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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPipeline 04 - Fall 2021T H E O T A Y W A TER DISTRICT • P R OUDLY SERVING E A ST C OUNT Y A ND TH E S OUTH B A Y SINC E 1956 A NEWSLET T E R FOR CUSTO MER S OF T HE OTAY WATER DISTRICT FALL 2021 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. Celebrating 65 Yearsas Your Water Service Provider When compared to other local water agencies, the Otay Water District is a youngster. Water was brought to the arid region of southeastern San Diego County beginning in 1956. The District’s service area was mostly a scrub and cactus- covered backcountry with a population of less than 1,200. Today, it serves more than 226,000 people in an area with diverse environments. After 65 years, the District remains proud to provide reliable water, recycled water, and sewer service needs to the communities of southeastern San Diego County, including eastern Chula Vista, Bonita, Jamul, Spring Valley, Rancho San Diego, east Otay Mesa, and unincorporated areas of El Cajon and La Mesa. It serves the needs of its customers by purchasing imported water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the San Diego County Water Authority, and the Helix Water District. Here is a look back to the history of how Otay came to be… 1956 1969 1979 —— The State Legislature authorizes the establishment of the Otay Municipal Water District. A small office on 427 Third Ave., Chula Vista becomes Otay’s first headquarters. —— Both Boards of Directors vote unanimously to dissolve La Presa County Water District. Otay takes control of all La Presa’s assets and resources. ——— Otay constructs its Ralph W. Chapman Water Recycling Facility to produce recycled water for irrigating eastern Chula Vista (capable of producing up to 1.1 million gallons per day of recycled water). 1953 – Independent efforts by Spring Valley landowners to annex “drylands” in Spring Valley to neighboring water agencies prove unsuccessful. 1955 – Landowners meet with the vice chairman of the San Diego County Water Authority and publisher of the Chula Vista Star News at Christie’s Restaurant in Chula Vista in search of a solution for the South Bay’s declining quality and quantity of well water. 2021 OTAY TURNS 65! 1976 – Helix Water District’s R.M. Levy Filtration Plant begins delivering filtered water to Otay customers. 1997 – Otay dedicates its current headquarters in Spring Valley, CA. 2003 – Otay signs an agreement to purchase recycled water from the City of San Diego’s South Bay Water Reclamation Plant in San Ysidro, CA. 2017 – Otay completes the Ralph W. Chapman Water Recycling Facility 14-Inch Force Main Improvements Project, potentially saving ratepayers nearly $8 million by performing proactive maintenance and maximizing the service life of the pipeline. 2017 – The State Department grants Otay a presidential permit to build a potable water pipeline from the U.S.-Mexico border to import desalinated seawater. 2017 – Otay takes advantage of manufacturer warranties to upgrade its meter registers, saving its ratepayers approximately $3.3 million in meter replacement costs. 2018 – Otay begins using drones to assist with preliminary inspections of water facility assets. 2015 2019 —— The Carlsbad Desalination Plant begins its operations and begins delivering drinking water to Otay’s service area. —— Governor Gavin Newsom signs AB 1588 allowing veterans to receive credit for their military experience and education toward certifications in the water industry. To learn more, visit otaywater.gov/65-anniversary. 1957 – La Presa County Water District is formed to provide water service to La Presa and southern Spring Valley. 1962 – The two districts enter into a Joint Powers Agreement to share equipment, management, and operations. Paying Your Water Bill Online is Only a Click Away Sign up for online Billpay through your financial institution to pay your water bill quick, easy, and hassle-free. Payments are typically received electronically within 24 to 72 hours. To get started, call your financial institution or contact the District at customerservice@otaywater.gov or (619) 670-2222.New Incentives Available for Unincorporated Areas Qualifying residents and businesses in unincorporated areas of San Diego County can apply for the Waterscape Rebate Program to help make their outdoor spaces more water-wise. For more information on this program, visit otaywater.gov/waterscape-rebate- program. For a list of rebates available to all customers, visit otaywater.gov/rebates. Otay Encourages Conservation Under Level 1 Drought Alert Customers Acknowledged for Their Efforts During Previous Droughts The Otay Water District recently declared a Shortage Level 1 Drought Alert under its Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP). This action follows Governor Gavin Newsom’s declaration of a statewide drought and the recent vote of the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors to activate a Shortage Level 1 under its WSCP. Level 1 urges customers to voluntarily reduce water use by 10%. The District is further calling for its customers to voluntarily reduce use by a total of 15% to align with the Governor’s July 2021 Executive Order. On Oct. 19, Governor Newsom added eight counties, including San Diego County. He also required local water suppliers to implement water shortage contingency plans that are responsive to local conditions and prepare for the possibility of a third dry year. San Diego