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Microplastics Rife in These Monterey Bay Fish and Seabirds, Study Finds

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Jessica Flores

Microplastic particles are widespread in Monterey Bay anchovies and the diving seabirds that eat them as a main food source – which could possibly impact the birds’ reproductive systems, according to a new study. Scientists at UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance studied microplastic pollution in Monterey Bay by testing microplastic particles in the water and in anchovies and common murres, a bird species found in abundance in the region.

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The Monterey Area May Get a Huge Desalination Plant. Is This the Future of California’s Water Supply?

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Kurtis Alexander

With California butting up against 840 miles of ocean, desalination seems an obvious solution to the state’s water woes. However, the cost, energy demands and environmental impacts have made the technology largely unworkable. Three years of drought may be changing the calculus.

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San Francisco Cuts Deal With California Water Regulators to Avoid Severe Restrictions

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Kurtis Alexander

Three of California’s biggest water suppliers, including the city of San Francisco, have reached a deal with the state that calls for reducing their immense consumption of river water but not as much as the state had initially demanded. The compromise, announced Thursday, is the latest breakthrough in a years-long effort by state regulators to protect flows in California’s once-grand but increasingly overdrawn rivers.

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California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta Sues Makers of Cancer-Causing ‘Forever Chemicals’

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Susanne Rust

The state of California on Thursday sued the manufacturers of a class of chemicals known as “forever chemicals” that are found in a variety of consumer items including food packaging and cookware and are linked to cancer and other illnesses. The chemicals at the heart of the lawsuit are perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS. They are resistant to environmental degradation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency, and hundreds of scientific studies.

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DWR Testing Water Quality at Lake Oroville

/in , , /by /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Jake Hutchison

The California Department of Water Resources began the process of monitoring the water quality at Lake Oroville on Thursday. According to a press release issued Thursday by DWR, the process consists of placing sondes, a type of monitoring device, into Lake Oroville as well as the Thermalito Diversion Pool.

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Treated Wastewater Can Be More Dependable and Less Toxic Than Common Tap Water Sources

/in , , /by /Phys.orgby Corey Binns

Recycled wastewater is not only as safe to drink as conventional potable water, it may even be less toxic than many sources of water we already drink daily, Stanford University engineers have discovered. “We expected that potable reuse waters would be cleaner, in some cases, than conventional drinking water due to the fact that much more extensive treatment is conducted for them,” said Stanford professor William Mitch, senior author of an Oct. 27 study in Nature Sustainability comparing conventional drinking water samples to wastewater purified as a drinking water, also known as potable reuse water.

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Is Drought in Arizona and the Southwest the New Normal?

/in , , /by /KJZZby Nicholas Gerbis

Two decades of the Southwest megadrought have marked Arizona’s driest period in 1,200 years. With climate change in full swing, greenhouse emissions well above pledged targets and the state facing cutbacks to its share of dwindling Colorado River water, many wonder: Is drought the new normal?

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Opinion: What’s Wrong With Lake Mead, Summed Up in a Single Chart

/in , , /by /The Arizona Republicby Joanna Allhands

If there were a single chart that could sum up the problem at Lake Mead, this might be a contender. OK, maybe not. Because a single chart should be self-explanatory. This one requires some background. But it says a lot about where we’re headed. And the shifting goalposts on the way down.

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The Future of the Peninsula’s Water Supply Comes Before Two State Boards Next Week.

/in , , /by /Monterey County Weeklyby David Schmalz

Thursday, Nov. 17 is shaping up to be a momentous day for the future of the Monterey Peninsula’s water supply, as two major state boards – the California Coastal Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission – are set to weigh in on two separate projects that aim to add supply to the local portfolio.

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A Shift in Groundwater Perspective

/in , /by /WaterWorld by Mary Jo Wagner

When it comes to natural disasters, the sudden, swift devastation of landslides, mudslides, and sinkholes may get all the attention — but natural resource scientists can attest that it’s the slow sinking of the ground surface that is just as real a danger. “Subsidence often gets neglected because it is slow moving. You don’t recognize it until you start seeing damage,” says Michelle Sneed, a land subsidence specialist at the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

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