Publications

Comment Letter on the Status of the Salton Sea Management Program

Published: April 2015

This comment letters sent to the California State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) urged the Water Board to direct the Salton Sea Management Program to review and act upon previous recommendations and suggestions, as well as those described in the letter, and to accelerate efforts on behalf of California’s Salton Sea and the people and wildlife who depend on it.

Water Use Trends in the United States

Published: April 2015

This report analyzes and explains the factors contributing to the positive trend of decreasing water use, and examines the implications for future water demand. National water use remains high, and many freshwater systems are under stress from overuse. Climate change will exacerbate existing challenges, affecting the supply, demand, and quality of the nation’s water resources.

Impacts of California’s Ongoing Drought: Hydroelectricity Generation

Published: March 2015

California’s hottest and driest drought in recorded history, from 2012 to 2016, shifted the sources of energy for electricity with adverse economic and environmental consequences. This report focuses on the period of drought from 2011 to 2014.

The Water Footprint of California’s Energy System, 1990–2012

Published: March 2015

A new article by Julian Fulton and Heather Cooley evaluates the amount of water consumed in meeting California’s energy needs – also referred to as the water footprint of energy.

Guidance for Companies on Respecting the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation

Published: January 2015

In 2007, the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) was created as a strategic policy initiative for businesses committed to aligning their operations and strategies with 10 principles related to human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption.

California Urban Water Suppliers Water Use Map

Published: January 2015

This web app from the Pacific Institute shows how different California cities are responding to the ongoing drought. This web feature brings to life newly-released data on residential and system-wide water use, and allows users to explore trends and patterns in that use.

Insights into Proposition 1: The 2014 California Water Bond

Published: October 2014

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Proposition 1, the Water Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014, which was approved by California voters in November 2014.

Corporate Water Disclosure Guidelines: Towards a Common Approach to Report Water Issues

Published: September 2014

The UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate initiative has released the finalized Corporate Water Disclosure Guidelines – a common approach for companies to effectively and intelligibly disclose the many elements of their corporate water management practice to key stakeholders. The Guidelines are available as a PDF report and web-based tool.

Testimony: Desalination Impacts before the Assembly Select Committee on Coastal Protection

Published: September 2014

On September 25, 2014, Pacific Institute Water Program Director Heather Cooley testified before the Assembly Select Committee on Coastal Protection. Heather spoke separately on desalination intakes and broader policy issues of desalination facilities.

Metering in California – Need to Know Fact sheet

Published: September 2014

This fact sheet examines the effectiveness of water metering as a tool to reduce excessive or wasteful water use by both utility companies and customers.

Water Footprint Outcomes and Policy Relevance Change with Scale Considered: Evidence from California

Published: September 2014

The “water footprint” -- the amount of freshwater used both directly and indirectly throughout the production chain of a good or service -- has emerged as a valuable tool to evaluate the impact of human activity on the world’s water resources.

Hazard’s Toll: The Costs of Inaction at the Salton Sea

Published: September 2014

California’s Salton Sea threatens to impose massive public health and environmental costs if no action is taken to alter its decline.

Exploring the Business Case for Corporate Action on Sanitation

Published: September 2014

As society seeks to meet demands for goods and services for a growing population, it is important to improve understanding of the fundamental science of the hydrological cycle, its links with related global processes, and the role it plays in ecological and societal well-being.

The Multiple Benefits of Water Conservation and Efficiency for California Agriculture – Need to Know

Published: July 2014

California farmers have made progress in updating and modernizing irrigation practices, but great untapped potential remains to use water more efficiently.

Viewpoints: California Can Expand its Water Supply and Reduce Demand

Published: June 2014

California has reached “peak water.” We’ve far exceeded the limits of our renewable and sustainable supply. The current severe drought has highlighted these limits and shown us the stark reality of a water system in need of new thinking, new strategies and new answers.

The Untapped Potential of California’s Water Supply: Efficiency, Reuse, and Stormwater – Issue Brief

Published: June 2014

Increased pressures on California’s water supply, including from population growth and intense periods of drought exacerbated by climate change, are leading to the overuse of surface water and groundwater.

A Sustainable Water Future for California – Fact Sheet

Published: June 2014

California has a large and growing gap between the amount of water available and the amount that people use.

Shared Water Challenges and Interests: The Case for Private Sector Engagement in Water Policy and Management

Published: June 2014

Some NGOs and academics argue that business water management strategies can subvert the public interest in favor of corporate profit.

