Strawberry Case Study: What If Farmers Had to Pay for Water?

New York Times | December 29th, 2023

While American farmers elsewhere have watered their crops by freely pumping the groundwater beneath their land, growers in Pajaro must pay hefty fees for irrigation water

While American farmers elsewhere have watered their crops by freely pumping the groundwater beneath their land, growers in Pajaro must pay hefty fees for irrigation water — making it one of the most expensive places to grow food in the country, if not the world. The cost: Up to $400 per acre-foot, a standard measurement equal to water covering one acre, one foot deep. The fees bring in $12 million a year, which is used to recycle, restore and conserve the region’s groundwater.

Sustainable Landscapes in California: A Guidebook for Commercial and Industrial Site Managers

Pacific Institute | August 20th, 2020

Sustainable landscaping offers a solution in balance with the local climate and ecology, and actively contributes to community and watershed health by providing economic,

Sustainable landscaping offers a solution in balance with the local climate and ecology, and actively contributes to community and watershed health by providing economic, social, and environmental benefits. This guidebook provides simple steps to consider, select, and install sustainable landscaping. Aimed specifically at businesses and communities in California, the guidebook includes information on turf replacement, installation of bioswales and rain gardens, permeable pavement, green roofs, and rain tanks and cisterns. Self-assessments guide the user through the selection and installation process.

Sustainable Landscapes on Commercial and Industrial Properties in the Santa Ana River Watershed

Pacific Institute | February 14th, 2019

Pressures on water resources are intensifying due to aging infrastructure, population growth, climate change, and other factors. Marked by vast expanses of thirs

Pressures on water resources are intensifying due to aging infrastructure, population growth, climate change, and other factors. Marked by vast expanses of thirsty lawns and impermeable pavement, California’s urban and suburban communities are ill-equipped to handle these pressures. Outdoor use represents about half of all water used in urbanized areas, and even more in the hottest, driest parts of the state.1,2 Runoff from lawns carries fertilizers and pesticides into waterways. Similarly, impermeable pavement impedes groundwater recharge; contributes to higher peak flows; warms the urban environment; and carries oils, metals, and other toxins into rivers, estuaries, and the ocean. The good news is that there are more sustainable options for California communities. Replacing lawns with climate-appropriate plants that are irrigated efficiently can save water and reduce vulnerability to drought. When integrated with bioswales, rain gardens, and other green infrastructure, these projects can boost local water supplies, reduce flooding, and improve water quality. These practices can also save energy, provide habitat, sequester carbon, improve air quality, boost property values, enhance community livability, and increase resilience to climate change.

Sustainable Use of Water in the Lower Colorado River Basin

Pacific Institute | November 26th, 1996

The Colorado River supplies water to nearly 30 million people and irrigates more than 1.5 million hectares of farmland in the United States and Mexico. But the diversion

The Colorado River supplies water to nearly 30 million people and irrigates more than 1.5 million hectares of farmland in the United States and Mexico. But the diversion of a huge amount of river water is seriously harming the delicate web of life that used to exist in the delta. The Sustainable Use of Water in the Lower Colorado River Basin, written by Sandra Postel of the Global Water Policy Project and Peter Gleick and Jason Morrison of the Pacific Institute, aims to clarify key concepts and criteria for sustainable water use within the Colorado basin, and then, using those criteria, present patterns of water management that can support economic prosperity and the environment. We do not presume to offer a single or best solution to water problems in the lower Colorado basin. The report’s goal is to define — both quantitatively and qualitatively — the unsustainable nature of current patterns of water use, and to demonstrate how technologies, policy actions, and management strategies can be combined to achieve more sustainable water use.

