May 14, 2019
San Diego's Agriculture is Brought to You by Water

"Businesses, restaurants and the community in general expect a consistent and reliable supply of food," said Pierre Sleiman, CEO of Go Green Agriculture. "That’s only possible with safe, reliable water." Watch the video to learn more about Go Green and San Diego County's $4.8 billion agriculture industry.

Enter the San Diego Grown Photo Contest by May 31

To celebrate how safe and reliable water supplies fuel San Diego’s thriving agriculture industry, the Water Authority is hosting a photo contest during Water Awareness Month in May .

Entering the photo contest is easy: Take a photo of your favorite locally grown fruits, vegetables, flowers, farmers' markets or farms and post the photo to Instagram or Twitter using #B2UbyH2O between May 1-31.

Qualifying submissions are eligible to win prizes generously donated by the San Diego County Farm Bureau, Specialty Produce and Jimbo's...Naturally! Winners will be drawn randomly each week and announced on social media.

New Permit Fosters Sustainable Water Production at Carlsbad Desalination Plant

On May 8, San Diego regional water quality regulators issued a permit for the installation of new, technologically advanced and environmentally sensitive seawater intake and discharge facilities at the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant.

The plant – and the new permit – support Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent executive order for California “to think differently and act boldly by developing a comprehensive strategy to build a climate-resilient water system.”

Under the new permit, the Carlsbad plant will continue producing about 50 million gallons a day of high-quality, drought-proof drinking water for the region as Poseidon Water and the Water Authority develop a permanent, stand-alone seawater intake and associated structures.

Poseidon Water Assumes Stewardship of Agua Hedionda Lagoon

Poseidon Water, a national leader in the development of water supply and treatment projects using a public-private partnership approach, furthered its commitment to protect and preserve San Diego’s coastal environment by assuming stewardship of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon in Carlsbad.

The Agua Hedionda Lagoon encompasses more than 400 acres of marine, estuarine and wetlands habitat teeming with hundreds of fish, invertebrate and bird species. The lagoon has long been home to recreation activities such as kayaking, swimming, canoeing and paddle-boarding.

As the lagoon’s steward, Poseidon Water is taking responsibility for ensuring the man-made lagoon continues to realize the life-sustaining benefits of an open connection to the Pacific Ocean.

San Diego Students Shape the Future of Water

The Water Authority Board of Directors honored the latest group of water-related award winners from the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair as part of the agency’s effort to inspire young people to pursue water industry careers.

In the senior division, Alfred and Audrey Vargas won the first place award with the design of a new device to treat wastewater and generate electricity simultaneously using hydrogen fuel cell technology. The siblings, who attend Sweetwater High School, also won their division last year and continue their work in designing devices and systems that can potentially be used in developing countries where resources are scarce.

Did You See?

On May 6, the Times of San Diego published an article about Water Authority Board Chair Jim Madaffer's letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom praising his executive order on water supply planning and inviting him to visit San Diego's cutting-edge water facilities.

"Almost two decades ago, the Water Authority’s Board of Directors chose to take affirmative steps to change what had been an ‘end-of-the-pipeline’ mentality, when our agency relied greatly on water imported from the Bay-Delta," Madaffer said. "In other words, we embraced then the intent of Executive Order N-10-19, and believe our experience is proof that it can be done."

STAY CONNECTED: