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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.

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Nick Serrano to Lead Water Authority

/in , /by /Voice of San Diego Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria’s deputy chief of staff, Nick Serrano takes over as leader of the governing board for the region’s major water wholesaler.

The board of the San Diego County Water Authority voted Thursday to elect Serrano as chair, installing Lakeside Water District representative Frank Hillaker as vice chair and San Dieguito Water District representative Joy Lyndes as Secretary. Serrano took over the top board spot after serving as vice chair under the former leader, Mel Katz, a Del Mar representative, as is general practice for power succession at the Water Authority.

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Peters’ Bill to Streamline Permit Renewal for Wastewater Plant Passes in Committee

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Jennifer Vigil

The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure voted 57-7 on Wednesday to advance Rep. Scott Peters’ bipartisan Ocean Pollution Reduction Act II.

The legislation would simplify the city of San Diego’s permitting process to operate the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant, which will allow the city to move forward with its water-recycling project, Pure Water.

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Imperial Irrigation District Sued Over Colorado River Conservation Plan

/in , /by /Fox 5/KUSIby Danielle Dawson

The Sierra Club is suing the Imperial Irrigation District over its latest Colorado River water conservation agreement, arguing the plan would accelerate shrinking of the Salton Sea and harm neighboring communities’ health.

Announced last Friday, the lawsuit against the district and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, contends that a plan to temporarily forgo hundreds of thousands of acre-feet of water from the depleted river failed to adequately consider its impact on the largest lake in the region.

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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.

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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.

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Peters’ Bill to Streamline Permit Renewal for Wastewater Plant Passes in Committee

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Jennifer Vigil

The legislation would simplify the city of San Diego’s permitting process to operate the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant, which will allow the city to move forward with its water-recycling project, Pure Water.

The program will supply half of San Diego’s drinking water by 2035 and help solidify the region’s water security amidst worsening conditions on the Colorado River.

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Ramona Municipal Water District Board to Get New Director

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Julie Gallant

The Ramona Municipal Water District is gaining a new director to replace outgoing Director Gary Hurst.

Hurst has served on the board for nearly four years and has decided not to seek reelection when his term expires in December. His expected replacement to be seated on the board for Division 5 in December is Diane Princess Norman, who is running unopposed.

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California to Implement Direct Potable Reuse

/in , /by /Water World

California’s Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved OAL File No. 2024-0624-02S – the Direct Potable Reuse Regulations – and filed with the Secretary of State on August 6, 2024.

The regulations will take effect on October 1, 2024. This is a step in the evolution of using recycled water as a safe and reliable water supply for Californians.

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California Sites Reservoir Project Hits Troubled Waters in Permitting Process

/in , , /by /Courthouse News Serviceby Alan Riquelmy

The California state water board on Monday formally announced that the Sites Reservoir project failed to get federal approval, a situation they say isn’t permanent and can be rectified.

The rejection by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the latest setback for the estimated $4 billion project in Northern California that would capture water during the rainy season. Officials have said the reservoir would hold up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water, or enough for 3 million homes a year.

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