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At Least 12 Military Bases Contaminating Water Supply With Toxic PFAS

/in , , /by /The Guardianby Tom Perkins

Dangerous levels of toxic PFAS are contaminating water supplies in areas around at least 12 military bases, new Department of Defense testing has revealed, drawing concern from public health advocates that the DoD is not doing enough to protect the public.

The data released this week by the military shows levels for five kinds of PFAS compounds at what Scott Faber, vice-president of government affairs for Environmental Working Group, characterized as “extremely high” levels, and he said they present a health threat to residents living nearby.

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Could Central Coast Get 3 New Reservoirs to Generate Power by Pumping Water Between Lakes?

/in , , /by /The Tribuneby Mackenzie Shuman and John Lindt

As the prospect of a floating offshore wind energy development off San Luis Obispo County’s coast gets ever closer, energy storage developers are taking a good look at their prospects in the region.

One company has proposals for pumped storage projects that involve moving water between reservoirs to generate electricity — which would call for three new reservoirs to be built along the Central Coast.

 

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Opinion: Water Scarcity Should Mean Less Planned Growth

/in , , /by /The Nevada Independantby Bob Fulkerson

“Water is not a constraint to growth,” according to EDAWN (Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada) Director Mike Kazmierski. But the hard truth is that the Sierra Nevada snowpack is in control of our regional water supply, not EDAWN. And, according to new research by the Lawrence Berkeley Lab, most of the Sierra Nevada snowpack will likely be gone by 2050 because of climate change and drought.

We are told by regional water managers that we have enough water rights to fuel growth in the Truckee Meadows and nearby valleys for the next 50 years.

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Colorado, Utah and Wyoming Could Be as Dry as Arizona in the Future, Study Says

/in , , /by /KJZZby Alex Hager

A new study finds that the upper Colorado River basin is drying out due to climate change. This means in the future, parts of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming could more closely resemble Arizona and the desert Southwest.

Research from the Los Alamos National Laboratory predicts that mountain snow will start melting and running into streams and reservoirs much earlier.

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As California’s Big Cities Fail to Rein in Their Water Use, Rural Communities Are Already Tapped Out

/in , , /by /CNNby Rachel Ramirez

Gary Biggs’ family hasn’t had water coming out of their private well for over a decade, after a multi-year drought and overpumping by agriculture and industry.

Now, the eight-acre farm in West Goshen, California, which Biggs passed down to his son, Ryan, in the 1970s, is parched and fallow. His son and granddaughter carry in water from sources to drink and shower. They go to town to wash their clothes, Biggs says.

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Opinion: Water Restrictions Show Folly of California’s Rejection of Large-Scale Desalination Projects

/in , /by /The Orange County Registerby Marc Joffe

As the state continues to grapple with drought conditions, water restrictions are being placed on six million residents in Southern California. The latest restrictions are another reminder that the California Coastal Commission’s recent rejection of the Orange County desalination plant, after 24 years of delay, reinforces the state’s position as a laggard in adopting technology that could provide water security. While arid coastal countries worldwide are implementing desalination, the most obvious solution to water scarcity, the Coastal Commission unanimously voted against the Huntington Beach project.

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Watering Restrictions Hit the West in Worst Drought in 12 Centuries

/in , /by /Desert Newsby Amy Joi O'Donoghue

Millions of residents of southern California are now limited to one day a week of outdoor irrigation, just like a huge chunk of northern Utah.

The restrictions in play are the result of the worst drought in the western United States in 12 centuries, the severity of which was reported in a scientific journal earlier this year.

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California Lawmakers Mull Buying Out Farmers to Save Water

/in , /by /AP Newsby Adam Beam

After decades of fighting farmers in court over how much water they can take out of California’s rivers and streams, some state lawmakers want to try something different: use taxpayer money to buy out farmers.

A proposal in the state Senate would spend up to $1.5 billion to buy “senior water rights” that allow farmers to take as much water as needed from the state’s rivers and streams to grow their crops.

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What Is the Right Length of Time for the California Drought Shower?

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Laura J. Nelson

On mornings that are chilly by Los Angeles standards, Camilo Loza sometimes takes a hot shower before heading to the gym.

After a workout on the Stairmaster, Loza bikes home to Windsor Hills and showers again. And a few nights a week, Loza takes a third shower after getting home from work.

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‘Game Over’: The Tiny Central Coast Town of Cambria Is About to Run Out of Water

/in , /by /SF Gateby Andrew Pridgen

Nestled along the Central Coast, Cambria is a picturesque town famous for its vintage clothing and antique shops, its one-of-a-kind olallieberry pies, its scarecrow festival in the fall and its Disneyesque Christmas market and light display in December. Located right off of Highway 1 and 73 miles south of Big Sur, it’s a popular stop for those driving on the Pacific Coast Highway.

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