Key Issues in Seawater Desalination in California: Costs and Financing

Economics – including both the cost of the water produced and the complex financial arrangements needed to develop a project – are key factors that will determine the ultimate success and extent of desalination in California. New research from the Pacific Institute, Key Issues for Seawater Desalination in California: Cost and Financing, assesses desalination costs, financing, and risks associated with desalination projects. The Pacific Institute analysis finds that the cost to produce water from a desalination plant is high but subject to significant variability, with recent estimates for plants proposed in the state ranging from $1,900 to more than $3,000 per acre-foot.“Seawater desalination remains among the most expensive water-supply options available, although the public and decision-makers must exercise caution when comparing costs among different projects,” said Heather Cooley, co-director of the Pacific Institute Water Program and lead author of the report. “In some cases, costs are reported in ways that are not directly comparable. For example, some report the cost of the desalination plant alone, while others include the cost for additional infrastructure needed to integrate the desalination plant into the rest of the water system. Some estimates include costs to finance the project, while others don’t. Even when there is an apples-to-apples comparison, there are a number of site- and project-specific factors that make cost comparisons difficult, such as energy, land, and labor costs and the availability of visible and hidden subsidies.”

Sustainability Standards and Public Governance

An emerging theme of the framing project from its inception in 2009 was the growing awareness of the significance and complexity of the interactions between voluntary, non-governmental sustainability standards and national and international governance, raising fundamental questions about standards development, use, legitimacy and sustainability.

From Storage to Retention: Expanding California’s Options for Meeting its Water Needs

The California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply (CRWFS) released its latest report, From Storage to Retention: Expanding California’s Options for Meeting Its Water Needs. Pacific Institute’s agriculture and water expert Dr. Juliet Christian-Smith, also a member of the CRWFS, contributed to the newest report which builds on earlier work focused on agricultural water stewardship, and argues for an expansion of approaches to storing water that increase supply reliability for specialty crop agricultural production and other beneficial uses while protecting ecosystem health.

Guide to Water-Related Collective Action and Water Action Hub

The global Water Action Hub from the UN Global Compact CEO Water Mandate is the world’s first on-line platform to unite companies, governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders on a range of critical water projects in specific river basins around the planet. With the launch of the Water Action Hub is the release of a beta version of the CEO Water Mandate’s publication Guide to Water-Related Collective Action, which provides a step-by-step approach to water-resource-related collective action.

Urban Water Demand in California to 2100: Incorporating Climate Change

Climate change will have significant impacts in California not just on water supply, but also on water demand. A new, free tool from the Pacific Institute* helps water managers to forecast urban water demand with four global climate change models and compare different possible futures to the year 2100 by altering greenhouse gas emissions, population projections, conservation and efficiency measures, and more. The research shows climate change will cause increased water use in California’s cities and suburbs, even as water supply is expected to diminish.

Bringing a Human Rights Lens to Corporate Water Stewardship

Expectations that business will respect, and in some cases support or help fulfill, internationally recognized human rights have increased over the past decade. Businesses have recognized the importance of effective management systems in responding to these expectations and protecting core resources needed in their own activities. The report Bringing a Human Rights Lens to Corporate Water Stewardship: Results of Initial Research is part of a project by the UN Global Compact CEO Water Mandate which seeks to develop practical guidance for businesses on implementing their responsibility to respect the human right to water and sanitation.

A Twenty-First Century U.S. Water Policy

In the new book A Twenty-First Century U.S. Water Policy, published by Oxford University Press, Pacific Institute researchers present clear and readable analysis and recommendations for a new federal water policy to confront our national and global challenges.

