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On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Variance and Temporary Provision of Making Conservation a CA Way of Life regulation from 2pm to 3:30pm. Urban Retail Water Suppliers intending to request variances or temporary provisions for their Urban Water Use Objectives may use the new template released by the State Water Board. The Excel-based Variance Request Template and accompanying FAQ document are available now on the Making Conservation a California Way of Life webpage. The State Water Board staff will walk through the variance and temporary provision request package process and required components of variance and temporary provisions. Informational session will be recorded. Questions and answer session will follow. Click here to register.
- PUBLIC MEETING: Potter Valley Project Surrender Application and Decommissioning Plan from 3pm to 4pm. PG&E will host an online meeting to share information on the Potter Valley Project Surrender Application and Decommissioning Plan. The plan will be submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by July 29. During the town hall PG&E will discuss the overall regulatory process and note opportunities for public participation in the regulatory process. Click here to enter Teams meeting.
In California water news today …
Strategically bringing back beavers could support healthy and climate-resilient watersheds
“After enduring centuries of hunting, habitat loss, and disease, North American beavers (Castor canadensis) are making a comeback – and bringing benefits for both humans and nature with them. Equipped with findings from a new study published Aug. 11 in Communications Earth & Environment, a team of researchers from Stanford and the University of Minnesota aims to ensure that beavers return to or establish new homes in areas with the biggest bang for their buck (teeth). Supported in part by a grant from the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment’s Environmental Venture Projects program, the research reveals some of the factors that determine how well beavers can function within a given watershed. The findings could inform decisions about how to manage habitats, wildlife, and waterways. “Our findings can help land managers figure out where beaver activity will have the biggest impact,” said lead study author Luwen Wan, a postdoctoral fellow in Earth system science at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and the Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. “It gives them a practical tool for using nature to solve water and climate problems.” … ” Read more from Stanford News.
‘Major milestone’: Rare animal reintroduced to California national park
“Dozens of rare amphibians boarded a helicopter from the Bay Area last week, unaware of the journey that was ahead: a 250-mile flight to their new home in a national park. Yellow-legged frogs were once one of the most abundant animals in the alpine habitats of the Sierra Nevada. But for the past decade, the Oakland Zoo has been raising individuals from the now-endangered species and releasing them to the wild as a way to boost their numbers in the aftermath of a deadly disease that has decimated 90% of their population. Known as chytridiomycosis, or the chytrid fungus, the disease leads to “devastating effects” and has contributed to the greatest loss of biodiversity ever caused by a pathogen, the zoo said in a news release. … After getting swabbed for the disease one last time, they were transported to their final destination: Laurel Lake at Sequoia and Kings National Park. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Deep-sea desalination pulls drinking water from the depths
“From Cape Town to Tehran to Lima to Phoenix, dozens of cities across the globe have experienced water shortages recently. And in the next five years the world’s demand for fresh water could significantly outpace supply, according to a United Nations forecast. Now several companies are turning to an unexpected source for a solution: the bottom of the ocean. Called subsea desalination, the idea is to remove the salt from water in the deep sea. If it worked at scale, the technology could greatly alleviate the world’s water access problems. Costs and energy requirements have kept desalination from going mainstream in most of the world. … Reverse osmosis is more efficient than distillation, but it takes a lot of energy to pressurize millions of gallons of seawater and move it through filters. What if we could let that movement happen naturally by harnessing the pressure hundreds of meters underwater? … ” Read the full story at Scientific American.
