In San Francisco City and County joined six irrigation districts in a lawsuit against the state of California concerning the State Water Resources Control Board’s updated Bay-Delta Plan.  The plan’s objective is to fortify the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta which is a primary source of water for the state and according to the Water Education Foundation, is California’s “most crucial water and ecological resource.”[1] Over the years, the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta has experienced deteriorating water quality and wild-life habitat conditions.  The Bay-Delta plan was approved by the Control Board in December and since then those affected districts have attempted […]

In December, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam released the findings of the TN H20 Plan, which outlines a blueprint for the state to address its dual issues of protecting future water supplies and upgrading wastewater systems.  According to the report, the state will need $15.6 billion to address these issues. In a statement to the Nashville Tennessean, Bob Freudenthal, executive director of the Tennessee Association of Utility Districts, stated, “Our infrastructure has been lagging in upkeep, maintenance and growth.”[1]  He explained that pipes and pumps associated with wastewater systems have a life expectancy of 30 – 40 years and many throughout […]

On Friday, November 30th, at 8:29 a.m., Anchorage, Alaska was struck with a magnitude 7.0 earthquake.  The quake occurred just prior to the release of a three-year study by Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) that states that if hit with a magnitude 7 earthquake or greater, Seattle and suburbs such as Bothell, Woodinville, Kirkland, Redmond, and Bellevue would lose all water pressure within 24 hours and “would need at least two months to entirely restore water service.”[1]  On average, SPU’s pipes are 70 years old, and the impact of an earthquake would be substantial to the major transmission pipelines that transport […]

Drought conditions and the soon-to-be-completed Drought Contingency Plan have driven leaders in communities in Arizona to amass as much water as possible in preparation for the day when current water sources are unable to meet existing water demands. Counties in central Arizona are affiliated with CAP, the Central Arizona Project, which is a canal system that takes water from the Colorado River and moves it across 336 miles to supply their communities.  Many of the entities who use CAP have been increasing their water orders.  For the past three years, Phoenix has ordered the maximum allowed by the CAP although […]

When you think of “water cops,” images of the Coast Guard or State Highway Patrol Water Division may come to mind.  In many communities facing drought conditions, an investigator prowling through neighborhoods making note of water restriction violations may come to mind.  In Colorado, there is a much different image that likely comes to mind.  In Montezuma County, Dave Huhn is the Water Cop, well-versed with the nuances of water law.  After consecutive summers of hot and dry weather, farmers are “desperate for water, and more willing to steal it or go to battle over it,” and Huhn is a […]