Cadiz Public Comments

On March 13th, 2012, the Pacific Institute, a non-profit and non-partisan research organization, prepared and submitted comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) ofthe Cadiz Valley Water Conservation, Recovery, and Storage Project. In our comment we raised the following concerns and limitations with the DEIR

Social Vulnerability to Climate Change in California

New research shows that addressing social vulnerability – the susceptibility of a given community to harm from a hazard – in climate change policies and response strategies is critical to California’s future. With some degree of climate change unavoidable, communities must begin developing and implementing adaptation plans, and integrating social vulnerability into their strategies is key. California faces a range of impacts from global climate change, including increases in extreme heat, wildfires, and coastal flooding and erosion. Changes are also likely to occur in air quality, water availability, and the spread of infectious diseases. Social and economic factors – like age, race, income, lack of access to a vehicle or other means of transportation – directly affect a community’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate impacts. The report Social Vulnerability to Climate Change in California identifies geographic areas within the state with such heightened risk to projected climate impacts.

Implications of Future Water Supply Sources for Energy Demands

The Water–Energy Simulator (WESim) is an easy-to-use analytical tool that can be used to evaluate the energy and greenhouse gas implications of water management decisions. The Excel-based model allows the user to explore a range of possible scenarios, such as increased demand for water resources, the development of alternative water and energy sources, and needed water treatment improvements resulting from emerging contaminants and stricter water-quality guidelines. WESim can be applied by individual water and energy utilities, groups of utilities, and policymakers and decision makers. A WESim User Manual and report, Implications of Future Water Supply Sources for Energy Demands, are provided, as well.

Community-Based Climate Adaptation Planning: Case Study of Oakland, California

A new analysis based in Oakland, Calif. identifies more than 50 strategies for building community resilience and adapting to climate change impacts such as extreme heat, flooding, wildfire, poor air quality, and rising food, water, and electricity prices. The study, Community-Based Climate Adaptation Planning: Case Study of Oakland, California, from the Pacific Institute and in partnership with the Oakland Climate Action Coalition, provides a detailed analysis of climate impacts, vulnerabilities, and adaptation options to inform the development of a comprehensive and equitable climate adaptation plan effort that engages local communities in the process.

Key Issues in Seawater Desalination in California: Proposed Seawater Desalination Facilities

In 2006, there were an estimated 21 active seawater desalination proposals along the California coast. Since then, only one project, a small plant in Sand City, has been permitted and built. Another – Poseidon’s Carlsbad Seawater Desalination Plant – has secured the necessary federal, state, and local permits, although project financing remains uncertain. Interest in seawater desalination remains high in California and many agencies continue to conduct technical and environmental studies and pilot projects to determine whether to develop full-scale facilities.

Opinion Editorial: Separating Frack From Fiction

Fracking – a process to improve the production of oil and gas wells – has generated tremendous controversy in recent years. There are daily and confusing media reports from outlets across the United States and other countries, including Canada, South Africa, Australia, France and England. While fracking is hailed by some as a game-changer that promises increased national energy independence, job creation and lower energy prices, it has also been severely criticized by others because of serious and unresolved environmental, social and public health concerns.

Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Resources: Separating the Frack from the Fiction

Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” has generated growing controversy in the past few years. New research from the Pacific Institute finds the real issues around its impacts on water are shared by stakeholders from government to industry to environmental groups – and point to the need for better and more transparent information in order to clearly assess the key water-related risks and develop sound policies to minimize those risks.

Water as a Casualty of Conflict: Threats to Business and Society in High-Risk Areas

While much research has been produced in recent years on how water use and pollution can exacerbate conflict, a new report focuses more broadly on the ways conflict and high-risk situations can affect water systems and resources directly – as well as on the planning, construction, operation, and management of water systems. The UN Global Compact and the Pacific Institute released the report Water as a Casualty of Conflict: Threats to Business and Society in High-Risk Areas, in advance of the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum, to be held June 15-17, 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

mWASH: Mobile Phone Applications for the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Sector

Billions of the world’s poor still lack access to basic water and sanitation services, yet many of them can count mobile phones among their possessions. Water and sanitation practitioners have begun to tap the potential of these phones as tools to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. A new report from the Pacific Institute and Nexleaf Analytics assesses how these “mWASH” solutions can amass and disseminate information quickly and thoroughly – directly to or from the underserved populations most in need of service from water providers.

