Sweetwater Authority Hosts Stanford on Climate Change Solutions by Sweetwater Authority Sep 17, 2024 Member Submitted News CHULA VISTA – Last Friday, Sweetwater Authority (Authority) hosted fifteen students and faculty from Stanford University’s the Bill Lane Center for the American West as part of the university’s multidisciplinary course of study on “Coastal Resilience: Problems and Solutions to Extreme Weather Challenges on the West Coast.” The students and faculty first toured the Robert A. Perdue Water Treatment Plant and Sweetwater Reservoir, where they learned how the Authority secures and treats local water, maintains a historic dam and manages watershed activities for the beneficial use of agency operations and the protection of environmental resources. The group then visited the Richard A. Reynolds Groundwater Desalination Facility in Chula Vista. There, the students and Authority representatives discussed challenges facing groundwater supplies as a result of climate change before touring the award-winning facility. “The challenges presented by climate change as it relates to providing a sustainable and drought-proof water supply are great, and we need the brightest minds working to ensure long-term resilience for the western region,” said Board Chair Paulina Martinez-Perez. “It was our honor to host the Stanford group and engage in these important discussions with the next generation of leaders.” In its vision to become a leader in sustainability and the fight against climate change, the Authority’s Governing Board sets objectives within the agency’s Strategic Plan to work toward achieving carbon neutrality. Current fiscal year objectives include implementing a Green Fleet Plan, installing EV stations at its facilities, and exploring green energy solutions like a proposed floating solar project at Sweetwater Reservoir to reduce costs and offset carbon generated as part of water agency operations. For more information, visit www.sweetwater.org/workplan. Sweetwater Authority is a public water agency providing safe, reliable water to National City, Chula Vista and Bonita.
