A historic achievement for San Diego County passed mostly under the radar this summer when the San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors approved wholesale rates for 2019. The rate increases were among the lowest in 15 years — but that’s just part of the story. The critical long-term accomplishment highlighted by the rate-setting process was that 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. That’s a goal the region’s water officials started working towards two decades ago, and one that will bear fruit for decades to come.
The USS Midway Museum, docked in San Diego, is the most popular naval warship museum in the United States and among the most visited museums in the country, with 1.4 million people annually coming aboard.
Those visitors discover the Midway made its own fresh water while at sea, from the first day it was commissioned in 1945 until it was taken out of active service in 1992. But when this venerable aircraft carrier found new life as the USS Midway Museum in 2004, its relationship with water entered a new era as well.
The USS Midway Museum served as host for the launch of the San Diego County Water Authority’s new education and outreach program: Brought to You by Water.
The program underscores the importance of water reliability for the region’s key industries such as tourism and the military — something the operators of the USS Midway Museum understand on multiple levels.
Supporting a floating city at sea with water supplies
Twelve massive boilers aboard Midway converted fresh water into steam, the lifeblood of any aircraft carrier. Those boilers required periodic scraping, a dirty job far below the water line. Photo: Courtesy USS Midway Museum
When deployed at sea, sailors aboard the USS Midway produced 240,000 gallons of fresh water daily through 12 boilers to support the floating city of 4,500 men. From cooking pasta to feeding sailors, to propelling the catapult system launching aircraft off the flight deck, the Midway depended on a safe and reliable water supply to thrive, just as the San Diego region does today.
Two evaporator plants deep inside the ship took in seawater and produced fresh water via desalination. According to Scott McGaugh, Midway Director of Marketing, working in those “evap spaces” was among the toughest duty assignments aboard the Midway. When one of these plants went out of service, the Midway had to ration its water.
Even in the best of times at sea, sailors always lived with a limited water supply, and water conservation was standard operating procedure. Consider a “Navy shower” — getting wet for 30 seconds or less, shutting the water off, soaping up, and then a quick rinse. That was the lifestyle during deployment, including a stretch when the Midway set a deployment record for aircraft carriers — 327 consecutive days at sea.
Water conservation remains a priority
Four steam throttle boards such as this were the gas pedals aboard Midway. Sailors here in 1958 fed the proper amount of steam into the four turbines necessary for propulsion and a top reported speed of 30 knots per hour. That’s 34 miles an hour for the 65,000-ton aircraft carrier when active—fast enough to water ski behind Midway. Photo: Courtesy USS Midway Museum
While the USS Midway Museum doesn’t have to generate its own fresh water anymore, the conservation mindset is still a part of its daily life. Chief Engineer Len Santiago for the Midway says it is a priority for his team of 64 engineers to be good stewards of water and the ship deploys modern technology such as waterless urinals and sensors on faucets.
The most critical issue for the USS Midway Museum is water leaks. The Water Authority encourages homeowners to monitor their plumbing for leaks. Now imagine monitoring hundreds of miles of pipes aboard a floating museum.
“My staff and I have to make sure first, no leaks,” said Santiago. His team checks all systems regularly. “We have hundreds of spaces where pipes run through. We check all sensors in our restrooms for guests are working properly. Problems like a running faucet are reported immediately.
“As we grow as a museum, our infrastructure will continue to grow,” said Santiago. “In the 21st century, we’ll continue to leverage technology. I expect to have sensors that will alert me to water on the deck somewhere that might indicate a leak – even in things like air conditioning.”
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/800px-A-6E_VA-115_launch_USS_Midway_CV-41_1981-845X450.jpg450845Gayle Falkenthalhttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngGayle Falkenthal2018-08-01 00:15:382018-08-01 10:46:25USS Midway: A History of Sustainable Water Management
San Diego’s regional economy depends on cutting-edge industries such as life sciences, technology, aerospace, academia – not to mention the vibrant brewing sector. Together, those industries help drive economic prosperity countywide, and they share a basic need: reliable access to water.
It may seem obvious, but newly released numbers reveal just how vital a safe and reliable water supply is to the region’s economy.
And that’s just five industries. Total regional sales supported per day by reliable access to water amount to $482 million. That’s equivalent to 2.7 Comic-Cons every day.
A reliable water supply supports confidence by business in economic growth
Every day, the Water Authority delivers an average of 426 million gallons of water to 24 member agencies that serve 1.1 million households, more than 98,000 businesses, and 251,000 acres of farmland.
“One of the things that I think is really important about having a reliable water source is that it gives people confidence in our system,” Janice Brown, board chair of the regional EDC said during a late-June event to release the study. “And giving companies confidence in our system causes people to have more trust in economic growth.”
Over the past 20 years, the Water Authority has invested $2.4 billion in five major water reliability projects in the region, including new pipelines, dams and treatment plants, according to the EDC report, “The Importance of Water Reliability to San Diego’s Economy.” The total economic impact of these projects has been $4.8 billion over the past two decades.
Water reliability projects generate jobs in diverse fields
Water reliability generates jobs in a wide range of disciplines. Graphic: San Diego EDC
Regional water reliability projects, meanwhile, supported 1,475 jobs annually over the past 20 years. Just over half of these jobs have been in construction, but they also include jobs in architecture and engineering, retail, the restaurant industry, wholesale trade, real estate and other sectors.
Overall, more than 2,800 people work in the water and wastewater sector at the Water Authority and its 24 member agencies. Occupations include water resource engineers, water treatment operators, environmental scientists, hydrologists, and health and safety engineers.
Skilled water workforce development critical to the nation’s future
The Brookings report points to a need to diversify the national pool of water workers, more than half of whom have a high school diploma or less but benefit from high levels of on-the-job training that helps them develop transferable skills.
