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More widespread use of recycled water in California would bring benefits for the environment and human health, according to a new study published online in the American Journal of Public Health.

Researchers at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health compared California’s current water conservation efforts with two other options: banning landscape irrigation and expanding the use of alternative water sources, such as desalination and recycled water.

 

Three of the West’s largest municipal water agencies have partnered with federal agencies to kick off the latest round of an expanded competitive grant programme aimed at discovering the next generation of water saving devices and technologies.

For the first time, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is participating with the US Bureau of Reclamation, as well as the Central Arizona Project, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and Southern Nevada Water Authority in the Innovative Conservation Programme (ICP).

Jerry Brown is counting on the Westlands Water District to be one of the major financial backers of his $15 billion Delta tunnels, easily the largest public works project in U.S. history. He needs to dump the whole project, and last week’s admission by Westlands’ general manager is just one more reason: The nation’s largest water district got caught cooking the books with “a little Enron accounting.”

The Securities and Exchange Commission was not amused. It fined Westlands $125,000 to settle charges that it misled investors by faking financial records in connection with a 2012 bond issue.

Steady rains during the past week have restored California reservoirs to storage levels not seen in nearly four years, but swollen river flows into the Pacific Ocean renewed concerns from water users and elected officials about lost opportunities as billions of gallons of fresh water headed out to sea.

By Monday night, Sacramento River flows were expected to exceed 100,000 cubic feet per second—equal to dumping about 750,000 gallons of water per second into San Francisco Bay.

After months of lobbying, San Diego is getting a break on water conservation requirements imposed by California regulators.

“In response to the recently launched Poseidon desalination plant in Carlsbad, state officials have agreed to dramatically ease water conservation goals in San Diego for almost all residential water users. The adjustments will nearly cut in half required water savings throughout the region, the San Diego County Water Authority announced [in March],” The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.