You are now in California and the U.S. Home Headline Media Coverage category.

Microplastics: A Macro Problem

/in , , /by /PHYS.orgby University of California, San Diego

Flying somewhere over the planet, there’s a plane equipped with research-grade, double-sided tape on the outside of its hull. Each time the pilot lands the plane, he removes the tape, seals it in a package, and replaces it with a new one before he takes off again. He then mails the package to Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, care of Dimitri Deheyn, Associate Researcher.

Looking at the tape under a microscope, Deheyn sees what he’s looking for: microfibers, stuck to the adhesives.

 

Full Story

State Seek Input on Delta Tunnel Plan

/in , /by /The Pressby Tony Kukulich

The California Department of Water Resources is holding a public meeting in Brentwood, Thursday, Feb. 20 at the Brentwood Community Center from 6 – 8 p.m. to review the details of the Delta Conveyance Project

The Delta Conveyance Project is the latest iteration of the state’s plans to build a tunnel through the Delta that will convey water from the Delta’s northern reaches to a forebay near Byron. From there, water will move on to the Central Valley and Southern California through the existing State Water Project network of canals. Previously known as WaterFix, or the twin-tunnels project, Gov. Gavin Newsom reduced the project to a single tunnel last year, spurring the new initiative.

Full Story

U.S. Infrastructure Needs Exceed $2 Trillion, American Society of Civil Engineers Says

/in , , /by /Transportation Today by Liz Carey

As public spending on infrastructure declines, America will underinvest in its infrastructure by an estimated more than $2 trillion between 2016-2025, a new report from the American Society of Civil Engineers says.

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, public dollars spent on roads, bridges, water systems, and other infrastructure items fell by 8 percent between 2003 and 2017. And as the dollars spent on infrastructure fall, the damage to American pocketbooks increases.

Full Story

See how Sparse the Sierra Nevada Snowpack Looks Compared to Last Year

/in , /by /The Mercury Newsby Paul Rogers

Two NASA satellite images released late Monday by the National Weather Service office in Sacramento starkly illustrate how much less snow is covering the Sierra Nevada this week compared to the same time a year ago.

The images, taken from roughly 438 miles above Earth, show California’s Sierra Nevada range. In the first, from Feb. 18, 2019, the region is blanketed with snow. On that day, the snowpack, which is the source of about one-third of the state’s annual water supply, was at 147% of its historical statewide average for that date.

Full Story

CVWD Offering Rebates for Washing Machines, Hot Water Pumps

/in , , /by /California Water News Daily

Coachella Valley Water District is now offering two new water efficiency rebates for residential customers who install a new high-efficiency washing machine or a hot water recirculating pump in their home.

“We are excited to offer these new programs to our customers to increase their efficiency,” said Katie Evans, Director of Communications and Conservation at CVWD. “Many of our customers have already taken advantage of all of our existing programs and we pleased to offer them another way to reduce their use and help our community reach our sustainability goals.”

Full Story

Kern County Water Industry is Ready to Discuss Water Concerns with President Trump

/in , , /by /Bakersfield Now by Jeanette Quezada

Water is essential for survival.

It’s just as true for you and me as it is for the Ag community of Kern County, which depends on water to grow all of its crops.

According to Gene Lundquist, president of the Water Association of Kern County, we use more than two million acre-feet to grow what feeds the entire country.

“We cannot do anything here in Kern County without water,” he said.

Lundquist said most of the water we use is groundwater.

The second-largest source is the state water project water, which comes from the California aqueduct.

Full Story

Toxic Waste Still a Problem for El Cajon Neighborhoods

/in , , /by /East County Californianby Albert Fulcher

From 1963 to 1985, aerospace manufacturing company Senior Aerospace Ketema (formerly Am­etek) in El Cajon dumped thousands of pounds of a chemical degreaser into a shallow redwood-lined pit that sat on its property.

This resulted in a toxic groundwater plume of trichloroethylene, which travels through the soil by a process called soil vapor intrusion into the three large mobile home parks surrounding the facility — Greenfield, Starlight and Villa Cajon — as well as Magnolia Elementary School.

This caused related illnesses among residents and students alike. The air in one mobile home at the school had more than twice the amount that triggered an immediate closure of Magnolia El­ementary in the 2015-16 school year due to health concerns. TCE is known to cause a variety of cancers, cause re­productive harm, damage the immune system, and can cause dizziness, headaches, and confusion.

Full Story

Water Agencies Team Up to Reduce Potable Water Use

/in , , /by /Water News Network

The Olivenhain Municipal Water District and Leucadia Wastewater District are reducing potable water use by switching to recycled water to flush sewer lines in their service areas.

With the recent installation of new equipment by both agencies, recycled water is now available to Leucadia for sewer line maintenance in the Village Park neighborhood in Encinitas and in the La Costa neighborhood in Carlsbad.

Full Story

New California Law Creates Pathway to Water Industry Jobs for Military Veterans

/in , , /by /Association of California Water Agencies (Sacramento)by Will Holbert Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Legislation co-sponsored by the San Diego County Water Authority and the Otay Water District is intended to make it easier for military veterans to launch careers in the water industry.

After Lt. Jose Martinez retired from the U.S. Navy in 2007, he went from serving his country underwater to serving reliable, high quality water to a community. 

His experience aboard a nuclear submarine and on the management staff of Otay Water District shares a few commonalities. Both involve highly complex systems, which often operate away of the public eye, either underwater or underground. 

“People turn on the tap and out comes water,” said Martinez, General Manager for ACWA-member Otay Water District. “It seems rather simple, but it’s really complex. It’s fascinating to me.”

Full Story

City of Oceanside to Break Ground on Pure Water Oceanside

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Debbie L. Sklar Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Marking a historic moment for the city of Oceanside and the region, city officials and water industry leaders will break ground on Pure Water Oceanside on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 10 a.m. at the San Luis Rey Water Reclamation Facility. Scheduled to be completed before the end of 2021, Pure Water Oceanside will be on the map as the first operating recycled water project in San Diego County.

Pure Water Oceanside will purify recycled water using state-of-the-art purification technology that replicates and accelerate nature’s natural recycling process to create a new local source of high-quality drinking water that is clean, safe, drought-proof and environmentally sound. Pure Water Oceanside will lead the way in the region in providing a sustainable water supply for its residents, businesses and visitors. Once finished, the project will provide more than 32% of the city of Oceanside’s water supply, or 3-5 million gallons per day.

At the groundbreaking, Congressman Mike Levin, City of Oceanside Water Utilities Director Cari Dale, San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra Kerl, Bureau of Reclamation Area Manager Jack Simes and Metropolitan Water District Special Projects Manager Meena Westford will discuss the many benefits of the project – including reducing dependence on increasingly expensive imported water, safeguarding against drought and ensuring an exceptionally pure drinking water supply is available for future generations.

Full Story