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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPipeline 03 - Summer 2025T H E O TAY WATER DISTRICT • P R OUDLY SERVING E A ST C OUNT Y AND TH E S OUTH B A Y SINC E 1956 A NE W SLET TE R FOR CUSTOMERS OF T HE OTAY WATER DISTRICT SUMMER 2025 Dedicated to Community Service FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE OTAY WATER DISTRICT CALL (619) 670-2222 OR GO TO OTAYWATER.GOV The Pipeline Newsletter is published quartely by the Otay Water District and can also be found online at otaywater.gov. Copywright ©2021 Otay Water District.All rights reserved. The Vital Role of the San Miguel Habitat Management Area East Chula Vista’s San Miguel Habitat Management Area (HMA) is home to high- quality native habitats, including wetlands, coastal sage scrub, and grasslands, that provide vital refuge for sensitive plants and wildlife, some of which are unique to Southern California. Various special-status species have been detected in the HMA, including the coastal California gnatcatcher, the least Bell’s vireo, the Quino checkerspot butterfly, the burrowing owl, the Otay tarplant, and the variegated dudleya. Established in 1994 under a joint agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the HMA is owned and maintained by the Otay Water District to offset environmental impacts from the construction and operation of District facilities. When projects impact sensitive habitats, the District protects and enhances native habitats in the 240-acre HMA. With ongoing development in Southern California, biological reserves like the HMA serve as critical sanctuaries for plants and animals. The District is committed to ensuring the site is well-managed and that the biological resource needs are met by conducting ongoing maintenance and monitoring of the site. Help nature thrive in our community! Please keep in mind that the HMA is private property and closed to the public. Trespassing, hiking, biking, littering, or feeding wildlife is strictly prohibited, as these actions can cause serious harm to the sensitive plants and animals. Learn more at otaywater.gov/hma. Otay rehabilitates burrowing owl habitat in the HMA. Otay Earns Transparency Certificate of Excellence Award In recognition of its strong commitment to prioritizing transparency and good governance in serving its community and customers, the Otay Water District has received the Transparency Certificate of Excellence from the Special District Leadership Foundation. “This award reflects the Otay Water District’s dedication to open government,” said Otay Board President Jose Lopez. “I commend our staff for empowering the public with information and encouraging engagement and oversight.” To receive this award, the District demonstrated the completion of essential governance transparency requirements, including conducting ethics training for all board members, properly holding open and public meetings, promptly filing financial and compensation reports with the State Controller, and fulfilling other key transparency practices. For more information, visit otaywater.gov/ transparency-cert-2025. FREE Admission to the Water Conservation Garden on Wave-In Day Present a printed or digital copy of your water or sewer bill for admission to the Water Conservation Garden on the last Saturday of each month. This special offer is available to the Garden’s Joint Powers Authority members and their ratepayers, including Otay Water District customers, in recognition of the ongoing support of the Garden as a valuable public resource. During your visit, discover the power of water-wise gardening. Enjoy sustainability workshops and activities. Learn more at otaywater.gov/wave-in-day. Otay’s Water Quality Report is Online In calendar year 2024, the District met or surpassed all state and federal drinking water quality standards. To view or download the water quality report online, visit otaywater.gov/ ConsumerConfidenceReport. To request a printed copy, email info@ otaywater.gov or visit the front desk at 2554 Sweetwater Springs Blvd., Spring Valley, CA 91978. Update your Contact Info to Stay Connected With Otay Stay informed about Otay water service alerts, your billing information, rebates, and more by keeping your contact details current. Update your mailing address, email, and/or phone number at otaywater.gov/update-your-info, via email at customerservice@otaywater.gov, or by calling (619) 670-2222, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.” Conservation Spotlight: Water-Use Survey Apply to receive a FREE water-use efficiency survey by a certified landscape irrigation auditor. Commercial customers may be eligible for an in-person landscape survey. Residential customers can choose