SACRAMENTO, CA--(Marketwire - February 23, 2010) - The creative ways local water agencies are diversifying their water supplies are the focus of the latest segment of the "California's Water" series for public television, produced by Huell Howser and underwritten by members of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA). The new segment debuts March 2 in Sacramento and will air throughout the month on PBS affiliates around the state.
In "Water Supply Reliability Through Innovation," Huell visits three locations in San Diego to explore how agencies there are generating alternate water supplies. His first stop is San Vicente Dam, which is being raised by 117 feet to more than double the surface storage of its reservoir. Expecting to complete the dam raise in 2012, the San Diego County Water Authority will gain an additional 150,000 acre-feet of storage water, or enough water to supply 300,000 households, according to General Manager Maureen Stapleton.
"This is just one part of our entire water supply system, and we need all of the parts to ensure a reliable supply," Stapleton says.
Next, Huell stops by the desalination facilities of Sweetwater Authority in San Diego County, where the salt is being removed from previously untapped brackish groundwater. The facility is generating about 16% of the agency's water supply.
During the last portion of the segment, Huell tours the City of San Diego Public Utilities Department's water recycling plant, where wastewater is being recycled into clean drinking water.
The segment will air at 7 p.m. March 2 on KVIE in Sacramento and 7:30 p.m. March 5 on KCET in Los Angeles. It will air statewide on PBS stations (check local listings for details).
The "California's Water" series began airing in April 2006 and covers issues identified in ACWA's comprehensive policy document, "No Time to Waste: A Blueprint for California's Water." More than 20 segments have aired to date.
ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose 450 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more information, visit www.acwa.com.
Contact Information:
Contact:
Jennifer Persike
ACWA Director of Strategic Coordination and Public Affairs
916/441-4545
916/296-3981 (cell)