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California’s Biggest Irrigation District Throws Support Behind Disputed Diversion Project

/in , /by /KGET 17by Sharon Udasin and The Hill

California’s biggest irrigation district is throwing its support behind a controversial water diversion project that aims to help relieve the Golden State’s historic battle with drought but also faces widespread local opposition.

The Imperial Irrigation District — the biggest district not only in California, but also the nation — declared on Tuesday that it was issuing “a significant and unusual endorsement” for the state’s proposed Delta Conveyance Project.

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Desalination Doesn’t Have to Be Bad for the Environment

/in , /by /DWby Ramisha Ali

For millennia, humans have sought to make seawater drinkable. Ancient mariners tried distillation by boiling the oceans in which they sailed, and in more recent times, engineers have experimented with filters and chemicals .

As the climate warms, populations surge and droughts intensify, there is a growing need to make the sea drinkable. Desalination technology is spreading fastest in the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Asia, where there is plenty of ocean but dwindling supplies of fresh water.

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EPA Warns Water Utilities Against Cyber Attacks

/in , /by /JD Supraby Michael Blumenthal

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a sector-wide set of non-regulatory recommendations to strengthen U.S. drinking water and wastewater systems against cyber attacks, alongside new funding for resilience projects. Although the document itself is advisory, it lands amid stepped-up inspections and enforcement tied to Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) §1433 risk-and-resilience obligations. Utilities, vendors, investors, and acquirers should treat these recommendations as the new baseline for diligence, budgeting, and compliance planning.

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Western States Seek to End Long-Running Water Dispute Over Dwindling Rio Grande

/in , /by /Associated Press

A simmering feud over management of one of North America’s longest rivers reached a boiling point when the U.S. Supreme Court sent western states and the federal government back to the negotiating table last year.

Now the battle over waters of the Rio Grande could be nearing resolution as New Mexico, Texas and Colorado announced fresh settlement proposals Friday designed to rein in groundwater pumping along the river in New Mexico and ensure enough river water reliably makes it to Texas.

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California Farms Face Pressure to Boost Efficiency as Water Supply Declines

/in , /by /PBSby Miles O'Brien

The demand for water from the Colorado River is of paramount importance out West and the focus of some big battles. It’s been especially critical for farming and agriculture. In California’s Imperial Valley, there are growing questions over the use of that resource and whether bigger changes are needed. Science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports.

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OPINION: Housing Abundance in California First Requires Water Abundance

/in , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Jim Wunderman

California’s housing goals could be threatened by a lack of water. The state has a housing crisis, and to make any progress on building more housing, we need to concurrently make progress on water.

Here are four commonsense steps that Sacramento leaders can take to make ensure that water supply doesn’t become a barrier to our housing supply goals:

 

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Water District Drops Plan to Build Largest New Bay Area Reservoir Since 1998 Amid Cost Overruns, Delays

/in , /by /The Mercury Newsby Paul Rogers

Faced with new cost overruns, the board of Santa Clara County’s largest water agency on Tuesday voted to kill a plan to build a huge new reservoir in the southern part of the county near Pacheco Pass after eight years of studies and $100 million in public spending.

The board of the Santa Clara Valley Water District voted 6-0 to halt planning and engineering studies, and to withdraw the agency’s application for state bond funds for the Pacheco Reservoir project.

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California Farms Face Pressure to Boost Efficiency as Water Supply Declines

/in , /by /PBS Newsby Miles O'Brien, Kate Tobin

The demand for water from the Colorado River is of paramount importance out West and the focus of some big battles. It’s been especially critical for farming and agriculture. In California’s Imperial Valley, there are growing questions over the use of that resource and whether bigger changes are needed. Science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports.

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The Colorado River Is in Trouble. Some Groups Want the Government to Step Up

/in , /by /AP Newsby DORANY PINEDA

 Earlier this year, several environmental groups sent a petition to the federal government with a seemingly simple message: Ensure that water from the imperiled Colorado River is not wasted and only being delivered for “reasonable” and “beneficial” uses.

The organizations urged the Bureau of Reclamation to use its authority to curb water waste in the Lower Basin states: California, Arizona and Nevada. They argued it was necessary to help address the river’s water shortages.

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‘Peak Water Security’ Crisis Leaves Millions Across Us at Risk, Research Finds

/in , /by /Phys.orgby Zaid Elayyan

As the United States passes a tipping point in water security, new research reveals that millions of Americans now face a growing crisis in accessing clean, affordable water.

“Our research shows water insecurity in the U.S. is not just a problem of pipes and infrastructure—it’s a human issue that affects health, daily life and dignity,” Jepson said.

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