Ross Valley’s controversial flood fee was hiked 3 percent Tuesday, helping pay for a public relations campaign smoothing the waters for projects that will turn key park areas into flood retention basins.
California’s worsening drought and mandatory new state water rules are prompting Bay Area water agencies to beef up their conservation staffs — the employees sometimes called “water cops.”
Healdsburg Mayor Jim Wood is a dentist who believes in the effectiveness of fluoridated water in combating tooth decay. But he won’t be writing the argument against a November ballot measure to remove fluoride from the city’s water.
From the San Jose Mercury News, in a commentary by Richard Santos:
In the midst of exceptional drought conditions, a new, locally controlled, drought-proof water source for Silicon Valley could not have come at a better time. The Santa Clara Valley Water District, in partnership with the cities of San Jose and Santa Clara, is celebrating the completion of the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center.
From the San Francisco Chronicle, in a commentary by Jerry Cadagan and Mondy Lariz:
San Francisco taxpayers and water ratepayers once again have been fleeced of millions of dollars as a result of mismanagement at the city’s once highly regarded Lake Merced.
When the San Francisco 49ers’ stadium opens next month in Santa Clara, almost all of it will be new except for one thing: the water used to irrigate the field and flush the toilets.
After 12 consecutive years of rate increases, water district directors will meet Thursday to consider another hike for customers, including extra penalties for heavy water users.
With no end to the extreme dry weather in sight, Marin water officials are waiting to see whether state leaders will make the move to allow local authorities to slap water wasters with unprecedented fines of up to $500 a day.
This newspaper will host a free public forum, entitled “Dry Times: An in-depth discussion about Bay Area water issues,” scheduled for 6:30 p.m. July 17 at the Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. …
Joining the discussion will be: Jim Fiedler, Santa Clara Valley Water District chief operating officer; Arthur R.
The long-closed Francisco Reservoir on Russian Hill is a step closer to becoming a city park after the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission approved a land transfer Tuesday.
A group of San Francisco Bay Area cities, counties and water agencies has joined forces for what is being billed as one of the largest single government purchases of all-electric vehicles in the country.
From the San Francisco Chronicle, in C.W. Nevius’ column:
Gleneagles, the quirky, challenging, everyman’s golf course in one of San Francisco’s roughest neighborhoods, is having trouble making ends meet. … However, the latest blow, a major increase in water rates, has course operator Tom Hsieh wondering if the effort is worth it.
Drew Mathers doesn’t carry a badge or a gun, but he’s still a detective — one who spends his days snooping through the bathrooms and backyards of Silicon Valley. … He’s on the hunt for water waste.
The Marin Municipal Water District has released its 2014 annual water quality report, which shows the agency’s water surpasses all state and federal health regulations.
[Jim] Walker and construction crews building a new 220-foot-high dam at Calaveras Reservoir in the remote canyons east of Milpitas have been digging up a prehistoric treasure trove: the teeth of an extinct hippopotamus-like creature called a Desmostylus, clams, barnacles and the giant teeth from a 40-foot-long shark — and what could turn out to be an entire whale skeleton.
The most radical “green” features of the City of San Jose’s new Environmental Innovation Center are concealed behind two doors marked “Women” and “Men.” There, plopped between the other conventional stalls, are two “composting toilets,” the first ever installed in a California office building.
A wildfire burning in a remote area of northern Napa County west of Lake Berryessa was only 30 percent contained Wednesday morning as firefighters prepared for a full day on the fire lines.
Pole Mountain towers 2,204 feet over the ocean between Jenner and Cazadero, the highest peak along the Sonoma coast. … On Monday, private owners sold a 238-acre parcel, which includes the peak, to the Sonoma Land Trust, ensuring preservation and public access.
