Publications - Pacific Institute

Scaling Green Stormwater Infrastructure Through Multiple Benefits in Austin, Texas: Distributed Rainwater Capture on Residential Properties in the Waller Creek Watershed

Published: June 2020

The City of Austin, Texas is facing an increasingly uncertain water future, from decreasing water supplies and more intense droughts to periodic flooding and water quality impairments. Austin is addressing these challenges head on, from investments in water efficiency and water reuse to rainwater harvesting and stormwater management.

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Urban and Agricultural Water Use in California, 1960 -2015

Published: June 2020

Water is the lifeblood of California, providing for the household needs of 40 million people and supporting one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world, various commercial and industrial activities, and the health and viability of the state’s aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

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Water and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Reopening Buildings After Shutdowns: Reducing Water-Related Health Risks

Published: June 2020

Under normal conditions, the flow of tap water through building water systems prevents the buildup of bacteria and metals in pipes, and hot water tanks. But after a period of shutdown, like during the coronavirus pandemic, stagnant water may breed bacteria...

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Op-Ed: No COVID-19 Models Are Perfect, But Some Are Useful

Published: May 2020

The global coronavirus pandemic has brought renewed interest and focus on scientific models as we try to get a handle on what the future will bring, how many people will fall sick and die, what the economic impacts will be, and what actions politicians should take.

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The Impact of Using Low-Saline Oilfield Produced Water for Irrigation on Water and Soil Quality in California

Published: May 2020

In California, drought and a reduction in natural water availability in recent decades have led to a search for alternative water sources for agriculture. One controversial potential source is oilfield produced water, a byproduct of oil extraction.

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Op-Ed: Opportunities Are Plentiful to Sustain California Agriculture in the Face of Water Supply Uncertainties

Published: April 2020

Nationally, we export about $40 billion of agricultural products annually. There is nothing wrong with importing or exporting food; we live in a global economy, which is extremely important to California’s prosperity.

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Mapping Public Water Management: Proof of Concept

Published: April 2020

What cannot be measured cannot be managed. Poor water management poses major risks to agriculture, industry, and local communities. However, there is a critical lack of information available about local water conditions, making better management difficult.

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Scaling Corporate Water Stewardship to Address Water Challenges in the Colorado River Basin

Published: April 2020

The Colorado River Basin states face significant water challenges, including the overallocation of water, long-term drought, and climate change. This report, commissioned by the Walton Family Foundation, explores the potential for corporate water stewardship to help solve these challenges.

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Economic Evaluation of Stormwater Capture and Its Multiple Benefits in California

Published: March 2020

Urban stormwater is becoming an increasingly important alternative water supply in California. However, current economic analyses do not adequately evaluate co-benefits provided by different stormwater investments. As a result, urban stormwater capture is undervalued.

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Op-Ed: Hand-Washing Is Critical in the Fight Against Coronavirus, but What If You Don’t Have Safe Water?

Published: March 2020

The coronavirus pandemic is shining a spotlight on the weaknesses of social, economic and health safety nets we’ve long taken for granted, including our water system.

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Corporate Water Resilience in an Uncertain Future

Published: March 2020

Around the world, businesses are experiencing adverse physical effects of climate change, from increased operational costs and disrupted production to social unrest in communities in which they operate. These impacts are most prominently expressed through changes in the water cycle, including precipitation shifts and extreme drought.

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Comment Letter on the Draft Water Resilience Portfolio for the State of California Regarding a Multi-Benefit Approach

Published: February 2020

This comment letter focuses on how the California Water Resilience Portfolio can incorporate multiple benefits when prioritizing and funding water management strategies throughout the state.

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Comment Letter on the Draft Water Resilience Portfolio for the State of California

Published: February 2020

This comment letter conveys summary comments and suggestions on the draft Water Resilience Portfolio released by California state agencies, drawing on the considerable experience Pacific Institute has around themes of water efficiency, stormwater management, and the Salton Sea.

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Op-Ed: Water Scarcity Will Increase Risk of Conflict, Says New National Intelligence Report

Published: February 2020

On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act (Public Law 116-92), including the Intelligence Authorization Act of FY2020. Section 6722 of that law required a report be prepared on the national security effects of “global water insecurity” and be submitted within 180 days (by late June 2020) to “the congressional intelligence committees, the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.”

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Comment Letter on the Proposed Urban Water Conservation Reporting Regulations for the State of California

Published: January 2020

This comment letter expresses comments and suggestions in response to proposed regulation under the California Code of Regulations around reporting urban water conservation information for water utilities.

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Op-Ed: California Can Solve Its Water Shortage With the Water We Have. Here’s How.