So far, so good for California processing tomatoes
“The mild summer in California’s Central Valley has become the story of the 2025 growing season for myriad crops, and processing tomatoes are no exception. As growers are gearing up for harvest, tomato crops in the mid-valley region have shown less disease pressure than in previous years, including from such ailments as fusarium wilt, spotted wilt and southern blight, said Patricia Palazicki, a University of California Cooperative Extension vegetable crop adviser in Woodland. At Bruce Rominger’s farm in Woodland, tomato vines are holding their own. “The crop is OK,” Rominger told Farm Press. “Some people have a good crop, some are just OK … The weather’s been pretty cooperative so far, and that’s a good thing. Most of the state has enough water, but markets aren’t very good for a lot of commodities.” … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
California’s wildfire moonshot: How new technology will defeat advancing flames
“A bolt of lightning strikes deep inside a California forest in the middle of the night. The spark becomes a flame, and within seconds, a satellite dish swirling overhead picks up on the anomaly and triggers an alarm. An autonomous helicopter takes flight and zooms toward the fire, using sensors to locate the blaze and artificial intelligence to generate a plan of attack. It measures the wind speed and fire movement, communicating constantly with the unmanned helicopter behind it, and the one behind that. Once over the site, it drops a load of water and soon the flames are smoldering. Without deploying a single human, the fire never grows larger than 10 square feet. This is the future of firefighting. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Salvaging a crumbling California coastline required some radical thinking
“A few winding turns past Bodega Bay, about an hour north of San Francisco, relentless waves pound against a stretch of coastline in dire need of re-imagining. Gleason Beach, once reminiscent of a northern version of Malibu, is now mostly just a beach in name. Sand emerges only during the lowest of tides. Bits of concrete and rebar are all that remain of 11 clifftop homes that once faced the sea. A graveyard of seawalls, smashed into pieces, litters the shore. Here along the foggy bluffs of the Sonoma coast, the edge of the continent feels more like the edge of the world — a window into the future if California does not change course. These wave-cut cliffs, a brittle mélange of ancient claystone and shale, have been eroding on average about a foot a year, exacerbated since the 1980s by a hardened shoreline, intensifying El Niños and, now, sea level rise. With the beach underwater, the seawalls destroyed and so many homes surrendered, the pressure is now on Highway 1 to hold the line between land and sea. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
In commentary today …
Newsom’s Budget Trailers are a planned attack on the Delta
Ashley Overhouse, Defenders of Wildlife and Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta write, “These last couple of years, the Newsom administration has certainly embraced the old (and inaccurate) adage of “water is for fighting and whiskey is for drinking.” Two dangerous and undemocratic proposals were made by the Newsom Administration in the form of “budget trailer bills” that accompanied the May version of the California state budget. The first was a broad-sweeping, extreme proposal to change California law, from eminent domain to water rights, to accommodate the proposed Delta Conveyance Project, also known as the Delta Tunnel. The second was seemingly more innocuous, exempting all Water Quality Control Plans (WQCP) from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). While these changes in law may seem small – their impacts will be massive on the people tied to the Bay-Delta watershed. Though it may not be obvious to the public or even some elected officials, both bills erode democratic norms and endanger civic trust by bypassing public input, judicial and scientific review and legal accountability. These proposals are aimed at furthering greedy water interests at the expense of Delta communities and the wildlife that depend on Delta waters. … ” Continue reading this commentary.
San Joaquin Valley farmers left high and dry
The Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley writes, “Following multiple wet years in California, you’d think the state’s most productive farmland would finally have received its fair share of water. Instead, San Joaquin Valley farmers continued to receive just a fraction of their normal supplies. This baffling and troubling reality threatens the region’s entire economic future. Despite reservoirs brimming and the Sierra Nevada’s three straight years of average or above average snowpack, many San Joaquin Valley farmers reliant on the Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP) have only received roughly half of their contracted water supplies. In some districts, the allocations have been even lower. This is more than a missed opportunity, it’s an abysmal failure of the state’s existing water supply infrastructure and failed environmental water policies. And the consequences are staggering. … ” Continue reading this commentary.
Climate: Mr. President, Pacific Northwest water does NOT flow to L.A.
Forbes senior editor Alan Ohnsman writes, “Traditionally, U.S. Presidents try to be circumspect and accurate when fielding press conference questions, relying on information from experts to avoid misstatements that confuse or misinform the public. Donald Trump is anything but traditional. His knack for puzzling or downright false statements is well known from his first term, but in his second go-round as President, he’s outdoing himself–especially when it comes to the environment and climate. … But his lack of understanding of where Southern California gets its water is remarkably poor. Last week, shortly after wandering around the White House roof, the 79-year-old Commander-in-Chief held forth at a briefing on what he believes is the source of L.A.’s water: the Pacific Northwest. “I’ve been fighting with them for a long time to let the water come down from the Pacific Northwest, essentially,” he said, after an event on planning for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. “They’ve got to allow the full complement of water to come down from the Pacific Northwest.” … ” Continue reading at Forbes.
