event Managing Wastewater in a Changing Climate Apr 22, 2019 California’s wastewater sector helps protect public health and the environment. It is also the source of recycled water—a growing water supply. But climate change is bringing water scarcity and other pressures to the sector. PPIC researcher Caitrin Chappelle will outline findings from a new report, and a panel of experts will discuss policy improvements to prepare the sector for a more volatile future.
blog post Drought Watch: Roadblocks to Efficient Funding By Ellen Hanak, Caitrin Chappelle Mar 13, 2014 This is part of a continuing series on the impact of the drought.Looming legal challenges may limit the ability of local agencies to make continued investments in modern, integrated water management—investments that would better prepare us for population growth, climate change, and future droughts.
blog post Smoothing the Bumps in the Road to Ecosystem Restoration By Lori Pottinger Feb 22, 2021 California’s environmental permitting system was developed to prevent bad things from happening to ecosystems, but it often slows efforts to do good things, too. We talked with a group of experts about how to make the process more efficient and effective.
blog post Metropolitan Water District: “We’re the Squirrels of the Water System” By Sarah Bardeen May 8, 2023 Deven Upadhyay is the assistant general manager and executive officer for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which provides water to 19 million people. This week on the blog, Upadhyay describes how Met is handling California’s recent precipitation whiplash—and shares some improvements that are in the works.
blog post Video: Meeting Water Challenges on the Central Coast By Lori Pottinger Aug 31, 2015 The Central Coast has long been self-sufficient in water supply, but the drought has tested the region’s independent streak.
Report Policy Priorities for Managing Drought By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle ... Mar 16, 2015 State, federal, and local water managers have worked diligently to reduce the economic, social, and environmental harm from the current drought. But as the drought continues, the challenges will grow more acute. California can learn from experiences to date—and from Australia’s response to its Millennium Drought—to better prepare both for the year ahead and for future droughts. State leaders should address weaknesses in four areas of drought preparation and response, by: 1) improving water use information, 2) setting clear goals and priorities for public health and the environment, 3) promoting water conservation and more resilient water supplies, and 4) strengthening environmental management.
blog post Wastewater Treatment Kills Most Pathogens, Including COVID-19 Virus By Lori Pottinger Apr 13, 2020 Californians reuse treated wastewater for water supply, to irrigate crops, and to support freshwater ecosystems. We talked to two experts about managing coronavirus in the “sewershed.”
