Dear Deeply Readers,
Welcome to the archives of Water Deeply. While we paused regular publication of the site on November 1, 2018, we are happy to serve as an ongoing public resource on water resilience. We hope you’ll enjoy the reporting and analysis that was produced by our dedicated community of editors and contributors.
We continue to produce events and special projects while we explore where the on-site journalism goes next. If you’d like to reach us with feedback or ideas for collaboration you can do so at [email protected].
Wastewater treatment has always been hidden away, as nobody wanted to be near it. Now utility managers are inviting the community into their world by building parks, hiking trails and attractive spaces for special events.
The Santa Cruz River was once the lifeblood of Tucson, Arizona. Due to heavy development and groundwater overdraft, it hasn’t seen year-round flow in 70 years. The city plans to revive the storied desert river with recycled effluent.
A horizontal levee built by the Oro Loma Sanitary District in the San Francisco Bay Area helps treat wastewater, provide wildlife habitat and protect against sea level rise. And it’s a model that may soon be replicated in the area.
Arizona has been reusing treated sewage for more than 90 years. Now a new set of rules will allow highly treated wastewater to be plumbed directly into homes and businesses, explains hydrogeologist Chuck Graf.
Holly Doremus Faculty Co-Director, U.C. Berkeley Law’s Center for Law
A recent ruling by the Ninth Circuit regarding the Clean Water Act addresses key issues pertaining to indirect discharges but leaves some important questions unanswered.
A ski resort town near Yellowstone National Park is growing faster than its water supplies can last. So local leaders have identified an important role for the community’s treated wastewater: snowmaking.
Treated sewage has been discharged for decades into Western rivers. It turns out this provides vital aquatic habitat in stressed rivers, as revealed by concern over a major Sacramento water recycling proposal.
Michael Kiparsky Director, Wheeler Water Institute at CLEE
Our water systems need innovation, but the task of bringing new ideas to fruition falls on a sector that is regarded as conservative and risk averse, writes Michael Kiparsky, director of the Wheeler Water Institute.
The state is currently investigating whether it is feasible to develop standards for direct potable reuse, which would allow treated wastewater to be sent direct to customers for drinking without first being stored in a reservoir or aquifer.
A new water conservation process adopted by the state allows local agencies to avoid strict water conservation mandates. Analysts worry these ‘stress tests’ may cause problems if the drought worsens.
In 2014, California voters passed a $7.5 billion water bond – nearly 80 percent of which has now been appropriated. Here’s a look at where that money is going, and which key areas are yet to have funds awarded.
The water sector use 19 percent of California’s electricity. If more clean energy is used, this presents a big opportunity for the state to move toward meeting its climate goals and for water utilities to realize new economic benefits.
When California searches for relief from the drought, and explores different solutions, from conserving water to desalination, one avenue that often gets overlooked is what’s under our feet – soil.
California assembly member Rich Gordon talks about a new report examining how the state can make the most of stormwater and water recycling and reuse to increase water supplies in the future.
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