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Water news you need to know

A collection of top water news from around California and the West compiled each weekday. Send any comments or article submissions to Foundation News & Publications Director Vik Jolly

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  • The headlines below are the original headlines used in the publication cited at the time they are posted here and do not reflect the stance of the Water Education Foundation, an impartial nonprofit that remains neutral.
Aquafornia news Voice of San Diego

San Diegans owe a desal company $35 million for unmade water

San Diegans owe a privately-owned desalination plant over $35 million for water the company couldn’t make. … San Diego County Water Authority staff revealed Thursday that the region’s biggest water seller has 10,105 acre-feet of water it needs to buy from Channelside, the owner of the Carlsbad plant that de-salts ocean water to make it drinkable. … The cost of that unmade water is expected to increase by about 2.5 percent per the contract. … At $3,500 per acre-foot, de-salted ocean water is the region’s most expensive water source, a fact that attracts critics of San Diego’s spiking water prices. 

Other desalination news:

Aquafornia news NBC News

U.S. rivers are experiencing unprecedented and unexpectedly intense warming

U.S. rivers are running hot. A new analysis of nearly 1,500 river locations over more than 40 years found that the frequency, intensity and duration of heat waves is increasing in streams across the country, posing a threat to many species that are adapted to cooler temperatures. The new analysis, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first in-depth study of riverine heat waves, which are defined as five straight days of high temperatures in comparison to seasonal averages. The authors found that human-caused climate change is the primary driver of the trend, as snowpack dwindles and streams flow more slowly.

Other river science news:

Aquafornia news Public Policy Institute of California

Blog: Water markets help farmers facing scarcity in Australia

Water markets are a tool that can help growers cope with increasing water scarcity. While California has been slow to adopt water markets, Australia’s water markets are much more developed. We spoke with two experts—Flinders University Professor Sarah Wheeler and grower Sandy Iosefellis—about what lessons the Murray-Darling Basin might hold for California’s growers.

Aquafornia news CBS8 (San Diego, Calif.)

California faces the potential for another dry winter due to La Niña

California may experience another dry winter similar to last year, due to persistent La Niña and neutral Pacific Ocean conditions. This is the message from Meteorologist Alex Tardy from Weather Echo. … While the forecast appears concerning for California’s water supply, Tardy emphasized that the state will not be completely devoid of precipitation. “You’ll still have potential for a couple of big storms and moderate storms, but you don’t have the potential for a lot of them,” he said.

Aquafornia news The Christian Science Monitor

As cities seek ways to prevent floods, a California town has a success story to share

The city of Roseville, 19 miles northeast of Sacramento, regularly sits at the top of California’s “best places to live” lists. … But there is another reason this railroad town now with some 160,000 residents gets such high accolades. After two decades of careful municipal planning, it has no problem with flooding. … Its approach is not flashy. Talk to Brian Walker, Roseville’s senior engineer and flood plain manager, and you’ll hear a lot about flood plain mapping and storm drainage, funding mechanisms and development ordinances. But this measured and deliberate approach has worked, he and others say.

Other flood news:

Aquafornia news Lake County News (Lakeport, Calif.)

Lake County officials challenge PG&E’s claims about Potter Valley Project’s seismic safety

There was another development on Monday in the county of Lake’s ongoing effort to push back against Pacific Gas and Electric’s effort to remove the dams in the Potter Valley Project, including the Scott Dam that forms Lake Pillsbury, a plan the Board of Supervisors chair called “reckless.” County officials issued a Monday statement that challenged PG&E’s recent assertions that a reason for decommissioning and removing the project was due to seismic issues. … Lake County officials pointed out that, despite those reported drawbacks to the project, PG&E has still noted water storage and diversion benefits of the Potter Valley Project within its own company reports.

Aquafornia news Times-Standard (Eureka, Calif.)

