All 1,200 scientists and staff at the U.S. Geological Survey’s
biological research arm are on edge this week as they wait to
learn whether they’ll still have jobs come Monday. For weeks,
the biologists who work in the division, known as the
Ecosystems Mission Area, have watched two parallel threats
unfold. Most immediate is the expected firing of most division
staff as soon as next week. … The second threat is even more
serious: If the White House has its way, its proposed 2026
budget would eliminate the Ecosystems Mission Area, or EMA,
altogether. … The elimination of EMA would have profound
consequences. … It would erase bipartisan and widely
respected programs that, for example, monitor waterfowl
populations for game agencies, track contamination in
drinking water, convene time- and cost-saving
collaborations between agencies, universities and nonprofits,
and foster the next generation of fish and wildlife
professionals. … EMA scientists also monitor toxic
chemicals in water, and are one of the only groups looking in
private wells.
Some residents in the San Fernando Valley have reported an
“earthy odor” coming from their drinking water, but officials
say the cause of the smell is not harmful. In a statement
issued Monday, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
said they had received “inquiries and reports” from some
customers regarding the smell and that they began testing which
revealed the “musty” odor is attributable to Geosmin.
Geosmin is a natural compound created from algae, LADWP
explained. … In Monday’s statement, LADWP said it began
increasing its water quality monitoring, sampling and testing
through the Los Angeles Aqueduct System earlier this month.
Elevated Geosmin levels were detected on May 13, and “immediate
adjustments” to treatment and operations were made to control
the situation, LADWP said.
Wastewater and drinking water systems in small and rural
communities across America will receive an extra funding boost
to improve water quality, per an announcement from the
Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday. The EPA will
distribute $30.7 million in technical assistance grants to help
small, underfunded public water systems comply with the Safe
Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act. The funds can also be
used to help private well owners in rural areas improve their
water quality and update small public wastewater septic
systems. “Small and rural communities are the backbone of our
country, and they face unique challenges when it comes to
ensuring clean and safe water,” EPA Senior Advisor Jessica
Kramer said.
The Trump administration has announced it would attempt to kill
some of the strong new Pfas “forever chemical” drinking water
limits set in April 2024. While the moves would deliver a clear
win for the US chemical and water utility industries, it is
less clear whether the action will be successful, what it means
longterm for the safety of the US’s drinking water, and its
impact on progress in addressing forever chemical pollution.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is attempting
maneuvers that violate the law, observers say, and even if they
survive a legal challenge, progress under the Biden
administration cannot be fully undone. … Still, the
announcement raises a fresh round of questions about the water
utility industry, which has led the attack on the new
rules.
The Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday that it
plans to weaken limits on some so-called forever chemicals in
drinking water that were finalized last year, while maintaining
standards for two common ones. The Biden administration set the
first federal drinking water limits for PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl
and polyfluoroalkyl substances, finding that they increased the
risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and babies
being born with low birth weight. Those limits on PFAS, which
are man-made and don’t easily break down in nature, were
expected to be reduced in drinking water for millions of
people. Limits on three types of PFAS, including so-called GenX
substances found in North Carolina, will be scrapped and
reconsidered by the agency, as will a limit on a mixture of
several types of PFAS.
The Vacaville City Council decided not to raise water rates for
the time being, as councilmembers railed against a state
mandate to lower levels of toxic hexavalent chromium (Chromium
6) in the city’s water supply. On a 6-0 vote Tuesday night, the
council directed staff to pursue alternatives and bring the
decision back to the council at a later date. … The council
accepted 1,110 written protests from the community, but more
than 16,000 would have been needed to override the council’s
ability to vote in accordance with state law. … The vote
went against city staff’s recommendation to increase rates, as
the city cannot continue to pay for its water system at the
current rates. Even without state mandates to reduce the level
of Chromium 6 in the water supply, the city would need to
increase rates, according to Utilities Director Justen Cole and
Chris Fischer of Wildan Financial Services, an outside firm
hired to help the city conduct an assessment of its rates.
… For decades, people incarcerated at Mule Creek have raised
the alarm about the prison’s drinking water. Reporting from
inside Mule Creek State Prison, with interviews and surveys
from nearly 100 people—including currently incarcerated,
formerly incarcerated, loved ones of the incarcerated, and
former prison staff—and a review of thousands of pages of
records, reveals troubling concerns and observations of the
prison’s water quality for the last 20 years. … Despite
this litany of warning signs, including repeated complaints and
lawsuits, the prison has deferred responsibility. California
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials say the
local water company is responsible for ensuring the water is
safe; the water company says state regulators are responsible;
regulators say it’s the prison’s responsibility. All the while,
incarcerated people at Mule Creek have no choice but to drink
it.