In regional water news and commentary today …
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Joint state effort shields Lake Tahoe from a record amount of polluted runoff
“A bi-state effort to reduce pollution and restore Lake Tahoe’s water clarity prevented a record amount of fine-grained sediment and other pollutants from reaching the lake’s world-famous cobalt waters in 2024, according to an annual performance report released today. By restoring wetlands and streams, limiting dust from roads and construction sites and improving stormwater systems, partners in the Lake Tahoe Total Maximum Daily Load Program (TMDL Program) reduced fine sediment loads into the lake by 29%, and nitrogen and phosphorus inputs by 23% and 17%, compared to 2004 baseline levels. These pollutants fuel algae growth and are known to reduce Lake Tahoe’s world-famous clarity and water quality. The report by the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, which is part of the California Environmental Protection Agency, and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) found that an estimated 727,000 pounds of fine sediment, more than 5,800 pounds of nitrogen and nearly 2,100 pounds of phosphorus were prevented from reaching the lake in 2024, all annual record highs since the program began tracking these statistics in 2016. The mass equivalent of fine sediment reduced would fill approximately 29 dump trucks. … ” Continue reading at the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
PCWA adopts Martis Valley Groundwater Management Plan
“At its August 7 meeting, the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) Board of Directors adopted the updated Martis Valley Groundwater Management Plan (GMP) to continue the sustainable, long-term stewardship of this vital resource. “The Martis Valley Groundwater Management Plan is another example of how PCWA works collaboratively with its partners to assure quality and sustainability while managing our crucial water resources for Placer County,” said PCWA Director Josh Alpine, whose district includes Martis Valley. The Board’s approval followed a public hearing and an overview of the 80-page technical update to the 2019 Martis Valley Groundwater Management Plan prepared by GEI Consultants and Balanced Hydrologics, Inc. for the Truckee Donner Public Utility District (TDPUD), Northstar Community Services District (NCSD), and PCWA. These three agencies work together to manage groundwater in Martis Valley, which straddles Placer and Nevada counties. … ” Continue reading this press release from the Placer County Water Agency.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
A huge Sacramento project has no water, yet it’s up for a vote. Why?
Opinion writer Tom Philp writes, “Within days, Sacramento County will consider approving a controversial 25,000-person housing development. north of Interstate 80 that currently lacks an amenity that no home or person can do without: A water source. The county officially plans to rely on the city of Sacramento to provide water to this land next to the Garden Highway and near the Sacramento River. But this proposed development is not within city limits, the city is under no obligation to provide the water and the city has publicly warned the county that there is no agreement to provide the water. Also, City Council members on Tuesday will consider a motion to oppose the project. … ” Continue reading at the Sacramento Bee.
NAPA/SONOMA
A watery tale of two cities
“Here’s the summer rumor, cleaned up for daylight: “Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) is draining Lake Pillsbury, so the upper river’s toast.” Catchy, dramatic and not quite right. What’s really happening is more boring and more important — the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) greenlighted a summer operating tweak that keeps Lake Pillsbury low (for dam safety and fish), which throttles the Eel River-to-Russian River diversion to a trickle. That means the upper Russian River has less late-summer help from the tunnel. Not nothing — just less. The fine print: Regulators approved minimum flows this summer of 25 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the Potter Valley tunnel (the diversion from the Eel River to the Russian River), with authority to drop as low as 5 cfs if the Eel River warms up or storage slides. Below Scott Dam on the Eel River, the floor is 20 cfs. … ” Read more from the Sonoma Gazette.
BAY AREA
Pillar Point Harbor dredging project underway
“At Pillar Point Harbor, a dredging project designed to stem erosion at Surfers Beach is finally underway. Sediment from the launch ramp is currently being dredged and will be redistributed in the west end of the harbor, where a critical eelgrass retransplant will occur to preserve the environment for fish and wildlife, Harbor District Operations Director John Moren said. That process for eelgrass replanting must be completed by Aug. 15, contractors said previously. Later this month, Pillar Point Harbor sand will be moved to its final home at Surfers Beach, where erosion is causing concerns for the highway located directly aside the shore. … ” Read more from the San Mateo Daily Journal.
CENTRAL COAST
Pajaro Valley unveils $80M College Lake project to safeguard water supply
“On Friday, the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency held a ribbon-cutting for its new College Lake Water Supply. The $80 million project was funded through grants and donations. It’s designed to help protect the area’s groundwater, farmland, and endangered fish, while also providing more water for local agriculture. College Lake, serving as the new water source, will reduce over-pumping from underground wells, which has caused water levels to drop and allowed seawater in. It will also feature new water treatment plants and pipelines that will carry water to more than 60,000 acres of farmland. … ” Read more from Channel 8.
