Achieving the Human Right to Water in California: An Assessment of the State's Community Water Systems

Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) | January 15th, 2021

The Human Right to Water Framework and Data Tool (CalHRTW 1.0) provides a consolidated, stand-alone, quantitative assessment of baseline conditions in the quality, acces

The Human Right to Water Framework and Data Tool (CalHRTW 1.0) provides a consolidated, stand-alone, quantitative assessment of baseline conditions in the quality, accessibility and affordability of California’s drinking water. This assessment can help screen for drinking water challenges and analyze changes over time and complements existing cumulative impacts analyses (e.g., CalEnviroScreen (OEHHA, 2021b)) by providing information at a greater level of detail regarding drinking water.

Advancing Affordability through Water Efficiency

Pacific Institute | September 19th, 2022

This paper examines the relationship between water conservation and efficiency and affordability. Specifically, it examines the near-term effect of water conservation and

This paper examines the relationship between water conservation and efficiency and affordability. Specifically, it examines the near-term effect of water conservation and efficiency on utility bills, i.e., water, wastewater, and energy bills, for conserving households and the longer term effect on water and wastewater costs for the larger community. Finally, the paper identifies common barriers for low- income and other hard-to-reach customers to participate in conservation and efficiency programs, and proposes strategies to overcome those barriers.

Annual Report Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014 State Fiscal Year 2017-2018

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | December 30th, 2018

The California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board), Division of Financial Assistance (DFA) presents the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) annua

The California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board), Division of Financial Assistance (DFA) presents the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) annual report for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2017-18. The State Water Board provided approximately $707 million in new CWSRF financing to 44 projects in SFY 2017-18, which represent a wide variety of projects eligible under the CWSRF. This report describes how the State Water Board met the objectives identified in the SFY 2017-18 CWSRF Intended Use Plan (IUP). 

Anticipating Environmental and Environmental-Health Implications of Extreme Storms: ARkStorm Scenario

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) | July 22nd, 2015

The ARkStorm Scenario predicts that a prolonged winter storm event across California would cause extreme precipitation, flooding, winds, physical damages, and e

The ARkStorm Scenario predicts that a prolonged winter storm event across California would cause extreme precipitation, flooding, winds, physical damages, and economic impacts. This study uses a literature review and geographic information system-based analysis of national and state databases to infer how and where ARkStorm could cause environmental damages, release contamination from diverse natural and anthropogenic sources, affect ecosystem and human health, and cause economic impacts from environmental-remediation, liability, and health care costs. Examples of plausible ARkStorm environmental and health concerns include complex mixtures of contaminants such as petroleum, mercury, asbestos, persistent organic pollutants, molds, and pathogens; adverse physical and contamination impacts on riverine and coastal marine ecosystems; and increased incidences of mold-related health concerns, some vector-borne diseases, and valley fever. Coastal cities, the San Francisco Bay area, the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, parts of the Central Valley, and some mountainous areas would likely be most affected. This type of screening analysis, coupled with follow-up local assessments, can help stakeholders in California and disaster-prone areas elsewhere better plan for, mitigate, and respond to future environmental disasters.

Atmospheric River Precipitation Enhanced by Climate Change: A Case Study of the Storm That Contributed to California's Oroville Dam Crisis

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | February 9th, 2022

California's reliance on precipitation from atmospheric rivers is expected to increase as our climate warms. Understanding how climate change is impacting this increasing

California's reliance on precipitation from atmospheric rivers is expected to increase as our climate warms. Understanding how climate change is impacting this increasingly dominant mode of precipitation is vitally important for water-resource management throughout the state, across the North American West Coast, and for other similarly impacted regions. Our case study of an impactful atmospheric river from early February 2017 that contributed to the Oroville Dam crisis in Northern California, modeled under preindustrial, present-day, mid-, and late-21st century unabatedly warming environments, demonstrates an overwhelming increase in precipitation throughout the event. This particular storm was comprised of two distinct pulses, and while both pulses of the storm are enhanced in the warmer future epochs, the estimated precipitation increases are disproportionately higher for the second pulse due to larger increases in temperature and moisture. Our results therefore suggest that not all atmospheric rivers are similarly affected by climate change and point to specific directions for relevant future research.

