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Utilities Want to Use EPA Chemicals Law to Protect Drinking Water

/in , , /by /Bloomberg Lawby Pat Rizzuto

A pair of water associations are teaming up to urge the EPA to use all its regulatory tools to safeguard drinking water as it decides whether to allow new chemicals into U.S. commerce.

The Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA), which represents state, tribal, and territorial water agency officials, recently joined the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, which represents publicly owned metropolitan drinking water suppliers, to routinely flag their concerns about new chemicals to the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Decline in Hydropower Hampered by Drought Will Impact Utility Costs

/in , , /by /The Mercury Newsby Jesse Kathan

Hydroelectric power from dams usually provides about 15% of California’s electricity needs. But in 2015, at the zenith of the worst drought in California’s recorded history, it supplied only 6%.

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SCW Given Contract for North River Road Sewer Repairs

/in , , /by /Fallbrook Village Newsby Joe Naiman

SCW Contracting Corporation was awarded the Rainbow Municipal Water District contract for the first phase of the North River Road Land Outfall pipeline repairs.

The July 28 Rainbow board meeting included a 5-0 vote to award the work to SCW, which is based in the town of Rainbow. The contract will be for $474,000.

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Opinion: San Diego’s Iconic Beaches Deserve Our Support to End Plastic Pollution

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Lori Mendez

From our shared border with Mexico to our county’s northernmost point, with the Pacific Ocean as our backyard, San Diego is known for its beautiful beaches. Yet, there is something insidious happening.

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Water Officials Push Back Decision on Huntington Beach Desal Project Yet Again

/in , , /by /Voice of OCby Brandon Pho

State regional water officials have again delayed a decision on a controversial seawater desalination plant in Huntington Beach, instead placing further requirements on the project’s company to reckon with the facility’s anticipated environmental damage.

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Opinion: The LA Sequel to Owens Valley: The Tunnel to destroy Northern SJ Valley

/in , , /by /Manteca/Ripon Bulletinby Dennis Wyatt

It wasn’t my finest moment.

I was hiking the Owens River Gorge in mid-July. Usually that would be as smart as planting your hands on a stove burner turned to high.

Severe thunderstorms in the eastern Sierra above Bishop prompted a last minute change in plans. And given that the temperature in the Owens Valley that day was predicted to be 20 degrees cooler than the previous day’s high it was the perfect opportunity to take a hike in an area where the heat makes it a seriously insane proposition between June and September.

Before Los Angeles got is claws into Owens Valley to divert snowmelt and draw down the high desert water tables to essentially bleed Eastern California and stunt its economic growth all so the City of Angels could prosper beyond the means of its water basin, the gorge carried water tapped into by farmers and ranchers working the land.

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2020 Water Resilience Portfolio Released by Governor Newsom

/in , , /by /AgNet Westby Brian German

Governor Gavin Newsom recently released the final version of the 2020 Water Resilience Portfolio to help guide California water policy moving forward. The initial draft proposal of the portfolio was announced back in January and now includes 14 new actions after receiving input from more than 200 individuals and organizations during the comment period. The water blueprint outlines 142 policy priorities for state agencies to emphasize.

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Imperial County Agencies Deliver 500,000 Face Masks to Agriculture Workers

/in , , /by /Water News Networkby Darren Simon

The Imperial County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office has taken the lead in distributing more than 500,000 face masks to all sectors of the agriculture industry in the Imperial Valley.

“This was a positive result of the state understanding our need,” said Imperial County Agricultural Commissioner Carlos Ortiz. “They heard us.”

Agriculture is one of the essential sectors critical to health and safety in California during the coronavirus pandemic.

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How LA’s Sewers Could Be an Early Warning System for Coronavirus Outbreaks

/in , , /by /NBC4 Los Angelesby Carolyn Johnson and Maya MacGregor

A study at USC is relying on the flush of a toilet for clues to coronavirus outbreaks.

Dr. Adam Smith, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at USC, is a part of a team of scientists across the country who are sifting through data from the bowels of the sewer system.  The team consists of researchers from USC, Howard University, North Carolina State University and Rice University.

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Water Supply Remains Safe, Sufficient as Pandemic Endures

/in , , /by /Event-News Enterprise (Seal Beach, Calif.)by Jordan Brandman

August is Water Quality Month, a perfect time to educate ourselves about how and why we can rely on clean water each time we turn on the tap. Groundwater from your local Orange County groundwater basin makes up about 77% of the total water needed for consumers. Your city or water agency buys about 23% of imported water from Northern California or the Colorado River to make up the difference.

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