Report:
Urban and Agricultural Water Use in California, 1960–2015
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A new report from the Pacific Institute finds water use in California has increased by only 20 percent since 1967
, despite the state’s population doubling and the economy increasing by a factor of five. Improvements in urban and agricultural efficiency, as well as a shift to higher value crops and less water-intensive commercial and industrial activities, have led to this dramatic “decoupling” of water use and growth. While this is good news for California, the state can and must do more to respond to pressures from climate change and growth, and address the overuse of groundwater aquifers.
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Fact Sheet:
Water and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Reopening Buildings After Shutdowns: Reducing Water-Related Health Risks
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As society begins to slowly reemerge from quarantines, stay-at-home orders, and business shutdowns during the pandemic, attention must be paid to unexpected, unknown, and often-ignored risks. In this
fact sheet
, the Pacific Institute provides information on how to avert risks associated with stagnant water, including bacteria such as
Legionella
and lead, with practices like flushing plumbing systems and heating water to a minimum temperature.
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Guidebook and Case Study:
Incorporating Multiple Benefits into Water Projects
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Adapting to climate change, along with the need to address aging infrastructure, population growth, and degraded ecosystems, requires significant investment in natural and built water systems. These investments present a significant opportunity to support not only water, but to provide economic, social, and environmental benefits. The Pacific Institute just released a
guidebook
for water managers to incorporate valuable co-benefits into water management decisions, along with a
case study
showing the guidance in action in Austin, Texas.
Learn more
here
. View the guidebook
here
. View the case study
here
.
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Study:
The Impact of Using Low-Saline Oilfield Produced Water for Irrigation on Water and Soil Quality in California
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The water left over from the oil extraction process is used to irrigate crops in water-scarce parts of California, although there are questions about the long-term impacts on soil quality and human health. To evaluate this practice, the Pacific Institute and partners assessed the environmental, crop health, and soil quality impacts of using low-saline oilfield-produced water to irrigate crops in Kern County, California.
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Blog Post:
Water in the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (“HEROES ACT”)
By Dr. Peter Gleick, President Emeritus
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In the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to rethink, redesign, and reinvest in the nation’s water infrastructure, but there is as yet no sign that legislators will act on this opportunity, writes Dr. Gleick.
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Blog Post:
The COVID Crisis is Slashing California’s State Budget. What Does It Mean for Water Management?
By Cora Kammeyer, Research Associate
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In California, the dual costs of addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn it has caused has led to a dramatic slide from a $6 billion surplus to a $54.3 billion deficit, writes Kammeyer. While the impacts of these budget cuts on water programs remain to be seen, the risk of a simultaneous water crisis and pandemic needs to be taken seriously.
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Update from the CEO Water Mandate:
The Water Stewardship Toolbox
The Pacific Institute is Co-Secretariat of the CEO Water Mandate, a UN Global Compact initiative that mobilizes business leaders on water, sanitation, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
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The Water Action Hub has launched a
COVID-19 portal
, featuring efforts from around the world to address the water and handwashing-related elements of the pandemic. Anyone in the world can use this free portal to connect to existing projects or raise awareness of their own efforts.
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Meet Our Intern:
Walker Grimshaw
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Walker joined the Pacific Institute in May as a Congressman George Miller Intern. He says he is excited to work on the Sustainable Water Management Profile (SWM Profile), an assessment tool for drinking water utilities to understand the environmental, economic, and social challenges their agencies face. “I’m excited about working on the SWM Profile," he says, "because of the opportunity to interface with water utilities and collaborate to continually improve their performance.”
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From the Blog:
Pacific Institute Insights
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Pacific Institute in the News
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TIME Op-Ed
:
No COVID-19 Models Are Perfect, But Some Are Useful
Read more news featuring Pacific Institute research and experts
here
.
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Help create and advance solutions to the world’s most pressing water challenges.
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