Bay Area Green Infrastructure Water Quality Synthesis

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | June 1st, 2018

San Francisco Bay is impacted by the numerous urban pollutants that flow from the surrounding landscape during storm events. In San Francisco Bay, total maximum daily lo

San Francisco Bay is impacted by the numerous urban pollutants that flow from the surrounding landscape during storm events. In San Francisco Bay, total maximum daily load (TMDL) clean-up plans are in place for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and mercury (Hg) (Davis et al., 2007; Davis et al., 2012). As municipalities strive to reach regulatory targets, green infrastructure (GI) presents a promising solution for managing stormwater pollutants while achieving additional environmental and social benefits. However, remaining data gaps including the best design layout, media composition, and vegetation and submerged zone effects on performance can prevent local managers from accurately assessing water quality benefits provided by green infrastructure as well as the maintenance needs to sustain adequate performance.

Benefit Accounting of Nature-Based Solutions for Watersheds

Pacific Institute | March 1st, 2021

Nature-based solutions (NBS) have the potential to combat pressing global problems, including climate change, water security and biodiversity loss. This guide builds on

Nature-based solutions (NBS) have the potential to combat pressing global problems, including climate change, water security and biodiversity loss. This guide builds on Benefit Accounting of Nature-Based Solutions for Watersheds Landscape Assessment (Shiao et al., 2020), which highlights the barriers for businesses to implement NBS at a large scale. The primary challenge for corporations is that there is no standardized method to identify, estimate and monitor the benefits that NBS can provide, making it hard to build the case for investments in these solutions.

Benefit Accounting of Nature-Based Solutions for Watersheds Landscape Assessment

United Nations (UN) | August 3rd, 2020

This landscape assessment is the outcome of Phase 1 of a tri-phased project and was designed to inform the path forward for engaging the private sector to invest in natu

This landscape assessment is the outcome of Phase 1 of a tri-phased project and was designed to inform the path forward for engaging the private sector to invest in nature-based solutions (NBS). A literature review was undertaken to understand the contemporary thinking around NBS and identify key opportunities and challenges faced by decision makers, practitioners and researchers. Interviews conducted with representatives of businesses, civil society and academia who have already implemented NBS projects or are looking to do so yielded qualitative responses to complement or contrast with the findings from the literature review.

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

Pacific Institute | November 21st, 2013

California’s social and economic well-being is directly tied to financing for reliable, sustainable water. A new study from the Pacific Institute explores stable and su

California’s social and economic well-being is directly tied to financing for reliable, sustainable water. A new 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. Current water rates often do not fully cover the cost of providing water services and rarely reflect the full costs of the water itself, such as the ecosystem impacts related to extracting water. California ranks at the top of the EPA’s survey of infrastructure needs in terms of the investments required to maintain aging water systems over the next two decades. Climate change, continued population growth, and restoring critical ecosystems will add further to these costs. “Various financing options are used to invest in existing water systems and services, develop new ones, and mitigate environmental impacts, but there are serious economic and financial challenges,” said Dr. Newsha Ajami, lead author of the report. “The water sector needs a more comprehensive and stable financing portfolio.” According to the California Department of Water Resources, nominal annual debt service for outstanding general obligation water bonds in California has increased four-fold since 2000. This shift to greater use of bond funding can be linked to the decreased ability to raise government revenues through taxes and fees as a result of voter-approved initiatives like Proposition 13 and 218. General obligation bonds, however, are not a steady and reliable source of funding for long-term planning and decision-making because they require voter approval if they survive the legislative process, which is sensitive to economic ups and downs.

Boulder Canyon Project Act

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | December 21st, 1928