between an in-person or virtual survey for both indoor and outdoor areas. Participants will receive data collected during the survey, recommendations for improving the site’s irrigation efficiency, and information on financial incentives to help with the cost of recommended improvements. Learn more at otaywater.gov/watersurvey. Enter a Raffle to Win an iPad by Taking a Residential Water-Use Survey! Visit bit.ly/wateruse-survey or scan the QR code. Survey conducted by the California Department of Water Resources, Flume, and Otay Water District. Register for classes and events at thegarden.org or call (619) 660-0614 x16 Nan StermanWaterwise Gardener Basil in Your Summer Garden It’s time for summer’s garden bounty — piles of red tomatoes, vats of green cucumbers, and a kitchen counter full of purple eggplants, yellow squashes, and green zucchini. Summer also brings armfuls of aromatic basil, and all the wonderful dishes we can cook with it. Basil has been cultivated for thousands of years, selected, crossed, and chosen again in countries across the globe. The result is a huge option of varieties, ranging from those with leaves large enough to replace lettuce on a sandwich to some tiny enough to grow in a teacup. About Basil Basil is an annual summer herb. “Annual” means it sprouts from seeds, grows, and dies all in one season - in this case, in summer. In this case, “herb” has two meanings. The botanical meaning of “herb” refers to the soft, flexible green stems. The culinary meaning of “herb” suggests all the different ways basil is used in cooking across various cultures. Basil is in the mint family. Like other mint herb relatives — sage, oregano, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary — basils have square stems and almost snapdragon-shaped flowers. Green-leaved basils bloom with white flowers, while purple-leaved basils bloom soft pink. An assortment of basil includes pungent Italian basil, Thai basil, licorice basil, cinnamon basil, lemon basil, and more. Each variety tastes distinctly different. To Grow Basil: While culinary basil is perennial in tropical climates, we plant basil once nighttime temperatures stay above 55 degrees. Summer is the perfect time to start basil seeds and plant seedlings into your garden. Don’t have a garden? If you have a sunny porch or patio, grow basil in a large pot instead. Tips for Growing Basil • Grow basil in full sun (bright shade in hot inland valleys and deserts). • Add compost, worm casting, and organic vegetable fertilizer to pots filled with potting soil or garden beds filled with topsoil. • Plant in early morning or late afternoon to minimize transplant shock. • Space plants based on their mature size. Most basil plants grow 2 or 3 feet wide, so plant them at least 3 feet apart. A five-gallon black nursery pot or a 12-inch ceramic pot is big enough for a single basil plant. • To plant, dig the hole, and toss in a handful of worm castings. Fill the hole with water and allow it to drain. Water the plant before planting it. • Separate plants if there are multiple in one pot. Loosen the roots and place one basil plant in each hole. • Refill the hole with the damp soil you removed earlier. Firm the soil around the roots. Water gently to settle the soil. • Mulch with straw (not hay) to help keep the soil moist. Water often and sufficiently to keep the soil damp (not wet) throughout the growing season. • Fertilize with organic vegetable fertilizer (follow label directions) a few times throughout the summer. • Start harvesting once basil plants have several branches covered in a lot of leaves. Harvest only as many leaves as you need at one time. To harvest, cut branches just above a branching point (don’t leave a stub). Never cut more than a third of the plant at once. The plant will continue to grow, and you can continue harvesting. • Flowering signifies the end of basil’s life cycle, but you can delay its demise by pinching out flower buds when you see them. Buds and flowers taste just like the leaves, so feel free to eat them too! • To grow basil throughout fall, plant basil seedlings now. At the same time, start basil seeds in containers. In six to eight weeks, transplant the new seedlings into the garden. As the first plants decline, the new seedlings will reach their peak. Basil is also a wonderful ornamental garden plant. Their clean, green leaves are beautiful enough to support a flower garden or mixed border. Try mixing basil with red, yellow, and green variegated coleus to create a tropical effect. As an added benefit, like most herbs, basil flowers attract both bees and butterflies. Cooking with Basil:Basil is incredibly versatile in the kitchen. Its distinctive flavors make it popular from Europe to Asia and everywhere else. Here