Dozens of families in the San Antonio Mobile Home Park in
Thermal are celebrating a life-changing milestone that many
people take for granted: safe, clean running water in their
homes. After nearly three decades of living without reliable
access to clean water, residents can now turn on their taps
without fear. For years, they relied on bottled water,
makeshift plumbing, and daily workarounds because of dangerous
arsenic levels in the groundwater and years of alleged neglect
by former park owners. The long-overdue project was made
possible through grassroots activism and collaboration between
the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition, Pueblo Unido, and the
Coachella Valley Water District. Recently, five new water
meters and essential infrastructure upgrades were installed in
the park as part of a nearly $30 million effort that took
almost 20 years to complete.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that it
plans to rescind and reconsider limits on four different
“forever chemicals” under a landmark drinking water standard
implemented last year by President Joe Biden. The drinking
water rules were adopted as part of the Biden administration’s
efforts to limit public exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl
substances (PFAS), hazardous chemicals linked to a range of
serious illnesses. The original rule covered six common PFAS
contaminants, including PFOA, a known human carcinogen, and
PFOS, a likely carcinogen. The EPA estimates that more
than 158 million Americans are exposed to PFAS through their
drinking water. The agency plans to maintain current rules for
PFOA and PFOS, though it will extend the deadline for
compliance from 2029 to 2031.
Scientists have released some of the first independent test
results confirming that drinking water in fire-affected areas
around Altadena and the Pacific Palisades is largely free of
harmful contaminants, as an Altadena utility lifted the last
“do not drink” notice left in the burn zones. Researchers with
the LA Fire HEALTH Study released results on Friday from 53
homes spread across the burn areas and the more than three
miles surrounding them. They found only one with a toxic
substance at dangerous levels: at one home, the water contained
benzene, a known carcinogen, at concentrations slightly above
the state’s allowable level of 1 part per billion. The
findings add to mounting evidence that the affected area’s
drinking water is safe.
A Fresno County community is celebrating breaking ground on a
long-awaited project to connect residents to Sanger’s water
system. It would give residents in the rural area of Tombstone
access to safe, reliable drinking water. … It’s all made
possible by California’s Safe and Affordable Drinking Water
Fund, which is a bill signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019.
… The fund provides $130 million year after year through
the year 2030 in an effort to highlight drinking water needs,
more so in areas where access to and clean water are not
available. The State Water Boards reported that since
Governor Newsom has served in his role, the number of
Californians who don’t have access to clean drinking water has
been cut by more than half.
With dwindling water supplies, cities throughout Arizona are
exploring multiple ways to meet residents’ water needs. In
March, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality gave
municipalities a new tool: Wastewater treated by advanced
purification can now flow directly from local water systems
into residents’ taps. For years, cities have used advanced
purified water as an indirect potable source, recharging it
into aquifers or other water supplies, and later extracting it
for purification and human consumption. The new regulations
enable cities to use advanced purified water immediately for
direct consumption. Advanced purified water is wastewater that
has undergone a multi-step process to remove impurities and
meet state drinking water standards. The treatment uses
ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet light
disinfection and advanced oxidation.
A week following a boil water notice in the Five Cities area,
San Luis Obispo County is still investigating the cause of the
contamination. While that order has been lifted for the
communities of Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, Oceano, Pismo Beach
and Avila Beach, some residents are still taking precautions.
… Nola Engelskirger from San Luis Obispo County Public
Works says she understands people’s concerns, but now that the
notice is lifted, there is nothing to worry about. “People
should know their water is safe. It is meeting all drinking
water standards. The boil water notice was lifted, and right
now we are doing everything we can to take precautions to not
have that happen again,” she said.
Tap water is now safe to drink in areas served by all nine
water systems where damage from the firestorms in Altadena and
Pacific Palisades had prompted “do not drink” notices, state
regulators said Friday. The last water utility with such a
notice, the Las Flores Water Co. in Altadena, was cleared to
resume delivering drinking water and lifted its “do not drink”
and “do not boil” advisory on Friday, four months after the
notice was issued. Las Flores has recommended to
customers that when they resume using water, they take
various steps to flush the household system, including running
all the faucets for at least five minutes before
using. Officials from the State Water Resources Control
Board said they have been working with utilities to
help assess damage, test for potential contamination and ensure
it’s safe to resume water service.
A large swath of southern San Luis Obispo County was ordered to
boil its drinking water last week after bacteria was discovered
in Lopez Lake’s water distribution pipeline. Residents of
Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, Pismo Beach, Oceano, Avila Beach
and other unincorporated areas of the South County had to to
boil drinking water for up to four days depending on where they
lived. … The county discovered the bacteria at five
routine testing sites in the Lopez water distribution system on
April 29. After a second round of tests, the county issued a
boil water notice on April 30 — which lifted for some residents
on May 2 and others on May 3. … On Thursday, the county
shared additional details of what led to the unprecedented boil
water notice for Five Cities residents. Here’s what happened.
