Drinking Water Analysis

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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…

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Life in Plastic: California Charges Ahead

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California is blazing new environmental trails again. The State is set to become the first government in the world to issue a standard testing methodology and preliminary health assessment for microplastics in drinking water. The guidelines, originally scheduled for release this month but delayed due to the pandemic, will be published during the fall of 2021. There is considerable interest in the State Water Board’s (SWB’s) upcoming report, both within the water industry and the broader public. With plastic creeping into every facet of modern life, the SWB’s conclusions will likely lay the foundations for further research and policies.

Since the creation of the first synthetic ivory in 1869, plastic has become the invisible backbone of the modern world. Synthetic materials often serve as cheaper, more durable substitutes for rare and expensive natural resources like silk, ivory, and wood. Plastic production also facilitates many modern inventions and comforts, such as…

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Pyrethroids—Gardeners Best Friend Versus Fishy Foe

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Spring is underway, and across California, gardeners and farmers are combating the season’s annual pest problem: insects. But the pesticides that protect our roses and our lettuce may be harming more than just the bugs. Pesticides, in particular pyrethroids, are making their way from our gardens, farms, and houses into our watersheds, where they pose a serious threat to California’s aquatic populations. With annual pesticide use expected to peak in the coming months, now is the time to ask some questions. What are pyrethroids? How are they impacting our water systems? What is being done to mitigate the potential problems associated with their use?

Since the late 19th century, pyrethroids have been around and are similar to some naturally occurring insecticides, called pyrethrins, found in chrysanthemum flowers. But unlike pyrethrins, pyrethroids are manufactured chemicals designed to quickly incapacitate insect nervous systems and simultaneously resist environmental degradation. Their low toxicity to humans, mammals, and birds makes them ideal for a variety of agricultural, public health, and domestic purposes. Pyrethroid compounds are effective insecticides employed on farms and in homes across the US. In particular, pyrethroids are an efficient…

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Portantino Leads Effort to Manage CECs in CA

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Over the last decade, advancements in analytical testing technologies have revealed new categories of previously undetectable substances now dubbed as CECs—Constituents of Emerging Concern. This ever broadening group of chemicals and microorganisms pose unprecedented technical, legal, and financial challenges; but arguably, the biggest hurdle is the lack of available information about the persistence, prevalence, or toxicity of many substances referred to as CECs. In an effort to fill those data gaps, Senator Portantino introduced Senate Bill Number 230 (SB 230) to California’s State legislature this year. The bill, which seems to enjoy wide support from water agencies, would mark the first state-wide effort to address CECs as a category.

While information has grown over the past few years, most research has focused on high-profile chemicals or chemical families. This is partially because CECs are such an immense and diverse category; any new or newly detected and unregulated substance found in California’s waters is considered a CEC. This broad definition encompasses thousands of …

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Congress and States Take Action Against PFAS

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Amid nationwide pressure to end the toxic legacy of these “forever chemicals,” a new tide of state and federal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) legislation is inundating the country. Last month, Michigan Representatives Debbie Dingell and Fred Upton, along with 25 other members of Congress, introduced a bold new PFAS Action Act to the House of Representatives. The proposed bill includes some far-reaching provisions like establishing certain PFAS as “hazardous substances” under the Superfund law--an action that remains highly controversial.

This year alone, over 180 bills concerned with PFAS will be under consideration in 27 states. Many of these laws aim to establish safe drinking water levels, phase out PFAS based firefighting foams, allocate money towards research and remediation of PFAS, and address PFAS in consumer products, particularly in food packaging. Outside California, states that have recently passed laws concerning PFAS include…