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Forever Chemicals Are in Your Drinking Water: Here’s How Worried to Be—And What to Do About It

/in , /by /Fortuneby Ani Freedman

It’s not uncommon nowadays to fill a glass of water from your tap and wonder what chemicals and contaminants may be lurking in there. That’s because research has increasingly revealed that heavy metals, radioactive substances, and harmful PFAS (“forever chemicals”) are present in our water systems.

“It turns out millions of people have PFAS in their drinking water,” Tracey Woodruff, director of the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment at the University of California, San Francisco, tells Fortune.

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OPINION: The Grand Water Bargain

/in , /by /The California Globeby Edward Ring

For the last few decades in California, the conventional wisdom has been that farmers and urban water consumers have to improve efficiency and reduce consumption. To the fullest extent possible, rain and snow falling on watersheds must proceed unimpaired from the mountains to the ocean, and if water is reserved in reservoirs, releases of the stored water must prioritize maintaining flow in the rivers over diversions for agriculture or urban consumption.

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Every Drop Counts: Urban Water Retailers and the Future of California Water Conservation

/in , /by /National Law Reviewby David L. Osias, Tara E. Paul

Beginning January 1, 2025, the “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” regulatory framework requires urban retail water suppliers — not individual households or businesses — to adopt a series of “urban water use objectives.” And beginning January 1, 2027, the regulations require urban retail water suppliers to annually demonstrate compliance with those objectives. The objectives are calculated based on indoor residential water use; outdoor residential water use; commercial, industrial and institutional irrigation use; and potable reuse. Implementation of the objectives includes setting and meeting specific targets for reducing water use per capita, improving system efficiency, and reporting progress to state regulators.

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‘Above-Normal Fire Potential’: SDG&E Prepares for Peak Wildfire Season

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Rob Nikolewski

Buckle up for another potentially dangerous peak wildfire season in the San Diego area.

“We’ve only had about 50% of the normal rainfall, and temperatures are expected to be warm as we get into this summer,” Brian D’Agostino, meteorologist and vice president of wildfire and climate science at San Diego Gas & Electric, said Monday.

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California Achieved Significant Groundwater Recharge Last Year, State Report Says

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

A year of average precipitation gave California’s groundwater supplies a significant boost, according to a state analysis released Tuesday.

California’s aquifers gained an estimated 2.2 million acre-feet of groundwater in the 12 months that ended Sept. 30, the state’s 2024 water year. That’s about half the storage capacity of Shasta Lake, California’s largest reservoir.

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Colorado River Crunch Gives Cadiz an Opening

/in , /by /Politicoby Annie Snider and Camille Von Kaenel

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A GOOD CRISIS: The situation on the Colorado River — the water supply for 40 million Westerners and half of all Californians — is dire. The waterway’s flows have shrunk 20 percent since the turn of the century and climate scientists say it’s not unreasonable to think that another 20 percent could be lost in the coming decades. To cities, farmers, tribes and industries from Wyoming to Mexico — but especially in legally vulnerable Arizona — that looks like pain. To the Los Angeles-based water company Cadiz Inc., that looks like opportunity.

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OMWD Completes Construction of New Recycled Water Pipelines in Carlsbad and Encinitas

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribune

Olivenhain Municipal Water District has completed construction of several recycled water pipelines in Carlsbad and Encinitas. The installation of over 5,600 feet of new pipelines will allow several HOA communities in the project area to convert their irrigation systems to recycled water, resulting in more than 12.5 million gallons of drinking water saved every year, according to a news release. “Converting our irrigation system to recycled water was the right decision,” said Paul Heller, Summerhill HOA board president, in the news release.

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California Water Agencies Extend Funding for Colorado River Board

/in , /by /The Desert Reviewby Betty Miller

The Colorado River Board of California (CRB), tasked with safeguarding the state’s water rights and interests in the Colorado River since its establishment in 1937, will continue its operations through July 1, 2026, under a newly proposed one-year funding extension. The amendment was approved through the consent calendar at the Tuesday, June 17, Imperial Irrigation District (IID) board meeting. It extends the existing financial agreement among the Six Agency Committee (SAC) without altering the cost-sharing structure.

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Lake Oroville Sitting Near Full Capacity, California Department of Water Resources Monitoring Lake Level and Operations

/in , /by /Action News Nowby Sade Pullen

Lake Oroville is nearing its full capacity, a stark contrast to its all-time low of 643 feet above sea level nearly four years ago. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is closely monitoring the water levels and operations of Lake Oroville. According to DWR spokesperson Raquel Borrayo, the lake is currently at 98% capacity.

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California Lawmaker Pushes for Audit of Multibillion Dollar Water Conveyance Project

/in , /by /Courthouse News Serviceby Alan Riquelmy

Golden State officials have said the Delta Conveyance Project will pump 3,000 cubic feet of water per second, strengthening water resources in Southern California. To Malissa Tayaba, it’s a project that will desecrate her ancestors’ graves. Tayaba, vice chair of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, spoke Wednesday outside of the California Capitol against the project that’s been estimated to cost $20 billion.

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