Drought

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An Ounce of Preparation Wise For Stormwater Monitoring Season In Spite of Likely La Nina Winter

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Autumn is here and California’s rainy season, which typically lasts from November to April, is right around the corner, but this year’s stormwater season may not see many storms. The latest data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) suggests California could be heading into a La Nina winter for the second year in a row. Despite the lack of rain clouds brewing in the near future, now is a good time to start dusting your stormwater management plans.

The El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon is an important factor in global climate patterns and rainfall. Scientists categorize ENSO as a single ocean-atmospheric phenomenon with three phases: El Nino, La Nina, and neutral. During a La Nina, sea surface temperatures (SST) in the equatorial Pacific drop below normal thresholds and trigger a….

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It’s Not Over When the Fire Goes Out

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As 2021 enters peak fire season, firefighters across the state are battling over a dozen blazes. This year, record breaking temperatures paired with unusually dry conditions have set California up for a devastating fire season that could surpass last year’s already unprecedented wildfires. So far, Cal Fire reports roughly 2 million acres burned and over 3,000 homes, businesses, and other structures damaged or destroyed in the 2021 fire season. The Dixie fire, which has burned for two months and scorched over 900,000 acres of Northern California, is now the second largest fire in state history--right behind the August Complex of 2020.

Even as heroic firefighters work to contain the blazes, state officials warn that ongoing drought conditions could extend this year’s fire season. California entered 2021 bone-dry after an exceptionally mild winter and overall the entire state is experiencing moderate drought conditions, according to the US Drought Monitor. 45% of California is experiencing D4 or “exceptional” drought conditions, the most severe classification. Winter isn’t likely to bring much relief either. Recent federal climate forecasts are predicting another La Nina weather event, which means a warm, dry winter for much of California. Amid these increasingly dry and hot conditions, Californians can expect the fire season to….

Jeff Kightlinger Reflects of California’s Future Water Challenges

After fifteen years leading the largest water provider in California, Jeff Kightlinger stepped down from his role as general manager at Metropolitan Water District (MWD). Over the course of his career, Kightlinger oversaw the water supply for 19 million Californians during unprecedented challenges to the state’s water security. His experience as general manager makes him a foremost expert on the many challenges currently threatening California’s water supplies—from crumbling infrastructure to a drying Colorado River. Before passing on the torch to his successor at Metropolitan, Kightlinger sat down with Western Water to provide some final thoughts about the future of California’s water.

In the years since Kightlinger first joined MWD district as a deputy general counsel in 1995, California’s waterscape has undergone rapid transformations. Global climate change and aging infrastructure threaten two of Southern California’s largest water sources: the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Colorado River. With traditional water supplies…

Purple is the New Green: IEUA Invests in Expanded Water Recycling Facility

A cheap and sustainable water conservation method is the proverbial silver bullet of California’s water politics, but it is not easy finding a solution friendly to both our environment and wallets. Many experts believe that, of the methods available, wastewater recycling is California’s best way forward. One major local proponent of water recycling is the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, or IEUA. Last fall, IEUA began constructing an expanded recycling facility in Chino, San Bernardino County. Their expanded facility will be able to treat 22.5 million gallons of wastewater per day--the agency’s most ambitious recycling project yet.

Wastewater recycling is a familiar concept to California. As far back as the 1800s, farmers utilized wastewater for growing crops. By 1910, 35 sites used recycled water for agricultural purposes, and by 1918 California adopted the first health regulations governing wastewater reuse. Nowadays, our state reuses approximately 714,000 acre-feet of water annually, or 2.3x1011 gallons. Despite conveying so much water through purple pipes, California’s recycling programs still have a great deal of room to grow. The state could potentially recycle millions more acre-feet of water each year and has set an aggressive goal of achieving 2,5 million acre feet of recycling by 2030.

The IEUA is at the forefront of expanding recycling programs. In a recent press release about their Chino facility, IEUA General Manager Shivaji Deshmukh stated…

Improvement: It is a Continuous Commitment!

2021 has arrived and for many of us the start of a new year offers an opportunity to set new goals. Oftentimes these new goals are extensions of our old commitments, but we make small changes that allow us to start the year feeling refreshed, recalibrated, and rededicated.

In the spirit of entering 2021 with renewed focus and resolve, Babcock Laboratories (Babcock Labs) has revisited and updated our core values. The principles behind these values are not new; we are still a company that believes in taking responsibility, being reliable, and maintaining good relationships. Instead, these updated values are a simple promise to our staff, our clients, our vendors, and our community that Babcock Labs will continue to uphold the highest ethical standards and practices. We promise to…

What’s Next for the Delta Conveyance Project?

The specter of California’s aging water infrastructure has haunted the state for decades, but last month the Metropolitan Board of Directors took a step towards modernizing California’s water supply. On December 8th, the Board approved funding for the Delta Conveyance Project, a state initiative for building modern and resilient water infrastructures. With the Board’s approval, the Project can conduct an environmental review of the proposed construction area: the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is often referred to as the “hub” of California’s water supply and for good reason; two-thirds of California's water flows from the Sierra Mountains into the Delta. The 700 mile estuary feeds into the State Water Project (SWP) and Central Valley Project (CVP); these projects then deliver high-quality and affordable water to over 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland.

Given how important the Delta is to California’s water supply, any failure…