Commentary: CPUC: Don’t saddle Monterey Peninsula ratepayers with unnecessary, expensive desalination project
Bruce Carlos Delgado, mayor of the City of Marina, writes, “The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has a critical opportunity on Thursday to hit the brakes on the outdated, unnecessary and environmentally destructive California American Water (CalAm) desalination project. As mayor of the City of Marina, I urge the commission to do right by Monterey Peninsula ratepayers and communities and reject this fatally flawed project and the obsolete data being used to justify it. Before locking ratepayers into decades of costly and excessive infrastructure, the CPUC must reconsider whether this project still serves the public interest. A decision Thursday will answer a fundamental question: Does the Monterey Peninsula need an expensive and environmentally harmful desal project, given the region’s dramatic decline in water demand and robust new water supplies? The answer, based on all the available evidence, is a resounding no. … ” Continue reading from Lookout Santa Cruz.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
California’s Central Valley is still sinking. And now it’s affecting home values.
“California’s Central Valley is still sinking. This reality has had scientists worried for more than a century, but a recent study reveals the troubling phenomenon may now be affecting the local housing market. The rapidly lowering ground — as much as 1 inch per year — has caused property values in the region to dip as much as 5.8%, a new study from UC Riverside found. The researchers estimated that losses totaled $1.87 billion across the region from 2015 to 2021, a startling estimate in an area of the state where home values have otherwise been growing at a steady clip. “Our research shows that subsidence is not just an agricultural or environmental issue,” Ariel Dinar, a UC Riverside professor emeritus of environmental economics and policy and one of the study’s authors, said in a July news release. “It is a serious economic issue that affects families and communities.” … ” Read more from SF Gate.
EASTERN SIERRA
Researchers baffled by sudden, disturbing behavior of birds: ‘We’re talking about a near-complete … failure’
“California’s iconic Mono Lake, famous for its unique geological formations and prime location for birdwatching since millions of migratory birds visit it each year, has seen a huge decline in California gulls. Experts attribute the species’ struggle to the changing temperatures and associated weather — specifically, record levels of rain and snowfall that occurred several winters ago. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, tens of thousands of gulls normally arrive at the lake every summer to give birth. But last year, it became clear that the gull population was experiencing issues with reproduction. Just 324 birds hatched in 2024, marking the lowest number ever recorded. In comparison, 11,000 chicks hatched the year prior, according to the research group Point Blue Conservation Science. … ” Read more from The Cool Down.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
DWP crews complete repairs after major outage: Here’s when water will be restored, tested
“Crews have completed repairs to part of L.A.’s water system and plan to restore water service for thousands of residents in Granada Hills and Porter Ranch who have been dealing with a days-long outage, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said Sunday afternoon. DWP officials are continuing to urge residents, however, to hold off on using the water until service is fully restored and testing has confirmed the water is safe to drink and use. After cutting and removing a broken valve underground, workers on Sunday finished welding a new section of pipe into place. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Will LA’s Ballona Wetlands ever be restored?
“On a late May morning, a vast field of invasive yellow mustard grass swayed gently in the cool ocean breeze. To the east, there’s downtown Culver City and, in the distance, the smog-shrouded San Gabriel Mountains. To the west, the channelized Ballona Creek drained into the Santa Monica Bay. The Ballona Wetlands — an ecological reserve on L.A.’s Westside, bordered by Marina del Rey, Playa Vista and Playa del Rey — are the second-largest chunk of open space in L.A., second only to Griffith Park. They’re also a refuge for native birds such as great blue herons and hooded orioles, as well as thousands of birds that migrate every year along the Pacific flyway. These 577 acres are also L.A. County’s largest remaining coastal wetlands. “In the city of Los Angeles, we’ve lost 95% of our coastal wetlands. This is it. This is the last one we have,” said Scott Culbertson, executive director of nonprofit Friends of Ballona Wetlands. “It needs to be restored.” … ” Read more from the LAist.
Should L.A. look to ‘sponge cities’ to solve its flooding problem?