CE2 Model: Evaluating the Costs and Benefits of Urban Water Conservation and Efficiency Measures

Over the past 25 years, water conservation and efficiency improvements have provided real water savings, allowing many agencies to maintain or reduce water use while meeting the needs of a growing population and economy. Recent studies indicate that despite the improvements that have already been achieved, significant water conservation potential remains. Indeed, California legislation passed in 2009 requires urban water agencies to reduce per capita water use by 20% by the year 2020.

Multiple-Use Water Services (MUS): Recommendations for a Robust and Sustainable Approach

A new report from the Pacific Institute examines Multiple-Use Water Services (MUS), a water-provision and management approach that has emerged as a way to realize the poverty alleviation potential of water projects. By connecting livelihoods to water supply, MUS seeks to improve nutrition, boost income, and help the rural and peri-urban poor climb the water ladder to make more sophisticated use of water beyond their basic health needs.

The Water – Energy Nexus in the American West: The Energy Implications of Desalination

Despite some major barriers to desalination, interest has recently mushroomed as technology has improved, demands for water have grown, and prices have declined. Interest in desalination has been especially high in the West, where rapidly growing populations, inadequate regulation of the water supply/land-use nexus, and ecosystem degradation from existing water supply sources have forced a rethinking of water policies and management. Pacific Institute Water Program Co-Director Heather Cooley authored the chapter, “The Energy Implications of Desalination” in the newly released The Water – Energy Nexus in the American West.

Climate Change and Urbanisation: Building Resilience in the Urban Water Sector– A Case Study of Indore, India

Thousands of cities in the developing world face rising pressures on water provision due to population growth and urbanization, and climate change worsens these impacts. Coordinating the formal and informal water sectors, improving water storage and management, and bringing community voices into water planning are critical to sustainably providing water, especially for the urban poor who are most vulnerable to water scarcity. A new report, Climate Change and Urbanisation: Building Resilience in the Urban Water Sector – a Case Study of Indore, India, from the Pacific Institute, the Institute for Environmental Transition (ISET), and TARU Leading Edge provides detailed analysis of the water situation in Indore, India and shows a way forward to a more secure water future for developing country cities.

California Farm Water Success Stories: Vegetated Waterways and Riparian Restoration

A fourth-generation farmer on the Oakdale Ranch, John Stephens worked with Audubon California to improve water quality, drainage, and wildlife habitat on his property by restoring Willow Slough, which runs through his property. This work addressed major watershed concerns in the area, including a lack of vegetated riparian corridors and high rates of erosion and sedimentation of local waterways, as identified by the Yolo County RCD and Cache Creek Watershed Stakeholders Group. In the future, Stephens hopes that his riparian restoration project will be linked to other projects, creating a healthy riparian corridor along the length of Willow Slough.

California Farm Water Success Stories: State and Federal Funding Accelerates Efficiency

A variety of grant and loan programs along with water rate structures are available that provide financial incentives for agricultural producers and water districts to make water management improvements.
The case study State and Federal Financing Accelerates Efficiency: Panoche Water and Drainage District and Sierra Orchards, part of the California Farm Water Success Stories series, focuses on several that have provided financing to update irrigation systems and implement best water management practices on farms and throughout irrigation districts.

California Farm Water Success Stories: Volumetric Pricing and Conjunctive Use

Public interest in the issue of irrigation water pricing has increased worldwide in recent years, with a growing awareness of water scarcity and a greater appreciation of the opportunity costs of allocating water among competing uses.
The Alta Irrigation Distrct has implemented a variety of programs, including volumetric water pricing, active groundwater recharge and conjunctive use, and a focus on agricultural water use efficiency. The case study Volumetric Pricing and Conjunctive Use, part of the California Farm Water Success Stories series, explores how Alta Irrigation District has successfully implemented these programs with widespread support.

