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America’s Drinking Water is Facing Attack, with Links Back to China, Russia and Iran

/in , /by /CNBCby Trevor Laurence Jockims

The city of Wichita, Kansas, recently had an experience that’s become all too common — its water system was hacked. The cyberattack, which targeted water metering, billing and payment processing, followed the targeting of water utilities across the U.S. in recent years.

In going after America’s water, hackers aren’t doing anything special. Despite rising fears of AI use in cyber threats, the go-to criminal way into systems remains preying on human foibles, be it via phishing, social engineering, or a system still running on a default password — “old school” cyberattacks, according to Ryan Witt, vice president of cybersecurity firm Proofpoint.

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Agencies in California are Recycling Wastewater into Drinking Water as Demand Grows

/in , /by /CBS News Chicago

Every day, 130 gallons of treated wastewater, normally draining into the Pacific Ocean, undergo a three-step purification process, including microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and ultraviolet light.

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Drinking Water of Almost a Million Californians Failed to Meet State Requirements

/in , /by /Cal Mattersby Rachel Becker

Almost 400 water systems serving nearly a million Californians don’t meet state requirements for safe and reliable drinking water supplies — and fixing them would cost billions of dollars.

More than two-thirds of these failing water systems serve communities of color, and more than half are in places struggling with poverty and pollution, according to an annual assessment released today by the State Water Resources Control Board.

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Cost of Bringing Clean Drinking Water to California Communities Estimated at $11.5 Billion

/in , /by /Los Angeles Times by Ian James

California has made significant progress helping small communities address problems of contaminated drinking water, but the costs of bringing safe tap water to hundreds of communities over the next five years will run more than $11.5 billion, according to a new state estimate.

In a newly released report, the staff of the State Water Resources Control Board estimated that at the start of this year approximately 913,000 Californians depended on public water systems that are failing to comply with drinking water regulations, while an additional 1.5 million people depended on water systems that are determined to be “at-risk.”

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Groundwater Declines in the U.S. Southwest

/in , /by /NASA Earth Observatoryby James R. Riordon

Record snowfall in recent years has not been enough to offset long-term drying conditions and increasing groundwater demands in the U.S. Southwest, according to a new analysis of NASA satellite data.

Declining water levels in the Great Salt Lake and Lake Mead have been testaments to a megadrought afflicting western North America since 2000. But surface water only accounts for a fraction of the Great Basin watershed, which covers most of Nevada and large portions of California, Utah, and Oregon. Far more of the region’s water is underground. That has historically made it difficult to track the impact of droughts on the overall water content of the Great Basin.

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Calgary Water Pipes are Vulnerable to Failure

/in , /by /The Globe and Mailby Jude Brocke Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The infrastructure network that transports safe, clean water around Calgary contains 187 kilometres of pipe similar to the line that suffered a catastrophic break more than two weeks ago, forcing the city’s residents and businesses to cut back on water use and prompting a massive emergency fix-it job.

The city’s Bearspaw South Feedermain, which ruptured June 5, is a prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP), a design used elsewhere in Calgary and across North America. This type of pipe is known to be vulnerable to major failures, although its engineering has improved since the late 1970s and determining what, precisely, caused the feedermain to crumble may be impossible.

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Adel Hagekhalil: Southern California’s Embattled ‘Water Doctor’

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

As general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Adel Hagekhalil has overseen a public agency that’s responsible for supplying the water that 19 million people drink. And he has been playing a leading role in efforts to transform how Southern California manages water, one of the most consequential issues the region faces as climate change continues to upend the water cycle.

His influence in this critical sphere currently hangs in the balance. Earlier this month, the water district’s board placed Hagekhalil on leave as it investigates harassment allegations by his chief financial officer that he denies. With him sidelined, some of his supporters are concerned the policies he has been pursuing could be affected.

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California Judge Grants Injunction in Water Conveyance Project

/in , /by /Courthouse News Serviceby Alan Riquelmy

A Sacramento County judge on Thursday ruled in favor of several water districts and local governments over California’s planned delta tunnel project that would divert water from Northern California to the south of the state, saying that exploratory work can’t continue until the state completes a necessary certification process.

The decision by Superior Court Judge Stephen Acquisto is a win for the groups that had argued the state Department of Water Resources hadn’t completed all documentation required by the California Environmental Quality Act and complied with the Delta Plan.

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Fire in Otay Mesa Puts Battery Storage Projects Under Scrutiny and Neighborhoods on Edge

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

A fire at a battery storage facility in Otay Mesa is out — but the stubborn nature of the blaze has sparked opposition from some residents about the relative safety of at least three other battery projects that developers want to build in other parts of San Diego County.

Renewable energy supporters say battery facilities are essential to meet California’s goals to develop a carbon-free electric grid. State policymakers and battery companies say the risk of future fires will decrease over time, counting on technological improvements in battery chemistries and better designs at the facilities housing the batteries.

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Calgary Officials Aiming for ‘Low End’ of Repair Timeline after Pipes Arrive from San Diego

/in , /by /CBCby Lily Dupuis, Omar Sherif Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Two key pieces of pipe needed to complete repairs to a water feeder main that ruptured, triggering citywide water restrictions, arrived Tuesday night from San Diego and are being prepped for installation.

City of Calgary officials now say repairs could move quicker than previously expected.

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