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Mark Cowin, director of the state Department of Water Resources, told water planners in Los Angeles on Monday that the state will not seek a federal subsidy for the Delta tunnels.

Cowin’s comments came after tunnels opponents last month released a draft economic analysis of the project by economist David Sunding, a consultant for the state. Sunding’s report suggested that a hefty government subsidy would be needed for the tunnels to pencil out, which would run contrary to the state’s longstanding position that water users who benefit from the tunnels must pay the full cost.

At the end of September, water wonks cheered as Governor Jerry Brown signed into law an important new bill that will set California on the path towards a 21st-century water management system. Though it received little attention amid the flurry of new bills signed by the governor, the Open and Transparent Water Data Act (AB 1755) is a critical step forward in ensuring the long-term sustainability of California’s dwindling water resources. 

Tensions over unanswered questions on how California’s largest water district might help pay for two proposed giant water tunnels boiled over into cursing at a meeting of the water district’s board members. Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration is pushing to get financing and regulatory approval squared away for the $15.7 billion water tunnels. The 35-mile-long tunnels would divert water from Northern California’s Sacramento River before it reaches the San Francisco Bay, delivering the water to Central and Southern California cities and farms.

One of the largest potable water users in Half Moon Bay could soon benefit from the flush of a toilet. Years in the making, officials on the coast are getting closer to designing a recycled water treatment plant to reduce the amount of potable water being used for landscape irrigation. Instead of discharging millions of gallons of treated sewage into the ocean every month, recycled water would be used to nourish a local golf course.

Water infrastructure globally needs major improvements. Replacing US water pipes alone would cost at least $1 trillion over the next 25 years, according to the American Water Works Association. This, coupled with increasing water scarcity, demands a huge investment in water distribution systems. A new report from Navigant Research says smart water products and technologies will play a growing role in upgrading and replacing these aging systems.