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Colorado Work Group Eyes New Tools to Stop Water Profiteering

/in , /by /Journal-Advocateby Jerd Smith

Imposing hefty taxes on speculative water sales, requiring that water rights purchased by investors be held for several years before they can be resold, and requiring special state approval of such sales are three ideas that might help Colorado protect its water resources from speculators.

The ideas were discussed Wednesday at a meeting of a special work group looking at whether Colorado needs to strengthen laws preventing Wall Street investment firms and others from selling water for profit in ways that don’t benefit the state’s farms, cities and streams.

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New Report Confirms Benefits of Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations at Lake Mendocino

/in , /by /WaterWorld

Modern forecasting methods fueled by advances in understanding and predicting atmospheric river storms have enabled U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operators to better optimize water resources at Lake Mendocino, a Northern California reservoir. A multi-agency report issued Feb. 4, 2021, describes how these forecasting tools have helped operators increase the lake’s dry season stores of drinking water, improve its ability to alleviate flood risk, and enhance environmental conditions in the downstream Russian River to support salmonid species.

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Nearly 12 Million Texans Now Face Water Disruptions. The State Needs Residents to Stop Dripping Taps

/in , /by /The Texas Tribuneby Alex Samuels

After enduring multiple days of freezing temperatures and Texans dripping faucets to prevent frozen pipes from bursting, cities across the state warned Wednesday that water levels are dangerously low, and it may be unsafe to drink.

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Opinion: California Needs a More Flexible Approach for Planning for Sea Level Rise Across the State

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Robert Lempert, David Behar

The state of California has changed its sea level rise guidance for state agencies and coastal communities, now advising in new “Principles for Aligned State Action” that Californians employ a single sea level rise target — plan for 3.5 feet by 2050 — as opposed to the more flexible approach the state used in the past. But this single sea level rise number does not represent the best available science and could make California less resilient to climate change.

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Public Power Agency Preparing Launch With Clean Energy Emphasis

/in , /by /KPBS San Diegoby Andrew Bowen

San Diego Community Power (SDCP), the local government agency created to speed up the transition to renewable energy, will officially start serving its first customers in less than two weeks.

The launch is the culmination of years of debate over whether governments can be trusted to purchase electricity on behalf of homes and businesses, or if that responsibility should stay with San Diego Gas & Electric, the region’s private utility.

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Water Main Breaks Decline in San Diego for Fourth Year in a Row

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Increased maintenance efforts by the City of San Diego of its water system infrastructure is paying off for ratepayers. For the fourth year in a row, the number of water main breaks has decreased in the City of San Diego. Thirty-three water main breaks were reported in 2020, the lowest total in more than 15 years.

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Vallecitos Water District Recognized for Algae Control

/in , , /by /WaterWorld Magazine

The Vallecitos Water District won an Excellence in Innovation and Resilience Award with environmentally-friendly algae control technology. Known for its sustainable approach to water treatment, the award-winning utility chose to control algal blooms with LG Sonic technology. The award recognizes efforts in the innovative application of technology to the wastewater field and was handed by California Association of Sanitation Agencies.

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Some San Diego Area Schools are Testing Wastewater, Floors for Coronavirus

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Kristen Taketa

UC San Diego has created a wastewater and surface coronavirus testing program designed specifically for schools in disadvantaged communities hard-hit by COVID.

The testing not only allows for faster results than traditional COVID testing, but UC San Diego researchers say it could be less costly and easier to implement in communities with families who may not want their children tested in schools, out of fear or a lack of trust.

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Imperial Irrigation District Mandatory Payment Plan Begins

/in , /by /Palm Spring Desert Sunby City News Service

Imperial Irrigation District power customers with certain past due debts will be automatically enrolled in a new mandatory payment plan starting Wednesday, and power shut-offs are set to resume for customers who do not fulfill their financial obligations.

The plan, approved by the Board of Directors last month, affects past due customers who owed more than $50 as of Dec. 31, 2020.

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Why Utah Lawmakers are Worried About Having Enough Water in the Future

/in , /by /Deseret News (Utah)by Amy Joi O'Donoghue

Utah lawmakers say drought and the dwindling Colorado River make it more important than ever for the state to act now to safeguard its interest in the river.

A bill to set up the Colorado River Authority of Utah passed the House 61-12 Tuesday and will be taken up by a Senate committee for further consideration.

Sponsored by House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, HB297 sets up the authority made up of representatives from major water districts in the state, as well as the Colorado River commissioner representing Utah.

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