You are now in California and the U.S. Media Coverage category.

Water Supplier American Water Works Says Hackers Breached System

/in , /by /BNN Bloombergby Lynn Doan

American Water Works Co. Inc., which supplies drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people, said hackers had breached its computer networks and systems.

The New Jersey-based company has disconnected or deactivated some systems in an effort to contain the cyberattack and is investigating the nature and scope of the breach, which was discovered on Oct. 3. The company said in a regulatory filing Monday that it currently doesn’t believe water or wastewater operations have been affected, but noted that it can’t yet predict the full impact of the incident.

Full Story

The World’s Rivers Faced the Driest Year in Three Decades in 2023, the UN Weather Agency Says

/in , /by /Fox 5/KUSIby Jamey Keaten

The U.N. weather agency is reporting that 2023 was the driest year in more than three decades for the world’s rivers, as the record-hot year underpinned a drying up of water flows and contributed to prolonged droughts in some places.

The World Meteorological Organization also says glaciers that feed rivers in many countries suffered the largest loss of mass in the last five decades, warning that ice melt can threaten long-term water security for millions of people globally.

Full Story

Ten Years After ‘SGMA’ Changed California’s Water World, What’s Next?

/in , /by /Manteca Bulletinby Jesse Vad

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, (SGMA) which aims to bring severely over pumped aquifers back into balance by 2040, marked its 10th anniversary on Sept. 16.

Even with more than $1 billion already spent, two groundwater subbasins on probation and enforcement actions being challenged in court, some state officials say the hard part is just beginning.

Full Story

Western Water Managers Prepare for Dueling Threats of Flood and Drought Amid Uncertain Weather Outlook

/in , /by /The Hillby Sharon Udasin

Western water managers are preparing for an upcoming season of potential weather extremes, but they remain uncertain as to which shape these events will take.

“We are really in a state of preparing for extremes in the 2025 water year. It’s really actually been a decade of extremes,” said Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources, at a Thursday briefing.

Full Story

Biden Administration Inks Deals to Bring Major Relief to Colorado River’s Biggest Reservoir

/in , /by /The Hillby Sharon Udasin

The Biden administration and southwestern Colorado River users have partnered on a large-scale conservation effort poised to bring significant relief to the region’s key reservoir, officials announced Wednesday.

The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation and Southern California stakeholders signed two short-term “Bucket 1” agreements — funded by the Inflation Reduction Act — to conserve more than 717,000 acre-feet of water by 2026.

Full Story

Retirements by Water and Wastewater Plant Operators are Leading to Workforce Shortages

/in , /by /Detroit Public Radioby Lester Graham

Across the U.S., drinking water and wastewater utilities are losing experienced workers at an escalating rate. It’s part of the “silver tsunami” of baby boomer retirements.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that “silver tsunami” is just beginning to sweep across the nation.

Full Story

California Cracks Down on Another Central Valley Farm Area for Groundwater Depletion

/in , /by /Phys Orgby Ian James

California water regulators are cracking down on a second farming area in the San Joaquin Valley for failing to take adequate steps to curb overpumping that is depleting groundwater, causing the land to sink and damaging a canal that transports water for 1 million acres of farmland and more than 250,000 people.

The State Water Resources Control Board has voted unanimously to place the Tule groundwater subbasin on probationary status, a step that brings additional state oversight, new water fees and requirements for most well owners to report how much they are pumping.

Full Story

Drinking Wastewater, Building an Island from Scratch and Creating an Urban Forest: 3 Bold Ways Cities are Already Adapting to Climate Change

/in , /by /Live Scienceby Meg Duff

Milan’s marble facades and narrow, stone-paved streets look elegant and timeless. But all of that stone emits heat and does nothing to absorb rain, and temperatures and flooding in the posh Italian city are only predicted to increase in the coming decades.

In Jakarta, black floodwaters already rush into homes every winter along the Indonesian city’s many rivers. That water is filled with sewage and harbors disease, but many people can’t afford to move. Soon, climate change will put more of Jakarta — and many other low-lying cities — below sea level.

Full Story

California Ballot Asks Voters to Invest in Climate Solutions

/in , /by /Inside Climate Newsby Liza Gross

Following yet another year of brutal heatwaves and devastating wildfires, Californians have the chance to tell elected officials they support urgent climate action by voting for a $10 billion climate resilience bond on the November ballot.

During an unprecedented budget surplus two years ago, California earmarked $54 billion to forge “an oil-free future” and protect residents from the extreme effects of climate change. That surplus morphed into a multibillion-dollar deficit within a year, after rosy projections of rising revenues from income taxes failed to materialize, forcing Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers to cut and defer billions from their ambitious climate spending plans.

Full Story

Opinion: A Call for Balanced Water Management in California

/in , , /by /Maven's Notebook

The draft environmental impact statement for the long-term operation of the federal Central Valley Project and State Water Project has raised alarm bells for farmers and urban water users who depend on these water projects. Based on the document released July 26 for public review, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service seem to be pushing a regulatory agenda that prioritizes environmental objectives to the detriment of agricultural, municipal and industrial water needs.

Full Story