Publications

Urban Water Conservation and Efficiency Potential in California – Issue Brief

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.