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Waves Off Central Coast Contain Clues About Changing Climate. Is California Due for Drought?

/in , /by /San Luis Obispo Tribuneby John Lindsey

The waves along the Central Coast can tell you a lot about our changing climate, and here’s why.

The Diablo Canyon Power Plant’s Waverider Buoy has measured wave heights and periods since June 1983 and directions since June 1996 and is one of the longest continuous-wave monitoring stations along the West Coast.

Scripps Institute of Oceanography’s Coastal Data Information Program maintains an extensive network of buoys that monitor waves along the coastlines of the United States. You can view the historical wave data archive from Diablo Canyon and other stations at the CDIP database at cdip.ucsd.edu.

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‘Forever Chemicals’ Pollute Water from Alaska to Florida

/in , /by /The Guardianby Lynne Peeples

Tom Kennedy learned about the long-term contamination of his family’s drinking water about two months after he was told that his breast cancer had metastasized to his brain and was terminal.

The troubles tainting his tap: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a broad category of chemicals invented in the mid-1900s to add desirable properties such as stain-proofing and anti-sticking to shoes, cookware and other everyday objects.

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Lessons from San Diego’s Approach to Wildfires

/in , /by /Voice of San Diegoby Diana Leonard

San Diego has largely escaped the conflagrations seen in other parts of California over the last several years. Experts have started to wonder: Is San Diego just lucky? Or is it doing something right?

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Biden Is Eyeing Renewable Energy. So Are Hackers

/in , /by /E&E Newsby Christian Vasquez

President-elect Joe Biden’s rush to renewable energy may open up a host of cybersecurity dangers if more isn’t done to secure the technology from hackers.

Fast-evolving solar and wind technologies pose new risks to power grid security, especially as smaller renewable energy companies often lack resources to fight against hackers, experts warn. And a recently discovered hacking campaign targeting federal agencies and potentially hundreds of energy companies only underscores the scale of the challenge.

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Antioch Approves $87 Million Bid for Brackish Water Desalination Plant

/in , /by /East Bay Timesby Judith Prieve

Shimmick Construction Co. has been awarded a nearly $87 million contract to build Antioch’s brackish water desalination plant.

The City Council unanimously approved the company’s bid during a special meeting Friday after rejecting a protest bid from C. Overaa & Co., which also wanted the job. The $86,689,000 contract with Shimmick will include a 5% contingency of $4,334,450 in case of unforeseen costs for a total of $91,023,450.

In addition, council members authorized city staff to increase the total budget for the desalination project to $110 million. Earlier projections had estimated it would cost nearly $70 million.

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Biden CEQ Pick Signals NEPA Changes

/in , /by /E&E Newsby Kelsey Brugger

President-elect Joe Biden last week picked veteran environmental attorney Brenda Mallory to help guide federal environmental permitting as the incoming administration gears up to build massive infrastructure projects across the United States.

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Opinion: California Water Agencies are Feeling the Pandemic’s Financial Pinch. But the Water Will Keep Flowing

/in , /by /Maven's Notebookby Danielle Blacet-Hyden

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to worsen, it’s more important than ever that all Californians have reliable access to clean, safe water. At the most basic level, our health depends on it: water is essential for the handwashing and cleaning that helps eliminate the virus. Water also is indispensable for our food supply, jobs and economy.

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Water Agency Outreach Efforts Honored

/in , /by /Water News Network Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority and three of its member agencies were recognized Dec. 17 by the Public Relations Society of America San Diego/Imperial Counties chapter for outstanding work in public outreach and education efforts.

The 2020 PRSA Bernays Awards were presented for communication on a variety of platforms, all designed to inform stakeholders and ratepayers about initiatives ensuring a safe and reliable water supply.

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Will California Finally Fulfill its Promise to Fix the Salton Sea?

/in , /by /High Country News/The Desert Sun by Mark Olalde

Red flags flutter outside the schools in Salton City, California, when the air quality is dangerous. Dust billows across the desert, blanketing playgrounds and baseball diamonds, the swirling grit canceling recess and forcing students indoors. Visibility is so poor you can’t see down the block. Those days worry Miriam Juarez the most.

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Second Lawsuit Filed Over San Diego’s Pure Water Project

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Rob Nikolewski

Earlier this year, the city of San Diego filed a lawsuit against San Diego Gas & Electric in a dispute over the utility’s underground infrastructure obstructing the construction of a $1.4 billion water recycling project.

Now, a second and separate lawsuit has been filed on behalf of a San Diego resident claiming an agreement between the city and SDG&E to help get the project started is illegal.

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