CDFW to acquire rare peat fen wetlands near Bridgeville

More than half a million dollars has been targeted for the protection of a rare peat fen wetland in Humboldt County. … The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will be acquiring the property, and it will be included in North Coast Range Fen Conservation Area … which was established in 2019 “for the purpose of protecting biodiversity, including important sources of clean cold water for the Van Duzen River ecosystem and a rare wetland type in California that supports critically imperiled wetland plant communities,” Wildlife Conservation Board Information Officer Mark Topping said. 

Other wetland and watershed protection news:

Aquafornia news The Palm Springs Post (Calif.)

New DWA water rules create compliance challenges for HOAs despite conservation goals

Desert Water Agency (DWA) has adopted a new ordinance banning potable water irrigation on non-functional turf to meet state conservation mandates, but property management companies warn the rules could create financial hardships for HOAs unprepared for costly landscape conversions. Ordinance number 80, adopted in early August in response to California Assembly Bill 1572, specifically targets grass areas that are not regularly used for recreational or community events. … However, property managers question whether the distinction between functional and non-functional turf is clear enough for practical implementation. 

Aquafornia news KCRA (Sacramento, Calif.)

Turlock solar canal project aims to save water, generate energy

The Turlock Irrigation District has completed a $20 million solar canopy over canals, marking a milestone in generating clean energy and promising water savings in the Central Valley city. … ”It limits the light available for photosynthesis. So it could reduce the amount of aquatic weed growth, which is a major canal maintenance issue. It also saves land,” explained Brandi McKuin, a project scientist at UC Merced. … The team is working to quantify whether the benefits will outweigh the costs, considering water savings, reduced aquatic weed growth and land savings.

Aquafornia news ABC10 (San Diego)

California could soon ban PFAS in consumer products

[S]tate lawmakers have passed a bill to ban products made with PFAS, widely known as “forever chemicals”. The bill now heading to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. … ”We are now finding it just about everywhere,” says UCSD Public Health Professor Jose Suarez. “We’re finding it in water sources. We’re finding it in food chains and even in humans.” If Governor Newsom signs the bill, California would begin phasing out PFAS in consumer products. By 2028, food packaging and plastic foodware would be banned. By 2030, cookware with PFAS, like some nonstick pans, would also be off store shelves.

Aquafornia news Imperial Valley Press (Brawley, Calif.)

Brawley council to accept $1 million federal grant for water, sewer expansion

The Brawley City Council has been scheduled on Tuesday to accept more than $1 million in federal funding from the Southwest Border Regional Commission (SBRC) to expand water and sewer infrastructure, a project designed to support new housing and economic development in the city’s northwestern sector. … The SBRC, a federal-state partnership covering 103 counties in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, funds projects aimed at addressing economic distress through infrastructure improvements and regional partnerships.

Aquafornia news ABC7 (Denver, Colo.)

Colorado’s first biogas pipeline injection system pays off ahead of schedule

South Platte Renew, which serves 300,000 customers in both Littleton and Englewood, has transformed wastewater treatment into a success story in renewable energy. … The team at South Platte Renew considered how to capture the methane gas and reuse it, eventually proposing a biogas pipeline injection system in 2019. It was approved, and the $7.8 million price tag was paid for through sewer funds from Englewood and Littleton. It was the first of its kind system in the state of Colorado. … South Platte Renew has now helped other water treatment facilities in the state get their systems up and running.

Aquafornia news Aspen Journalism (Colo.)

Monday Top of the Scroll: Front Range and Western Slope debate who should control Shoshone water rights

Over two days of hearings, Colorado water managers laid out their arguments related to one of the most powerful water rights on the Colorado River and who should have the authority to control it. The Colorado River Water Conservation District plans to buy the water rights associated with the Shoshone hydropower plant in Glenwood Canyon from Xcel Energy and use the water for environmental purposes. To do so, it must secure the support of the Colorado Water Conservation Board. The CWCB is the only entity allowed to own instream-flow water rights. …  The board is now scheduled to decide at its regular meeting in November.