“Renewing the country’s infrastructure requires a sizable workforce, and improving water infrastructure offer enormous environmental and economic returns for residents in every community,” said Joseph Kane, a senior research associate and associate fellow at the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program and lead author of the report.
Continued development of the nation’s water workforce will be critical as the nation renews aging infrastructure and tackles the challenge of income inequality, the Brookings report found.
In San Diego, regional water and education officials have long recognized that maintaining and enhancing the region’s robust water system will continue to require a talented, well-trained workforce.
Across the region, 58 programs create an educational pipeline for the water industry, according to the EDC report. They include programs at Cuyamaca and Palomar colleges and California State University San Marcos. The Water Authority and several member agencies also help prepare future workers through a regional program that has provided more than 150 paid internships since 2006 – many of which have led to full-time positions. More information about that internship program is at https://www.sdcwa.org/internships.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Water-Workforce-845X450.jpg450845Gayle Falkenthalhttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngGayle Falkenthal2018-07-09 07:21:262018-07-09 07:21:26Water Fosters Innovation Economy in San Diego County
/in News, Supply & Demand/by Gayle Falkenthalby Water News Network Mentioned: Mark Muir, Joe Terzi, Janice Brown, Ronne Froman Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority
Dozens of partners from the San Diego region’s second largest industry, tourism, joined the San Diego County Water Authority for a special event aboard the USS Midway on the first day of summer, June 21, kicking off a new education and outreach campaign called ‘Brought To You By Water.’
The Water Authority program underscores the importance of water reliability to the region’s core industries, focusing on examples including tourism, manufacturing, agriculture, and craft brewing.
Watch video of the Brought to You Be Water kickoff event.
The EDC report underscores the importance of regional investments in clean, reliable water supplies to the San Diego region. It focused on more than $2.4 billion invested by the Water Authority in five major water reliability projects over the past two decades. Those projects generated $4.8 billion in total economic impact, supporting an average of 1,475 jobs annually over two decades and creating more than $1.8 billion in local wages and salaries. The report also found that access to safe and reliable water supplies supports $482 million in total regional sales of goods and services daily. “This figure is equivalent to the economic impact of nearly three Comic-Cons a day,” said Janice Brown, EDC board chairperson.
In addition, the report shows more than 2,800 people work in the water and wastewater sectors at the Water Authority and its 24 member agencies. The water industry provides career opportunities across all levels of educational attainment, in everything from customer service to engineering.
The Water Authority’s yearlong Brought to You by Water educational program explains how San Diego’s thriving economy and quality of life are all made possible by the safe and reliable water supply provided by the Water Authority and its 24 retail member agencies.
San Diego’s $17.9 billion tourism industry took center stage at Thursday’s event on the popular USS Midway Museum, with representatives and displays from the San Diego Tourism Authority, San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, LEGOLAND California, Balboa Park, Living Coast Discovery Center, the USS Midway, and additional attractions.
Local visitor industry shows the significance of safe and reliable water supplies
San Diego County attracts 35 million visitors annually, including 17.3 million hotel nights a year, more than 100 major conventions, and 194,000 tourism jobs. “Think about the pools, think about all of the attractions, think about the great parks. Balboa Park would not be Balboa Park without the opportunity to use water,” said Joe Terzi, President and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority.
In addition, the Water Authority is partnering with leaders in additional key economic sectors to showcase the significance of safe and reliable supplies to those industries. The outreach and education program includes a series of videos about the region’s iconic industries, which can be viewed and shared on social media, and a targeted advertising campaign. To watch the videos, go to: b2ubyh2o.org
Manufacturing: Nearly every one of the San Diego region’s groundbreaking 4,000 manufacturing facilities relies on water for washing, fabricating, cooling and other processes, which generate $23 billion in economic activity across 300 industries from world-famous guitars to Navy ships.
Craft Brewing: San Diego is justifiably proud of its $870 million a year craft brewing industry. But no one would enjoy a single pint wouldn’t be possible without safe and reliable water.
Coffee: Beer isn’t the only beverage making an impact in San Diego. The region is also home to a burgeoning coffee industry – another sector that values water as a core ingredient.
Agriculture: San Diego County’s farms produce nearly $2 billion annually in sales. Our region’s temperate climate and reliable water supplies support 5,500 local farms on more than 250,000 cultivated acres – plus numerous farmers markets, restaurants and grocery stores stocked with our local bounty.
Brought To You By Water outreach and education program activities planned
The ‘Brought to You By Water’ beach ball will travel to public events and gather more signatures this summer. Photo: Charlie Neuman for Water Authority
The “Brought To You By Water” program will be covered on the Water Authority’s newly created Water News Network, a regional online hub for water news and information at WaterNewsNetwork.com
“Over the next year, the Water Authority and its member agencies will make a special effort to highlight how our safe and reliable water supplies are critical to our economy, and quality of life,” said Mark Muir, Water Authority board chairman.
The Water Authority will participate in regional events for industry sectors, along with street fairs, farmers markets and other opportunities to talk about water with residents in the coming months. These events will feature a highlight of today’s kickoff, a giant beach ball – eight feet in diameter – branded with the Brought to You by Water logo and signed by guests at the conclusion of today’s event.
For more information about Brought to You by Water, visit B2UbyH2O.org
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/B2U-Midway-Presser-845X450.jpg450845Gayle Falkenthalhttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngGayle Falkenthal2018-06-21 16:19:412018-06-26 17:49:55First Day of Summer ‘Brought To You’ By New Water Authority Education Campaign
Those five water-dependent industry clusters – life sciences, technology, aerospace, academia and brewing – collectively support daily business sales of nearly $30 million, according to a 
