Alternatives in Water Management, Publication 1408

National Academy of Sciences (NAS) | September 5th, 1966

The Committee on Water was appointed in 1964 by Frederick Seitz, President of the National Academy of Sciences. The Committee was to examine in some detail the important

The Committee on Water was appointed in 1964 by Frederick Seitz, President of the National Academy of Sciences. The Committee was to examine in some detail the important interactions between expanding knowledge concerning water resources and water use in the physical sciences, the social sciences, and engineering on the one hand, and increasingly complex decisions of public policy concerned with water resource management on the other.

Bulletin 132-20 Management of the California State Water Project

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | July 25th, 2024

The annual Bulletin 132 series began in 1963 and reported the first deliveries of water by the new State Water Project (SWP). Bulletin 132‑20, Management of the Califo

The annual Bulletin 132 series began in 1963 and reported the first deliveries of water by the new State Water Project (SWP). Bulletin 132‑20, Management of the California State Water Project, continues this series as the fifty-eighth edition. It reports on SWP planning, construction, finance, management, and operations during calendar year 2019. The SWP is operated and maintained by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR).

Bulletin No. 21-60, Irrigation and Water Storage Districts in California 1960

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | January 24th, 1961

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CA Water Library Membership $25 Monthly

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Subscribe to the California Water Library for only $25 a month to enjoy unlimited access to our member-exclusive features.

CA Water Library Membership $50 Monthly

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Subscribe to the California Water Library for only $50 a month to enjoy unlimited access to our member-exclusive features.

Subscribe to the California Water Library for only $50 a month to enjoy unlimited access to our member-exclusive features.

Characterizing pyrethroid and fipronil concentrations in biosolids

Science of the Total Environment (Elsevier) | February 28th, 2025

Pesticides are prevalent in wastewater, yet few studies have measured pesticides in biosolids and aqueous media from samples collected concurrently. Seventeen California

Pesticides are prevalent in wastewater, yet few studies have measured pesticides in biosolids and aqueous media from samples collected concurrently. Seventeen California wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were sampled in May 2020. Biosolids samples were analyzed for 27 analytes, and paired aqueous samples (influent and effluent) were analyzed for 23 analytes. Analytes included fipronil and its transformation products (fiproles), pyrethroids, novaluron, and several other pesticides with down-the-drain transport potential. Of the 27 compounds analyzed in biosolids samples, 16 were detected in at least one sample, and 10 had a detection frequency (DF) of at least 25 %. Fipronil sulfone, fipronil sulfide, and fipronil were the most frequently detected fiproles (DF = 100 %, 94 %, and 67 %, respectively); permethrin was the most frequently detected pyrethroid (DF = 100 %), followed by bifenthrin (DF = 94 %), cyhalothrin (DF = 89 %), and etofenprox (DF = 78 %). To elucidate fipronil transformation pathways within the treatment system, data from the three sample types were compared; findings were generally consistent with transformation pathways reported previously (e.g., some fiproles were rarely detected in influent or biosolids, but frequently detected in effluent, indicating their formation during the treatment process). No correlations were found between WWTP characteristics and pesticide concentrations in biosolids. The fraction of organic carbon (fOC) of each biosolids sample was measured, and a statistically significant negative correlation was observed between fOC and some fiproles, but not fipronil; possible explanations are discussed. Additional analysis for two major agricultural pesticides (bifenthrin and permethrin) indicated that estimated mass loads of these pesticides in biosolids applied to land as a soil amendment are minimal (approximately 2 to 3 orders of magnitude lower) compared to inputs from agricultural applications. This study provides insight on the magnitude of pesticides entering the environment via land-applied biosolids; existing regulations surrounding agricultural pesticide applications are expected to also be protective of the relatively low inputs from biosolids.

Climate Change Impacts to Water and Sanitation for Frontline Communities in the United States Water, Sanitation, and Climate Change in the United States Series, Part 1

Pacific Institute | January 15th, 2024

Climate change is among the most urgent, wide-ranging crises we face. It poses significant challenges and is already resulting in severe impacts to drinking water and san

Climate change is among the most urgent, wide-ranging crises we face. It poses significant challenges and is already resulting in severe impacts to drinking water and sanitation access. This is true for both those currently living without access and for communities where forces like drought, flooding, sea level rise, wildfires, and intensifying storms threaten backsliding by degrading or stripping basic water and sanitation services from the people. Access to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible, and affordable water and sanitation is essential for human health and wellbeing, as well as economic prosperity—and climate change will inevitably make ensuring all have access more challenging. Without water and sanitation access, people do not have water to drink, cannot clean, shower, or wash their hands, and cannot safely dispose of human waste. They may have to travel long distances to purchase and haul water back to their homes. Without access to water, they also have less ability to cool their homes, protect themselves from wildfires, and work or go to school. An economic assessment by DigDeep found that for every household in the United States without access to water and sanitation, the domestic economy loses $15,800 annually in extra health care costs, time and money spent on bottled water, lost educational or work opportunities, and premature death (DigDeep 2022). This is part one  in the Pacific Institute's three-part Water, Sanitation, and Climate Change in the United States series. Click here for part two and here for part three.

Conjunctive Water Management Resource Management Strategy

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | April 29th, 2024

Conjunctive water management, also referred to as conjunctive use, is broadly defined as the coordinated and planned use and management of the different sources of water

Conjunctive water management, also referred to as conjunctive use, is broadly defined as the coordinated and planned use and management of the different sources of water in time and space. It is usually focused on surface water and groundwater resources to maximize the availability and reliability of water supplies in a region to meet various management objectives. It is a holistic approach to water resource management that can increase available water for beneficial uses, allow water agencies greater flexibility in scheduling deliveries, and improve drought resiliency (California Department of Water Resources 2003).

Effects of imported recharge on fluoride trends in groundwater used for public supply in California

Science of the Total Environment (Elsevier) | March 31st, 2022

Fluoride is a naturally occurring element in groundwater that supports bone and dental health at low concentrations but can cause health problems at elevated concentrati

Fluoride is a naturally occurring element in groundwater that supports bone and dental health at low concentrations but can cause health problems at elevated concentrations in drinking water. This study investigates spatial and temporal trends for fluoride concentrations in untreated groundwater from over 20,000 public supply wells in California. The presence of a significant temporal trend in fluoride concentrations in a well was assessed using the Mann-Kendall test and a spatial-weighting approach was used to identify the areal extent of the groundwater resources with significant trends. Less than 2% of the groundwater resources used for public supply in the state have concentrations above the California maximum contaminant level of 2 mg/L. Approximately 14% of the groundwater resource used for public supply show a significant recent trend (2000–2019), with decreasing trends occurring in 10%of the resource. Potential drivers for trends were evaluated in two of the areas in southern California with the greatest prevalence of trends but distinct climate and hydrogeological characteristics. Aquifers in the Mojave and Whitewater River watersheds, located in the desert region, and the Los Angeles Basin, located on the coast, have been replenished with imported and treated water over the last half century to maintain sustainable groundwater levels. The recharge of imported water with different chemistries has altered the geochemical conditions in the aquifers, driving changes in fluoride concentrations.