It takes Humberto Lugo several minutes to explain how the home he is standing in front of actually gets its water. It’s a small, stucco house dwarfed by an expanse of dusty farm fields that sit mostly fallow in September, awaiting the next planting of winter vegetables. An irrigation canal runs by the front of the property, and brings water not just to the surrounding farms but also to homes.
In the final hours of this year’s legislative session, which ended after 2 a.m. Saturday, key immigration and affordable-housing bills passed out of the Legislature, as did a $4 billion parks and water bond, which the governor has said he will sign. It will appear on a June 2018 ballot. A clean energy bill did not get a vote in the Assembly, however, and an Internet privacy bill also remained stuck in committee.
This week the California Legislature is considering two critical water bills that will reduce water waste and improve drought planning. Senate Bill 606 (Hertzberg/Skinner) and Assembly Bill 1668 (Friedman) deserve the legislature’s full support.
An increasing focus on resiliency and water supply risk is driving investment in water reuse, or reclaimed wastewater solutions. New capacity additions in the U.S. municipal water sector are forecasted to surpass US$21.5 billion from 2017 to 2027, according to a new report from Bluefield Research, U.S. Municipal Water Reuse: Opportunities, Outlook, & Competitive Landscape, 2017-2027.
The U.S. and Mexican governments are close to signing a landmark Colorado River deal that will establish rules for sharing water over the next decade and lay out cooperative efforts intended to head off severe shortages. Mexican and American officials have scheduled a signing ceremony on Sept. 26 in Ciudad Juárez, officials at California water districts said this week. They said that formal event will be followed by a ceremonial signing in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Sept. 27 attended by representatives from U.S. states.
During yesterday’s regularly scheduled meeting, the Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors approved a series of agreements to Minute No. 323, a potential amendment to the 1944 treaty with Mexico, which would be key to continuing cooperative efforts on both sides of the border in support of the Colorado River system through 2026. Directors approved seven domestic agreements that serve to implement Minute No. 323, an international agreement that is expected to be executed before the end of the year by the United States and Mexican governments.
California is lucky to escape the wrath of hurricanes, like the ones that have pummeled Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico, and other areas. But we know that our state is not immune to extreme weather events. On the contrary, with climate change California is likely to face longer, more frequent and more extreme droughts. To ensure that we are prepared, we need a climate-resilient approach to water management.
AB 1180 (Holden) – pending in Sacramento will open the door for voters in Los Angeles County to consider a ballot measure proposal that will better prepare Southern California for the next drought and the impact of climate change on our supply of water. This proposal will boost water supplies and advance compliance with clean water regulations. Importantly, the proposal is also cost-effective, given its regional scope.
Earlier this month, a proposed bond measure in the California Legislature had included $280 million to pay for building thousands of acres of ponds, wetlands and other dust-control projects around the Salton Sea. This week, after negotiations among lawmakers, the amount earmarked for the Salton Sea was slashed to $200 million.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
