After Last Week’s Storm, April is Already 3rd Wettest Month on Record
Although a mere 13 days old, this is the third-wettest April on record in San Diego, the National Weather Service reported Monday.
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Groundwater Might Be Newest Cash Crop for Valley Farmers
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /GVWireby Lois HenrySan Joaquin Valley farmers may soon have another crop to sell along with almonds, tomatoes, and peppers — the groundwater beneath their land.
Second Crew Begins Work at Carlsbad Desalination Plant Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Mike Lee /City News Service (Fallbrook Village News)by City News ServiceA 10-person crew is in the midst of a three-week shelter-in-place shift at the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, relieving an initial crew that self-quarantined on site for three weeks to continue producing clean drinking water for county residents amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Starting March 19, the first crew of 10 “mission-critical employees” was stationed at the plant to continue operations, working two 12-hour shifts each day and sleeping in RVs in the plant parking lot, according to Poseidon Water, which manages the plant.
Water Pros Working Round the Clock To Ensure Service
/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Mike Lee /Water News Network Mentioned: San Diego County Water AuthorityMore than a month into the coronavirus crisis in California, water pros continue to work around the clock to deliver essential services to San Diego County residents.
From the Fallbrook Public Utilities District south to the Sweetwater Authority and east to the Padre Dam Municipal Water District, essential employees at the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies continue to maintain vital water systems and perform emergency repairs so customers have the water they depend on during this time.
Water Safe to Use and Drink During Pandemic, Officials Reassure
/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Mike Lee /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Alexandra Mendoza Mentioned: San Diego County Water AuthorityWater agencies are reminding the public that the water supply continues to be safe and reliable during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Sweetwater Authority in the South Bay reassured its customers that the water is safe to use and drink.
“In these difficult and uncertain times, the water that we deliver to our customers is as reliable as ever, and it continues to meet and exceed all federal and state requirements for water quality,”said Steve Castañeda, chairman of the Sweetwater board of directors.
Rare April Deluge Boosts Southern California Rainfall to Normal Levels After Bone-Dry Winter
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /The Washington Postby Mike BranomTo hear that the weather is producing average results prompts thoughts of a metronome, plain brown wrappers and the smell of vanilla. But that certainly is not how Los Angeles’s rain intake for the water year has reached its historical average.
Pipeline 5 at Moosa Creek Shut Down for Repair Work
/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Mike Lee /Fallbrook Village Newsby Joe Naiman Quoted: San Diego County Water AuthorityThe repair work for one of the San Diego County Water Authority pipelines in Moosa Canyon will be done this month, and two shutdowns of the SDCWA pipeline will sandwich the carbon fiber relining.
“We shut down Pipeline 5, and we are currently in the process of installing two internal steel bulkheads,” Neena Kuzmich, engineering manager with CWA, said. “We just started a shutdown Monday.”
That Monday was March 30.
“It’s a seven-day shutdown of Pipeline 5, and that’s to facilitate the carbon fiber repair,” Kuzmich said.
Construction in Mission Trails to Improve Regional Infrastructure
/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Mike Lee /Mission Times Courier Quoted: San Diego County Water AuthorityWhen Mission Trails Regional Park reopens and visitors return, they may notice an increase in construction traffic and activities in and near the western portion of the park as the San Diego County Water Authority improves a portion of its regional water delivery system.
The Water Authority has begun work to construct a new underground reservoir and flow control facility. The facilities are part of the Mission Trails Project, a suite of projects that mostly were completed in late 2010 to improve regional water infrastructure.
Completed components include construction of a pipeline tunnel, demolition of most above-ground vent stacks in the park, and construction of a stabilized crossing at the San Diego River.
New underground flow regulatory structure
The new underground flow regulatory structure, or covered reservoir, will help regulate untreated water flows in the regional water delivery system. It will hold up to 5 million gallons of water. The reservoir will be covered with soil and vegetation, except for several above-ground access hatches and vents that will allow for air movement in and out of the reservoir. A new flow control facility and pipeline interconnections will also be constructed as part of this project.
Pre-construction work to prepare the site has already started. The project construction is scheduled to end in early 2022.
Construction vehicles will use Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, Calle de Vida, Portobelo Drive, and Antigua Boulevard to access work areas in the park. Some trails leading to the site in the western portion of the park will be closed. For instance, the trail that begins at the intersection of Calle de Vida and Colina Dorada Drive will be closed to allow large construction vehicles and traffic to safely pass through the park. Additionally, parking at the eastern end of Clairemont Mesa Boulevard will be limited to accommodate project field offices and equipment staging.
For more information about either project, go to www.sdcwa.org/mission-trails-FRS, call the toll-free project information line at 877-682-9283, ext. 7004, or email .
COVID-19: Water Use When We Stay Home
/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Mike Lee /Water News NetworkNow that most of us are at home more, you may be wondering “how much more water am I using?” The good news is, it’s probably less than you think. This is because the activities that use the most water – such as outdoor irrigation, showering and doing laundry – happen at the same weekly frequency regardless if you and the family are spending your days at home or not.
COVID-19: Safe Water Systems Crucial During Outbreak
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio)by Ismail Turay Jr.Local water systems are working to make sure that as so much of the rest of people’s lives are interrupted by the coronavirus quarantines, the source of safe water for the region’s homes remain stable.
The city of Dayton — which supplies drinking water for much of Montgomery County — has launched a campaign in an effort to ease residents’ concerns about the quantity and quality of the region’s drinking water.
The COVID-19 outbreak has also led local water systems to take steps from deep-cleaning offices, staggering shifts of workers, and banning public visitors from the grounds — all to prevent an outbreak of the disease from affecting their staffs.
The steps are part of pandemic emergency plans that local water systems put into effect immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared as a state of emergency both locally and nationally. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency requires all public water systems to have emergency plans.
“With everything else going on, the last thing you need to worry about is your drinking water,” said Joe Bates, the Water Treatment Supervisor for the city of Xenia water system. “Tap water is safe. Drink tap water and save the bottled water for a true emergency or when you are mobile.”
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
