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Special Districts Push for Slice of California’s Coronavirus Relief Pie

/in , , /by /Whittier Daily Newsby Teri Sforza

The prickly issue of financial help for state and local governments — hammered by COVID-related dips in tax revenue — has been like rocks in the dance shoes of Democrats and Republicans as they execute the latest coronavirus-relief minuet.

While Democrats want $436 billion for state and local governments, Republicans refuse to “bail out” what they call “poorly run” and “mismanaged governments,” many of which happen to be in blue states.

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MacArthur ‘Genius’ Brings National Attention to Local Fight Against Sewage Failures

/in , , /by /NPRby Emma Bowman

If Catherine Flowers ever received a calling to take on a career in environmental activism, it likely came in the form of mosquito bites.

In 2009, Flowers was doing economic development work in her hometown of Lowndes County, Ala., where raw sewage leaked into the yards of poor residents who lacked access to a municipal sewer system.

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Does Your Drinking Water Meet Health Standards? Check this Fresno-Area Map to Find Out

/in , , /by /The Fresno Beeby Monica Vaughan, Time Sheehan, Danielle Bergstrom

If you live in the central San Joaquin Valley, there’s a chance your tap water is unsafe to drink.

Nearly 180,000 people in the region get their water from systems that do not meet drinking water standards — and it’s hard, as a resident, to learn more and find out what to do to keep yourself and your family safe.

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Is Your Drinking Water Safe? Here’s a Guide to Common Central California Contaminants

/in , , /by /The Fresno Beeby Monica Vaughan

Do you know whether your drinking water is polluted with a contaminant? If so, this guide provides a summary of known health risks of contaminants, and how you can protect you and your family if your water is known to be polluted. If you’re unsure, click here to find out if your water system is contaminant and what pollutants are above healthy levels.

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After Wildfires, Mudslides Could Be California’s Next Deadly Disaster

/in , , /by /The Weather Channelby Jan Wesner Childs

After months of devastating wildfires and waiting desperately for the upcoming wet winter season to bring relief, some communities in California are now at high risk of potentially deadly mudslides.

The fires burned thousands of square miles of land and left scorched and barren hillsides vulnerable to an especially dangerous fast-moving type of landslide that scientists call “debris flow.” Known less formally as mudslides, these flows are typically triggered by short, intense storms and can send tides of soil, ash, vegetation, rocks and even cars and homes careening downhill, destroying everything in their path.

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The Hidden Role of Water Infrastructure in Driving a COVID-19 Recovery

/in , , /by /Brookings Institutionby Newsha Ajami and Joseph W. Kane

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only disrupted the social and economic realities of our communities, but also undermined some of the basic infrastructure we depend on. Our water infrastructure has been at the heart of this realization; its importance to health, hygiene, and safety has never been more obvious, yet millions of disadvantaged and vulnerable households still lack reliable and affordable access to water.

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New Law Lowers Cost of Clean Water Projects

/in , , /by /SG News

When it comes to poor water quality, Tulare County is ground zero in the state. Of the state’s 300 water systems out of compliance with water quality standards, 10% are located in Tulare County affecting an estimated 100,000 people, according to the State Water Resources Control Board, more commonly known as the State Water Board.

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Groundwater: Desert Valley Plan Could Price Farms Out of Business

/in , , /by /Ag Alertby Christine Souza

As local groundwater agencies throughout California consider how to implement the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, two lawsuits against a Kern County groundwater sustainability agency show the potential implications for agriculture and other businesses with historic, overlying water rights. The cases involve the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority, a groundwater sustainability agency overseeing a critically overdrafted aquifer that covers part of eastern Kern County and parts of Inyo and San Bernardino counties.

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‘Imagine a Day Without Water’ Advocacy Day Returns This Week

/in , , /by /Water Finance & Managementby Andrew Farr

The sixth annual ‘Imagine a Day Without Water,’ advocacy day is returning this Wednesday, Oct. 21, with likely thousands of individuals, companies and organizations expected to take part in highlighting the importance of water and the need for investment. Imagine a Day Without Water is a national education campaign that takes place one day a year and brings together diverse stakeholders to illustrate how water is essential, invaluable and in need of investment.

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Resetting the Mission for WIFIA

/in , , /by /Water Finance & Managementby John Ryan

The WIFIA Loan Program recently announced that it has reset the interest rates on two undrawn loan commitments originally made in mid-2018. The fixed rate on a $135 million loan to Orange County Water District and a $614 million loan to San Diego Public Facilities Financing Authority were reset downward from about 3.1 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively, to around 1 percent, reflecting the steady decline in the Treasury curve since the loans’ first-rate setting.

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