Residents and businesses in the San Diego region may now be eligible for up to $2.50 per square foot in rebates for replacing turf grass with plants more suited to the county’s semi-arid climate.
Category Archives: News Release
Largest Desalination Plant in Western Hemisphere Completes First Year of Construction
City leaders, San Diego County Water Authority board officers, IDE Technologies, NRG Energy and Poseidon Water executives visited the Carlsbad Desalination Project today to mark the first anniversary of construction on the Western Hemisphere’s largest seawater desalination plant, which is more than 25 percent complete.
Jan. 9 Public Hearing on Long-Term Water Facilities and Climate Action Plans
The San Diego County Water Authority on Thursday will hold a public hearing on three related draft documents that together will provide strategic direction through 2035 for building capital projects and responding to climate change as it relates to agency activities.
The hearing is at 6 p.m. at the Water Authority’s headquarters, 4677 Overland Ave. in Kearny Mesa. It will cover the 2013 Regional Water Facilities Optimization and Master Plan Update, the Climate Action Plan and the associated environmental document.
Water Authority Proposes 3.7 Percent Rate Increases for 2018
The San Diego County Water Authority on Thursday announced that it will recommend increasing rates charged to its member agencies by 3.7 percent for both untreated and treated water in calendar year 2018, mostly because of higher rates and charges from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The proposed rate increases are the smallest since 2014 and are in line with Water Authority projections. Approximately 56 percent of the overall increase is driven by rising costs from MWD, which increased its base supply rates and also raised its costs for transporting the Water Authority’s independent supplies of Colorado River […]
Water Authority Recommends Mandatory Water-Use Restrictions
In response to deepening drought conditions and new statewide directives, the San Diego County Water Authority staff will recommend that the agency’s Board of Directors activate the next stage of the region’s drought response plan next week and declare a Level 2 Drought Alert calling for mandatory water conservation measures to prevent water waste. The actions would help San Diego County keep as much water as possible in storage for 2015 and comply with emergency water conservation mandates approved today by the State Water Resources Control Board.
Water Authority Awarded $1 Million Incentive to Deploy Clean Energy Storage Project
The San Diego County Water Authority has received a $1 million incentive from the California Public Utilities Commission to build and deploy intelligent energy storage that will save ratepayers money and stretch the energy output potential of solar panels already installed at the Water Authority’s Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant. The energy storage project, through an agreement with Santa Clara-based Green Charge, is expected to save the Water Authority nearly $100,000 per year in energy costs by using industrial-sized batteries to maximize the value of energy generated at the treatment plant. Installing batteries will help the Water Authority store […]
Historic San Vicente Dam Raise Project Completed
The largest water storage project in San Diego County history is complete, providing the region with a critical hedge against future water shortages.
The San Vicente Dam Raise project adds 152,000 acre-feet of water storage capacity to the reservoir, enough to serve more than 300,000 homes for a year. Filling the reservoir will take two to five years, depending on water supply and demand conditions statewide. The newly added storage volume is greater than any reservoir in the county.
Water Authority Supports New Statewide Water-Saving Rules
“The San Diego County Water Authority strongly supports Tuesday’s efforts by the State Water Resources Control Board to respond to severe statewide drought conditions and preserve remaining water supplies.
Countywide Water Use Shrinks 28 Percent in January
Year-over-year water use in San Diego County declined by nearly 30 percent for the second straight month in January, another sign that the residents and businesses are taking additional steps to conserve water and comply with mandatory water-use restrictions during what’s shaping up to be a fourth consecutive dry year. The savings occurred despite continued high temperatures and economic growth putting upward pressure on water consumption.
Storms Give Region Another Opportunity to Turn Sprinklers Off
Residents, businesses and growers across San Diego County can help the region save much-needed water for the next few weeks by turning off their irrigation systems and letting winter storms meet their outdoor watering needs.