California State Senator Sheila Kuehl's Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee held an informational hearing this week in Santa Monica to hear testimony about environmental issues impacting the implementation of the state's Colorado River Plan. California could be faced with the loss of a large share of its Colorado River water supply unless legislation is approved to help implement a key component of that plan, the Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA).
Category Archives: News Release
Extraordinary State Demands Thwart Research on Seawater Desalination Technologies
The San Diego County Water Authority is closing down work on a potential seawater desalination plant at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton due to extraordinary permitting hurdles and related costs created by the State Lands Commission staff, along with the decreased potential that the plant will be needed in coming decades. For the past three years, the Water Authority has been developing a small-scale pilot facility to assess seawater intake and treatment technologies at Camp Pendleton, with grant funding from state and federal agencies. The resulting study would have been the first in California to investigate an innovative subsurface […]
Water Authority Presents Kyocera with 2018 Water Innovation & Efficiency Award
The San Diego County Water Authority this morning presented its 2018 Water Innovation & Efficiency Award to Kyocera for reducing its annual water use by more than 6 million gallons at its San Diego facility, a decrease of nearly 20 percent since 2014. The award marks the Water Authority’s inaugural effort to recognize water-efficiency investments among the region’s top manufacturing companies in conjunction with the Industrial Environmental Association. The 2018 Water Innovation & Efficiency Award was announced at the IEA’s 34th Annual Environmental Conference at the San Diego Convention Center. “Water is our most precious natural resource, and it’s so […]
Water Authority approves $436 million budget for Fiscal Year 2002
The board of directors of the San Diego County Water Authority today approved a $436 million budget for fiscal year 2002 that allows the Water Authority to continue providing a safe, reliable water supply to the region. The Water Authority's fiscal year begins July 1. The budget consists of five major elements: water purchases, $222.6 million; Capital Improvement Program Annual Appropriation, $131.3 million; debt service, $54 million; the operating budget, $26.2 million; and equipment replacement, $1.9 million.
San Diego Region’s Water Supplies Remain Adequate Despite Statewide Drought
Despite a statewide drought declaration on Friday, the San Diego County Water Authority has adequate supplies for 2014 because of local investments in diverse and more reliable water supplies over the past two decades and a long-term decrease in regional water demand.
The Water Authority is not projecting the need for countywide water-use restrictions this year, though the agency is closely monitoring hydrologic conditions across the Southwest. It is also encouraging residents and businesses to use water as efficiently as possible to avoid water waste.
Landmark Trial Over MWD’s Rates Concludes in Superior Court
Lawyers for the San Diego County Water Authority on Monday wrapped up their case against the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, concluding a five-day trial with more than $2 billion at stake for county residents. Judge Curtis E. A. Karnow requested post-trial briefs from both parties by Jan. 17, with a hearing on those briefs scheduled for Jan. 23. Following the Jan. 23 hearing, Judge Karnow will take the matter under submission before issuing his decision.
Saving water saves energy
The San Diego County Water Authority is reminding residents and businesses countywide to conserve water during the upcoming summer months. This year it is especially important to minimize water use wherever possible since saving water also saves the energy required to pump and deliver the water. Since 75 to 95 percent of the water used in the county is imported from Northern California and the Colorado River, a huge amount of energy is required to deliver that water to county homes.
Jim Madaffer Elected as Board Chair of Water Authority
New officers for the San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors were unanimously elected today, with Jim Madaffer starting his two-year term as Board chair on Oct. 1. Madaffer, vice chair of the Board for the past two years as a representative from the City of San Diego, will serve with incoming Vice Chair Gary Croucher, a Board representative from the Otay Water District, and incoming Secretary Christy Guerin from the Olivenhain Municipal Water District. Mark Muir, who represents the San Dieguito Water District on the Water Authority’s Board, served as chair for the past two years. He was […]
Water Authority Board Conditionally Supports WaterFix Project in Bay-Delta
The San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors today unanimously gave conditional support to current plans for California WaterFix, the state’s $17 billion proposal to address water supply constraints in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta. The Board made its backing contingent on a project financing plan that treats San Diego County ratepayers fairly through the proper allocation of project costs by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the sole source of Bay-Delta water for the San Diego region. The updated policy principles adopted by the Board also promote independent oversight of project finances and construction progress, along with continued […]
Carlsbad Desalination Project Named ‘Far West Deal of the Year’ for 2013
The Carlsbad Desalination Project on Friday was named the “Far West Deal of the Year” for 2013 by The Bond Buyer magazine, making it eligible for the publication’s top national honor to be announced Dec. 5 in New York.