Water Reuse Potential in California – Issue Brief

Published: June 2014

Water reuse provides a reliable, local water supply that reduces vulnerability to extreme conditions.

Urban Water Conservation and Efficiency Potential in California – Issue Brief

Published: June 2014

California’s water supply is taxed by challenges such as drought, unsustainable groundwater use, and tensions over limited resources for a growing population.

Stormwater Capture Potential in Urban and Suburban California – Issue Brief

Published: June 2014

Drought in California poses a serious threat to water resources in communities across the state. The continued effects of climate change will likely exacerbate periods of drought, rendering California’s current urban and suburban water supplies unreliable and insufficient.

Agricultural Water Conservation and Efficiency Potential in California – Issue Brief

Published: June 2014

California’s agricultural production is the largest in the United States, and uses about 80 percent of the state’s developed water supply.

Forgotten Voices: A Youth Vision for Oakland

Published: May 2014

This foto-novela, available in both English and Spanish, came out of the Youth Empowerment Zone Project of the Pacific Institute and Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ).

Bridging Concern with Action: Are US Companies Prepared for Looming Water Challenges?

Published: April 2014

In an attempt to gain insight into corporate perceptions of risks associated with water issues and plans to address these challenges, in 2013 and 2014 the Pacific Institute and VOX Global surveyed over 50 companies across industry sectors, the majority Fortune 500 and publicly traded.

What to Do About California’s Drought

Published: March 2014

Peter Gleick Testifies on Urban Water Use Efficiency for State Water Resources Control Board

Published: February 2014

Peter Gleick testified on February 26, 2014 on strategies for addressing the California drought to the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to

The World’s Water, Volume 8

Published: January 2014

The eighth volume in this highly regarded series, The World’s Water, Volume 8 features chapters on hydraulic fracturing (fracking), water footprints, sustainable water jobs, and desalination financing, among other timely issues. Water briefs provide concise updates on topics including the Dead Sea and the role of water in the Syrian conflict.

Energizing Water Efficiency in California: Applying Energy Efficiency Strategies to Water

Published: December 2013

As a dry December accentuates the stress on California’s limited water supplies, the success of the state’s energy sector in implementing efficiency programs offers valuable lessons to the water sector.

Key Issues in Seawater Desalination in California: Marine Impacts

Published: December 2013

As competition for freshwater resources heightens across the globe, the prospect of using technology to turn unusable seawater into an unending resource is a tempting fix. While seawater desalination is one potential solution to the need for alternative sources of freshwater, more research is needed to understand the impacts of desalination on marine life.

Beyond Water Pricing: An Overview of Water Financing Options in California

Published: November 2013

California’s social and economic well-being is directly tied to financing for reliable, sustainable water. This study from the Pacific Institute explores stable and sustainable sources of funding for water projects as a key to long-term solutions, and finds California’s increased dependence on general obligation (GO) bonds in funding water systems is unreliable and costly to both the state and taxpayers.

Guide to Water-Related Collective Action

Published: September 2013

Effective collective action is the key to approaching shared water risk successfully. The UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate initiative — which the Pacific Institute is co-secretariat for — released this guide in 2013 in order to provide a step-by-step guide to water resource-related collective action.

Pricing Practices in the Electricity Sector to Promote Conservation and Efficiency: Lessons for the Water Sector

Published: September 2013

Energy and water utilities face fiscal challenges related to declining per-capita demand, as well as mandates for continued reductions in consumption. This study examines a range of electricity pricing practices and policies that California electric utilities have used to remain financially stable as per-capita demand decreased.

Water-Energy Synergies: Coordinating Efficiency Programs in California

Published: September 2013

All forms of energy, from hydropower to solar panels, use water. Likewise, water supply, treatment, use, and disposal all use considerable amounts of energy. Coordinating water-energy efficiency efforts provides a significant opportunity to achieve greater savings for both water and energy utilities and for their customers.

Implementation of the Agricultural Water Management Planning Act: A Review of Agricultural Water Management Plans

Published: August 2013

Twenty-four of California’s agricultural water districts have submitted agricultural water management plans, leaving 55 districts out of compliance with the requirement of the Water Conservation Act of 2009, according to a new joint analysis issued today by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Pacific Institute. This represents a 30% compliance rate, meaning there is much work to be done to ensure sustainable water management for the state.

