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Rapid Snowmelt Threatens US West Water Supply Outlook

/in , /by /The Hillby Sharon Udasin

Rapid melts across the U.S. West have caused snowpack to disappear up to four weeks early in some areas — wreaking potential havoc on the region’s water supply, federal meteorologists warned Thursday. These conditions have particularly affected parts of Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, causing some basins to shift from above-average snowpack to “snow drought,” according to an update from the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS).

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Water Losses Cost U.S. Utilities US$6.4 Billion Annually

/in , /by /Smart Water Magazine

Nearly one in five gallons—19.5%—of treated drinking water in the U.S. is lost before it reaches customers or is improperly billed. This growing challenge, commonly known as non-revenue water (NRW), results in more than US$6.4 billion in uncaptured revenues annually for utilities, according to a new report from Bluefield Research, a leading global water market data and insights provider.

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State Will Deliver More Water to Southern California This Year Via State Water Project

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

Southern California cities can expect to receive 50% of their full water allotments this year from the aqueducts of the State Water Project, up from 40% last month, as runoff from this year’s ample snowpack continues to fill reservoirs in Northern California. “Our full reservoirs will allow us to help meet the needs of the State Water Project contractors and their customers this year as well as provide some water supply next year in the event that dry conditions return,” Karla Nemeth, director of the state Department of Water Resources, said in a statement Tuesday.

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Florida is Poised to Become 2nd State to Ban Fluoride From Public Water Systems

/in , /by /Fox 5 San Diegoby Kate Payne

Florida is poised to become the second state to ban fluoride in public drinking water, over the concerns of dentists and public health advocates who say the mineral is a safe, effective way to protect people of all ages from developing cavities. Florida lawmakers gave final approval to the bill Tuesday after Utah became the first state to pass a ban last month. The Republican-led states are following a push led by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is setting the gears of government in motion to stop fluoridating water.

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Decision Looming for Trump Administration on First PFAS Drinking Water Limits

/in , /by /US News and World Report

In pain so bad he couldn’t stand, Chris Meek was rushed to the hospital with a life-threatening ruptured gallbladder. When he emerged from surgery, he learned he had kidney cancer that thankfully hadn’t yet spread.

Meek, a social studies teacher in Wilmington, North Carolina, was 47 at the time. But he remained confused for years about why, as someone seemingly not at risk, he had gotten cancer until Emily Donovan, a parent of students at his school, gave a guest talk about high levels of harmful forever chemicals known as PFAS in North Carolina’s environment. When Donovan mentioned kidney cancer, the possible cause of Meek’s diagnosis finally clicked.

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Mexico and Us Reach Deal on Rio Grande Water Sharing

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribune

Mexico and the United States said Monday they had reached an agreement that involves Mexico immediately sending more water from their shared Rio Grande basin to Texas farmers after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs and sanctions earlier this month.

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California’s Second Largest Reservoir on Track to Hit First-Ever Milestone

/in , /by /Newsweekby Anna Skinner

Over the past few years, Lake Oroville’s water levels have significantly recovered following years of drought that depleted the state’s reservoirs to concerningly low levels. Above-average snowfall in the winter of 2023 and 2024 helped the reservoir recover. Although less snow fell this year, the lake is expected to reach its capacity this spring as snow melts, signaling positive news for California.

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A Rare Glimpse Inside the Mountain Tunnel That Carries Water to Southern California

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

Thousands of feet below the snowy summit of Mt. San Jacinto, a formidable feat of engineering and grit makes life as we know it in Southern California possible. The 13-mile-long San Jacinto Tunnel was bored through the mountain in the 1930s by a crew of about 1,200 men who worked day and night for six years, blasting rock and digging with machinery.

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OPINION: California lawmaker wants to clean nitrates, arsenic out of rural towns’ water

/in , /by /The Fresno Beeby The Fresno Bee Editorial Board

Outside of major cities like Fresno and Clovis, drinking-water quality for San Joaquin Valley residents can be dicey.

The Valley is full of examples of rural water systems failing to either produce enough supply or deliver fresh water that is not tainted by contaminants, be they manufactured, like farming chemicals, or naturally occurring elements in local soils like arsenic.

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Mapped: What a Barrage of 56 West Coast Atmospheric River Events Looks Like

/in , /by /Fox Weatherby Andrew Wulfeck

The previous six months have proven to be a tale of the haves and have-nots when it comes to atmospheric river events impacting the West Coast.

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