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Controversial California WaterFix Bill On The Table

/in , /by /The Press (Brentwood)by Tony Kukulich

A federal spending bill containing a provision that could spell disaster for opponents of the California WaterFix project passed an important hurdle when it was approved by the House Committee on Appropriations last week. The Fiscal Year 2019 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, introduced by Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42), includes a rider identified as Section 437. If approved, the rider on page 141 of a 142-page document will exempt the California WaterFix project from state and federal judicial review. 

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County Water Authority Proposes Lower Rate Increases For 2019

/in , /by /The East County Californianby Joe Naiman Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

A June 28 San Diego County Water Authority hearing will determine the SDCWA’s rates and charges for 2019, but the SDCWA is likely to have a lower rate increase than in past years. A May 24, CWA board vote set the June 28 hearing date for the proposed rates and charges which included a 2.9 percent increase for untreated water supply and an increase of 0.9 percent for treated water. The cost for member agencies to purchase untreated water including both supply price and other charges would increase from $1,303 to $1,341 per acre-foot while the price of treated water would rise from $1,603 to $1,617 per acre-foot.

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OPINION: California’s New Water Rationing Law Is A Tax In Disguise, Complete With Fines

/in , /by /The Washington Timesby Tammy Bruce

Last week’s column about California’s new water rationing apparently upset some of the Golden State’s swamp. This columnist pointed out that a new law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown set new “standards” of water usage. Here’s what their water-rationing bill (now law) says, in language everyone can understand: “The bill, until January 1, 2025, would establish 55 gallons per capita daily as the standard for indoor residential water use. … The bill would impose civil liability for a violation of an order or regulation issued pursuant to these provisions, as specified.”

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LA Is Doing Water Better Than Your City. Yes, That LA

/in , /by /Wired (Boone, IA)by Matt Simon

The frantic phone calls to the Community Water Center began in the summer of 2014. In the 7,000-strong unincorporated community of East Porterville, nestled against California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, homeowners’ wells were failing amid a historic drought. Folks were hauling water from their workplaces or from agricultural wells. Parents were sending their kids to shower at the local high school. Residents with still-functional wells were snaking hoses over fences to nourish their neighbors.

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Senate GOP Drops ‘Poison Pills’ From Key Spending Bill

/in , /by /Associated Press by Andrew Taylor

Senate Republicans are ridding a key spending bill of controversial environmental provisions opposed by Democrats in an attempt to avoid the annual year-end budget pileup. Tuesday’s move by Sen. Lisa Murkowski extends an olive branch to Democrats and could allow the first floor debate on a key spending bill for the Interior Department and the Environmental Protection Agency since former President Barack Obama’s first year in office. It’s all part of an effort to avoid a catchall “omnibus” spending bill.

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Judge Sides With City Of Fresno, Says City Can Impose Water Fees For New Development

/in , /by /The Fresno Beeby Brianna Calix

A Fresno Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the city of Fresno and upheld new water fees that ensure new homes will have enough water after some of Fresno’s largest developers filed a petition against the fees. Judge James M. Petrucelli issued his ruling May 30, saying attorneys for Granville Homes, Wathen Castanos Peterson Homes and Lennar Homes failed to show the fees exceeded reasonable costs, that they would be used for another purpose or that the fees are unlawful.

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Ventura County Farmers Celebrate The Launch Of California’s First Water Monitoring Program

/in , /by /Ventura County Starby Tyler Hersko

Farmers and public officials celebrated the launch of a historic water monitoring program during a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday afternoon in Oxnard. Monday’s celebration, part of the multi-phase Advanced Metering Infrastructure and Water Market program, installed telemetry hardware on an agricultural well owned by Oxnard farmer Fred Van Wingerden. The technology will precisely monitor the amount of water used by the farm. Previously, farmers would self-report their water usage, which raised questions of accuracy.

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Inspector General: 2 US Dams At Risk Of ‘Insider Threats’

/in , /by /Associated Press by Kathleen Ronayne

Two dams critical to U.S. national security are at high risk for “insider threats” that could impair operations because of poor computer security practices such as too many employees having access to administrator accounts and failures to routinely change passwords, according to a new inspector general report.

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State Adopts Post-Drought Permanent Water Restrictions

/in , /by /KALW (San Francisco)by Angela Johnston

Even though we are entering another summer drought-free, Governor Jerry Brown just signed two new water conservation bills into law. These laws will require permanent water conservation, regardless of whether or not California is in a drought. KALW’s environment reporter Angela Johnston tells us more on AB 1668 and SB 606.

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Californians Turn To U.S. For Money That Environmental Groups Say Doesn’t Do Enough

/in , /by /Politicoby Laura Tsutsui

California is one step closer to getting a cut of $2.5 billion over the next decade for its water needs now that the House has passed a bill aimed at funding water research and infrastructure projects. The drought-stricken state has positioned itself as independent of the federal government — most notably, the Trump administration — on issues ranging from immigration to health care coverage. However, it still turns to federal lawmakers when it needs a financial boost for an issue as central to the state as water.

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