Other Colorado River news:

Aquafornia news Arizona Republic (Phoenix)

Arizona’s pecan boom is drying wells in San Simon. Growers ask state to reconsider limits

… The ground is sinking because of excessive groundwater pumping in the San Simon Valley, an area with a long agricultural history and a recent boom in nut production. In a matter of two decades, thousands of acres of pecans and pistachios were planted by Arizona farmers and outside investors attracted to a place with excellent growing conditions and an essential, but unregulated resource: groundwater. 

Other pecan farming news:

Aquafornia news State Water Resources Control Board

News release: State Water Board releases draft scientific report on proposed Tuolumne River Voluntary Agreement

[Friday,] the State Water Resources Control Board released a Draft Scientific Basis Report Supplement that analyzes the science underpinning a proposed voluntary agreement for the Tuolumne River, a tributary of the Lower San Joaquin River. The board will hold a public workshop on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, to receive oral comments on the draft report, and written comments are due by Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. A quorum of board members may be present at the workshop, but no action will be taken.

Related articles:

Aquafornia news Arizona Republic (Phoenix)

As Colorado River talks stall, ‘perfect’ candidate to lead water agency is forced out

When Ted Cooke, the former general manager of the Central Arizona Project, was nominated as the next commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in June, Arizona Rep. Greg Stanton tweeted that his “decades of expertise” in water policy would be valuable in the tough discussions to form new management guidelines for the Colorado River. On Sept. 16, amid apparent complaints from states on the upper Colorado, the Trump administration abruptly withdrew Cooke’s nomination. … Cooke told The Arizona Republic that the White House told him the decision was due to “paperwork problems” with his vetting documents. Cooke called that bogus.

Aquafornia news Fox Weather

Rare September rain returns to Southern California following deadly flash flooding

An area of low pressure is setting up just off the coast of Southern California and will bring another round of unseasonable rain and potential flooding to the region, as well as parts of Arizona and the lower Colorado River Basin. This comes just a few days after the remnants of Tropical Storm Mario brought a surge of moisture into Southern California and parts of the Southwest, resulting in deadly flash flooding. … While more rain is expected across the region beginning Monday, the highest potential for flash flooding in parts of Southern California will occur Tuesday and Wednesday.

Other weather and flooding news:

Aquafornia news Action News Now (Chico, Calif.)

California Water Commission boosts Sites Reservoir Project with $10.9M

The California Water Commission awarded $10.9 million to the Sites Reservoir Project this week. This early funding from the Water Storage Investment Program aims to assist with permitting and environmental documents. … The Water Storage Investment Program, backed by Proposition 1, supports five major water storage projects across California, including Sites Reservoir. Recently, inflationary adjustments made the project eligible for more early funding.

Other dam and reservoir news:

Aquafornia news The Camarillo Acorn (Agoura Hills, Calif.)

A ‘water crisis’ of others’ making

A high-stakes legal battle over ground­water rights is threatening the City of Camarillo’s water supply, with officials warning the dispute could lead to higher costs for residents and force a nearly $70 million desalter to be sidelined. In a letter to state Sen. Monique Limón, Mayor Kevin Kildee says the city is in a water crisis that stems from a law­suit filed by a group of large landowners calling themselves the OPV Coalition against Camarillo and other groundwater users in the Oxnard and Pleasant Valley basins. The lawsuit is a process under the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Man­agement Act. … But city offi­cials assert the lawsuit is being used to manipulate the system for private gain. 

Other groundwater news:

Aquafornia news The New York Times

What Wall Street sees in the data center boom

… U.S. data center demand, driven largely by A.I., could triple by 2030, according to McKinsey, which would require data centers to make nearly $7 trillion in investment to keep up. … [A]ccording to the International Energy Agency, a 100-megawatt data center, which uses water to cool servers, consumes roughly two million liters of water per day, equivalent to 6,500 households. This puts strain on water supply for nearby residential communities, a majority of which, according to Bloomberg News, are already facing high levels of water stress.

Other data center water use news: