July 1, 2010
Recycled water being used to irrigate park

By Nathan Scharn
San Diego Union-Tribune

SAN DIEGO — The city of San Diego hopes to save 13 million gallons of water a year by using recycled water for irrigation at Canyonside Community Park in Rancho Peñasquitos. The park’s new sprinkler system is part of a project that involves supplying six parks and seven street medians with recycled water. Nearly 40 percent of the expenses will be recovered by grants from the state and other donors, city officials said.

June 30, 2010
Schwarzenegger wants $11-billion water bond off the November ballot

By Patrick McGreevy
Los Angeles Times

California's governor says he needs to focus on the budget crisis. Polls show voters may not have the appetite for such borrowing when the state is in such dire financial straits.

Judge rejects request to stop La Jolla fireworks show

By Ed Joyce
KPBS

An environmental group lost an attempt Wednesday to stop a Fourth of July fireworks show in La Jolla. The group wanted to stop the Fourth of July show at the La Jolla Cove because it says discharging fireworks will harm sensitive coastal resources.

June 25, 2010
Group sues to snuff fireworks in La Jolla

By Mike Lee
San Diego Union-Tribune

Environmentalists on Friday made good on threats to sue organizers of the July 4 fireworks show in La Jolla, hoping to stop the 25th annual event in the name of reducing water pollution caused by pyrotechnics.

NOTE: To read the lawsuit involving the La Jolla fireworks show, go to fireworks lawsuit

NOTE: The State Water Resources Control Board (Region 9) plans to complete a general-permit application for fireworks dischargers by early 2011. Getting approval for a fireworks show over water is expected to include monitoring and cleanup plans. Until the general permit is developed, water-quality officials said they don’t plan to penalize groups or companies that shoot fireworks along the coast as long as they minimize the environmental harm.

March 1, 2010
Power plants criticize proposal to block use of seawater for cooling machinery

By Jill Leovy
Los Angeles Times

California water resources board plan, backed by environmentalists, would end practice of sucking in ocean water -- along with small animals, fish larvae and, occasionally, people -- to cool plants. Utilities say it would force expensive retrofits or shut down plants.

O.C city sues couple who removed front lawn to save water

By Amina Khan
Los Angeles Times

Some Southern California cities fine residents for watering their lawns too much during drought conditions. But in Orange, city officials are locked in a legal battle with a couple accused of violating city ordinances for removing their lawn, which they did to save water.

November 11, 2009
Capitol's water must contain stupidity germ

Dan Walters
Sacramento Bee

When the Legislature was drafting its massive water plan, it included a number of specific appropriations as political lubricants. It did not, however, include funds for analysis of the Capitol's own supply of drinking water, thereby denying us an opportunity to discover whether it contains a mysterious germ that compels legislative leaders to do really dumb things.

Schwarzenegger signs water conservation bill in San Jose

By Paul Rogers
San Jose Mercury News

SAN JOSE - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday visited San Jose to sign a new water conservation law (SBX7-7) that aims to reduce urban use 20 percent statewide by 2020. Schwarzenegger signed the bill, at a ceremony at the Santa Clara Valley Water District headquarters in Almaden Valley. California now is the first state to set statewide targets for water conservation.

Public subsidies approved for San Diego County desalination project
The vote by the Metropolitan Water District board means the private venture could get up to $350 million. Coastal groups opposed the action.

By Bettina Boxall
Los Angeles Times

The Carlsbad project is the furthest along of a host of desalination plants under consideration on the California coast. Backers said Tuesday's vote by the board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California was critical to getting private financing, the plant's next hurdle. The project has obtained major state environmental approvals but continues to be challenged by coastal groups.

November 10, 2009
Schwarzenegger signs legislation for giant water bond

By Robert Rodriguez
Fresno Bee

FRIANT - With Millerton Lake as a backdrop, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an $11.1 billion water bond Monday that proponents acknowledged will be a tough sell with voters. The $11.1 billion bond - the cornerstone of the Legislature's five-bill water package - would be more than double the size of the largest water bond in state history.

October 14, 2009
Bay Area cities must cut trash in storm drains

By Kelly Zito
San Francisco Chronicle

More than 70 Bay Area cities from Fairfield to Los Gatos must slash the volume of trash flowing from their streets and storm drains into San Francisco Bay by 40 percent under a new permit plan from regional water quality regulators.

