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Sites Authority Has Work To Do In Its Pitch For Prop. 1 Funding

/in /by /Appeal Democrat (Marysville)by Jake Abbot

The initial scoring is out, and those pushing for Sites Reservoir have some work to do if they expect to receive a chunk of the $2.7 billion in available Proposition 1 funding for water storage projects. The California Water Commission is responsible for determining the public benefits of each of the projects competing for funding. Using a scoring system, the commission is essentially looking at whether or not every dollar invested on a particular project will come back to the state in the form of a public benefit of equal value.

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Federal Government Unsure Whether It Will Pay For Oroville Dam Spillway Repairs

/in /by /Chico Enterprise-Record

While it has been assumed the federal government will pay 75 percent of the now-$870 million cost for repairing the Oroville Dam spillways, the agency that actually would allocate the money has been hedging on whether that is the case, according to two north state congressmen. A joint press release from Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, and John Garamendi, D-Fairfield, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been telling Congress it’s uncertain whether FEMA has the authority to pay for the types of repairs being made.

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On ‘Day Zero,’ Cape Town Will Run Out Of Water. It’s Not The Only City At Risk.

/in /by /The Washington Postby Scott Moore

Officials in Cape Town, South Africa, recently announced that the city will run out of water, perhaps as soon as April. On “Day Zero,” Cape Town will turn off the taps, leaving some 4 million people without basic access to water. Residents are bracing for the worst, with many fearing a breakdown in public order amid rising social tensions.

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Dept. Of Education Says Most Schools Must Test Drinking Water

/in /by /Vacaville Reporterby Richard Bammer

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said Thursday that California public schools built before 2010 must test for lead in drinking water. The requirement comes several months after Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 746, which requires community water systems statewide, beginning Jan. 1, to complete lead testing in these older schools by July 1, 2019.

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Locals Seeking More Than $27 Million From DWR In Lawsuit

/in /by /Appeal Democrat (Marysville)by Jake Abbot

Nine individuals or entities from Yuba-Sutter are suing the California Department of Water Resources for more than $27 million in damages suffered as a consequence of the Lake Oroville spillway crisis last February. The action is part of a larger lawsuit involving more than 40 individuals or groups from around the North State that reportedly suffered more than $100 million in damages from the ordeal.

 

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State Supports Antioch’s Plan For Desalination Plant

/in /by /The Press (Brentwood)

The City of Antioch’s plan to build a brackish water desalination plant on the San Joaquin River received a boost from the State Department of Water Resources, which is recommending a grant of $10 million in Proposition 1 Water Bond funds to the city for construction of the project. “I am pleased to see the hard work we put into passing the Water Bond paying off on a local project that will improve the quality and reliability of fresh water for Antioch residents,” said Assemblymember Jim Frazier, D-Discovery Bay.

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California Drought Becomes Fearful Possibility As Hot Weather Conditions Continue

/in /by /KHTS (Newhall)by Lorena Mejia

The dry winter stemmed back to much of the last six or more months, weather that is more typical of spring than mid-winter, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Temperatures have been well above average, which tends to dry out vegetation, soils, and water resources, tying in to the growing risk of wildfires, according to the report. The National Weather Service noted that temperatures in the Santa Clarita Valley for this weekend will be in the mid 80’s with wind speeds of up to 20 miles per hour.

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OPINION: Spillway Bill Nears $1 Billion, Keeps Growing

/in /by /Chico Enterprise-Record

The latest reckoning of the tab for the Oroville spillway crisis — the first update in many months — revealed an astonishing figure and proved how much the state has been trying to downplay the preventable disaster from the start. It almost provides a “we-told-you-so” moment. Lake Oroville’s regular spillway started falling apart almost a year ago, on Feb. 7. By Feb. 11, the lake was spilling over the top and running down a never-used emergency spillway.

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Water, Water Everywhere Can’t Quell A Western Drought

/in /by /The Wall Street Journalby Jim Carlton

Many Western reservoirs are full, and downpours have triggered floods and deadly mudslides in parts of California. But all that water isn’t enough to save the West from another drought. Most of the region has slipped back into the drought conditions that have plagued it on and off for the past two decades—alarming water managers across several states. The dry conditions are fueling wildfires, threatening agriculture and hurting ski resorts.

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California Water Board Delays Affordability Report

/in /by /Circle of Blue (Traverse City, Mich.)by Brett Walton

Citing the need for more deliberation, California regulators delayed publication of a report that will outline their preferred plan to fund and manage a statewide program to help poor residents pay their water bills. As water rates increase in the United States, governments and utilities are exploring new forms of financial aid. Some utilities run water bill assistance programs, but California is marking unexplored territory. It would be the first state in the nation to operate a state-funded program for water.

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