With Utah’s first-in-the-nation ban on fluoride in public
drinking water set to take effect Wednesday, dentists who treat
children and low-income patients say they’re bracing for an
increase in tooth decay among the state’s most vulnerable
people. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed the law against the
recommendation of many dentists and national health experts who
warn removing fluoride will harm tooth development, especially
in young patients without regular access to dental care.
Florida is poised to become the second state to ban fluoride
under a bill that Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced
Tuesday he would sign soon. The Ohio and South Carolina
legislatures are considering similar measures.
The San Luis Obispo County Department of Public Works is
temporarily changing how it disinfects water in the South
County after residents were put under a boil water notice late
last week. Around 50,000 residents in the Five Cities area were
told on April 30 to boil their water before use after a sample
from the Lopez Lake water system tested positive for E. coli,
the county said. It was the first time such a sample had
prompted a boil water notice for the distribution system, which
feeds much of the South County region. … Now, Public
Works is expected to temporarily change the disinfectant used
in the Lopez Project distribution system from chloramine
disinfection — which uses a blend of chlorine and ammonia — to
free chlorine, according to a news release.
Some residents in San Diego neighborhoods including Pacific
Beach and La Jolla told CBS 8 that they have recently picked up
on a strong chlorine flavor and questioned what was happening.
… Working for you, CBS 8 reached out to the City of San
Diego to find out what’s causing the smell and taste. According
to the city, chlorine is a standard and essential part of
treating drinking water. It’s used as a disinfectant and is
regularly added to water stored in local reservoirs, which are
monitored weekly. … After a recent inspection, the city
added more chlorine to the Bay View reservoir to ensure water
quality. Some residents served by the reservoir, including in
Pacific Beach, La Jolla and Soledad, may have temporarily
noticed a stronger taste or smell.
… With the rapid rollbacks taking place across the federal
government showing no signs of decelerating, many environmental
groups have expressed concern that regulations safeguarding
against PFAS contamination could soon be weakened or
overturned. As a result of the unclear future of federal
regulation, as well as the prevalence of PFAS in drinking
water, many states have taken it upon themselves to strengthen
their PFAS laws to protect their waterways. … One such
example was seen in California, where state
legislators introduced Assembly Bill 794 aiming to strengthen
the State Water Board’s authority by empowering the Water Board
to directly combat challenges to the existing federal
regulation by ordering it to “establish emergency regulations
that are at least as protective as current federal standards”
(as of January 19, 2025).
In a May 2, 2025, letter to Appropriations Committee Chair
Susan Collins, President Donald Trump’s FY2026 budget proposal
amounts to $4.2 billion in total funding reduction in 2026
compared to 2025 for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA). Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Loan programs
would see the greatest reduction with an overall budget of $305
million. That amounts to $2.46 billion less than the 2025
budget. The President’s letter claims this change will place
the onus on states to fund their own infrastructure while
sharing additional reasoning as to why the reduction is on the
table.
Other water, environment and
agriculture funding news:
Turn on the tap, and you have reasonably clean water to use
instantly. That is because electricity pumps water to your
faucets. Electricity is generated by heating water into steam
to run turbines unless you use wind or photovoltaic (PV) energy
sources for electrical production. Often, these essential
connections are not mentioned in public information. Especially
in drought-prone places, the simple fact is that you need water
for energy, and it takes energy to move, chill, or heat water.
Southern California is in a drought, and parts of the western
deserts are in severe drought conditions. We may realize that
hydroelectric power production from dammed rivers is diminished
in periods of extended drought. Living well in a water deficit
region requires enormous use of electrical energy to move water
from mountainous northern California to our desert and semiarid
regions.
Thousands of San Luis Obispo County residents were recently
warned to boil or purify their drinking water after tests
detected a strain of coliform bacteria in the water supply. The
bacteria, which was found in the water distribution system of
Zone 3 of the San Miguelito Water Co., is an early indication
of a potential E. coli contamination. … This is the
first time coliform bacteria contamination at the Lopez
distribution system has triggered a boil water notice, the
county Public Works Department said in a Thursday news release.
Here’s what to know about the potentially dangerous water
contaminant.
Tiny pieces of plastic are an increasingly big problem. Known
as microplastics, they originate from clothing, kitchen
utensils, personal care products, and countless other everyday
objects. Their durability makes them persistent in the
environment – including in human bodies. … According to
a new literature review, a significant portion of our
microplastic exposure may come from drinking water, as
wastewater treatment plants are still not effectively removing
microplastics. … ”What our systematic literature review
found is that while most wastewater treatment facilities
significantly reduce microplastics loads, complete removal
remains unattainable with current
technologies,” says senior author Un-Jung Kim,
environmental engineer at the University of Texas at Arlington
(UTA).
… EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has championed fossil fuels
and the rollback of major clean air and water rules. His
history with PFAS is more nuanced; during his time as a New
York congressman, he supported legislation to regulate forever
chemicals in drinking water. … Zeldin has offered clues
about what the EPA could do. The agency estimated the rule
would cost about $1.5 billion annually and Zeldin said recently
that communities struggling to afford a fix for PFAS that are
just above the standard might be handled differently than
wealthy places with lots of it. … On Monday, the EPA
said it will establish an agency lead for PFAS, develop
wastewater limits for PFAS manufacturers and investigate
sources that pose an immediate danger to drinking water, among
other actions.
Despite advances in wastewater treatment, tiny plastic
particles called microplastics are still slipping through,
posing potential health and environmental hazards, according to
new research from The University of Texas at Arlington. …
(W)hen a plastic item reaches the end of its useful life, it
never truly disappears. Instead, it breaks down into smaller
and smaller pieces called microplastics—particles five
millimeters or less, about the width of a pencil eraser—that
end up in our soil and water. “What our systematic literature
review found is that while most wastewater treatment facilities
significantly reduce microplastics loads, complete removal
remains unattainable with current technologies,” said Un-Jung
Kim, assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences at
UT Arlington and senior author of the study published in
Science of the Total Environment.
… While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has changed
directions on several environmental subjects since President
Donald Trump took office, PFAS regulations are not yet among
those. Indeed, the Biden Administration EPA’s PFAS Strategic
Roadmap still is posted on the EPA’s website – at least for now
– and the EPA has not reported in two cases the positions it
will take on judicial challenges to final Biden-era PFAS
regulations. Thus, although those regulations are under
challenge, they are in effect, they have not been stayed, and
they are having impacts in the regulated community. The
EPA’s April 2024 PFAS maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) under
the Safe Drinking Water Act will affect drinking water systems,
of course. More broadly, they also will affect groundwater
cleanups as the low MCL values become integrated into screening
levels, risk analyses, and remediation levels.
Outside of major cities like Fresno and Clovis, drinking-water
quality for San Joaquin Valley residents can be dicey. The
Valley is full of examples of rural water systems failing to
either produce enough supply or deliver fresh water that is not
tainted by contaminants, be they manufactured, like farming
chemicals, or naturally occurring elements in local soils like
arsenic. … Now, Rep. David Valadao, a Republican from
Hanford, is teaming up with Rep. Norma Torres, a Democratic
legislator from Southern California, on a new bill that would
amend the federal Safe Drinking Water Act by adding a special
focus on nitrate and arsenic pollution in groundwater. The
amendment would authorize the federal government to allocate
$15 million a year in grants to clean up failing water systems
in rural communities.
We have previously written on the evolving risks associated
with PFAS—also known as “forever chemicals”—and their
implications for policyholders navigating environmental
liabilities involving both PFAS and PFAS-related chemicals
(i.e., fluorinated chemicals that do not fit the definition of
PFAS). Our prior analyses explored coverage strategies and
regulatory enforcement trends. With regulatory activity and
litigation continuing to accelerate, we are circling back to
provide an updated look at the regulatory and legal landscape
surrounding PFAS, including recent federal developments,
insurer responses and practical guidance for policyholders
navigating this complex and high-stakes area. … Since our
last insurance roundup in October 2023, there have been
significant developments in PFAS regulation, litigation and
insurance coverage about which policyholders should be aware.
This blog post provides an inexhaustive overview of some of the
more significant developments.
… At the beginning of the 20th century, Frederick McKay, a
young dentist in Colorado Springs, noticed that his patients’
teeth showed unsightly browning — now known as fluorosis, a
consequence of exposure to too much fluoride. At the same time,
those patients’ teeth were far more resistant to dental decay
than those of people in nearby towns, whose teeth looked
better. … As for natural contamination of the kind that
Colorado Springs experienced, it’s estimated that more than
100,000 people in the United States get their water from wells
with naturally excessive fluoride levels. You’d think that the
folks calling to end fluoridation would also be unveiling a
comprehensive plan to help people make sure their private water
sources are safe. Yet Kennedy has not done so. Why not? A
better question might be why now? Why the sudden urge to talk
about fluoride? I think the answer may lie somewhere quite far
afield. In Texas, actually. -Written by Zeynep Tufekci, a professor of sociology and
public affairs at Princeton University and a New York Times
Opinion columnist.
New research has identified hotspots in the US with concerning
levels of water quality and poor access to clean drinking
water, revealing that Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and
Washington had the most water quality violations across the
board. The paper, published Tuesday in the journal Risk
Analysis, also developed county-level scores across most of the
country for unequal access to safe and clean drinking water,
finding that eight of the 10 counties with the worst “water
injustice” scores were in Mississippi, with the other two in
Texas and South Dakota. … “You can see some pretty stark
differences between states,” said study lead author Alex Segrè
Cohen, a social scientist at the University of Oregon. In
Arizona, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania, “almost every county
has high water violation scores,” she said.
