high-quality and reliable water supply in an environmentally sustainable and fiscally responsible manner.
(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 San Diego County region.)
Clint Baze was seated on the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors on January 25, 2023, representing the Rincon del Diablo Municipal Water District. Clint Baze is the General Manager of the Rincon del Diablo Municipal Water District.
A new satellite by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will soon provide more precise — and vital — data on how much water is available on Earth’s surface, allowing better forecasts for extreme weather conditions such as droughts and floods, and helping water resources managers and farmers to get a better picture of their water budget.
The international Surface Water and Ocean Topography or SWOT mission was launched in December 2022 from Vandenberg Space Force Base atop a Falcon 9 rocket.
Rob Ford was watering his hay last October at his small Washington County, Utah, ranch when he realized the flow was weaker than usual. He called the irrigation manager who monitors the water levels.
“The water is really weak,” Ford said he told the irrigation manager. “Is that about what we are expecting today?”
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