are some ideas: • ‘Genovese’ basil — Nothing stimulates taste buds like delicious pesto. It is also incredibly easy to make – a couple of handfuls of fresh Genovese basil leaves, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, sea salt or kosher salt, musky pine nuts (or walnuts or almonds), and good Parmesan cheese – all blended in a food processor. • Thai basil — The spicy licorice/anise flavor of Thai basil makes it the classic aromatic herb in fresh spring rolls, richly flavored Pho, and Thai curries. • Experiment with flavored basil in cocktails, mocktails, and even cool summer fruit gazpacho. Nan Sterman is a garden expert, author, designer, and educator. Nan leads international garden tours, is the author of several books, and hosts the show A Growing Passion on KPBS TV, waterwisegardener.comRead more by Nan Sterman at otaywater.gov/waterwise-gardener FOLLOW OTAY WATER ON... / SIGA AL DISTRITO DE AGUA DE OTAY EN... OTAY WATER DISTRICT – Board of Directors The Board of Directors meets the first Wednesday of the month at 3:30 p.m. in the board meeting room at 2554 Sweetwater Springs Boulevard, Spring Valley, CA 91978. The public is encouraged to attend or watch the live stream at otaywater.gov. PresidentJose Lopez, Division 4jlopez@otaywater.gov Vice PresidentGary Croucher, Division 3gcroucher@otaywater.gov TreasurerFrancisco X. Rivera, Division 1frivera@otaywater.gov Board MemberDelfina Gonzalez, Division 2dgonzalez@otaywater.gov Board MemberMark Robak, Division 5mrobak@otaywater.gov FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE OTAY WATER DISTRICT CALL (619) 670-2222 OR GO TO OTAYWATER.GOV The Pipeline Newsletter is published quartely by the Otay Water District and can also be found online at otaywater.gov. Copywright ©2021 Otay Water District. All rights reserved. El papel vital del Área de Gestión del Hábitat de San Miguel El Área de Gestión del Hábitat de San Miguel (HMA, por sus siglas en inglés) del este de Chula Vista alberga hábitats nativos muy importantes, como humedales y matorrales costeros de salvia y pastizales, que son refugio vital de plantas y vida silvestre sensibles, algunas de las cuales son exclusivas del sur de California. Se han detectado varias especies con estatus especial en el HMA, como la perlita californiana, el vireo o pájaro de Bell, la mariposa parche damero, el búho excavador, la Deinandra conjugens y la dudleya variegada. El HMA fue establecido por el Distrito en 1994 bajo un acuerdo conjunto con el Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de los Estados Unidos y el Departamento de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de California para compensar los impactos ambientales derivados de la construcción y operación de las instalaciones del Distrito. Cuando los proyectos impactan hábitats sensibles, el Distrito protege y mejora los hábitats nativos del HMA de 240 acres. Con el desarrollo continuo en el sur de California, reservas biológicas como el HMA sirven como santuarios cruciales para plantas y animales. El Distrito se compromete a garantizar que el sitio esté bien gestionado y que se satisfagan las necesidades de recursos biológicos manteniendo y monitoreando el sitio continuamente. ¡Ayúdenos a que la naturaleza prospere en nuestra comunidad! Tenga en cuenta que el HMA es propiedad privada y está cerrado al público. Está estrictamente prohibido invadir, hacer senderismo, andar en bicicleta, tirar basura o alimentar a la fauna silvestre, ya que estas acciones pueden causar graves daños a las plantas y animales vulnerables. Aprenda más en otaywater.gov/es/hma. Otay rehabilita el hábitat del búho excavador en el HMA. Otay recibe el Certificado de Excelencia en Transparencia En reconocimiento a su firme compromiso con la transparencia y la buena gobernanza al servicio de su comunidad y sus clientes, el Distrito de Agua de Otay recibió el Certificado de Excelencia en Transparencia por parte de la Fundación de Liderazgo de Distritos Especiales. “Este premio refleja la dedicación del Distrito de Agua de Otay a un gobierno transparente”, mencionó José López, presidente de la junta directiva. “Felicito a nuestro personal por empoderar al público con información y fomentar la participación y la vigilancia”. Para recibir el premio, el Distrito demostró haber cumplido con los requisitos esenciales de transparencia en temas de gobernanza, incluyendo la capacitación en temas de ética para todos los miembros de la junta directiva; la correcta ejecución de reuniones abiertas públicas; la presentación puntual de informes financieros y de compensación ante el Contralor Estatal; y el cumplimiento de otras prácticas importantes de transparencia. Para más información, visite otaywater.gov/ certificado-de-transparencia-2025.