Testimony of Peter Gleick: Recommendations to Congress for Fundamental Changes in National Water Policy

The water crisis around the nation and around the world is growing, presenting new threats to our economy and environment, but also offering new opportunities for better and coordinated responses. We have long known that we need coordinated federal planning for water; but such coordination remains an elusive goal. And the nation faces new water challengessuch as climate change, new pollutants, and decaying infrastructure.

Water-use Efficiency and Productivity: Rethinking the Basin Approach

The Pacific Institute provides thoughtful new analysis to help move beyond the theoretical quagmire that has characterized the debate over water use efficiency for decades. A newly published peer-reviewed article in the journal Water International analyzes three fundamental flaws in the traditional approach to water-efficiency or the “basin approach,” including the assumption that all consumptive water use is beneficial, a lack of attention to water productivity measures, and the numerous, important “co-benefits” that are either ignored or discounted in most basin assessments.

At a Crossroads in Our Region’s Health: Freight Transport and the Future of Community Health in the San Francisco Bay Area

Priority Development Areas in the San Francisco Bay region overlap with communities with the highest health risk from toxic air contaminants, including diesel pollution from freight transport, designated as CARE zones by the Air District. But a new study from the Pacific Institute and the Ditching Dirty Diesel Collaboration found that 74% of the land in Priority Development Areas that intersect with CARE communities is far enough away from freight transport hazards to be suitable for sensitive land uses like new housing. With wise regional planning, decision-makers have the power to develop the region’s economic capacity while protecting the health of vulnerable communities.

Water for Energy: Future Water Needs for Electricity in the Intermountain West

The production of electricity, from fuel extraction to generation, has growing impacts on both water availability and quality. The new analysis from the Pacific Institute evaluates future water needs for different energy futures and identifies a growing risk of conflicts between electricity production and water availability in the U.S. Intermountain West. The new report also identifies strategies to ensure the long-term sustainable use of both resources.

The World’s Water, Volume 7

The World’s Water, Vol. 7 was released as the Pacific Institute headed into its 25th Anniversary year. Institute President and series editor Peter Gleick, with coauthors Lucy Allen, Juliet Christian-Smith, Michael Cohen, Heather Cooley, Matthew Heberger, Jason Morrison, Meena Palaniappan, and Peter Schulte of the Pacific Institute, address the timely and pressing issues in the management of our most precious resource. Topics range from water and fossil fuels, China and dams, and U.S. water policy to international water quality, transboundary water and climate change, corporate water management, and drought and water management in Australia. Nineteen data tables provide an invaluable resource for analyzing the state of the world’s water, accessibility, sustainability, attitudes, and more including top environmental concerns and bottled water consumption stats. There is also a fun Water Brief on “Water in the Movies.”

Speaking Truth on Coming Home: Research Findings and Recommendations on Re-entry in Richmond

The Safe Return Project is a participatory research and action initiative led by a group of formerly incarcerated Richmond residents carrying out research, community organizing, and policy advocacy to improve community reintegration after incarceration. In this partnership with Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization (CCISCO) and Richmond Office of Neighborhood Safety, the Pacific Institute provides capacity building, coordination, and research support.

Potential Water Savings Associated with Agricultural Water Efficiency Improvements: A Case Study of California

The Pacific Institute analyzes the potential for water savings from irrigation efficiency improvements in California, USA in a newly published peer-reviewed article in the journal Water Policy. The new article, Potential water savings associated with agricultural water efficiency improvements: a case study of California, USA models water savings associated with three efficiency scenarios in wet, average and dry water years.

