Reports to the
Chula Vista City Council on Water
The Otay
Water District and the Sweetwater
Authority did presentations for the Chula Vista City Council on January
15, 2008. The theme was CONSERVATION. Imported water is not a dependable
resource and we live in a coastal desert. Otay imports 100% of their water.
Sweetwater has been developing local resources so that in a wet year it can
provide 70-100% of its water from local sources. The drought has lowered the
reservoirs considerably and they are importing 75% now. It is extremely
important that people conserve water.
Mark
Watton, the General Manager of Otay Water District (video1), felt we would be
okay in 2008, but the shortage could be critical in 2009. He explained the
politics of water and why the situation is changing. He said we have relied on
the Colorado River surplus for years, but there has been and extended drought and
Arizona and other states are now demanding their
share. (video 2) The Delta now is less certain due to
endangered species issues and the fact that other cities in the north depend
upon the Delta
as well. The 20-gallon challenge is important. We must
conserve. This is our future. There will be difficult discussions this year,
because we MUST conserve. Our future is water efficient landscaping and
possible restrictions on new development. Some places are mandating these
things now. He feels we are okay for 2008.
Water Policy is now being made in
courtrooms. The days of ignoring the
environment are past. We must pay attention to the environment and seek
stability in water supply. There are several bond issues that are being
considered to help provide a stable, sustainable water supply. Some of the ways
to fix the Delta are a decade away. A bypass canal could be in
place in three years, but would not be a permanent solution.
There are many
diverse interests. We have to invest in long-term sustainable solutions, not
band-aids. Desal, water recycling,
efficient use of water, water efficient
landscaping must be in our future. Otay District
has been investing in Encinitas Desalinization Plant and recycled
water.
General Manager Dennis Bostad gave the
presentation for the Sweetwater
Authority (VIDEO), which supplies water to National City,
Western Chula Vista, and Bonita. Sweetwater has two Reservoirs-Sweetwater and
Loveland. As the population grows
Sweetwater will have to depend more on imported water, but they are maximizing
local resources with the desalinization
plant on Second Avenue that uses
reverse osmosis to make the brackish groundwater drinkable. They also have invested
in the Encinitas Desalinization Plant.
This shows the Colorado River Watershed, which is at 50%
capacity after 12 years of drought. The Delta
watershed on the left is also very stressed and is at 45% capacity.
This is the Sweetwater River Watershed, which begins in
the Cleveland National Forest. The Loveland Reservoir is at 53% capacity and
the Sweetwater Reservoir is at 26%
capacity. The brackish wells and the fresh water wells in National City are
100% available because they are groundwater dependent and not subject to
drought.
This shows the
diversification of supply that Sweetwater strives for to ensure reliability.
The plan is to increase GW (ground water) desalinization and add desalination
from the Encinitas plant by 2011 in order to reduce reliance on imported water.
The slide on the
right shows the difference between where water comes from in a wet year and a dry year.
The slide on the left shows brackish well
exploratory locations. The Reynolds desalinization plant gets brackish water
from the San Diego Formation. It has been in
operation since 1999. The latest research shows that this body of brackish
water is very large, and the plan is to put in more wells in order to increase
the supply of brackish water that can be desalinized into potable water.
Sweetwater is partnering with Otay Water District and San Diego to better
exploit this resource. They are working to find an environmentally sensitive
way to dispose of the brine resulting from this process.
Mr. Bostad also emphasized that Water
Conservation MUST become a way of life.
At the end of the presentation the council members had questions
and the representatives answered them (Click
here for Video). In response to question about
desalinization Sweetwater responded that they have been testing all the wells
since they started desalinizing brackish water in 1999 and have found no
overdrafts or subsidence of the ground.
There was a discussion of recycled water
and the value of highly treated sewage water. It was pointed out that before
the Colorado River water gets to us the highly treated sewage of a number of
large cities and many small cities is dumped into it. Within ten years we need
to be considering using this highly treated sewage water for ground water recharge at a
minimum if not direct potable uses. Sweetwater is exploring
other alternatives now because it does not have the huge investment in an
alternative delivery system that Otay District has (purple pipes), but it is
working with cities and Otay on future development of waste water treatment and
potable reuse options.
Rudy Ramirez asked specifically what the
city could do to help ensure water reliability. The answer given was mainly
coordination. Both Districts have been involving the city in the discussion of future water supplies and CONSERVATION. It was pointed
out that the political process was very important because the land use
decisions made at the dais had a huge impact on the need for water. It was
suggested that the city become actively involved in promoting the efficient use
of water and conservation. It was mentioned that relying upon orderly
development meant that the city must integrate the development of new
water supplies into the political process. Coordination with water districts is
absolutely critical.
Mr. Watton emphasized that conditions
were changing. Global Warming will affect the
snow supply. We may face more drought, etc. He urged the
initiation of a broad community dialogue not only locally but state wide on how
we are going to deal with these changing conditions that will negatively affect
the availability of potable water in the near future.