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2025 U.S. Presidential Shift: Water Policy Impact and Industry Implications

/in , , /by /Smart Water Magazineby Alejandro Maceira Rozados

The re-election of Donald Trump in 2024 will likely lead to a notable shift in U.S. water policy, steering away from the sustainability-focused initiatives of the Biden administration. This change is expected to reshape key sectors within the water industry — including infrastructure development, water quality standards, climate change strategies, and water utility operations — by prioritizing economic growth and regulatory relaxation over federally driven environmental protections.

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Climate-Driven Impacts on Water in US West will Raise the Cost of Grid Decarbonization: Study

/in , , /by /The Hillby Sharon Udasin

The western U.S.’s plans to decarbonize electricity grids by 2050 may be much more expensive than anticipated, as such targets fail to account for the effects of climate change on water resources, a new study has found.

Shifts in water availability due to warming could decrease hydropower production by up to 23 percent by midcentury, while electricity demand could rise by 2 percent annually, according to the study, published Monday in Nature Communications.

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What to Know about a Newly Defined Chemical Byproduct Found in Drinking Water

/in , , /by /ABC 10 News by Mary Kekatos

A chemical byproduct found in some treated drinking water in the U.S. that remained a mystery for more than 40 years may have finally been identified by scientists.

The authors of the study, published Thursday in the journal Science, have named the byproduct chloronitramide anion, and believe it is a decomposition byproduct of chloramine, which is used as a disinfectant in tap water.

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Record Dryness in US Northeast Should Change Water Behavior, Experts Say

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Brittany Peterson

It hasn’t been a typical fall for the northeastern United States.

Fires have burned in parks and forests around New York City. Towns and cities in a stretch from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to south of Philadelphia had their driest three months on record, according to the Applied Climate Information System. Some reservoirs in the region are near historic lows.

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California’s Water Crisis Demands Solutions Beyond Reservoirs, Report Finds

/in , , /by /Newsweekby Tom Howarth

California’s ongoing struggle with water scarcity has spurred significant investment in reservoirs and dam expansion, but a new report from the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) highlights why these massive infrastructure projects may worsen the state’s water and environmental crises.

The report, titled “Beneath the Surface,” challenges the notion that reservoirs are a sustainable solution, arguing that their benefits are undermined by environmental and economic costs, especially as climate change intensifies.

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Groundwater Pumping is Causing Land to Sink at Record Rate in San Joaquin Valley

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

For decades, a costly problem has been worsening beneath California’s San Joaquin Valley: the land has been sinking, driven by the chronic overpumping of groundwater.

As agricultural wells have drained water from aquifers, underground clay layers have compacted and the ground surface has been sinking as much as 1 foot per year in some areas.

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California Water Agency Considers Spending $141 Million on Delta Tunnel Project

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

The powerful board of Southern California’s largest urban water supplier will soon vote on whether to continue funding a large share of preliminary planning work for the state’s proposed water tunnel in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

The 38-member board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is set to consider approving $141.6 million for planning and preconstruction costs at its Dec. 10 meeting.

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American Water Customers Sue for Damages of More than $5M After Recent Hack

/in , /by /Courier Postby Jim Walsh

American Water Co., hit by hackers early this month, now is being sued by customers seeking damages for the potential theft of identity information.

At least five suits in Camden federal court say claims will exceed $5 million, the minimum required for proposed class action litigation.

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California’s Rainy Season Begins with a Bomb Cyclone Bang. Are we in for a Third Record Wet Winter?

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Grace Toohey

The first major atmospheric river storm to hit the West Coast this season is kicking off the rainy season with a bang, as the system rapidly strengthened — to the tune of a bomb cyclone — before pummeling Northern California and southern Oregon with dangerous winds and heavy rains that could cause disruptions for several days.

Supercharged by that dramatic bombogenesis and warm Pacific temperatures, which together pumped up the system’s winds and moisture, the storm could cause life-threatening flooding and damaging high surf north of the Bay Area, with prolonged, heavy rainfall, strong winds and significant mountain snow, according to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.

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Biden Administration Outlines Options for Addressing Colorado River Water Shortages

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

The Biden administration has announced a range of options for new rules to address chronic water shortages and low reservoir levels on the Colorado River, a vital water source for seven Western states that has dwindled during more than two decades of drought compounded by climate change.

The Interior Department released four alternatives for new long-term rules aimed at dealing with potential shortages after 2026, when the current operating rules expire. The announcement of the proposed alternatives represents one of the Biden administration’s final steps to outline potential paths toward reaching a consensus among California and the six other states, as well as the region’s 30 Native tribes.

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