Tag Archive for: Water Infrastructure

Biden EPA to Make It Easier for States to Block Fossil Fuel Projects

/in , /by /Kake.comby Ella Nilsen

The Biden administration unveiled a plan Thursday to undo Trump-era rule changes to a key section of the Clean Water Act, essentially giving states, territories and tribes more say on fossil fuel or industrial projects that could pollute their watersheds.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed rule centers on Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, a longstanding provision that gives states more authority to certify or deny federal permits that are necessary for certain projects, including oil and gas pipelines.

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EXPLAINER: How Cities in the West Have Water Amid Drought

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Suman Naishadham

As drought and climate change tighten their grip on the American West, the sight of fountains, swimming pools, gardens and golf courses in cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Boise, and Albuquerque can be jarring at first glance.

Western water experts, however, say they aren’t necessarily cause for concern. Over the past three decades, major Western cities — particularly in California and Nevada — have diversified their water sources, boosted local supplies through infrastructure investments and conservation, and use water more efficiently.

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EPA Announces Additional $1.9 Billion in State Revolving Loan Funds for Water Infrastructure Upgrades

/in , /by /United States Environmental Protection Agency

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $1.9 billion in grant funding to the State Revolving Funds to accelerate progress on water infrastructure projects. Combined with historic investments through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this funding will help states, Tribes, and territories upgrade water infrastructure to provide safe drinking water, protect vital water resources, and create thousands of new jobs in communities across the country.

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California’s Water Use Jumps 19% in March, the Highest Since 2015

/in , , /by /CBS 8by Shannon Handy Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

A recent report shows Californians aren’t doing enough to conserve water, despite Governor Gavin Newsom’s request to reduce use by 15%. Newsom made that request in July of 2021.

Fast forward to now, and according to the State Water Resources Control Board, total water usage statewide decreased by just 3.7% between July and March compared to the same period two years ago.

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The Biggest Potential Water Disaster in the United States

/in , , /by /The New Yorkerby David Owen

The Sacramento is California’s largest river. It arises near the lower slopes of Mt. Shasta, in the northernmost part of the state, and runs some four hundred miles south, draining the upper corridor of the Central Valley, bending through downtown Sacramento, and, eventually, reaching the Pacific Ocean, by way of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. Erik Vink, the executive director of the Delta Protection Commission, a state conservation agency, described the Sacramento to me as “California’s first superhighway.” By the eighteen-fifties, daily steamboats ferried passengers between San Francisco and Sacramento in as little as six hours.

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It’s Not Even Summer, and California’s Two Largest Reservoirs Are at ‘Critically Low’ Levels

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Rosanna Xia

At a point in the year when California’s water storage should be at its highest, the state’s two largest reservoirs have already dropped to critically low levels — a sobering outlook for the hotter and drier months ahead.

Shasta Lake, which rises more than 1,000 feet above sea level when filled to the brim, is at less than half of where it usually should be in early May — the driest it has been at this time of year since record-keeping first began in 1976. Lake Oroville, the largest reservoir in the State Water Project, a roughly 700-mile lifeline that pumps and ferries water all the way to Southern California, is currently at 55% of total capacity.

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Assessing Water Infrastructure Investments in California

/in , /by /Eosby Terri Cook

With water scarcity increasing around the globe, arid regions are striving to develop more flexible and diversified water supplies. For example, California’s 2020 Water Resilience Portfolio Initiative recommends improving and expanding the state’s conveyance and storage infrastructure as well as developing groundwater banking and other means of more flexibly sharing water. The success of such initiatives depends in large part upon the ability of water providers to collaboratively finance and build new infrastructure.

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As Drought Shrinks the Colorado River, a SoCal Giant Seeks Help from River Partners to Fortify its Local Supply

/in , , /by /Western Water (Water Education Foundation)by Nick Cahill

Momentum is building for a unique interstate deal that aims to transform wastewater from Southern California homes and business into relief for the stressed Colorado River. The collaborative effort to add resiliency to a river suffering from overuse, drought and climate change is being shaped across state lines by some of the West’s largest water agencies.

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Water Authority Awarded Patent for Pipeline Inspection Tool

/in , , /by /Water News Network Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority has been granted its first ever utility patent for a device that inspects interior sections of water pipelines that are inaccessible or not safe to inspect without expensive specialized gear and training.

Water Authority Operations and Maintenance Manager Martin Coghill invented the tool to save time, reduce costs and improve safety during ongoing aqueduct inspections. The Water Authority’s industry-leading Asset Management Program includes a proactive search for pipeline weaknesses that can be addressed before they become large and costly problems.

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New Water Tank in Mission Trails Nearly Complete and Will Soon Disappear

/in , , /by /Water News Network Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Construction of the new Flow Regulatory Structure II, or FRS II, in Mission Trails Regional Park is nearing completion. The structure is now completely enclosed on all sides and was successfully tested.

Construction crews have started placing soil around the exterior walls to begin burying the structure. In the next three weeks, the roof will be covered so the facility is concealed. Water is expected to begin flowing into FRS II in June 2022.

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