… Studies suggest that PFAS has contaminated almost 50% of
the U.S. tap water supply. These chemicals are linked to a
growing list of health risks, including cancers and chronic
diseases. Many global institutions have recently taken
regulatory action. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) proposed stringent limits for PFAS in drinking water.
… Beyond drinking water, recent studies expose another
major PFAS concern: wastewater and sludge. Treated wastewater,
often considered safe for reuse, has been found to still carry
significant levels of PFAS. Even more concerning is the
widespread practice of using treated sewage sludge as farm
fertilizer. The EPA has warned that PFAS in sludge can
contaminate crops, soil, and groundwater, creating a direct
pathway from industrial chemical waste to the food we
eat. … The question isn’t whether businesses should act,
it’s whether they can afford not to.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has
gone after fluoride in drinking water, a move that medical
experts widely disagree with. Water fluoridation has been
proven to be so effective at preventing tooth decay that the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) named it one
of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th
century, a time during which Americans’ life expectancies rose
by 30 years. “Fluoride has been studied extensively for decades
and is considered safe and effective at recommended levels,”
cosmetic dentist Dr. James Heaton tells USA TODAY. “While some
debates focus on the ethics of water fluoridation or potential
health concerns, the overwhelming consensus from the American
Dental Association, CDC and World Health Organization is that
fluoride is a critical tool in preventing tooth decay.” Here’s
what licensed medical experts want you to know about fluoride.
Cities across California and the Southwest are significantly
increasing and diversifying their use of recycled wastewater as
traditional water supplies grow tighter.
The 5th edition of our Layperson’s Guide to Water Recycling
covers the latest trends and statistics on water reuse as a
strategic defense against prolonged drought and climate change.
Water bubbles up in streets, pooling in neighborhoods for weeks
or months. Homes burn to the ground if firefighters can’t draw
enough water from hydrants. Utility crews struggle to fix
broken pipes while water flows through shut-off valves that
don’t work. … Across the U.S., trillions of gallons of
drinking water are lost every year, especially from decrepit
systems in communities struggling with significant population
loss and industrial decline that leave behind poorer residents,
vacant neighborhoods and too-large water systems that are
difficult to maintain.
Water regulation in Arizona has devolved into a game of
chicken. The governor and farmers are rivals revving their
engines, hoping their opponent will flinch first. Caught
in the middle is Gila Bend, a groundwater basin south of
Buckeye, where the state could decide to impose its most
stringent form of regulation, whether folks like it or not.
Both sides are using Gila Bend as a bargaining chip to win
support for competing legislative proposals. But to what
end? - Written by Joanna Allhands, Arizona Republic digital
opinions editor
The U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee is holding an
important hearing Thursday on S. 2385, a bill to
refine the tools needed to help Tribal communities gain access
to something that most non-Indian communities in the western
United States have long taken for granted: federally subsidized
systems to deliver safe, clean drinking water to our homes.
… This is the sort of bill (there’s a companion on the
House side) that makes a huge amount of sense, but could easily
get sidetracked in the chaos of Congress. The ideal path is for
the crucial vetting to happen in a process such as Thursday’s
hearing, and then to attach it to one of those omnibus things
that Congress uses these days to get non-controversial stuff
done. Clean water for Native communities should pretty clearly
be non-controversial.
State health officials know that extreme heat can cost lives
and send people to the hospital, just like wildfire smoke. Now,
new research finds that when people are exposed to both hazards
simultaneously — as is increasingly the case in California —
heart and respiratory crises outpace the expected sum of
hospitalizations compared to when the conditions occur
separately. … The study joins a growing body of research
about the intersection of different climate risks. Last month,
California-based think-tank the Pacific
Institute published a report about how converging
hazards — including wildfires, drought, flooding, sea level
rise and intensifying storms — are harming access to drinking
water and sanitation in California and other parts of the
world. The deadly 2018 Camp fire in Butte
County impacted an estimated 2,438 private wells, the
report said.
After more than two decades of
drought, water utilities serving the largest urban regions in the
arid Southwest are embracing a drought-proof source of drinking
water long considered a supply of last resort: purified sewage.
Water supplies have tightened to the point that Phoenix and the
water supplier for 19 million Southern California residents are
racing to adopt an expensive technology called “direct potable
reuse” or “advanced purification” to reduce their reliance on
imported water from the dwindling Colorado River.
… A state audit from the California Water Resources Control
Board released last year found that over 920,000 residents
faced an increased risk of illness–including cancer, liver and
kidney problems–due to consuming unsafe drinking water. A
majority of these unsafe water systems are in the Central
Valley. The matter has prompted community leaders to mobilize
residents around water quality as politicians confront
imperfect solutions for the region’s supply. Advocates point
out that impacted areas, including those in Tulare County, tend
to be majority Latino with low median incomes. … This
year’s extreme weather has only worsened the valley’s problems.
