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Gap Analysis for Funding Solutions for Human Right to Water and At-Risk Drinking Water Systems

In 2012, California’s Human Right to Water was passed, calling for safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water for all citizens. Then in 2016, the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) adopted a Human Right to Water Resolution, making the Human Right to Water a primary consideration and priority across its programs.

California’s Water Futures Market: Explained 

A recently launched water futures market in California drew global attention, from Wall Street to the United Nations. While news of the market has brought both skepticism and speculation, much of the coverage has failed to address the fundamental question: what actually is a water futures market?

How is Climate Change Already Impacting the Bay Area?

West Oakland Climate Hotspot: Rising Seas Threaten East Bay Coastline

California Now Has a Futures Market for Water. Some Farmers are Skeptical

Stormwater Could Become an Important Water Source – If We Stopped Ignoring It

California Now Has a Future Market for Water. Some Farmers Are Skeptical

Could the Florida Water-Supply Hacking Happen in New York City?

How Businesses Can Help Build a Water-Resilient Society that Can Bounce Back from Major Societal Disruptions

February 2, 2021, Oakland, California -- Today the Pacific Institute released a brief outlining the role of the business sector in a robust COVID-19 response. Rebuilding and Resilience: Phases 2 and 3 is the second and final installment of the Pacific Institute’s Water and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Business Framework for Water and COVID-19 series of briefs.

Water and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Business Framework for Water and COVID-19: Rebuilding and Resilience

The business community has a key role to play in responding to COVID-19, rebuilding the economy, and preventing and mitigating future shock events — both broadly speaking and specifically regarding water and handwashing. This second in the Pacific Institute’s Business Framework for Water and the COVID-19 Pandemic issue brief series continues to explore the role of businesses in a robust COVID-19 response, outlining how businesses can contribute to a “blue” economic recovery and help make society more resilient to future shocks.

January 2021 Newsletter

The monthly newsletter features the Pacific Institute’s research, publications, news about past and upcoming Institute staff outreach efforts, and media coverage of its work and analysis.

Water Management Put Into Practice by Business Leaders (CEO Water Mandate – Water Action Hub)

The Global Compact Local Networks from the Latin America region joined to highlight the importance of the CEO Water Mandate and the Water Action Hub.

What Role Should Onsite Water Reuse Play in Silicon Valley Water?

Water systems in most large urban areas like California’s Silicon Valley are linear and highly centralized. Water is cleaned at a central treatment plant, distributed to homes and businesses through a vast and decades-old system of pipes, used once, and then returned through another set of pipes to a wastewater treatment plant, before being discharged into a nearby waterway like the San Francisco Bay.

New Report Explores Benefits and Challenges of Onsite Water Systems

January 28, 2021, Oakland, California -- A new report from the Pacific Institute examines the opportunity for onsite water systems in California’s Silicon Valley to improve water resilience. The Role of Onsite Water Systems in Advancing Water Resilience in Silicon Valley finds that onsite and centralized systems can work effectively together when onsite systems are deliberately sited and integrated into the broader water network.

The Role of Onsite Water Systems in Advancing Water Resilience in Silicon Valley

California’s Silicon Valley faces a host of water challenges. The region’s water and wastewater infrastructure are aging, and in some cases are nearing the end of useful life. Continued growth and development are putting additional strains on the region, and climate change is adding to that burden through sea level rise, more intense storms, and more severe droughts. These challenges present risks but also an opportunity to rethink the design, configuration, and operation of water and wastewater systems.

The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Continued Toll on Drinking Water Systems and Their Customers

Water systems across the country are facing budget shortfalls as a result of the pandemic and need assistance. For small water systems (systems serving 10,000 people or fewer) total budget shortfalls are estimated to be $4 to 6 billion, primarily caused by decreased demand, delayed payments, and additional costs for protective equipment and sick time.

Bay Area Reservoirs Get Much-Needed Rain to Boost Low Winter Rainfall Totals

Water Bill Debt Soars During Pandemic, Prompting Fears of Future Shutoffs

State Habitat Restoration Project Breaks Ground at Southern End of Salton Sea

January 13, 2020, Oakland, California -- The California Salton Sea Management Program began construction this week on a project to restore bird and fish habitat at the southern end of the Salton Sea. The Species Conservation Habitat Project (SCH) will reduce wind-borne dust pollution on nearly 4,000 acres to the east and west of the New River delta, lessening dangerous dust pollution affecting nearby communities, while also creating habitat for birds and serving as a water-management pond for future projects in the area.

Q&A: Water Recommendations for the Next Administration 

The fact is that water challenges in the U.S. are severe and worsening. As the COVID-19 pandemic revealed, poor water infrastructure and the failure to provide universal access to safe water and sanitation threaten public health. Water shortages, poor management, and antiquated water systems threaten the nation’s food supply, ecosystems, and economy. Conflicts over water around the globe threaten our national security. Worsening climate changes are increasing these risks, and the failure to act now will only make solving these issues harder.  

Column: Wall Street Can Now Bet on the Price of California Water. Watch Out.

Trump Signs Spending Bill That Could Send Millions of Dollars to the Salton Sea

Building Resilience and Addressing Inequities in Small, Underperforming Drinking Water Systems

Approximately 25 million people in the United States are served by water systems that regularly fail to meet federal safe drinking water standards. In addition, systems with poor water quality are more likely to serve low‐income and semi‐rural communities, as well as people of color. Internationally, other developed nations like Canada and Australia also struggle with delivering safe drinking water universally, particularly to rural, indigenous communities.

Is Food Irrigated with Oilfield-Produced Water in the California Central Valley Safe to Eat? A Probabilistic Human Health Risk Assessment Evaluating Trace Metals Exposure

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 produced water a byproduct of oil extraction.

New Study Examines How Wastewater from Oilfields Used to Irrigate Crops May Affect Human Health 

A recent article by researchers at Duke University, RTI International, California State University-Bakersfield, and the Pacific Institute evaluates how trace metals from inorganic compounds in produced water used to irrigate California crops may affect human health. “Is Food Irrigated with Oilfield-Produced Water in the California Central Valley Safe to Eat?