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Chair Croucher: Epic Drought Means Everyone Should Find Even More Ways to Make a Meaningful Impact

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Sept. 21, 2021 – San Diego County Water Authority Board Chair Gary Croucher today issued a statement in response to the State Water Resources Control Board announcement of water conservation figures for July.

“Over the past three decades, the water ratepayers in the San Diego region have done an extraordinary job of voluntarily reducing water use by nearly 50%. Those conservation efforts are enhanced by the Water Authority’s investments in a diversified water supply portfolio and regional facilities, including water transfers, seawater desalination, canal lining and reservoirs. That long-term track record of stewardship is a primary reason why we have reliable supplies during this record-breaking drought and for future years.

“While we should all be proud of our long-term track record of conservation, we need to do more to help eliminate water waste during this epic drought. The Water Authority offers numerous tools to enhance water sustainability, including free water-use check-ups for homes and businesses, along with rebates for WaterSmart upgrades. As a community, it’s important that we find ways to be even more water-efficient to ensure that we have reliable water supplies not just for today, but for future generations.”

— Gary Croucher, Board Chair, San Diego County Water Authority

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Top-10-tips-Water Conservation-Drought-WaterSmart

Top 10 Tips for Saving Water This Fall

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As drought conditions persist throughout the Southwest, the San Diego County Water Authority and its member agencies continue to actively support the state’s call for a 15% voluntary reduction in water use.

San Diego County residents and businesses can continue WaterSmart practices this fall by following these simple and easy tips to save water. 

Simple Water Saving Tips For Fall

Find a discount. Take advantage of rebates on products that help reduce indoor and outdoor water use. 

Shorten the shower. Keep showers to five minutes or fewer and save 2.5 gallons per minute.

Go low. Install aerators on faucets and low-flow showerheads to instantly save water every time you turn the tap.

Deploy the drip. Irrigate gardens with drip systems that minimize water waste by delivering water right at the roots.

Get smart. Install weather-based irrigation controllers in your landscape to take advantage of the latest smart technology that maximizes water-use efficiency.

Monitor the moisture. Use moisture meters to determine when and how much water plants need.

Embrace the broom. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways, sidewalks, and patios.

Check your water footprint. Use an online water-use calculator to assess how much water your home uses compared to a WaterSmart home. 

Turn to a pro. When it’s time to hire a landscaping professional, start with the list of Qualified Water-Efficient Landscapers who can make sure you are making the most of every drop.

Plant with perfection. Check out all the beautiful WaterSmart plant options that pair perfectly with San Diego County’s Mediterranean climate. 

For more tips, resources and rebates, go to watersmartsd.org.

California Water Agencies Resolve Colorado River Dispute

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Felicia Fonseca

Two major California water agencies have settled a lawsuit that once threatened to derail a multi-state agreement to protect a river that serves millions of people in the U.S. West amid gripping drought.

The Imperial Irrigation District, the largest single recipient of Colorado River water, sued the Metropolitan Water District twice in the past two years. The agencies announced Monday they have reached a settlement that resolves both lawsuits.

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Opinion: Why California’s Congressional Delegation Must Lead on Infrastructure Bill

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Dan Errotabere and John Monroe

With the House of Representatives back in session, we are pleased that one of the first items on its agenda will be consideration of the bipartisan infrastructure bill approved by the Senate last month.

We hope our congressional representatives used their summer break to experience firsthand the desperate situation all Californians face. Wildfires threaten communities, homes and lives; devastating drought is hurting businesses, the environment and the farms Californians count on to grow healthy food.

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Drought: Marin, Saudi Crown Prince Eyeing Same Desalination Plants

/in , /by /Marin Independent Journalby Will Houston

Marin County water officials are thinking of buying three desalination plants to bolster local supplies, but they’re facing an unlikely competitor — Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The Marin Municipal Water District, which might deplete its reservoirs by next summer if the drought continues, had considered renting two portable desalination plants for nearly $30 million from Osmoflo, an Australian company. Last week, the district staff said a third plant has become available and that purchasing them might be less expensive than renting.

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New Digital Water Education Workbook Makes a Splash

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Sept. 16, 2021 – The San Diego County Water Authority today released an interactive, digital workbook to help upper elementary students learn about the region’s most precious natural resource: water.