The storms that hit California at the start of this year caused
stormwater tainted with farm industry fertilizer, manure and
nitrates to flow into valley aquifers.
Tiny pieces of plastic waste shed
from food wrappers, grocery bags, clothing, cigarette butts,
tires and paint are invading the environment and every facet of
daily life. Researchers know the plastic particles have even made
it into municipal water supplies, but very little data exists
about the scope of microplastic contamination in drinking
water.
After years of planning, California this year is embarking on a
first-of-its-kind data-gathering mission to illuminate how
prevalent microplastics are in the state’s largest drinking water
sources and help regulators determine whether they are a public
health threat.
A pilot program in the Salinas Valley run remotely out of Los Angeles is offering a test case for how California could provide clean drinking water for isolated rural communities plagued by contaminated groundwater that lack the financial means or expertise to connect to a larger water system.
Martha Guzman recalls those awful
days working on water and other issues as a deputy legislative
secretary for then-Gov. Jerry Brown. California was mired in a
recession and the state’s finances were deep in the red. Parks
were cut, schools were cut, programs were cut to try to balance a
troubled state budget in what she remembers as “that terrible
time.”
She now finds herself in a strikingly different position: As
administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s
Region 9, she has a mandate to address water challenges across
California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii and $1 billion to help pay
for it. It is the kind of funding, she said, that is usually
spread out over a decade. Guzman called it the “absolutely
greatest opportunity.”
Across a sprawling corner of southern Tulare County snug against the Sierra Nevada, a bounty of navel oranges, grapes, pistachios, hay and other crops sprout from the loam and clay of the San Joaquin Valley. Groundwater helps keep these orchards, vineyards and fields vibrant and supports a multibillion-dollar agricultural economy across the valley. But that bounty has come at a price. Overpumping of groundwater has depleted aquifers, dried up household wells and degraded ecosystems.
Shortly after taking office in 2019,
Gov. Gavin Newsom called on state agencies to deliver a Water
Resilience Portfolio to meet California’s urgent challenges —
unsafe drinking water, flood and drought risks from a changing
climate, severely depleted groundwater aquifers and native fish
populations threatened with extinction.
Within days, he appointed Nancy Vogel, a former journalist and
veteran water communicator, as director of the Governor’s Water
Portfolio Program to help shepherd the monumental task of
compiling all the information necessary for the portfolio. The
three state agencies tasked with preparing the document delivered
the draft Water Resilience Portfolio Jan. 3. The document, which
Vogel said will help guide policy and investment decisions
related to water resilience, is nearing the end of its comment
period, which goes through Friday, Feb. 7.
Innovative efforts to accelerate
restoration of headwater forests and to improve a river for the
benefit of both farmers and fish. Hard-earned lessons for water
agencies from a string of devastating California wildfires.
Efforts to drought-proof a chronically water-short region of
California. And a broad debate surrounding how best to address
persistent challenges facing the Colorado River.
These were among the issues Western Water explored in
2019, and are still worth taking a look at in case you missed
them.
It’s been a year since two devastating wildfires on opposite ends
of California underscored the harsh new realities facing water
districts and cities serving communities in or adjacent to the
state’s fire-prone wildlands. Fire doesn’t just level homes, it
can contaminate water, scorch watersheds, damage delivery systems
and upend an agency’s finances.
Summer is a good time to take a
break, relax and enjoy some of the great beaches, waterways and
watersheds around California and the West. We hope you’re getting
a chance to do plenty of that this July.
But in the weekly sprint through work, it’s easy to miss
some interesting nuggets you might want to read. So while we’re
taking a publishing break to work on other water articles planned
for later this year, we want to help you catch up on
Western Water stories from the first half of this year
that you might have missed.
Each day, people living on the streets and camping along waterways across California face the same struggle – finding clean drinking water and a place to wash and go to the bathroom.
Some find friendly businesses willing to help, or public restrooms and drinking water fountains. Yet for many homeless people, accessing the water and sanitation that most people take for granted remains a daily struggle.
Californians have been doing an
exceptional job
reducing their indoor water use, helping the state survive
the most recent drought when water districts were required to
meet conservation targets. With more droughts inevitable,
Californians are likely to face even greater calls to save water
in the future.
One of California Gov. Gavin
Newsom’s first actions after taking office was to appoint Wade
Crowfoot as Natural Resources Agency secretary. Then, within
weeks, the governor laid out an ambitious water agenda that
Crowfoot, 45, is now charged with executing.
That agenda includes the governor’s desire for a “fresh approach”
on water, scaling back the conveyance plan in the Sacramento-San
Joaquin Delta and calling for more water recycling, expanded
floodplains in the Central Valley and more groundwater recharge.
Although Santa Monica may be the most aggressive Southern California water provider to wean itself from imported supplies, it is hardly the only one looking to remake its water portfolio.
