San Diego regional water news roundup: Mar 31-Apr 6, 2014
Posted by George J Janczyn on April 7, 2014
 Gliding over Black’s Beach. The Torrey Pines Gliderport is perched at the top of the cliffs at center of photo. |
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Storms don’t melt drought fears / U-T San Diego : “The snowpack came in at less than a third of normal Tuesday, prompting state and federal water managers to reiterate that they have no immediate plans to turn the tap back on for some of their largest customers, including the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California that delivers the vast majority of the San Diego region’s supplies…” |
Small avocado groves in peril / U-T San Diego : “Just 10 years ago, there were nearly 30,000 acres of avocado trees growing in such places as Fallbrook, Valley Center, Bonsall and the San Pasqual and Pauma valleys. Today that number has dwindled to between 18,000 and 22,000 acres…” |
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 Drought forces Ensenada to ration water … and it’s only spring / KPBS : “Due to a severe water crisis, many of Ensenada’s 320,000 inhabitants now only get water from their taps two or three times a week. The governor has declared a state of emergency because of the shortage…”
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Ensenada confronts water shortage / U-T San Diego : “Here in the sprawling hillside development of Villas del Prado and across Ensenada, residents have been learning to live with rationed water, as the port city of 400,000 residents confronts an unprecedented shortage…” |
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USD reacts as drought continues / The Vista : “Despite a few scattered showers over the past few months, the drought in California is lingering at record levels. In reaction, the USD [University of San Diego] Office of Sustainability is still trying to reduce water usage on the USD campus…” |
Balancing resources / U-T San Diego : “California Secretary for Natural Resources John Laird met with the U-T Editorial Board last week to discuss the drought and other water-related topics. Here is an edited transcript of the interview…” |
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Bill would protect California homeowners association members who reduce water use for landscaping / Associated Press via Los Angeles Daily News : “A bill moving through the Legislature protects people in homeowner associations from retribution if they take steps to reduce water use for landscaping….” |
Rebates make lawn removal attractive / U-T San Diego : “The San Diego County Water Authority offers homeowners up to $3,000 for replacing conventional turf grass with plants more suited to low-impact irrigation and the region’s semiarid climate. Businesses can get up to $9,000…” |
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Fact check: spiking San Diego’s water supply with recycled water / Voice of San Diego : “Statement: “the city of San Diego’s water reuse project that could supply up to 40 percent of San Diego’s water needs…” Determination: Mostly True…” |
Water police take aim at small companies / U-T San Diego : “California’s regulatory tsunami is poised to soak 14,000 mostly small companies in San Diego County that fall under a broad definition of light industry…” |
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Escondido develops ‘critical’ recycled water project / The Coast News : “The city of Escondido has approved initial plans for new recycled water and potable water reuse systems with the intention of securing a local, drought-proof water source for future generations…” |
Water recycling may cost city $285M / U-T San Diego : “The Escondido City Council endorsed a plan Wednesday to spend an estimated $285 million over the next 15 years on infrastructure that would allow the city to transform all its sewage into irrigation water…” |
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Coronado City Council addresses wastewater rates; priorities for fiscal year 2014-15 / Coronado Eagle & Journal : “According to the city staff report, two of the main wastewater lines, the Cays and the Glorietta are nearing the end of their expected service. Replacing both lines could cost the city’s Wastewater Enterprise Fund an additional $10 million to $20 million…” |
Encina Wastewater Authority announces the PureGreen Garden to showcase crops grown with organic nitrogen fertilizer / PRWeb : “Today, the Encina Wastewater Authority (EWA) announced the launch of the test phase of its flagship PureGreen Demonstration Garden. PureGreen fertilizer is manufactured using biosolids – the nutrient rich residual by-product of the wastewater treatment process…” |
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Arant gives presentation before CWA board / Valley Roadrunner : “Valley Center Municipal Water District general manager Gary Arant gave a presentation about his agency to the San Diego County Water Authority board at the SDCWA’s March 27 meeting. The VCMWD service area of 100 square miles makes it the CWA’s third largest agency, behind the City of San Diego and the Otay Water District, in terms of land…” |
The Water Authority misses the mark…again / San Diego Coastkeeper : “…on the adoption of [the San Diego County Water Authority] Regional Water Facilities Optimization and Master Plan Update…What seems to have been ignored all together by this plan is the amount of energy it takes to supply water…” |
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Water district wins transparency award / U-T San Diego : “The Vallecitos Water District’s efforts to operate openly and transparently were honored last month by the Special District Leadership Foundation. The district provides water to 94,000 residents across 45 square miles in San Marcos and portions of Escondido, Carlsbad, Vista and unincorporated areas of the county…” |
Lake Hodges reopens to wind surfers / FOX5 San Diego : “Beginning Wednesday, windsurfing is allowed for the general public on Lake Hodges for the first time in a decade…” |
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California ports watch for unusual water patterns after Chilean quake / Los Angeles Times : “Small tsunami waves and other unusual “water movements” arrived on the California coast Wednesday following an 8.2 earthquake that struck Chile’s northern coast. The first waves to strike California that were connected to Tuesday night’s South American earthquake may have hit La Jolla about 4 a.m…. |
Accusations plentiful at Rainbow MWD’s first board meeting since FPUD application to LAFCO / Fallbrook Village News : “March 25 was the date of the first Rainbow Municipal Water District board meeting since the Fallbrook Public Utility District (FPUD) submitted an application to San Diego County’s Local Agency Formation Commission to merge FPUD and Rainbow…giving the district 25 days to provide an official response…” |
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Sewage spill contaminates water at Del Mar Beach / San Diego County News Center : “Beachgoers should stay out of the water in the area near Powerhouse Park in Del Mar after a sewage spill Friday, the County Department of Environmental Health said…” |
San Diego beachgoers advised to stay out of water until Saturday due to urban runoff / City News Service via KPBS : “The county’s Department of Environmental Health issued a general advisory to beachgoers to stay out of the water for the next 72 hours due to Wednesday morning’s rainfall…” |
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