“In 2019, when the Thai government announced plans to turn an abandoned tobacco factory in the nation’s smoggy capital into a public park, Bangkok-based landscape architect Chatchanin Sung saw an opportunity to address another of the city’s chronic problems: flooding. For Bangkok, a city of 11 million sitting on low-lying swampland, the management of its water has increasingly become a matter of survival. With the capital facing more frequent and extreme rainfall as well as rising sea levels due to climate change, experts have warned that entire swaths of the city may be underwater within the next few decades. Like Los Angeles, where intensifying droughts and floods have revealed limitations of conventional flood control systems like the L.A. River, Chatchanin felt that Bangkok’s own stormwater infrastructure had reached its tipping point. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Fires and floods have plagued L.A. forever; brilliant marketing lured millions of newcomers anyway
“The writer Morrow Mayo seldom minced words, especially when his subject was the gaudy, tawdry city where he made his home in the 1920s and 1930s. “Los Angeles, it should be understood, is not a mere city,” he wrote. “On the contrary, it is, and has been since 1888, a commodity; something to be advertised and sold to the people of the United States like automobiles, cigarettes and mouth wash. … Here is a spirit of boost which has become a fetish, an obsession, a mania. Everything else is secondary to it.” Mayo’s acerbic book “Los Angeles” appeared in 1933, when the city was in its second decade as the dominant metropolis of California; in the 1920 census, its population had finally exceeded that of San Francisco, which had been the center of the state’s economic and political life since the Gold Rush and the granting of statehood. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
New sewage collection system breaks ground in Yucca Valley
“The State Water Resources Control Board and the Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board joined the Hi Desert Water District, Sukut Construction, elected officials and residents of Yucca Valley in San Bernardino County yesterday to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new sewage collection system—the second phase of a 10-year wastewater infrastructure construction project—that will connect over 2,000 households, or about 5400 people, to sewer services. When the collection system is finished later this year, it will transport approximately 210,000 gallons per day of Yucca Valley’s wastewater through 32 miles of new pipe to the water district’s Wastewater Treatment and Water Reclamation Facility. The facility was constructed in 2020 and is the first centralized plant in the area to treat the Valley’s wastewater. Since 2016, the facility, the new collection system, and other elements of the project have received $248 million in financial assistance from the State Water Board. … ” Continue reading from the State Water Board.
Along the Colorado River …
Water negotiations still at impasse as levels decline at Lake Mead
“The Colorado River system, a lifeline for 40 million people across seven states, is in decline — as negotiations for water-sharing agreements approach a critical deadline. The current guidelines governing use of the river expire in October of 2026, so decision-making should be ramping up for how Nevada and six other western states will share the essential water resource in the future. In June, a top Interior Department official reportedly proposed a November 11th deadline for the states to release a draft agreement — or face a federal takeover of the decision-making process. To better understand how the pending agreements impact our region, Channel 13 teamed up with our Scripps News Group member station in Phoenix, Arizona, to hear from the people who depend on this river and those sounding the alarm about its future. … ” Read more from Channel 13.
Top Interior officials reassure tribes Trump administration supports their water rights
“This week, the nonprofit Native American Rights Fund hosted its biennial tribal water symposium in partnership with the Western States Water Council. It’s been a tradition since 1991, but this year’s daylong gathering was virtual. The online forum brought together tribal, state and federal stakeholders to focus on Indian water settlements – past and present – and the negotiations needed for them to be ratified by lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Top-ranking Interior Department officials took time to reassure tribes that the Trump administration is behind them – despite recent staffing cuts and Congress clawing back federal dollars. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
Arizona’s declining share of Colorado River likely to hold steady for a year
“Arizona water officials expect the state’s mandated reductions in use of Colorado River water to hold steady next year but potentially worsen after that unless a wet winter in the Rocky Mountains refills some of the Southwest’s lost reservoir storage. Federal guidelines for doling out water based on Lake Mead’s diminished current storage this year placed the river in what is known as a Tier 1 shortage, meaning Arizona is giving up about 30% of the Central Arizona Project’s normal supply, which equals 18% of the state’s share of the Colorado. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is expected to release its projection on Aug. 15 for Lake Mead’s 2026 water levels, and unless anything changes, the current tier should persist through next year, according to Doug MacEachern, an Arizona Department of Water Resources spokesperson. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
Video: Arizona could save water if fewer people moved here, right? Well, not exactly …
Arizona Republic columnist Joanna Allhands explains how, despite its growth, the state actually uses less water than it did in the 1950s. Watch video at Arizona Central.
Utah has water problems now. What if the megadrought lasts another 25 years?
“The megadrought that’s lasted 25 years so far could continue parching Utah and the Southwest until 2050. Or maybe even the end of the century. New research from the University of Texas indicates global warming may disrupt a key atmospheric pattern that brings winter precipitation to the West — and could do so for decades to come. “Instead of saying that we’ve just been really unlucky the past few decades,” said researcher Victoria Todd, “what we’re hypothesizing is that this could actually be a shift in the climate state. That this could be basically the new normal.” Utah is already strapped for water. Drought conditions cover all of Utah — the only Western state where that’s the case — which increases water demand. Statewide reservoir levels dropped 10% in June, according to the Utah Division of Water Resources. The average decline during that month is just 2%. That prompted a plea from the governor to save water. … ” Read more from KSL.