County is better prepared for drought than other parts of the state, having invested heavily in water conservation, water recycling, seawater desalination, and transitional storage over the last 20-plus years. Still, severe drought in other parts of California can affect everyone. Despite recent rainfall, consecutive seasons with limited rain and snowmelt will force regional wholesale suppliers to begin to draw down key reservoirs serving the county. If the drought continues and worsens, the water we save today could minimize more strict conservation measures later. Otay values and thanks its customers for doing their part to conserve during previous droughts. The District will continue to work to offer conservation programs, encouraging everyone to take full advantage of water-saving rebates, incentives, classes, and resources available. To learn more about what conservation practices remain in effect and for more information on water-use efficiency and other resources available to Otay’s customers, visit otaywater. gov/conservation. For details on the Level 1 Shortage response and the drought, visit otaywater.gov/drought. Otay Selects the Winners of Its Student Poster Contest Five young artists from schools in Chula Vista won the District’s 2021 “Water is Life” Student Poster Contest for illustrating the value of using water wisely. See the winning posters at otaywater.gov/poster-contest- winners-2021. 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.com Nan StermanWaterwise Gardener Waterwise Herbs to Flavor Your World A lot is happening at the Water Conservation Garden! Register for online classes or events at thegarden.org or call (619) 660-0614 x10 Firescaping Can Protect Your Home from Wildfires In San Diego County, wildfire is a major threat during the late summer and fall months. To protect your home, consider the design, plant selection, and preventative maintenance of your landscape. Simple prevention strategies include creating a defensible space around structures, cleaning up dead plants, trimming trees, and choosing plants wisely. Some firefighting plants include Daylily hybrids, Coral Aloe, Bush Morning Glory, California Sycamore trees, and Indian Mallow. For more on firescaping, visit otaywater. gov/firescaping. Herbs are the spice of life. While we think of herbs and spices as the same thing, they are quite different. “Herbs” refer to plants whose leaves flavor foods, while “spices” refer to plants whose seeds, bark, and other parts flavor foods. Lucky for us, many delicious herbs grow easily and need very little irrigation in the San Diego area. All the herbs below do best with at least six hours of full sunlight each day and well-draining soil. Irrigate with inline drip irrigation. If you manage irrigation well and thickly mulch your garden, the water needs of the plants go to nearly zero. Mulch also builds a healthy soil ecosystem to support strong, low-maintenance plants. Remember that fresh herbs are far more flavorful than dried herbs, so you may need to adjust the amounts you cook with. Oregano (Origanum vulgare) – Growing oregano could not be easier. This perennial has small, round, green leaves that form on low growing creeping stems that root wherever they touch the ground. There are countless types of oregano, each with a slightly different flavor profile. Crush a leaf and take in its aroma. If you like it, grow it! Cut sprigs as needed and strip the leaves off to cook with them. Sage (Salvia officinalis) – Sage is a close relative to oregano, but its leaves smell more resinous. While nearly all species of Salvia have fragrant leaves, this is the one most people use to flavor food. Culinary sages grow as low mounds. The leaves are tongue-shaped, and different colors. In spring, spires of purple flowers cover the plants. Regardless of the leaf color, the flavors are about the same. Harvest by cutting leaves as needed. Sauté sage leaves in butter as a sauce for butternut squash ravioli. Rub them on lamb and other meats. Garden Thyme/English Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) – There are many kinds of this tiny, evergreen groundcover, each with a slightly different flavor profile. For example, lemon thyme and lime thyme are both a little citrusy. Most often, however, recipes that call for thyme refer to the common garden thyme, also known as English thyme. Culinary thymes grow little more than 6 inches tall with tiny leaves that pack a flavor punch. Harvest by cutting sprigs as needed. Tie the sprigs in bundles using kitchen twine to add to soups and stews. Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) – Bay laurel is far more than a dried-out leaf that sits in a bottle on your pantry shelf. Bay grows as a tall, columnar shrub or tree with branches covered in leathery, deep green, leaves 4 to 5 inches long. Plant en masse for a deep green hedge or background. Plant in tall ceramic pots at your garden’s entrance for a note of formality – and to keep your bay small. To harvest, pick a few leaves from the interior of the plant, rinse off any dust, and get cooking! Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) – Rosemaries grow as woody, upright evergreen shrubs or spreading groundcovers that look gorgeous cascading over a wall or side of a ceramic pot. Their culinary value comes from the extremely aromatic, resinous oils found in their needlelike foliage. In the kitchen, rosemary flavors roasted potatoes, chicken, or olive oil. To harvest, cut a stem with pruning shears. Strip leaves off by running your fingers along the stem from tip to base. Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens) – Mexican oregano and oregano are only very distantly related, but their essential oils give them a similar flavor. And while oregano is native to Mediterranean Europe, Mexican oregano is native to the deserts and chaparrals of Texas, Mexico, and Central America. In our climate, Mexican oregano is an upright evergreen shrub that reaches 6 to 8 feet tall. Its branches are loosely covered in bright green leaves. In spring, the branches are tipped in clusters of small white flowers that look like verbena flowers – which puts this plant into the verbena family. Harvest by cutting back branches – that helps keep Mexican oregano plants from growing too leggy. Strip the leaves off to add to Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes. Read full story 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. Board meetings are currently held virtually to help ensure public safety during the pandemic. The public is encouraged to listen to or watch the live stream of the meeting by visiting otaywater.gov. PresidentTim Smith, Division 1tsmith@otaywater.gov Vice PresidentMark Robak, Division 5mrobak@otaywater.gov TreasurerJose Lopez, Division 4jlopez@otaywater.gov Board MemberRyan Keyes, Division 2rkeyes@otaywater.gov Board MemberGary Croucher, Division 3gcroucher@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. Celebrando 65 años como su proveedor de servicios de agua En comparación con otras agencias de agua locales, el Distrito de Agua de Otay es una organización joven. El agua llegó a la región árida del sureste del condado de San Diego a partir de 1956. El área de servicio del Distrito era principalmente un campo cubierto de matorrales y cactus con una población de menos de 1,200 habitantes. En la actualidad, el Distrito da servicio a más de 226,000 personas en un territorio con entornos distintos. Después de 65 años, el Distrito se enorgullece de proporcionar agua fiable, agua reciclada y servicios de alcantarillado a las comunidades del sureste del condado de San Diego, incluyendo el este de Chula Vista, Bonita, Jamul, Spring Valley, Rancho San Diego, este de Otay Mesa y áreas no incorporadas de El Cajon y La Mesa. El Distrito satisface las necesidades de sus clientes comprando agua importada del Distrito Metropolitano de Agua del Sur de California, la San Diego County Water Authority y el Distrito de Agua Helix. A continuación una retrospectiva del Distrito de Agua de Otay. 1956 1969 1979 —— La Legislatura del Estado de California autoriza el establecimiento del Distrito de Agua Municipal de Otay. Una oficina pequeña ubicada en 427 Third Avenue en Chula Vista se convierte en la primera sede de Otay. —— Por unanimidad de votos, ambas juntas directivas disuelven el Distrito de Agua del Condado de La Presa. Otay toma el control de todos los activos y recursos de La Presa. —— Otay construye su Planta de Reciclaje de Agua Ralph W. Chapman para producir agua reciclada con el propósito de irrigar el este de Chula Vista (capaz de producir hasta 1.1 millones de galones de agua reciclada por día). 1953 – Los esfuerzos independientes de los propietarios de Spring Valley para anexar las “zonas áridas” de Spring Valley a las agencias de agua vecinas no tuvieron éxito. 1955 – Propietarios se reúnen con el vicepresidente de la San Diego County Water Authority y el editor del Chula Vista Star News en el Christie’s Restaurant en Chula Vista para buscar una solución al problema de disminución de la calidad y cantidad de agua de pozo en el sur de la bahía. 2021 ¡OTAY CELEBRA SU 65º ANIVERSARIO! 1976 – La Planta de Filtración R.M. Levy del Distrito de Agua de Helix comienza a entregar agua filtrada a los clientes de Otay. 1997 – Otay inaugura su sede actual en Spring Valley, California. 2003 – Otay firma un acuerdo para comprar agua reciclada de la Planta de Recuperación de Agua del Sur de la Bahía de la ciudad de San Diego en San Ysidro, CA. 2017 – Otay concluye el Proyecto de Mejoras de la Tubería de Impulsión de 14 pulgadas de la Planta de Reciclaje de Agua Ralph W. Chapman, lo que ahorra a los contribuyentes casi $ 8 millones potencialmente al realizar un mantenimiento proactivo y maximizar la vida útil de la tubería de impulsión. 2017 – El Departamento de Estado otorga a Otay un permiso presidencial para construir una tubería de agua potable desde la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México para importar agua de mar desalinizada. 2017 – Otay aprovecha las garantías del fabricante para actualizar los registros de los medidores de agua, ahorrando a los contribuyentes $ 3.3 millones aproximadamente en costos de reemplazo de medidores. 2018 – Otay comienza a utilizar drones para ayudar con las inspecciones preliminares de los activos de las instalaciones de agua. 2015 2019 — La Planta Desalinizadora de Carlsbad entra en operación y comienza a entregar agua potable al área de servicio de Otay. —— El gobernador Gavin Newsom firma la AB 1588 que permite a los veteranos recibir crédito por su experiencia militar y educación para obtener certificaciones en la industria del agua. Para obtener más información, por favor visite otaywater.gov/65-anniversary. 1957 – Se forma el Distrito de Agua del Condado de La Presa para brindar servicio de agua a La Presa y al sur de Spring Valley. 1962 – Los dos distritos celebran un acuerdo de poderes conjuntos para compartir el equipo, la administración y las operaciones.