Improving Understanding of the Global Hydrologic Cycle: Observation and Analysis of the Climate System: The Global Water Cycle

Published: August 2013

As society seeks to meet demands for goods and services for a growing population, it is important to improve understanding of the fundamental science of the hydrological cycle, its links with related global processes, and the role it plays in ecological and societal well-being.

Water Rates: Conservation and Revenue Stability – Issue Brief

Published: August 2013

Supplying water to customers is a business. As in any business, water sales revenues need to be accurately forecasted and balanced against current and long-term future water supply and treatment costs.

Assessing Water Affordability: A Pilot Study in Two Regions of California

Published: August 2013

A pilot study in California showed that many households, even within affluent communities, routinely spent over the affordability threshold of two percent of their household income on their water bill. The number of water systems with “unaffordable” rates varied by region and measure used, with important implications for policymakers.

Community Reintegration and Employment in Contra Costa County

Published: July 2013

The Safe Return Project - a participatory action research process in Richmond, California involving formerly incarcerated residents in carrying out research and organizing to increase opportunities for community reintegration...

Global Water Governance in the 21st Century

Published: July 2013

Growing pressure on global water resources is having major impacts on our social, economic, and environmental well-being.

Water Rates: Communication and Education – Issue Brief

Published: June 2013

All water service providers must periodically correspond with their customers as well as state and local decision makers. In times of emergency messages can help customers understand what to expect next and when disrupted service might be restored. But regular communication in non-emergency periods is also necessary.

Gearing Up for Action: A Curriculum Guide for Freight Transport Justice

Published: June 2013

The Pacific Institute’s freight transport justice advocacy work sought to reduce the adverse health impacts of freight transportation on low-income neighborhoods of color closest to freight transport hubs, and to increase the share of the benefits that residents of these communities enjoy.

Preparándose para la Acción

Published: June 2013

Preparándose para la Acción: Una Guía Curricular para Lograr Justicia en el Transporte de Carga del Pacific Institute ha sido revisada siendo una importante herramienta de abogacía para construir el poder y la capacidad de comunidades para participar en la toma de decisiones en cuanto a temas del transporte de carga.

California Coastal Areas and Infrastructure Vulnerable to Flooding and Erosion

Published: June 2013

Downloadable PDF maps from our study that allow you to visualize the impacts of sea level rise on the California Coast.

An Overview of the “New Normal” and Water Rate Basics

Published: June 2013

In the context of what is referred to as “the new normal”-- increasing costs to provide safe and reliable water supply amidst decreasing demand -- water service providers are facing new challenges in forecasting rates and preparing for future water demand.

Dinámica del Agua Subterránea en el Tramo Limítrofe del Río Colorado

Published: May 2013

El Río Colorado, derivado y canalizado, así como intensivamente controlado, sólo en raras ocasiones (<10 por ciento de los días) lleva suficiente agua para fluir al menos 32 km más allá de la Presa Morelos, la última presa sobre el río, cerca de la frontera California/Arizona/Baja California.

Groundwater Dynamics in the Colorado River Limitrophe

Published: May 2013

The Colorado River, diverted and channelized and intensively managed, only rarely has enough water to flow even 20 miles past Morelos Dam, the last dam on the river, near the California/Arizona/Baja California border.

Testimony of Dr. Peter H. Gleick Before the California Assembly Select Committee on Sea Level Rise and the California Economy

Published: May 2013

This document provides the full testimony of Dr. Peter H. Gleick before the California Assembly Select Committee on Sea Level Rise and the California Economy.

Water to Supply the Land: Irrigated Agriculture in the Colorado River Basin

Published: May 2013

Water is scarce in the Colorado River Basin, and the effects of climate change are straining the overspent water supply.

Key Issues in Seawater Desalination in California: Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Published: May 2013

California’s water supply is vulnerable to seasonal extremes that are exacerbated by the effects of climate change. Seawater desalination is a reliable source of water, which can be especially valuable during a drought.

Community Resilience Fact Sheets Help Communities Prepare for Climate Change Impacts

Published: April 2013

As Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina have taught us, climate change is a global process with very localized impacts that can profoundly affect community health and quality of life. These localized impacts, ranging from extreme temperatures to rising sea levels, will disproportionately affect vulnerable populations such as the elderly, renters, low-income residents, limited English speakers, those with pre-existing medical conditions, and those without health or home insurance.