Posts

California Water Projects Would Get Boost Under Budget Fund

/in , /by /Bloomberg by Emily C. Dooley

Nearly one million Californians use contaminated water to drink, shower, and cook, but the state’s politicians want to change that—including by amending the constitution or taxing certain products. Two state assembly members, Republican Devon Mathis and Democrat Eduardo Garcia, filed language Jan. 16 to amend the state constitution to require that 2 percent of the general fund budget be set aside each year for water quality, supply, and delivery projects in the thirsty state.

Full Story

Delta Tunnels, Diversity Are Focus Of New California Water Leader

/in , /by /Bloomberg by Emily C. Dooley

The new person in charge of delivering water to one in 17 Americans has two big goals: seeing through a controversial public works project to build two new California water tunnels and ensuring her agency is represented by a more diverse group of people. Gloria Gray became chairwoman of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California on Jan. 1 and made history, though not for the first time. She will be the first African-American and second woman to head the board of directors in the 90-year history of the state’s southern zone, the nation’s largest treated water supply district. It delivers water to 26 public agencies that supply water for 19 million Californians.

Full Story

Could This Gel Help Tame The California Fires?

/in , /by /Bloomberg

In 2009, Jeff Denholm was making a living as an adventure athlete, competing in stand-up paddleboard races and riding giant waves at Mavericks, the famous surf break near his home in Santa Cruz, Calif. Denholm was sponsored by Patagonia Inc., but to generate extra cash—“Adventure athletes don’t make a ton of money,” he says—he had a side gig leasing a fire truck to state and county crews that had run out of equipment ­battling wildfires.

Full Story

Smaller Utilities Most Exposed to California Wildfire Risk: S&P

/in , /by /Bloombergby William Green

Small water and sewer utilities in California will struggle to recover after wildfires, especially if they’re near wilderness areas or far from large cities, according to a new report from S&P Global Ratings. After major natural disasters in the state, utilities are typically required to front the costs of repairs and are only reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state government afterward. Utilities in towns that are small or poor, on the edge of flammable wilderness, or far from a major city will have particular trouble in paying for those costs upfront or reestablishing service quickly so they can resume collecting revenue, according to the report by credit analyst Tim Tung.

Full Story

Drought-Weary California Equips Water Supplies For Efficiency

/in , /by /Bloomberg (Arlington, Va.)by Emily C. Dooley

Drought-weary California officials want water suppliers to use the resource more efficiently, but how new water regulations will play out in districts remains unclear. A pair of bills, signed at the end of May by Gov. Jerry Brown (D), amend the state’s water code and emphasize water efficiency with a focus on indoor and outdoor household use as well as water loss in urban districts. Both Senate Bill 606 and Assembly Bill 1668 require urban districts to set use targets, or budgets for water use, and the assembly version also broadens the number of agricultural suppliers that must set management plans.

Full Story

Man-Made Fabrics Have State Lawmakers Vying For Warning Tags

/in , /by /Bloomberg Business (New York City, N.Y.)by Lindsey Rupp

Your polyester shirt may soon come with a warning label. Lawmakers in California and New York have proposed state bills this year to raise awareness of a problem few consumers may have heard of — synthetic fabrics shedding microfibers into the water system. Reminiscent of the plastic microbeads that were banned from cosmetics, garments made with polymer-based cloth can release as many as 1,900 microfibers per wash that eventually end up in waterways, one study shows. But research is still at the early stages, and few are in agreement about what the best response is.

Full Story