Groundwater is one of the world’s most important natural resources, but groundwater management has traditionally been governed by lax and uneven legal regimes which tend to focus on the extraction of groundwater or groundwater quality, rather than groundwater recharge. In a January 2022 webinar from Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment, Dave Owen, professor at UC Hastings […]
San Francisco residents are about to see another downside of drought: higher water rates. Like a growing number of water agencies in California, the city’s water department has been losing millions of dollars as households and businesses, doing their part in a third dry year, conserve more and fork over less money to the utility.
The record-breaking heat wave last week in East Antarctica, the coldest region on Earth, saw temperatures surge as much as 85 degrees Fahrenheit above average, bringing readings near freezing and unexpected surface melting instead of the usual sub-zero conditions. The heat wave adds to a quickly growing list of previously “unthinkable” climate events, and puts an exclamation point […]
World Water Day is on Tuesday, so water officials are calling on Californians again to conserve more water in the face of a worsening drought. One of the best ways to conserve water is to reduce outdoor watering, so Metropolitan Water District held a news conference at the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers & Native […]
The Palmdale Water District Board of Directors approved the District’s entry into a program to transfer water for State Water Contractors during dry years, such as this one. The program allows State Water Contractors, such as Palmdale Water District, to purchase water allocated to fallow rice farms in Northern California. District officials estimate it possibly […]
California has emerged as the first state to advance limits on hexavalent chromium in drinking water, a contaminant linked to cancer first made famous by Erin Brockovich’s advocacy efforts. The California Water Resources Control Board’s Drinking Water Program on Monday unveiled a proposal to set a “maximum contaminant level” (MCL) of 10 parts per billion, or ppb, […]
Legal Aspects of Groundwater Recharge: Do We Need a Groundwater Recharge Ethic?
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Maven's NotebookGroundwater is one of the world’s most important natural resources, but groundwater management has traditionally been governed by lax and uneven legal regimes which tend to focus on the extraction of groundwater or groundwater quality, rather than groundwater recharge. In a January 2022 webinar from Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment, Dave Owen, professor at UC Hastings […]
S.F. Residents, Like Many in California, Face Water-Rate Hike — but There’s One Way to Avoid a Bigger Bill
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /San Francisco Chronicleby Kurtis AlexanderSan Francisco residents are about to see another downside of drought: higher water rates. Like a growing number of water agencies in California, the city’s water department has been losing millions of dollars as households and businesses, doing their part in a third dry year, conserve more and fork over less money to the utility.
Shifts in El Niño May Be Driving Climates Extremes in Both Hemispheres
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Inside Climate Newsby Bob BerwynThe record-breaking heat wave last week in East Antarctica, the coldest region on Earth, saw temperatures surge as much as 85 degrees Fahrenheit above average, bringing readings near freezing and unexpected surface melting instead of the usual sub-zero conditions. The heat wave adds to a quickly growing list of previously “unthinkable” climate events, and puts an exclamation point […]
As Drought Worsens, Water Officials Urge Property Owners to Replace Grass With Drought-Friendly Native Plants
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Kake.comWorld Water Day is on Tuesday, so water officials are calling on Californians again to conserve more water in the face of a worsening drought. One of the best ways to conserve water is to reduce outdoor watering, so Metropolitan Water District held a news conference at the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers & Native […]
PWD OK’s Entry Into Water Transfer Program
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Antelope Valley Pressby Allison GatlinThe Palmdale Water District Board of Directors approved the District’s entry into a program to transfer water for State Water Contractors during dry years, such as this one. The program allows State Water Contractors, such as Palmdale Water District, to purchase water allocated to fallow rice farms in Northern California. District officials estimate it possibly […]
Calif. Takes First Moves to Limit ‘Erin Brockovich’ Chemical
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /E&E Newsby Hannah NortheyCalifornia has emerged as the first state to advance limits on hexavalent chromium in drinking water, a contaminant linked to cancer first made famous by Erin Brockovich’s advocacy efforts. The California Water Resources Control Board’s Drinking Water Program on Monday unveiled a proposal to set a “maximum contaminant level” (MCL) of 10 parts per billion, or ppb, […]