Judge Rejects Environmental Group’s Legal Challenge to Water Authority Plans

San Diego Superior Court Judge Gregory W. Pollack has rejected all objections raised by San Diego Coastkeeper to the San Diego County Water Authority’s 2014 adoption of its Regional Water Facilities Optimization and Master Plan Update and Climate Action Plan, finding the Water Authority followed all applicable laws and procedures when the agency adopted them last year.

Water Authority urges region to turn off landscape watering in advance of storms

The San Diego County Water Authority is urging residents and businesses to help the region conserve water by turning off their outdoor watering systems today in advance of three storm systems moving into the region starting tonight. Water Authority officials say residents and businesses may be able to keep their landscape watering systems off for a week or more after these storms.

National Weather Service forecasters predict by Monday the combined storms could deliver 1-2 inches of rain in coastal areas and 4-8 inches of rain and possibly snow to mountain areas.

State Mandates, Desalination Factor into Water Authority’s Proposed Rate Increases for 2016

The San Diego County Water Authority on Thursday announced that it will recommend increasing rates charged to its member agencies by 6.6 percent for untreated water and 5.4 percent for treated water in calendar year 2016. Prudent financial management by the Water Authority has kept the proposed rates near the low end of projections made in 2011, and well below the double-digit increases during the last drought that were driven by steep price hikes from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Water Authority Responds to State Water Boards Adopted Water-Use Regulations

“The San Diego County Water Authority appreciates efforts by the State Water Resources Control Board to significantly reduce water use statewide in response to the governor’s executive order and severe drought conditions. We are pleased that the final regulations adopted Tuesday will provide protection for our region’s $1.9 billion farm sector.

Metropolitan Water District to Begin Fluoridation of Treated Water Supplies

Beginning Oct. 29, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California will join a majority of the nation's public water suppliers in adding fluoride to its treated water supplies. Metropolitan's treated water deliveries to San Diego County will be fluoridated starting Dec. 3 when fluoridation begins at the Skinner water treatment plant. Approximately half of the treated water used in the county comes from Metropolitan's Skinner plant in southern Riverside County.