Published: December 2019

We can continue our costly, 100-year-old pattern of trying to find new water supplies, or we can choose instead to focus on smarter ways of using – and reusing – what we already have.

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Op-Ed: When It Comes to Climate-Change Adaptation, As Goes California, So Goes…the World

Published: December 2019

It’s almost biblical: Apocalyptic images of fires sweeping through communities. The worst droughts in recorded history, followed by floods overwhelming dams and levees. Homeless encampments. Power outages for millions of people.

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Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: Three Essential Ingredients to Resilient Agricultural Supply Chains

Published: November 2019

Agricultural workers are expected to be some of the worst affected from the projected impacts of climate change, resulting in sixty percent of work hours lost due to heat stress in 2030. Climate change will also significantly the water cycle, introducing greater uncertainty into agricultural supply chain operations.

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Op-Ed: Climate-Equitable Water

Published: September 2019

The failure to meet basic needs for safe water and sanitation worldwide is one of the great tragedies of our age, with billions of people paying the price in illness and poverty.

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Op-Ed: Protecting the Environment in Times of War

Published: September 2019

War is a miserable thing. It kills and maims soldiers and civilians. It destroys infrastructure, cultures, and communities. It worsens poverty and development challenges. And it damages and cripples vital ecological and environmental resources.

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Setting Site Water Targets Informed by Catchment Context: A Guide for Companies

Published: August 2019

The world’s water resources are under growing pressure from rising water consumption, pollution, weak governance, and climate change, exposing businesses to increased water-related risks caused not only by their own water use and discharge, but also by the catchment context in which they operate.

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Setting Site Water Targets Informed by Catchment Context Case Study: Santa Ana River Watershed, California

Published: August 2019

By setting water targets that are informed by the local catchment context, companies can maximize impact and improve water security by addressing the key water challenges in the region and aligning their strategies with public sector goals, including the local water management goals and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

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Plumbing the Depths: Californians Without Toilets and Running Water

Published: July 2019

California’s Human Right to Water law states that “every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water adequate for human consumption, cooking, and sanitary purposes.”

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When the River Meets the Sea

Published: July 2019

This presentation on the Salton Sea presented by Michael Cohen at the 2019 GWC Summer Conference covers progress at the sea, the Colorado River and the sea, new bargains, and potential solutions.

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The Cost of Alternative Urban Water Supply and Efficiency Options in California

Published: May 2019

Urban communities, farms, businesses, and natural ecosystems depend upon adequate, reliable, and affordable supplies of clean water.

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Moving Toward a Multi-Benefit Approach for Water Management

Published: April 2019

There is broad recognition that adapting to climate change, coupled with the need to address aging infrastructure, population growth, and degraded ecosystems, will require rethinking programs and policies and investing in our natural and built water systems.

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Comment Letter on the Progress of Phase 1 of the Salton Sea Management Program

Published: March 2019

Comment letter on the progress of Phase 1 of the Salton Sea Management Program sent to the California State Water Resources Control Board by Alianza Coachella Valley, Audubon California, Defenders of Wildlife, Environmental Defense Fund, KDI, the Pacific Institute, and the Sierra Club.

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Comment Letter on the State Water Board’s Low Income Water Rates Assistance Draft Report

Published: February 2019

This comment letter provides feedback and recommendations on the draft report “Options for Implementation of a Statewide Low-Income Water Rate Assistance Program.”

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Sustainable Landscapes on Commercial and Industrial Properties in the Santa Ana River Watershed

Published: February 2019

Pressures on water resources are intensifying due to aging infrastructure, population growth, and climate change, among other factors. With vast expanses of water-intensive turf grass and large impervious surfaces, most urbanized communities are ill-adapted to these pressures.

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Comment Letter on the Proposed North Lake Project at the Salton Sea

Published: January 2019

This comment letter sent to Phil Rosentrater, Executive Director of the Salton Sea Authority, on behalf of Alianza Coachella Valley, Audubon California, Defenders of Wildlife, Environmental Defense Fund, Kounkuey Design Initiative, the Pacific Institute, and Sierra Club California discusses the proposed North Lake Project at the Salton Sea.

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Water Service Disconnections in California

Published: October 2018

When a person fails to pay their water utility bill, their water service can be disconnected. Lack of water in the home compromises health, and renders housing legally uninhabitable and untenantable. Shutoffs also pose a financial burden; in addition to the original debt, there are usually fees associated with late payment, notice of an impending shutoff, and service reconnection.

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Measuring Progress Toward Universal Access to Water and Sanitation in California: Defining Goals, Indicators, and Performance Measures

Published: September 2018

In 2012, California’s Human Right to Water was passed, calling for safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water for all citizens. Yet while this statute has served as the touchstone for drinking water and sanitation efforts in the state, access to this basic right remains unrealized in many California communities.