Colorado senators pen letter to feds asking for zebra mussel assistance
“Government officials in Colorado have penned a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins asking for help addressing invasive zebra mussels. Zebra mussels have been found in the Colorado River and area lakes, including Highline Lake. The letter is signed by Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, as well as Rep. Joe Neguse. “Zebra mussels are an invasive species which can cause considerable and costly damage to water ecosystems and infrastructure, rapidly attaching themselves to infrastructure, blocking or interfering with water storage, treatment, and distribution systems. They can negatively impact local communities and economies by disrupting recreational activities, impacting ecosystems, and damaging water pipes, docks, boats, and more,” a press release announcing the letter stated. … ” Read more from the Daily Sentinel.
In national water news today …
House reintroduces LIHWAP water assistance bill
“In July, the House of Representatives introduced the bipartisan Low-Income Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) Establishment Act. The legislation would re-establish and make permanent, the first-ever federal water assistance program after funding for the program expired in 2022. The bill was introduced by Reps. Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.), Kim Schrier (D-Wash.), Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), and Sharice Davids (D-Kan.). Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) will sponsor the Senate version of the bill. Congress created LIHWAP in 2020 as part of COVID-19 relief legislation to help low-income households reduce arrearages and keep up with future water bills. Lawmakers eventually provided the program with more than $1.1 billion in funding. LIHWAP has supported an estimated 1.5 million households, preventing nearly 1 million disconnections of water service and reducing more than 1.1 million water bills before it was shuttered. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management.
Reluctance to use the EPA’s total maximum daily load rule in water quality explored
“Total maximum daily load, or TMDL, is defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant allowed to enter a waterbody. By establishing TMDLs, states and localities can improve water quality by setting pollution limits. Originally stemming from the 1972 Clean Water Act, TMDL development and implementation has grown more complex over the past five decades. Because TMDLs have a narrow focus between pollutant loads and modeling, this, along with limited involvement by various parties, has hampered implementation. A disconnect has developed between critical parties in the water quality field and their understanding of the challenges associated with TMDL development. To get a better sense of the perceived problems, the ASCE Environmental & Water Resources Institute’s TMDL Analysis and Modeling Task Committee surveyed administrators, policymakers, environmental managers, and researchers or modelers. … ” Read more from The Source.
What is Trump doing with PFAS?
“Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are the contaminant of concern across the water industry. The Biden Administration was active in its approach to PFAS regulation, announcing drinking water maximum contaminant levels, new Superfund regulation, new listings of PFAS as hazardous constituents, and more. Now that we are more than six months into President Trump’s second term, his administration’s approach and the reactions thereto are crystalizing. Determining the proper approach for regulating is significant and timely, as new data shows the ubiquity of PFAS, with at least 73 million Americans drinking water containing PFAS. … ” Continue reading from Nossaman.
SEE ALSO: Meet the Activist Fighting PFAS Pollution — and Winning, from The Revelator
Data centers use massive energy and water. Here’s how to build them better
“In late July, the Trump administration released its long-awaited AI Action Plan, which includes steps to cut environmental requirements and streamline permitting policies to make it easier to build data centers and power infrastructure. But even with massive deregulation, the fact remains: we have no idea where we’ll find all the energy, water, and grid capacity to meet the enormous speed and scale of the emerging AI revolution. Recently, experts from the International Energy Agency estimated that electricity use from data centers could more than double in the next five years. By 2030, these facilities could use nearly 9% of all electricity in the United States. Without major investments, this growth will strain our power grid and lead to higher energy bills for everyone. … ” Read more from Fast Company.
Tech company makes key breakthrough with tiny organisms that eat plastic: ‘Action is needed at some point’
“Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence, a Spain-based biotech company, aims to tackle plastic pollution head-on. Darwin’s researchers have developed a technology that utilizes microorganisms to biodegrade microplastics, per NutraIngredients. The research recently received a significant funding boost from Repsol, a Spanish energy company, making commercialization a real possibility. After thoroughly testing the tech in labs, the next step is to study it under real-world conditions. Ideally, the microorganisms would degrade plastics found in both water and soil by using them as a carbon source. Plastic pollution has made microplastics inescapable. They’ve been studied most thoroughly in oceans and marine life, but recent research has discovered them in the human body, with far-reaching health consequences. … ” Read more from The Cool Down.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
