​🌱 Water Supplies Rise + Buying A Gas Stove/Water Heater? Rethink It!

Hello all! I'm back in your inbox this morning with today's Daily. Enjoy a hot cocoa, tea or coffee, and read on to learn what's happening today in San Diego:

• Rain increases water supply — but will it be enough?
• Buying a gas stove/water heater? Rethink It!
• River overflow floods buildings around town.

But first, today's weather:

Cool with periods of sun.☔ High: 58, Low: 46.

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Here are four of the top stories today in San Diego:

1. San Diego received a drenching in this week’s storms. The rain added much-needed water to the 24 reservoirs around the county. The Sweetwater Reservoir in Spring Valley collected about 1,700 acre-feet of water on Monday. The City of San Diego’s four reservoirs captured over 6,000 acre-feet of water in the past month. While this is great news, it's not enough to solve San Diego’s drought issues. (NBC San Diego)
2. Thinking of buying a new gas stove or a new gas water heater? Think again! While Congress argues over the use of gas-powered appliances in the future, Mayor Todd Gloria’s plan, passed in 2022, is committed to making such appliances obsolete. The goal is to eliminate natural gas use from buildings in the city by 2035, and have those buildings convert to electricity-only. Public buildings will be among the first to be retrofitted. The goal is to decarbonize buildings and help fight climate change. (Voice of San Diego)
3. The recent sewage spill, releasing a half-million gallons of waste into the Pacific Ocean, fouled many beaches along the San Diego County shoreline. Waters north and west of Chollas Creek, to Shelter Island, as well as South Ponto State Beach in Carlsbad, Batiquitos Lagoon, Park Morrison Pond in Sweetwater Summit Regional Park, and several other locations, have all been closed. Water contact should be avoided. Swimming, surfing, diving and other water contact should be avoided for 72 hours after a rain event. (NBC San Diego)
4. An estimated 12.5 million electric cars will be on the roads by 2035. The question is: Will the grid be able to provide enough electricity to handle the increase? According to state officials, the grid will not be strained, but others worry that it may present some problems. One thing we do know is that we must shift all power to renewables by 2045. (CAL Matters)

Today in San Diego:

• Toddler Storytime — MountainView/Beckwourth Branch Library. (10 a.m.)
• Frozen Adventure Dance Party! — Point Loma Branch Library. (10:30 a.m.)
• Preschool Story Time — Rancho Bernardo Branch Library. (11 a.m.)
• Long-Distance Caregiving — ElderHelp of San Diego. (11 a.m.)
• Streaming Options 101 — OASIS San Diego. (1 p.m.)
• Chess Club — Point Loma Branch Library. (2 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Handgun found: "Northern Division Crime Suppression Team officers recently conducted a traffic stop on a car with tinted windows and discovered open marijuana inside the vehicle. While searching the car, they found a black handgun in a backpack on the rear passenger seat. No one in the car had a valid concealed carry permit (CCW)." (San Diego Police Department via Facebook)
• Rain brings more potholes: "San Diegans are seeing an increase in potholes following the several consecutive days of rain — and our City crews are responding. In addition to our standard teams, we've increased staffing and added several dump trucks with asphalt to help fill potholes seven days a week." (City of San Diego via Facebook)
• Gazebo still open: "The Lawn Garden will be closed off for maintenance through February 23 to help our grass recover and grow! There will still be access to the Gazebo and the garden trail around it for guests to enjoy the blooms that surround it." (San Diego Botanic Garden via Facebook)
• Wanted: bike valets: "We're searching for some volunteers who would like to be Bike Valets at a few events! The first event will be the Farmers Open Insurance Golf Tournament (Jan 25th - 28th)! This is a multi day event so there are plenty of time slots for you to choose from. Sign up for a few hours of volunteer work all while enjoying the views and sounds of the tournament!" (San Diego County Bicycle Coalition via Facebook)
• Zero-carbon future: "The Regional Decarbonization Framework team is hosting regional convenings to engage & educate the public on the impacts of climate change and our goal of achieving a zero-carbon future. Meetings will be held throughout January from 6-8 in each Supervisorial District. http://bit.ly/3GKGySd"(San Diego County Library via Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Thursday! I'll see you soon.

— Bettyann Pernice

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming San Diego Daily? Contact me at sandiego@patch.com