California and the U.S.

The latest news and analysis covering water issues in Caliornia and the rest of the United States.

Is Help On The Way For Californians Whose Tap Water Is Tainted?

Karen Lewis knows about water problems. The 67-year-old lives in Compton, where the water coming out of her tap is tinged brown by manganese, a metal similar to iron, from old pipes. The water is supplied by the troubled Sativa Los Angeles County Water District. The district has been plagued by administrative scandal and charges […]

Is Your Drinking Water Dangerous? In Some Parts Of California, It Could Be

Five years ago, California became the first state in the nation to recognize the human right to safe, clean, affordable and accessible water. Today, we look at how the state is working to ensure that right and where the biggest concerns for Californians are. The California Water Resources Control Board’s records show more than 266 water […]

Groundwater Banking: A Likely Solution To Achieve Greater River Flows

A proposal by the California Water Resources Control Board to require additional water to be left in the Tuolumne River and other San Joaquin River tributaries has prompted strong negative opinions, including from some newspapers serving the region, such as the Modesto Bee. Regrettably, what has received little attention in this debate are the opportunities for improving water management […]

OPINION: Stop Gov. Brown’s Sleazy Last-Minute Delta Tunnels Bid

In what would be the sleaziest maneuver of Jerry Brown’s tenure, a legislative committee suddenly has rescheduled a hearing for Thursday morning that would allow the state to move forward with the governor’s $19.9 billion Delta tunnels water grab. Without a vote of the Legislature, without a vote of the people, and without legislative oversight.

Brown Tries To Jam Delta Water Hearing Through Legislature

An innocuous sounding hearing tomorrow morning for lawmakers on the Joint Legislative Budget Committee at the State Capitol may lock taxpayers into paying for the California WaterFix for the next half century. The informational hearing, called “Department of Water Resources: Proposed Water Supply Contract Extension & Amendments,” will commit 50 years of funding to the […]

Drought-Stricken Western Ventura County May Need More Than Planned $45M Pipeline As A Fix

Heading into an eighth year of drought, Ventura County water agencies teamed up to try to import water into Ventura. But a fix — a proposed seven-mile pipeline from Camarillo to Ventura — will still leave gaps in water supplies. “I think it’s very important that this area begin to look at its next step for […]