Sustainable wastewater reuse for agriculture

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | June 6th, 2024

Systems Analysis and Optimization of Local Water Supplies in Los Angeles

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) | September 1st, 2017

Los Angeles, which relies on large infrastructure systems that import water over hundreds of miles, faces a future of reduced imports. Within Los Angeles and its hund

Los Angeles, which relies on large infrastructure systems that import water over hundreds of miles, faces a future of reduced imports. Within Los Angeles and its hundreds of water agencies, the capacity to adapt to future changes is influenced by laws, institutions, and hydrogeology. This paper presents a systems analysis of urban water management in metropolitan Los Angeles County to assess opportunities for increasing local water reliance. A network flow model was developed to investigate management tradeoffs across engineered, social, and environmental systems. With an aggressive regional demand target, increased stormwater capture (300%), and prioritized water reuse from existing facilities, imported water supplies can be cut by 30% while maintaining landscapes, economic productivity, and groundwater resources. Further reducing imports (by 40–50%) is possible through actions to promote additional reuse, recharge, conservation, and groundwater access. Reducing imported water without significant conservation results in likely groundwater overdraft. Fragmented networks of agencies in Los Angeles create an uneven landscape of vulnerability to water shortages. The paper discusses model applications, research needs, and policy implications of results for dry-climate cities.

Tehachapi Reclaimed Water Project

City of Tehachapi | September 24th, 2024

As part of the proposed project, the City would change the location of application of the secondary treated effluent produced at the Tehachapi WWTP from the agricultural

As part of the proposed project, the City would change the location of application of the secondary treated effluent produced at the Tehachapi WWTP from the agricultural fields near the Tehachapi Municipal Airport to a new location south of the Borrow Pit. Overall WWTP effluent production and WWTP throughput capacity would remain unchanged as would the time of year of application (from April to October).

The Ahwahnee Water Principles

Local Government Commission | July 1st, 2006

In 2004,the Local Government Commission set out to identify effective,least-cost economically and politically viable options for sustainable water resources management at

In 2004,the Local Government Commission set out to identify effective,least-cost economically and politically viable options for sustainable water resources management at the local level. The LGC invited respected water resource policy, management and planning professionals – with experience at the federal,state and local levels – to craft a set of land use principles which would provide guidance to local officials and communities concerned about sustaining future water supplies. The process of developing the Ahwahnee Water Principles mirrored the LGC’s earlier Ahwahnee Principles for Resource-Efficient Communities, which were released in 1991. The Ahwahnee Principles presented a blueprint for elected officials to create compact, mixed-use,walkable,transit-oriented developments in their local communities,and have since paved the way for growing acceptance and inclusion of “smart growth”and the “New Urbanism”in local and regional land-use policies and practices.

The California drought: A quasi-experimental analysis of social policy

Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (Wiley) | January 15th, 1980

The cost of alternative urban water supply and efficiency options in California

Environmental Research Communications (IOP) | May 28th, 2019

Urban communities, farms, businesses, and natural ecosystems depend upon adequate, reliable, and affordable supplies of clean water. As populations and economies

Urban communities, farms, businesses, and natural ecosystems depend upon adequate, reliable, and affordable supplies of clean water. As populations and economies grow and as climatic changes alter both water supply and demand, traditional options for meeting freshwater needs are becoming less available, reliable, and effective. As we approach peak water constraints on traditional water supplies, more efforts needed to reduce water demands through a wide range of conservation and efficiency technologies and policies, and to develop alternative, non-traditional water sources. A key factor in the adoption of these strategies is their economic feasibility; yet, only limited and often confusing data are available on their relative costs. To fill this gap, this analysis evaluates the costs of four groups of alternatives for urban supply and demand based on data and analysis in the California context: stormwater capture; water recycling and reuse; brackish and seawater desalination; and a range of water conservation and efficiency measures. We also describe some important co-benefits or avoided costs, such as reducing water withdrawals from surface water bodies or polluted runoff in coastal waterways. While difficult to quantify, such benefits are economically relevant, and we highlight areas where further research and analysis are needed to improve estimates presented here. All of the water- use efficiency options are far less costly than traditional or alternative supply systems with the exception of some of the most expensive landscape water reduction options. The water treatment and reuse systems and the urban stormwater capture projects are more costly per unit of water produced but still less expensive than seawater desalination—the most expensive option evaluated.