Water Authority Seeks Right-Sized,
Cost-Effective Bay-Delta Plan

Over the course of the next several months, the Water Authority Board of Directors will review alternatives for fixing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta to determine which one best achieves the Board's overall goal of improved water supply reliability from the Bay-Delta at a cost the region's ratepayers can afford.

To date, the Water Authority has not endorsed any specific project or  proposal for improving water conveyance through or around the Bay-Delta, which provides about 20 percent of the region's water supplies. In recent years, the Bay-Delta has become less reliable as a supply source and its habitat has deteriorated, increasing concerns over ecosystem viability.

A San Francisco Superior Court judge has set Dec. 17 as the trial start date for the Water Authority's two lawsuits challenging rates set by the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

The Water Authority sued MWD in 2010 and again in 2012 for imposing illegal rates that are not based on the costs of providing the services for which they are collected. Numerous California statutes, the California Constitution and common law all require that public water agencies such as MWD set rates based on the actual costs of services rendered.

"MWD has been and is continuing to overcharge San Diego County residents by tens of millions of dollars each year as a result of its unlawful rates," said Daniel Purcell, special counsel for the Water Authority with the law firm of Keker & Van Nest in San Francisco. "That's what we're going to prove at trial.  We asked the court to set a trial date before the end of the year, and we're looking forward to trying the case in December."

Click here to read more.  

The Water Authority, in partnership with the city of San Diego, is preparing to assess the potential for a major hydroelectric power project at San Vicente Reservoir to boost the region's local energy supply now that the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station is permanently offline.

The Water Authority, in cooperation with the city of San Diego, is reviewing proposals by firms that will conduct a study to evaluate the economic and financial requirements of a pumped storage facility at San Vicente. The study will include an analysis of the power market, potential sites for an upper reservoir, regional power needs, and associated construction and operating costs.

Click here to read more.  

San Diego County homeowners can now get rebates of up to $50 and businesses can get rebates of up to $200 for purchasing highly efficient toilets as part of extensive regional efforts to promote wise use of water.

While many homeowners and businesses have upgraded to more efficient toilets in recent years, manufacturers have continued to reduce the amount of water necessary for each flush as regulatory standards evolve.