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California Sets Initial State Water Project Allocation at 5% Following Hot, Dry Stretch

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

California water managers have announced their preliminary forecast of supplies that will be available next year from the State Water Project, telling 29 public agencies to plan for as little as 5% of requested allotments.

The state Department of Water Resources said Monday that the initial allocation is based on current reservoir levels and conservative assumptions about how much water the state may be able to deliver in 2025.

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To Save More Water, American Homes Need Smaller Pipes

/in , , /by /New York Times News Serviceby Megy Karydes

Many high-performing, water-saving fixtures and appliances are designed like straws, supplying only enough water to satisfy one’s thirst. But the pipes that bring that water into Americans’ homes are sized more like fire hoses.

Oversize plumbing pipes move water inefficiently, wasting money and increasing the risk of waterborne diseases. And water efficiency is especially important as climate change makes droughts more frequent and severe. Efforts to right-size plumbing pipes to match the intake of water-saving products are slowly gaining traction, but homeowners and designers of multiunit properties who want to use these more sustainable pipes need to demand them during the project design phase.

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Two-Way Water Transfers Can Ensure Reliability and Save Money During Drought in Western US

/in , , /by /Phys Org

A study led by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers a solution to water scarcity during droughts amid the tug of economic development, population growth and climate uncertainty for water users in Western U.S. states. The proposed two-way leasing contracts would coordinate agricultural-to-urban leasing during periods of drought and urban-to-agricultural leasing during wet periods, benefiting both urban and agricultural water users.

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A Look at What Prop 4 Passing Means for Californians

/in , , /by /Spectrum News 1by Jamie Kennedy

Besides producing grapes, a particular vineyard in Sacramento County is playing an important role, said Omuchumme-Hartnell Water District General Manager Mike Wackman, in preparing the greater area for times of drought.

“This field here represents a recharge area,” Wackman said. “So, with the vines being grown out here, we’re able to take water off the Consumer’s River and recharge, and actually flood these fields while the vines go dormant.”

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Record-Breaking Storms Provides Boost for California’s Water Supply

/in , , /by /CBS Newsby Wilson Walker

The North Bay saw record rainfall last week, which is good news for the state’s water supply that has been healthy for the past two years after a lengthy drought.

The heavy precipitation was still visible in the increased volume of water flowing in a number of Marin County creeks and waterfalls Tuesday.

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Stopping Cadiz is Good for People, the Environment and our Water Future

/in , /by /Desert Sunby Ron Escobar

When the California Desert Protection Act was signed into law 30 years ago, the United States pledged to protect the fragile desert lands in the traditional territory of Chemehuevi Native Americans, establishing places now known as Joshua Tree National Park and Mojave National Preserve. It was a turning point for the nation toward a more respectful relationship with the land, aligning with the Chemehuevi people who have stewarded this region since the beginning of time.

Preserving these lands has helped preserve our origins, history, songs, religious ceremonies, ancient sites and trails. When we protect land, it is not only for the benefit of wildlife or the natural environment, but for our well-being.

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Unstoppable Invasion: How Did Mussels Sneak into California, Despite Decades of State Shipping Rules?

/in , , /by /Cal Mattersby Alastair Bland

After the recent discovery of a destructive mussel in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, some experts say California officials have failed to effectively enforce laws designed to protect waterways from invaders carried in ships’ ballast water.

A state law enacted 20 years ago has required California officials to inspect 25% of incoming ships and sample their ballast water before it’s discharged into waterways. But the tests didn’t begin until two years ago — after standards for conducting them were finally set — and testing remains rare. State officials have sampled the ballast water of only 16 vessels out of the roughly 3,000 likely to have emptied their tanks nearshore.

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3 Steps Business Leaders Can Take To Help Improve U.S. Drinking Water

/in , , /by /Forbesby Richard Razgaitis

To the long list of issues that demand a company’s attention, it’s time to add the state of our drinking water. Why? Because the quality of water impacts more than just public health—it can influence employee well-being, operational sustainability and a company’s reputation.

Federal standards for water safety haven’t significantly evolved since the Safe Drinking Water Act was enacted nearly 50 years ago, even as industrial and agricultural activities have introduced harmful contaminants to our water supply. As water quality has diminished, the bottled water industry has grown, creating a reliance on plastic. But this also poses potential health risks.

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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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