Publications

419 Resources

The Untapped Potential of California’s Urban Water Supply: Water Efficiency, Water Reuse, and Stormwater Capture

April 12, 2022 | publication

Persistent challenges and severe drought have shone a spotlight on the vulnerability of California’s water systems. They also offer an opportunity to rethink the state’s water supplies and strategies for the 21st century and beyond.

The U.S. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Water Components

November 13, 2021 | publication

On November 5, 2021, the U.S. Congress passed President Biden’s major infrastructure bill, HR 3684, the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The President is expected to sign the bill into law.

An Assessment of Oil and Gas Water Cycle Reporting in California

November 12, 2021 | publication

In the context of severe drought in California, Senate Bill 1281 (2014, Pavley) expanded reporting requirements for the state's oil and gas industry regarding produced water — the water extracted from oil and gas production. The intention of the bill is to ensure the ability to assess impacts on California’s water resources, public health, and the environment.

Op-Ed: Does the Bay Area Have the Water It Needs to Grow?

October 29, 2021 | publication

It seems as though the two things the Bay Area has the least of are housing and water. The region has a shortfall of 699,000 housing units, which has driven housing costs to astronomical heights, and pushed 35,000 of our neighbors into temporary housing or onto the streets. Our colleagues at San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR),a public policy think tank, have found that the region needs to build an astonishing 2.2 million homes by 2070 to meet future demand and make up for the present shortfall.

Water Resilience

October 29, 2021 | publication

The world is facing a global water crisis marked by growing competition for freshwater resources, rapidly deteriorating water quality, poor and declining ecosystem health, unprecedented biodiversity loss, and a failure to meet basic water and sanitation needs.

Freshwater Scarcity

October 24, 2021 | publication

The availability and use of fresh water are critical for human health and for economic and ecosystem stability. But the growing mismatch between human demands and natural freshwater availability is contributing to water scarcity, affecting industrial and agricultural production and a wide range of social, economic, and political problems, including poverty, deterioration of ecosystem health, and violent conflicts.

Water for a Growing Bay Area: How the Region Can Grow Without Increasing Water Demand

October 21, 2021 | publication

The San Francisco Bay Area is projected to add two million jobs by 2070, attracting millions more people. To prevent housing from becoming even more unaffordable, the region needs to build 2.2 million new housing units.

Testimony on Colorado River Drought Conditions and Response Measures to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife

October 20, 2021 | publication

Pacific Institute Senior Researcher Michael Cohen submitted written testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife for their October 20, 2021 hearing on drought conditions in the Colorado River Basin and potential response measures.

Op-Ed: Happy New Water Year — Californians Have to Face Some Difficult Wet Season Truths

October 4, 2021 | publication

Happy New Water Year. For those of us who work on California water challenges, the start of the new year isn’t Jan. 1; it’s Oct. 1, the official beginning of the state’s wet season.

The Future of California’s Water-Energy-Climate Nexus

September 9, 2021 | publication

Water and energy are inextricably linked in California and, as one resource faces constraints or challenges, so does the other. With the state looking to both reach its climate change goals and decarbonize its economy through a transition to 100 percent clean energy, water will play an integral role.

Water Resilience Assessment Framework

August 24, 2021 | publication

Climate change is driving many types of water challenges, including water scarcity and abundance, worsening water quality, and shifts in timing of the hydrologic cycle. Shocks and stresses affect the resilience of water systems and the stakeholders that rely on them. Specific guidance on how to understand system resilience and measure systematic changes and intervening actions can ensure a more resilient future for all.

Comments on the California Public Utilities Commission Amended Scope for a Low Income Water Rates Assistance Program

August 11, 2021 | publication

This letter from the Center for Accessible Technology; Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security; Natural Resources Defense Council; The Environmental Justice Coalition for Water; Community Water Center; and Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability (collectively the Joint Advocates) contains comments on the California Public Utilities Commission Amended Scope for a Low Income Water Rates Assistance Program.

Op-Ed: Dying from the Heat

July 2, 2021 | publication

No one wants to be a statistic in a climate disaster—an anonymous entry in a dataset of extreme events. But sometimes things sneak up on you. A couple of weeks ago, during one of the extraordinary and severe heat events striking western North America, I almost suffered from heat stroke.

At Risk: Public Supply Well Vulnerability Under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act

June 21, 2021 | publication

Community water systems in California’s San Joaquin Valley face a host of challenges that threaten the safety and reliability of drinking water, including pollution, periodic drought, and chronic groundwater overdraft. Moreover, shallow wells, some of which serve community water systems, are vulnerable to short-term and chronic declines in groundwater levels. For example, during the 2012-2016 drought, many domestic wells and some public supply wells went dry.

Stacked Incentives: Co-Funding Water Customer Incentive Programs

June 8, 2021 | publication

Water utilities throughout the United States offer customer incentives to motivate action and foster engagement with their customers. These incentive programs can take many forms, from rebates for high-efficiency fixtures and appliances to technical assistance for installing cisterns and rain gardens.

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