In Los Angeles, a city of about 4 million people, efforts are underway to dramatically slash purchases of imported water while boosting the amount from recycling, stormwater capture, groundwater cleanup and conservation. Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2014 announced a plan to reduce the city’s purchase of imported water from Metropolitan Water District by one-half by 2025 and to provide one-half of the city’s supply from local sources by 2035. (The city considers its Eastern Sierra supplies as imported water.)
Low-income Californians can get help with their phone bills, their natural gas bills and their electric bills. But there’s only limited help available when it comes to water bills.
That could change if the recommendations of a new report are implemented into law. Drafted by the State Water Resources Control Board, the report outlines the possible components of a program to assist low-income households facing rising water bills.
More than a decade in the making, an
ambitious plan to deal with the vexing problem of salt and
nitrates in the soils that seep into key groundwater basins of
the Central Valley is moving toward implementation. But its
authors are not who you might expect.
An unusual collaboration of agricultural interests, cities, water
agencies and environmental justice advocates collaborated for
years to find common ground to address a set of problems that
have rendered family wells undrinkable and some soil virtually
unusable for farming.
Joaquin Esquivel learned that life is
what happens when you make plans. Esquivel, who holds the public
member slot at the State Water Resources Control Board in
Sacramento, had just closed purchase on a house in Washington
D.C. with his partner when he was tapped by Gov. Jerry Brown a
year ago to fill the Board vacancy.
Esquivel, 35, had spent a decade in Washington, first in several
capacities with then Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and then as
assistant secretary for federal water policy at the California
Natural Resources Agency. As a member of the State Water Board,
he shares with four other members the difficult task of
ensuring balance to all the uses of California’s water.
A new study could help water
agencies find solutions to the vexing challenges the homeless
face in gaining access to clean water for drinking and
sanitation.
The Santa Ana Watershed Project
Authority (SAWPA) in Southern California has embarked on a
comprehensive and collaborative effort aimed at assessing
strengths and needs as it relates to water services for people
(including the homeless) within its 2,840 square-mile area that
extends from the San Bernardino Mountains to the Orange County
coast.
A statewide program that began under a 2015 law to help
low-income people with their water bills would cost about $600
million annually, a public policy expert told the California
State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) at a
meeting last week.
Potable water, also known as
drinking water, comes from surface and ground sources and is
treated to levels that that meet state and federal standards for
consumption.
Water from natural sources is treated for microorganisms,
bacteria, toxic chemicals, viruses and fecal matter. Drinking
raw, untreated water can cause gastrointestinal problems such as
diarrhea, vomiting or fever.
Directly detecting harmful pathogens in water can be expensive,
unreliable and incredibly complicated. Fortunately, certain
organisms are known to consistently coexist with these harmful
microbes which are substantially easier to detect and culture:
coliform bacteria. These generally non-toxic organisms are
frequently used as “indicator
species,” or organisms whose presence demonstrates a
particular feature of its surrounding environment.
This card includes information about the Colorado River, who uses
the river, how the river’s water is divided and other pertinent
facts about this vital resource for the Southwest. Beautifully
illustrated with color photographs.
This 25-minute documentary-style DVD, developed in partnership
with the California Department of Water Resources, provides an
excellent overview of climate change and how it is already
affecting California. The DVD also explains what scientists
anticipate in the future related to sea level rise and
precipitation/runoff changes and explores the efforts that are
underway to plan and adapt to climate.
20-minute DVD that explains the problem with polluted stormwater,
and steps that can be taken to help prevent such pollution and
turn what is often viewed as a “nuisance” into a water resource
through various activities.
Many Californians don’t realize that when they turn on the
faucet, the water that flows out could come from a source close
to home or one hundreds of miles away. Most people take their
water for granted; not thinking about the elaborate systems and
testing that go into delivering clean, plentiful water to
households throughout the state. Where drinking water comes from,
how it’s treated, and what people can do to protect its quality
are highlighted in this 2007 PBS documentary narrated by actress
Wendie Malick.
A 30-minute version of the 2007 PBS documentary Drinking Water:
Quenching the Public Thirst. This DVD is ideal for showing at
community forums and speaking engagements to help the public
understand the complex issues surrounding the elaborate systems
and testing that go into delivering clean, plentiful water to
households throughout the state.
This 30-minute DVD explains the importance of developing a source
water assessment program (SWAP) for tribal lands and by profiling
three tribes that have created SWAPs. Funded by a grant from the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the video complements the
Foundation’s 109-page workbook, Protecting Drinking Water: A
Workbook for Tribes, which includes a step-by-step work plan for
Tribes interested in developing a protection plan for their
drinking water.
A companion to the Truckee River Basin Map poster, this
24×36-inch poster, suitable for framing, explores the Carson
River, and its link to the Truckee River. The map includes the
Lahontan Dam and reservoir, the Carson Sink, and the farming
areas in the basin. Map text discusses the region’s hydrology and
geography, the Newlands Project, land and water use within the
basin and wetlands. Development of the map was funded by a grant
from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region, Lahontan
Basin Area Office.
