Climate Change

CARB and a Green, Energized Future for Riverside

After four years of construction and a decade of planning, CARB (California Air Resource Board) will open the doors to their new facility in Riverside. The new facilities will expand CARB’s vehicle emission testing capabilities and provide vital, advanced equipment for air quality and climate change research. The facility’s close proximity to the University of California Riverside’s (UCR’s) campus also creates new opportunities for CARB and UCR to invest in cooperative environmental programs.

Since 1967, CARB has spearheaded California’s efforts to address air pollution and climate change. Prior to the creation of CARB, California had some of the worst air quality in the country. Sunny weather combined with…

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March Showers Bring More Than April Flowers to Water Conservation

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Californians have traditionally managed stormwater as both a waste product and an environmental hazard. But extreme droughts and harsh storm events have shifted perceptions over the last few decades. In regions struggling with water security, stormwater capture can increase water resiliency, protect urban developments, and safeguard water quality. Moving forward, stormwater capture will become increasingly important to water conservation efforts.

The growing importance of stormwater is intrinsically connected to the effects of global climate change on California’s water supplies and precipitation patterns. Global warming is no secret; average air temperatures have increased since 1895 and last year saw a record breaking heat wave. Nowhere is temperature rise more apparent than in the Sierra Nevada Mountains—a vital source of water for the state. The Sierra snowpack provides drinking water to 23 million Californians and feeds into several important state water infrastructure projects. The mountains serve as our frozen reservoirs during the winter, stockpiling water and gradually releasing it as snowmelt during the spring. But rising temperatures mean less snow and more rain in the mountains and an accelerated springtime melting process. Consequently, stormwater floods can overwhelm reservoirs, which are not built to efficiently capture or store large, sudden influxes of water. Snow reserves have…

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…

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Biosolids: The Ultimate Recycling Success Story

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In the wastewater treatment world, biosolids are often seen as the ultimate recycling success story. Biosolids are the nutrient-rich organic byproducts resulting from wastewater treatment and over 60% of biosolids produced nationally in the U.S. are land applied. They are used in agriculture, landscaping, forestry, and even by homeowners on lawns and gardens. Although biosolids are under scrutiny once again due to the source of their composition—human and industrial waste—preliminary evidence suggests that the beneficial use of biosolids rests on solid ground.

To learn more about the future of biosolids, new Babcock staff member, Colleen Thompson, interviewed Greg Kester, Director of Renewable Resource Programs at the California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA). Greg is the subject matter expert when it comes to emerging issues regarding all renewable energy, recycled water, biosolids, and climate change mitigation. “Biosolids have a plethora of benefits, they assist in creating healthy soils which help crop growth, they are significant mitigators of climate change, reduce irrigation use, offset the use of inorganic fertilizers, and essentially are the best example of recycling,” said Kester. In fact, many agricultural areas depend on biosolids to help…