FY 2022 Annual Report
The San Diego region’s history of water conservation and diversification investments positioned the Water Authority as a state and regional leader on drought issues. Media from across the country and as far away as Europe showcased the Water Authority as a model for drought resilience. At the same time, staff and Board members played important leadership roles: General Manager Sandra L. Kerl took the helm of the California Urban Water Agencies, while Finance Director and Treasurer Lisa Marie Harris was named the CFO of the year in the public sector by the San Diego Business Journal. And the agency was granted its first ever utility patent for a device that inspects the interior of pipelines.
In just over a week, Water Authority crews proactively fixed a 90-inch diameter pipeline in Bonsall as part of the agency’s long-term commitment to maintaining regional investments in water supply reliability and affordability. Staff detected potential pipeline weaknesses just north of West Lilac Road in late January using real-time acoustic fiber-optic monitoring.
As part of its ongoing effort to prepare for future regional water facility needs, the Water Authority started crafting its 2023 Water Facilities Master Plan Update. The Water Authority’s master plan guides future investments, defines strategies to identify facility needs, and focuses on system optimization to ensure the Water Authority can meet future member agency water demands in a reliable and cost-effective way. At the same time, the Board activated the Water Authority’s Water Shortage Contingency Plan to encourage voluntary water savings in light of worsening drought conditions.
