Environment Report: While San Diego Leaders Balk at High Rates, City Debates Less-Ambitious Sewage Recycling Plan – Voice of San Diego

Report on San Diego Water Management and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Proposed Utility Rate Increases and SDG Implications

The San Diego City Council is currently deliberating on a significant proposal to increase water and wastewater rates by 63 percent and 31 percent, respectively, over a four-year period. This proposal has brought to the forefront critical challenges related to urban water management, infrastructure investment, and socio-economic equity. The debate directly intersects with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 1 (No Poverty), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

Core Conflict: The ‘Pure Water’ Project and Water Sourcing Debate

A central point of contention is the financial and strategic direction of the city’s water supply, specifically concerning the ‘Pure Water’ initiative. This project is designed to recycle wastewater into potable drinking water, thereby creating a locally controlled, sustainable water source. However, its high cost has led to a dispute between city officials and the San Diego County Water Authority.

• City of San Diego’s Position: Public Utilities staff attribute the need for rate hikes to the high cost of water purchased from the Water Authority, which includes desalinated water and water imported from the Colorado River. They advocate for the Pure Water project as a long-term solution that could ultimately produce cheaper, more reliable water.
• San Diego County Water Authority’s Position: The Water Authority contends that the city’s massive investment in the Pure Water project is the primary driver of rising water costs for the entire region.

The future of the second and largest phase of the Pure Water project remains uncertain. While Phase One is proceeding, the estimated $4 billion cost of Phase Two has prompted calls to pause or re-evaluate its scale. This decision carries significant weight for the city’s long-term water security and its commitment to sustainable resource management.

Analysis of Key Sustainable Development Goals

The ongoing debate over San Diego’s water future is intrinsically linked to achieving multiple SDGs. The Pure Water project, in particular, represents a direct effort to advance these global goals.

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The project is a prime example of integrated water resources management. By treating and reusing wastewater, it aims to improve water quality, increase water-use efficiency, and ensure a sustainable supply of clean water for the city’s population.
2. SDG 14: Life Below Water: A key environmental benefit of Pure Water is the reduction of treated wastewater discharged into the Pacific Ocean via the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant. This directly contributes to the goal of preventing and significantly reducing marine pollution.
3. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The initiative embodies the principles of a circular economy by transforming waste (sewage) into a valuable resource (drinking water). This promotes the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
4. SDG 13: Climate Action: By developing a local water source, San Diego can reduce its reliance on the Colorado River, a resource under severe stress from overuse and climate change. This enhances the city’s resilience to climate-related water shortages and serves as a critical climate adaptation strategy.
5. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: A secure, locally controlled water supply is fundamental to building a resilient and sustainable city. The project strengthens urban infrastructure and reduces vulnerability to external water supply shocks.

Socio-Economic Impact and Equity Considerations

While the Pure Water project aligns with long-term sustainability goals, the immediate financial implications raise concerns related to social equity, directly impacting progress on other SDGs.

• SDG 1: No Poverty & SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The proposed rate hikes pose a significant financial burden on residents, particularly those with low incomes. As noted by Daniel Enemark, chief economist at the San Diego Regional Policy and Innovation Center, expensive water can be “crushing” for vulnerable households. California state law currently prohibits water agencies from offering rate discounts to low-income customers, exacerbating this inequality and potentially hindering efforts to eradicate poverty.

The conflict between the high upfront cost of sustainable infrastructure and the immediate need for affordable access to essential services highlights a major challenge in achieving the SDGs in an equitable manner.

Conclusion: The Path to Sustainable Urban Water Management

The City of San Diego is at a critical juncture, balancing the immediate financial pressures on its ratepayers with the long-term necessity of securing a sustainable and climate-resilient water supply. The debate over the Pure Water project’s second phase is not merely a financial or political dispute; it is a referendum on the city’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The final decision will have lasting impacts on the region’s environmental health, economic stability, and social equity, determining whether the city prioritizes a path toward comprehensive water sustainability or continues its reliance on increasingly volatile and expensive traditional water sources.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 14: Life Below Water

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.1: “By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.” The article directly addresses the affordability of water, highlighting a proposed “63 percent water and 31 percent wastewater increase.” It quotes an economist stating that for some, expensive water is “crushing,” and notes that California law prohibits discounts for low-income ratepayers, directly engaging with the challenge of ensuring affordable water access.
   • Target 6.3: “By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution… halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally.” The “Pure Water” project is the centerpiece of this discussion. Its goal is to “save millions of gallons of wastewater from being dumped into the ocean” by recycling sewage into drinking water. This is a direct effort to reduce pollution and increase water recycling and reuse.
   • Target 6.4: “By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency… and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity.” The article discusses the unsustainability of current water sources, such as the “Colorado River… hurting from overuse and a warming climate.” The Pure Water project is presented as a method to create a local, sustainable water supply, thereby increasing water-use efficiency by reusing water and reducing reliance on strained freshwater sources.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.6: “By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to… municipal and other waste management.” The article explains that currently, when residents flush, “much of it goes into the Pacific via the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant.” The Pure Water project is a direct initiative to improve municipal wastewater management and reduce the city’s negative environmental impact on the ocean.

3. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   • Target 12.2: “By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.” The debate over water sources—relying on the overused Colorado River versus investing in recycling—is a core issue. The Pure Water project represents a shift toward more sustainable management and efficient use of water as a natural resource, moving from a linear model (use and dump) to a circular one (use, treat, reuse).

4. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: “Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.” The article links the drying of the Colorado River to a “warming climate.” The city’s effort to develop a local, drought-proof water source through the Pure Water project is a clear strategy to strengthen resilience and adapt to the impacts of climate change on its water supply.

5. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • Target 14.1: “By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities…” The article explicitly states that the Pure Water project is about “preventing wastewater from being, well wasted, by sending it into the ocean.” This directly addresses the goal of reducing marine pollution originating from land-based activities like municipal sewage disposal.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For Target 6.1 (Affordability): The article provides a direct indicator of changing affordability with the proposed rate increases: a “63 percent water and 31 percent wastewater increase.” The financial impact on low-income households, described as “crushing,” is an implied qualitative indicator of the challenge in maintaining affordable access.
• For Target 6.3 (Wastewater Treatment and Reuse): A quantifiable indicator is mentioned in the article: the volume of water to be recycled. The first phase of the Pure Water project is designed to produce “30 million gallons of Pure Water per day.” This figure serves as a direct measure of progress in increasing wastewater recycling.
• For Target 6.4 (Water Scarcity): The article implies an indicator related to water stress by discussing the city’s reliance on the “increasingly unstable Colorado River.” Progress could be measured by the percentage of the city’s total water supply that comes from recycled sources (like Pure Water) versus imported, climate-vulnerable sources.
• For Target 14.1 (Marine Pollution): An implied indicator is the volume of wastewater discharged into the Pacific Ocean. The article states that the project would “save millions of gallons of wastewater from being dumped into the ocean.” A reduction in the discharge volume from the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant would be a direct measure of progress.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table

Source: voiceofsandiego.org