California and the U.S.

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

Most California Schools OK For Lead Levels In Drinking Water; Thousands Yet To Be Tested

Less than 1 percent of recent drinking water samples at California’s public schools showed elevated lead levels. But thousands more campuses still need to be tested, state officials said last week. A new law, AB 746, took effect in January requiring those tests at public schools over the next 16 months. Lead exposure can affect nearly every system in […]

California WaterFix Project Picking Up Speed

The pace of activity related to the California WaterFix project has stepped up considerably in the last few weeks, and several major developments have arisen. Those developments included the resumption of the Part 2 hearings, the issuance of a major ruling by the State Water Resources Control Board, the revelation that the Metropolitan Water District is […]

‘Much Needed’ Rain in Merced County Here to Stay, Weather Officials Say

Showers and gusty winds are expected in Merced County through Saturday, weather officials report, and will only let up for a couple days before the next system rolls in. “We are looking at a pretty wet pattern the next several days,” said William Peterson, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Hanford. “This is a […]

Human Errors Contributed To Oroville Spillway Failure

Damage to the main and emergency spillways of the Oroville Dam in California, triggered in February 2017 by heavy rain that was part of Northern California’s wettest winter in almost 100 years, has brought to light several lessons that hydropower and dam engineers can learn from the disaster. The cost to repair the spillway has […]

Why New California Drought Regulations Have Caused An Uproar

On February 20, California’s State Water Resources Control Board postponed a decision on the adoption of new statewide regulations meant to curb wasteful water practices. The regulations would make permanent some rules California enacted temporarily during the recent drought, which ended last year. After several public comment periods this winter, water board staff tweaked the regulations to […]

Water For Federal Districts Again In Short Supply

Farmers in a West Side water district once again face a curtailed water supply in 2018. The respite of 2017, when growers in federal agencies such as the Del Puerto Water District enjoyed a full water allocation after several years of receiving little to no deliveries through the Central Valley Project, was short-lived. The federal […]