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Lead Not The Only Chemical Found In The Water At Southcrest School

San Diego public utility workers began testing water for lead at San Diego Unified schools this week. It’s been widely reported a therapy dog at a school in Southcrest sniffed out the potential lead problem. But a district spokesman says the dog actually led custodians to discover another contaminant — one the city water tests won’t detect. Custodians at Emerson-Bandini Elementary School discovered old PVC pipes were leaching vinyl chloride into the drinking water after the dog refused to drink from its bowl, said spokesman Andrew Sharp.

Seawater Transformed Into Drinking Water Using Graphene

Graphene-oxide membranes have attracted considerable attention as promising candidates for new filtration technologies. Now the much sought-after development of making membranes capable of sieving common salts has been achieved. New research demonstrates the real-world potential of providing clean drinking water for millions of people who struggle to access adequate clean water sources. The new findings from a group of scientists at The University of Manchester were published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. Previously graphene-oxide membranes have shown exciting potential for gas separation and water filtration.

More Misinformation From The Metropolitan Water District

In The Valley Roadrunner on March 15, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California told North County Residents, farmers, breweries and biotechnology companies that the source of 100 percent of the water flowing to them from MWD is from MWD’s Northern California supply source – which it notes is higher quality water – and “not a drop” of their supplies is coming from its far saltier Colorado River source. This claim is false.

OPINION: Too Many Dam Questions, Not Enough Answers

State legislators aren’t getting answers about the Lake Oroville spillway. Neither is the federal government. Or the county government. Or journalists. Or interested citizens. It’s all coming to a head as two north state legislators whose districts include Lake Oroville are demanding answers. Well it’s about time. It all came to a head last week. On Thursday, Assemblyman James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, admitted at a public appearance in Chico that he had a lot of questions about the broken spillway — more questions than answers.

OPINION: Public Needs Answers On Repairing Oroville Dam, Delta Levees And California Aqueduct

The State Water Project is undoubtedly one of California’s most important infrastructure projects. It is one of the major water supplies for more than 25 million residents and irrigates up to 750,000 acres of farmland. But as it reaches its 50th birthday huge repair and safety costs are coming due. But is anyone paying attention?

California Storm To Bring Rainfall That Could Flood River

A strong, wind-packed spring storm has the potential to flood a river in the Sierra Nevada and soak the San Francisco Bay Area, forecasters said. National Weather Service forecaster Idamis Del Valle said the storm will reach the area late Thursday and the heaviest rain is expected on Friday. The region could see more rain on Saturday, Del Valle said. The Feather River could flood the Sierra Nevada town of Portola, which is near the Nevada state line, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.

Refilling The Silver Lake Reservoir Is A Huge Mistake

As you circle the Silver Lake Reservoir’s shores over the next two months, watching its concentric bathtub rings vanish beneath icy blue Eastern Sierra snowmelt, don’t be fooled into thinking that’s a victory. Yes, the reservoir is being refilled. And with real water. And sooner than we thought. But refilling the Silver Lake Reservoir is a big missed opportunity.

How Will Rainy Winter Affect Fire Season? More Summer Grass Fires, Officials Predict

This winter, record-breaking rainfall brought California’s long-lived drought closer to its final hour. However, it also raised the probability of large wildfires this summer, particularly those fueled by tall grasses that are thriving now but will start drying out soon, fire officials say. The potential for large fires “is expected to remain near normal through the spring, but once fine fuels dry out, there will likely be a spike in grass fire activity,” according to a report by the National Interagency Fire Center.

Opinion: California’s Wasted Winter Rains

Reservoirs and rivers are overflowing as storms have pounded California this winter, and after years of drought that should be good news. The problem is that misguided environmentalism is wasting the water windfall and failing to store it for a non-rainy day. Hydrologic records indicate that this year could be the wettest on record in California. Statewide snowpack measures 160% of average.

Northern Sierra Is Now Only 5 Inches From Wettest Water Year On Record

Only 5 more inches. That’s the amount of precipitation the northern stretch of the Sierra Nevada needs between now and September 30 to become the wettest water year on record. The Eight-Station Index, a measure of precipitation in the northern Sierra that helps determine the status of Northern California’s water supply, currently stands at 83.5 inches. It’s only another storm or two away from the current record of 88.5 that was hit in the 1982–83 season.