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Delta Blues: The Battle over Water has been Fought to a Standstill

The state had been wrestling with the problem for 15 years, and there were hopes it was about to get pinned to the mat. A decade and a half of meetings, lawyerly and political negotiations, and massive public input had led the State Water Resources Control Board to the brink of a momentous decision: California must leave a lot more water in its rivers and streams in order to save the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay.

Plumbers Warn Small Business Owners to Run Water Before Reopening

When small businesses are closed it means appliances haven’t been running inside; a problem that could be putting customer’s health at risk but also damaging the plumbing.

Is It Safe to Come Out of Lockdown? Check the Sewer

Wastewater could provide early, painless and localized data about the rise or fall of coronavirus levels.

Latest Raw Sewage Testing at Special Districts Facilities Does Not Detect Virus That Causes COVID-19

The latest testing of raw sewage at Lake County Special Districts’ four treatment facilities found no presence of the virus that causes COVID-19 at any of the plants late in April, despite the fact that samples earlier in the month confirmed its presence.

Special Districts Administrator Jan Coppinger reported Friday that she received the latest test results from Biobot, a Massachusetts firm that is offering the testing as part of a pro bono program it’s conducting along with MIT, Harvard and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

The tests are used to detect the presence of SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The virus is shed in the stools of infected people.

Sewage testing also has successfully tracked the poliovirus and consumption of drugs such as opioids, according to Dr. Mariana Matus, chief executive officer and cofounder of Biobot.

Biobot is seeking to use wastewater testing to proactively detect outbreaks and help governments and communities to get ahead of public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sweltering Heat to Start Gripping San Diego County Tuesday

Temperatures will soar well into the triple digits Tuesday in the San Diego County deserts as sweltering conditions are expected to grip the region until this weekend.

High pressure centered over Baja California will continue to build this week, with temperatures expected to peak on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Desert areas could reach 110 and 107, respectively, on those days.

Farmers Hijack Community Water Access Despite Groundwater Act, Activists Say

When a fire started on the property next door to Ray Cano’s home, the neighbors used Cano’s hose and well to fight the flames. Running the pump at full throttle, they managed to control the blaze until the fire department arrived. Then, the well’s pump sputtered to a stop.

San Diego Residents Fighting Deep Budget Cuts During Pandemic

Residents are lobbying San Diego officials to spare from the budget ax libraries, clean-water efforts, arts funding and other programs that were proposed to be cut to close a $300 million budget gap created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amid Pandemic, U.S. Renewable Power Sources Have Topped Coal for 40 Days

Electricity generated by renewable sources like solar, wind and hydro has exceeded coal-fired power in the United States for a record 40 straight days, according to a report based on U.S. government data released on Monday.

50 Years From Now, Many Densely Populated Parts of the World Could be Too Hot for Humans

Unless steps are taken to check global warming, up to 3 billion people will find themselves in areas too warm for human comfort, a new study finds.

California Allocates $5 Million for Lead Testing in California Child Care Centers

The State Water Resources Control Board has executed an agreement to provide approximately $5 million in grant funds for testing and remediation of lead in drinking water at licensed Child Care Centers in California.