This beautiful 24×36-inch poster, suitable for framing, displays
the rivers, lakes and reservoirs, irrigated farmland, urban areas
and Indian reservations within the Truckee River Basin, including
the Newlands Project, Pyramid Lake and Lake Tahoe. Map text
explains the issues surrounding the use of the Truckee-Carson
rivers, Lake Tahoe water quality improvement efforts, fishery
restoration and the effort to reach compromise solutions to many
of these issues.
This 24×36 inch poster, suitable for framing, illustrates the
water resources available for Nevada cities, agriculture and the
environment. It features natural and manmade water resources
throughout the state, including the Truckee and Carson rivers,
Lake Tahoe, Pyramid Lake and the course of the Colorado River
that forms the state’s eastern boundary.
Water as a renewable resource is depicted in this 18×24 inch
poster. Water is renewed again and again by the natural
hydrologic cycle where water evaporates, transpires from plants,
rises to form clouds, and returns to the earth as precipitation.
Excellent for elementary school classroom use.
The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to Integrated Regional Water
Management (IRWM) is an in-depth, easy-to-understand publication
that provides background information on the principles of IRWM,
its funding history and how it differs from the traditional water
management approach.
The 28-page Layperson’s Guide to Groundwater is an in-depth,
easy-to-understand publication that provides background and
perspective on groundwater. The guide explains what groundwater
is – not an underground network of rivers and lakes! – and the
history of its use in California.
The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to California Water provides an
excellent overview of the history of water development and use in
California. It includes sections on flood management; the state,
federal and Colorado River delivery systems; Delta issues; water
rights; environmental issues; water quality; and options for
stretching the water supply such as water marketing and
conjunctive use. New in this 10th edition of the guide is a
section on the human need for water.
The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to the Delta explores the competing
uses and demands on California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Included in the guide are sections on the history of the Delta,
its role in the state’s water system, and its many complex issues
with sections on water quality, levees, salinity and agricultural
drainage, fish and wildlife, and water distribution.
Finding and maintaining a clean
water supply for drinking and other uses has been a constant
challenge throughout human history.
Today, significant technological developments in water treatment,
including monitoring and assessment, help ensure a drinking water
supply of high quality in California and the West.
The source of water and its initial condition prior to being
treated usually determines the water treatment process. [See also
Water Recycling.]
A tremendous amount of time and technology is expended to make
surface water safe to drink. Surface water undergoes many
processes before it reaches a consumer’s tap.
The federal Safe Drinking Water Act sets standards for drinking
water quality in the United States.
Launched in 1974 and administered by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, the Safe Drinking Water Act oversees states,
communities, and water suppliers who implement the drinking water
standards at the local level.
The act’s regulations apply to every public water system in the
United States but do not include private wells serving less than
25 people.
According to the EPA, there are more than 160,000 public water
systems in the United States.
This printed issue of Western Water examines
groundwater management and the extent to which stakeholders
believe more efforts are needed to preserve and restore the
resource.
This printed issue of Western Water, based on presentations
at the November 3-4, 2010 Water Quality Conference in Ontario,
Calif., looks at constituents of emerging concerns (CECs) – what
is known, what is yet to be determined and the potential
regulatory impacts on drinking water quality.
This printed issue of Western Water examines
desalination – an issue that is marked by great optimism and
controversy – and the expected role it might play as an
alternative water supply strategy.
This printed copy of Western Water examines the challenges facing
small water systems, including drought preparedness, limited
operating expenses and the hurdles of complying with costlier
regulations. Much of the article is based on presentations at the
November 2007 Small Systems Conference sponsored by the Water
Education Foundation and the California Department of Water
Resources.
This issue of Western Water looks at some of the issues
facing drinking water providers, such as compliance with
increasingly stringent treatment requirements, the need to
improve source water quality and the mission of continually
informing consumers about the quality of water they receive.
This issue of Western Water examines PPCPs – what they are, where
they come from and whether the potential exists for them to
become a water quality problem. With the continued emphasis on
water quality and the fact that many water systems in the West
are characterized by flows dominated by effluent contributions,
PPCPs seem likely to capture interest for the foreseeable future.
This issue of Western Water examines the problem of perchlorate
contamination and its ramifications on all facets of water
delivery, from the extensive cleanup costs to the search for
alternative water supplies. In addition to discussing the threat
posed by high levels of perchlorate in drinking water, the
article presents examples of areas hard hit by contamination and
analyzes the potential impacts of forthcoming drinking water
standards for perchlorate.
Drawn from a special stakeholder symposium held in September 1999
in Keystone, Colorado, this issue explores how we got to where we
are today on the Colorado River; an era in which the traditional
water development of the past has given way to a more
collaborative approach that tries to protect the environment
while stretching available water supplies.