September 21, 2009
Construction begins on Malibu's Legacy Park
The 15-acre public park will double as a stormwater treatment facility, capturing 2 million gallons a day in an effort to clean up polluted water.

By Martha Groves
Los Angeles Times

Veteran surfers joined forces with Malibu city leaders Monday to launch construction of Legacy Park, the centerpiece of the city's $50-million-plus plan to clean up polluted water in Malibu Creek, Malibu Lagoon and the famed Surfrider Beach.

September 15, 2009
CARLSBAD: Council backs proposed desal plant project changes

By Barbara Henry
North County Times

A proposal to change the design of a long-planned desalination project and its accompanying pipelines won unanimous approval from the Carlsbad City Council on Tuesday, but may soon face a lawsuit.

July 21, 2009
MWD stops paying rebates for water-saving devices
The district finds its conservation credit program is too popular with vendors and customers to support financially. Some vendors are experiencing money problems.

July 8, 2009
San Diego didn't seek federal aid for water project
More than a decade after San Diego started looking at how to turn wastewater back into tap water, the proposal remains in a political quagmire and city officials have lost a major chance to win federal stimulus money for it.

July 6, 2009
California may adopt more lenient gray water code in August
California may adopt a more lenient gray water code as early as August. Under the new code, a clothes washer or other single-fixture, residential gray water system, such as a shower, could be installed or altered without a construction permit.

October 30, 2008
Major sewage spill forces closures along Laguna coast
In what is being described by health officials as a major spill, 250,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled into the street and the ocean this morning in Laguna Beach, prompting the closure of four miles of beaches.

August 9, 2008
Monterey desalination plant approved
MONTEREY, Calif.-California's Coastal Commission has approved a plan to build a desalination plant that would provide fresh water for an oceanside development proposed near Monterey's historic Cannery Row.

August 8, 2008
NORTH COUNTY TIMES EDITORIAL
Approval of desalination was critical
We applaud the California Coastal Commission's approval Wednesday of the proposed $300 million desalination plant at the Encina Power Station in Carlsbad.

March 4, 2008
Water specialist: Dwindling supply means lifestyle changes ahead
One water specialist says the future water supply for our region doesn't look promising. That's because climate change models suggest that key supply sources will provide less water ten years from now.

February 24, 2008
OPINION
"When the well goes dry"
Southern California's water crisis
The announcement by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California that it soon may need to slash water deliveries to dozens of local water agencies and their 18 million residential customers took many by surprise. It shouldn't have.

Delta water may need to stay put Too much promised to rest of state, task force says
The state agency responsible for doling out water rights, it turns out, has a massive backlog of pending applications for Delta water at the same time experts are coming to the conclusion that the system is already maxed out.

February 22, 2008
Feinstein, governor push for water bond
Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger met privately with state lawmakers Thursday in an effort to jump-start stalled negotiations on a state water bond. There were no major breakthroughs and significant hurdles remain. But legislative leaders from both parties agreed to meet again in two weeks, the governor said.

February 21, 2008
Delays, holdups and setbacks
Effort to digitize documents for bay cleanup hits yet another snag
SAN DIEGO - The long-delayed effort to clean up one of San Diego Bay's most polluted spots has hit another snag, and the agency in charge can't say when the process will begin again.

Schwarzenegger, Feinstein seek compromise on Calif. water bond
SACRAMENTO - Unable to broker a water deal last year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday enlisted the help of Sen. Dianne Feinstein in the hope she can persuade lawmakers to compromise.

February 19, 2008
Governor-Feinstein water summit on tap
SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein will convene a closed door summit here Thursday that could determine California's water priorities for years to come.

Big water-rate hike on the way
Southern California's largest water supplier is set to raise rates to offset higher electrical bills, protect endangered fish and pay for cleanup associated with an invasive mussel.

February 13, 2008
Water board approves drought plan
The Metropolitan Water District board Tuesday approved a much-disputed drought plan despite protests from officials in some southeastern Los Angeles County cities who complained that low-income residents would be penalized with higher rates.

Scientists: Mead, Powell dry by 2021
Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the massive Colorado River reservoirs that help keep Southern California wet, could run dry by 2021, according to a report released Tuesday by two Scripps Institute of Oceanography researchers.