Policy Options for Water Management in the Verde Valley, Arizona

The water of the Verde Valley in central Arizona, both in the ground and flowing at the surface, is a natural resource that is critical to the regional economy, environmental sustainability, and quality of life—but the Verde River faces unprecedented threats from over-allocation, development, and lack of cohesive water management. The report Policy Options for Water Management in the Verde Valley, Arizona, coauthored by Matthew Heberger and Michael Cohen of the Pacific Institute; James Limbrunner and Daniel Sheer of HydroLogics, Inc.; and Jim Henderson and Bob Raucher of Stratus Consulting, examines possible futures for the Verde River within the Verde Valley. The researchers provide information for stakeholders and decision-makers on the river’s resources, economic value, and tools for promoting sustainable water management.

Impacts of the California Drought from 2007 to 2009: Surprising Outcomes for California’s Agriculture, Energy, and Environment

California’s three-year drought, which ended with this season’s cool and wet weather, had complicated and serious impacts that have been poorly understood and reported. Some of the impacts were expected; others were surprising. The Pacific Institute has just completed a nine-month assessment of new data from California’s agricultural, energy, and environmental sectors to evaluate actual consequences of the drought for the state.

Municipal Deliveries of Colorado River Basin Water: New Report Examines 100 Cities and Agencies

The Pacific Institute’s Municipal Deliveries of Colorado River Basin Water documents population and water delivery information and trends for 100 cities and agencies that deliver water from the Colorado River basin. Since 1990, the number of people in the United States and Mexico who use Colorado River basin water has increased by more than 10 million -– but their overall per capita water use declined by an average of at least one percent per year from 1990 to 2008.

Testimony: The Vulnerability of U.S. Water Resources to Climate Change

What Can We Expect for Water from Climate Change?
• A hotter world.
• Mixed changes in precipitation (both by region and time period).
• Dramatic reductions in snowfall and accelerating snowmelt; related changes in runoff timing.
• Rising sea-level with impacts on groundwater quality and coastal/delta ecosystems.
• Accelerating influence on extreme events: including floods and droughts.

The Human Costs of Nitrate-Contaminated Drinking Water in the San Joaquin Valley

While most Californians take for granted that safe water is readily available at the turn of a tap, a growing number of communities, primarily in the San Joaquin Valley and other agricultural areas of the state, face very real impacts from nitrate contamination of the drinking water sources serving their homes and schools. New research led by the Pacific Institute, The Human Costs of Nitrate-Contaminated Drinking Water in the San Joaquin Valley, finds that nitrate contamination of groundwater has wide-reaching effects on California’s health, economic vitality, and environmental well being, disproportionately affecting low-income households and Spanish-speaking residents.

Op-Ed: Report Wrongly Excuses Farms From Helping Solve Water Woes

The latest report on California’s water crisis has recently been released by the Public Policy Institute of California, and while there are good things in this work, it has two fundamental flaws that cannot be ignored: It completely lets the agricultural sector off the hook for its part in causing – and ultimately helping to solve – our water problems, and it lays all the pressure and responsibility on urban water users and the environment.

Op-Ed: Another View: Busting Water Conservation Myths

As a solution for California’s complex water challenges, conserving water to get more from every drop stands out for its great potential and the misconceptions around it.

A recent op-ed column, “Putting two myths about the state’s drought to rest” (Viewpoints, July 6), repeated three misstatements about conservation that are often used to delay implementing strategies for more efficient water use. Until these misunderstandings are corrected, common-sense improvements will continue to be underfunded and inadequately pursued. The failure to use proven and cost-effective efficiency programs can be seen in the limited attention to conservation in the state water bond proposals and only modest efforts of some water agencies.

Op-Ed: State Needs More Water Storage – Underfoot

The massive rains over the past month are both a blessing and a curse for California. A blessing because we desperately need the water, having just weathered a serious multi-year drought. A curse because the intensity of rain causes serious problems with flooding, erosion, landslides and contamination with pollutants from the land. And the intensity of the rainfall causes another problem: Much of the excess water runs off in ways that do not help natural ecosystems or provide long-term benefits to our cities and farms.

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