August 27, 2015

In This Issue

Water Authority Begins Update of Region's Long-Term Water Management Strategy

Water Authority Launches Mobile App to Help Report and Fix Water Waste Countywide

Learn How to Transform a Yard into a Beautiful, Water-Saving Landscape

Did you see?

An op-ed by civic and business leaders in today's edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune addressed an important issue related to state water-use mandates and our region's investments to create new drought-proof supplies.

"Those improvements have come at a substantial cost - several billion dollars - and now it's only fair that our region receive proper credit from state water-use regulators who set emergency conservation targets. The State Water Resources Control Board should adjust targets in regions such as ours to reflect the development of new drought-proof supplies that reduce stress on other water resources such as the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta."

Click hereto read the full article.

To Learn More about the Citizens Water Academy and to apply for the fall 2015 class, click here.

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Water Authority Begins Update
of Region's Long-Term
Water Management Strategy

The Urban Water Management Plan balances supplies and demands over two decades

The Water Authority is launching the 2015 update of its Urban Water Management Plan, which includes a forecast of water demands and a detailed evaluation of the supplies necessary to meet those demands over at least two decades for both normal and dry conditions.

Urban Water Management Plans are important tools for reporting progress on long-term, state-mandated conservation targets, and they are frequently used by state agencies and the public to determine if water agencies are planning appropriately to meet future demands. By law, the plans must be updated every five years.

Today, the Water Authority Board of Directors was apprised of the schedule for completing the 2015 Urban Water Management Plan by next June. Development of the plan will include a public review period, likely in early 2016, along with a formal public hearing at a Water Authority Board meeting later in the year.

To learn more about the Water Authority's 2015 Urban Water Management Plan and the Regional Water Facilities Optimization and Master Plan, which focuses on the infrastructure necessary to meet demand projections, go to www.sdcwa.org/futureplanning.

Water Authority Launches
Mobile App to Help Report and Fix Water Waste Countywide

App sends photos or videos of water waste straight to local agencies for follow-up

The Water Authority on Tuesday launched a smartphone app that enables users across the region to report water waste such as broken sprinklers, excess irrigation and potential violations of local water-use rules with the option of including a photo or video.

The Water Authority developed the app - "When in Drought, Report Waste" - in partnership with its 24 member water agencies to help inform property owners, meet state water-use reduction targets and avoid state fines. The Water Authority's member agencies are responsible for responding to water waste reports generated for their service areas.

After downloading the app, users can report waste by either entering an address or using the geolocation feature to pinpoint the location of the problem. Users then select from a list of common problems and have the option to enter more detailed information. Users also may include a video or photo of the problem.

The app is free and available for both iPhone and Android devices through app stores. There also is a link to the app on the Water Authority's website, www.sdcwa.org/when-in-drought-report-waste-mobile-app.

Learn How to Transform a Yard into a Beautiful, Water-Saving Landscape

Taught by local landscape and irrigation industry professionals, this award-wining series of four workshops teaches participants how to:

Convert a turf area to a water-efficient landscape
Select plants that will thrive in San Diego's Mediterranean climate
Analyze a yard, identify the soil, remove turf and irrigate efficiently
Create professional landscape, planting and irrigation designs ready for installation

Space is limited, and qualified applicants will be enrolled on a first-come, first-served basis. Space is still available in the following classes:

Chula Vista Civic Center -- 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Thursdays (9/24, 10/8, 10/22 and 11/5)
MiraCosta College Oceanside -- 1-4 p.m. on Saturdays (9/26, 10/10, 10/24 and 11/7)

Go to landscapemakeover.watersmartsd.org for more information and to sign up.

The San Diego County Water Authority works through its 24 member agencies to provide a safe and reliable water supply to support the region's $218 billion economy and quality of life of 3.2 million residents.