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Water, Security, and Conflict

Published: August 2018

This issue brief summarizes the current understanding of water and security threats and their links to conflict, migration, and food insecurity.

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Integrating Water Efficiency into Long‐Term Demand Forecasting

Published: August 2018

Per capita water use in the United States has fallen by more than 40% since the 1970s. In some areas, reductions in per capita water use have offset continued population and economic growth, such that total water use has remained constant or even declined.

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Stormwater Capture in California: Innovative Policies and Funding Opportunities

Published: June 2018

Stormwater has traditionally been managed to mitigate flooding and protect water quality. However, its potential as a local water supply has gained recent attention in water-stressed areas. As climate change increases the risk of both floods and droughts in California, urban stormwater capture also offers a significant opportunity to enhance community resilience.

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A Survey of Efforts to Achieve Universal Access to Water and Sanitation in California

Published: April 2018

In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly recognized the human right to water and sanitation. Two years later, in 2012, California became the first state in the nation to enact legislation recognizing the human right to water for consumption, cooking, and sanitary purposes.

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The World’s Water, Volume 9

Published: February 2018

The newest volume in this highly regarded series, The World’s Water, Volume 9 continues to offer insights into critical global water problems, overviews of data and analysis around water use and management, and case studies of some of the greatest water challenges around the world.

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Op-Ed by Peter Gleick: We Have Seen The Future Of Water, And It Is Cape Town

Published: February 2018

Cape Town is parched. Severe drought and high water use have collided in South Africa’s second largest city, and unless the drought breaks, residents may run out of water in the next few months when there simply isn’t enough water left to supply the drinking water taps.

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Commentary: Cape Town Is Running out of Water. Could More Cities Be Next?

Published: February 2018

After more than three years of severe drought, Cape Town, a city of nearly 4 million people, is running out of water. “Day Zero”—the day city officials estimate the water system will be unable to provide drinking water for the taps—is less than three months away, and substantial rains are not expected before then.

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Comment Letter on State Water Board Proposed Low-Income Rate Assistance Program

Published: August 2017

This comment letter to the California State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) was sent in response to the proposed Low Income Rate Assistance (LIRA) program implementation scenarios prepared pursuant to AB 401 (Dodd, 2015).

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Corporate Engagement on Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene: Driving Progress on Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6)

Published: August 2017

This report recognizes the need for successful corporate water stewardship to encompass sustainable access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) for workers in company supply chains, and offers steps for companies to take to help end the global water and sanitation crisis.

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Op-Ed: Why Go for Desal When California has Cheaper Options?

Published: June 2017

While winter rains have refilled California reservoirs and dumped near-record snow on the mountains, communities across the state are wisely seeking ways reduce their vulnerability to future droughts. One option some are considering is seawater desalination.

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Impacts of California’s Five-Year (2012-2016) Drought on Hydroelectricity Generation

Published: April 2017

The severe five-year drought afflicting California from 2012 to 2016 was the driest and hottest in the instrumental record. This report is a comprehensive assessment of the costs to California of lost hydroelectricity during the five years of drought.

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Exploring the Case for Corporate Context-Based Water Targets

Published: April 2017

As of 2017, more companies than ever before were setting water targets, yet global water stress continued to rise. How can companies ensure that their water targets align with meaningful outcomes? This report calls for a new approach for setting meaningful corporate water targets that take into account the unique local contexts of the basins in which companies operate.

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Drinking Fountains and Public Health: Improving National Water Infrastructure to Rebuild Trust and Ensure Access

Published: February 2017

Concerns over drinking water quality and possible disease transmission, as well as widely-publicized water contamination incidents, have contributed to a decline in the number of publicly available water fountains.

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State of the Salton Sea – A Science and Monitoring Meeting of Scientists for the Salton Sea

Published: January 2017

California’s Salton Sea is an ecosystem facing large systemic changes in the near future.

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Drought and Equity in California

Published: January 2017

California’s climate is prone to prolonged periods of drought that are exacerbated by the effects of climate change.

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Water Strategies for the Next Administration: New Major U.S. Water Policy Recommendations

Published: November 2016

This document identifies major water-related challenges facing the United States and offers explicit recommendations for strategies the next administration and Congress should pursue, domestically and internationally.

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The Cost of Alternative Water Supply and Efficiency Options in California

Published: October 2016

This report is the first comparative analysis of water supply and demand management strategies for localities in the State of California.

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Meeting Sustainability Goals: Voluntary Sustainability Standards and the Role of the Government

Published: October 2016

Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) have emerged in the past two decades as standards specifying requirements relating to a wide range of sustainability metrics, including respect for human rights, workers’ health and safety, decent income, environmental degradation, and others.

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