The online workbook is the latest addition to the Water Authority’s long-running education program that has helped instill water knowledge in hundreds of thousands of students in over more than two decades. It was funded by a grant from the Hans and Margaret Doe Charitable Trust and State of California, Proposition 84 Round 4 funds.

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Petaluma Enters Stage 4 Water Emergency Amid Drought Concerns

/in , , /by /Petaluma Argus Courier by Amelia Parreira

The Petaluma City Council on Monday night declared a drought emergency, ratcheting up restrictions on residents’ water use in the city’s latest effort to conserve the region’s dwindling water resources.

In a 6-1 vote late Monday night, the council approved a resolution for the Stage 4 emergency. The move calls for a 30% mandatory water reduction goal for city water customers, up from the previous goal of 25%.

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Could California Weather a Mega-Drought?

/in , , /by /UC Davis Water Sciencesby Jay Lund

“Mega-drought” has become a frightful “thing” in public and media discussions.  In the past 1,200 years, California had two droughts lasting 120-200 years, “megadroughts” by any standard. Could the state’s water resources continue to supply enough water to drink, grow crops and provide habitat for fish with such an extreme, prolonged drought today?

Clearly, some ecosystems and rural communities would be devastated by such a drought, and it would certainly affect all California residents.  But with careful management, California’s economy in many ways could substantially withstand such a severe drought.

Opinion: A Coachella Valley Date Farmer on What Happens When We Ask Too Much of the Colorado River

/in , /by /Palm Springs Desert Sunby Doug Adair

Even as she was going blind, my mom, ever the poet, delighted in sitting out among the palms and birds, and enjoying and visualizing the scene, as I irrigated my date gardens in the Coachella Valley.

In her 1997 poem, “Colorado Water,” she wrote:

The palm said, “My clover is cool around my bole, over my hidden roots.
My fronds clatter, crash
like waves in the far off sea.”

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City of Poway-Water Improvement Project-Water Infrastructure Project

Water Infrastructure Project to Begin in Poway

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Construction will start soon on the first of three projects to increase the reliability of drinking water for Poway water customers now and generations to come. Two water storage tanks will be built as part of a temporary bypass project.

During construction access to some amenities at Lake Poway will be impacted.

The ballfield at Lake Poway will be closed beginning Monday, September 20 for the construction of two tanks, each with the capacity to store 1.4 million gallons of treated water. The tanks are part of the temporary bypass project, which once completed will allow the city to move forward with replacing the clearwell (treated water storage) at the water treatment plant.

The parking lot adjacent to the volleyball court will be used for equipment staging and parking. It tentatively will be fenced off the week of Sept. 13. The Public Works parking lot off Lake Poway Road, which is open to the public for free parking on the weekends, will be closed beginning Sept. 20.

The clearwell replacement project is expected to be completed by Fall 2024. At that time the ballfield will be fully restored and both parking areas will reopen. 

City of Poway-Water Infrastructure-Water Improvement Projects

The clearwell replacement project consists of replacing the existing clearwell with two new reservoirs. Graphic: City of Poway

Largest Capital Improvement Program in Poway history

With the goal of increasing the reliability of drinking water for water customers now and generations to come, the City of Poway is undertaking the largest capital improvement program (CIP) in the city’s 40-year history.

The CIP will include replacing the clearwell (water storage reservoir) at the water treatment plant and a new San Diego County Water Authority treated water connection and redundant pipeline. In order to replace the clearwell, a temporary bypass project will include two 1.4 million-gallon tanks for storing treated water.

City of Poway-Water infrastructure project-Temporary Bypass Project

Construction is set to begin soon on a water infrastructure project in the City of Poway. Graphic: City of Poway

Water Authority treated water connection/redundant pipeline

The San Diego County Water Authority treated water connection and redundant pipeline project provides Poway with its first treated water connection to the SDCWA’s treated water aqueduct, as well as providing redundant pipelines. The project will help diversify Poway’s water supply portfolio and allow for operational flexibility and plant maintenance. It will also provide a redundant pipeline to the 36″ water transmission line on Lake Poway Road, which is currently the single transmission line that carries treated water to the distribution system.

The infrastructure improvement projects are moving ahead as part of a mutually beneficial agreement between Poway and the State Division of Drinking Water.

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