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CWA Provides PSAWR Eligibility Guidelines

The San Diego County Water Authority approved a permanent Special Agricultural Water Rate program late last year but did not include any criteria. On Sept. 24, the SDCWA approved an ordinance adopting the program and setting eligibility criteria.

Bill Gates-Backed Venture Aims to Eliminate ‘Forever Chemicals’

A new venture backed by billionaire Bill Gates is trying to make sure that “forever chemicals” don’t really last that long.

Allonnia LLC, which launched Thursday with $40 million in Series A funding, is working to engineer microbes to get rid of pollutants in wastewater and soil. It’s starting with PFAS, an insidious class of chemicals that are widespread in U.S. drinking water and have otherwise proved resistant to breaking down, earning them the “forever” moniker.

Water District Approves Deal to Share Emergency Resources with the County

The Ramona area will continue to receive backup support from the county of San Diego during fire and medical emergencies with approval of a mutual aid agreement that brings the area nearly $2.5 million in benefits over roughly five years.

The Ramona Municipal Water District Board of Directors gave unanimous approval to the mutual aid agreement on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Director Jeff Lawler was absent.

Study: Water Use Dropping in Western Cities Even While Population Grows

Many western cities have been able to shrink their total water use in recent decades, even as their populations grew. That’s the finding of a new study published in the journal Water last week. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny spoke with lead author Brian Richter about how simple water conservation measures could be a cost-effective way to combat shortages in the Colorado River Basin.

Special Districts Push for Slice of California’s Coronavirus Relief Pie

The prickly issue of financial help for state and local governments — hammered by COVID-related dips in tax revenue — has been like rocks in the dance shoes of Democrats and Republicans as they execute the latest coronavirus-relief minuet.

While Democrats want $436 billion for state and local governments, Republicans refuse to “bail out” what they call “poorly run” and “mismanaged governments,” many of which happen to be in blue states.

MacArthur ‘Genius’ Brings National Attention to Local Fight Against Sewage Failures

If Catherine Flowers ever received a calling to take on a career in environmental activism, it likely came in the form of mosquito bites.

In 2009, Flowers was doing economic development work in her hometown of Lowndes County, Ala., where raw sewage leaked into the yards of poor residents who lacked access to a municipal sewer system.

Does Your Drinking Water Meet Health Standards? Check this Fresno-Area Map to Find Out

If you live in the central San Joaquin Valley, there’s a chance your tap water is unsafe to drink.

Nearly 180,000 people in the region get their water from systems that do not meet drinking water standards — and it’s hard, as a resident, to learn more and find out what to do to keep yourself and your family safe.

Is Your Drinking Water Safe? Here’s a Guide to Common Central California Contaminants

Do you know whether your drinking water is polluted with a contaminant? If so, this guide provides a summary of known health risks of contaminants, and how you can protect you and your family if your water is known to be polluted. If you’re unsure, click here to find out if your water system is contaminant and what pollutants are above healthy levels.

After Wildfires, Mudslides Could Be California’s Next Deadly Disaster

After months of devastating wildfires and waiting desperately for the upcoming wet winter season to bring relief, some communities in California are now at high risk of potentially deadly mudslides.

The fires burned thousands of square miles of land and left scorched and barren hillsides vulnerable to an especially dangerous fast-moving type of landslide that scientists call “debris flow.” Known less formally as mudslides, these flows are typically triggered by short, intense storms and can send tides of soil, ash, vegetation, rocks and even cars and homes careening downhill, destroying everything in their path.

Gov. Newsom Ousts Key Poseidon Desal Critic from Water Board Ahead of Project’s Approval

One of the most vocal critics of a controversial seawater desalting plant, proposed for the Huntington Beach coastline, will no longer be on the state’s local water board when it votes to approve the project later this year.