The rain in December and January is still paying off for 200,000 South Bay residents.
The Sweetwater Authority, which provides water to customers in Western Chula Vista, Bonita, and National City, just opened a massive valve in the Loveland Dam Thursday to send water to the Sweetwater Reservoir for the second time in two months.
“We might be able to capture approximately 1.1 billion gallons of water,” explained Erick Del Bosque, Sweetwater Authority’s Director of Engineering and Operations.
Del Bosque said that much water will save customers roughly $5 million.
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The Loveland Reservoir is only filled with rainwater and water runoff. Sweetwater Authority opened the valve in Loveland Dam in November for more than two weeks to send water to the Sweetwater Reservoir because it was running dangerously low, at only 14% capacity.
After that November transfer and a series of solid rainstorms, Del Bosque said Sweetwater is now at 40% capacity.
It will likely be even deeper in a couple weeks after another storm and a second water transfer from Loveland. The valve was opened Thursday. That water is expected to take a few days to reach the Sweetwater Reservoir.
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Del Bosque said in great rainy years, they can operate almost completely on locally generated water, which includes desalination, wells in National City and rainwater. In drought years, they have to pay for far more expensive water from the Colorado River and Northern California.
