San Diego regional water news roundup May 1-7, 2011
Posted by George J Janczyn on May 8, 2011
( Selected regional water news reports. Click headlines to read.)
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EDITORIAL: No thanks on water tax / North County Times : “Local water districts would be taxed in a complex formula that levies residential and agricultural use differently and then divides up with income stream in an equally Byzantine formula among state agencies.” |
Water efficiency, not desalination, for water supply / American Rivers : “Could water from an under-regulated desalination plant in Mexico’s Baja Peninsula provide an alternative water source to portions of Southern California? That is exactly what might happen as water agencies supplying San Diego, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tucson look for new ways to provide water…” |
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FPUD to increase water rates / Fallbrook Village News : “According to FPUD [Fallbrook Public Utility District] general manager Keith Lewinger, “We are just passing on that [County Water Authority] increase to ratepayers…we have not given our employees any cost of living adjustment, increase in benefits, or any other costs we have control over.”” |
EXCLUSIVE: Oceanside facing possible $10 million fine for December sewage spill / North County Times : “A December sewage spill along Buena Vista Creek in Oceanside was far worse than officials first feared, turning out to be what they said was the worst such spill in recent memory and leaving the city vulnerable to a substantial fine —- as much as $10 million.” |
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Water fee bill meets resistance by Imperial Irrigation District board / Imperial Valley Press : “The California Water Resources Investment Act would establish a renewable revenue source to fund water-related projects and programs for public benefit, said Government Affairs Specialist Jennifer Goodsell. Funding would come from charges on all retail water suppliers, which would be imposed on water users.” |
San Diego Coastkeeper looks at Mission Bay’s water / The Log : “While Mission Bay gained a reputation for being contaminated by numerous sewage spills in the 1990s, the bay is much cleaner today. Its remaining issues are largely related to urban runoff.” |
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Bill to ban copper hull boat paint moving through Calif. Legislature / KPBS : “The legislation is sponsored by state Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego). Scientific research has identified copper as a significant water pollutant and a threat to aquatic life. She said San Diego Bay has been identified in several studies as having excessive amounts of copper in marinas and the problem is growing statewide.” |
EDITORIAL: Sewage spills intolerable / North County Times : “A sewage spill in December didn’t dump 180,000 gallons of untreated waste into the city’s prime wetland [as suspected earlier], the six-day spill leaked 5.4 million gallons into the lagoon. “ |
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Efforts to clean up river in Santee taking off / SignOnSanDiego : “The Friends of Santee’s River Park were part of last weekend’s … cleanup event at Forester Creek, a 2-mile long tributary that stretches through El Cajon and Santee. Some 73 volunteers showed up on Saturday at the creek, collecting 325 pounds of trash and 43 pounds of recyclable material. |
Sea level off California kept down by climate cycle; Scripps says that’s changing / 89.3 KPCC : “Global sea levels rose have risen, possibly faster than ever, in the last 20 years. California’s coast is the exception. Now, scientists at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in San Diego say they can explain why.” |
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Money-saving resources, information, and events spotlighted during “Water Awareness Month” [news release] / City of San Diego Public Utilities Department : “The City of San Diego is recognizing Water Awareness Month throughout May and is inviting San Diegans to learn more about water, tap into City resources and participate in a series of fun and educational events.” |
County may lose $17M in water conservation incentives / 10News : “San Diego County Water Authority leadership insists the vote is retaliation over a lawsuit by the SD County Water Authority claiming the Metropolitan Water District overcharges the county for water services.” |
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