In the Spotlight: Stormwater Capture in California
Enhancing Community Resilience in the Age of Climate Change
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In recent weeks, California has been inundated with rain, but most urban stormwater systems are designed to get rid of this water as quickly as possible, washing pollutants into nearby waterways and missing the opportunity to enhance local water supplies. Increasingly, stormwater is being viewed as both a resource challenge that must be better managed and an asset in a water-short state. What can communities do to harness this valuable resource in the age of weather extremes? Pacific Institute experts weigh in:
Los Angeles Times
:
California Wastes Most of Its Rainwater, Which Simply Goes Down the Drain
KCBS Radio
:
What's Ahead for California Following Waterlogged Winter?
The Daily Mail
:
California is Missing the Chance to Collect Trillions of Gallons of Rainwater
Fox News
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Despite California’s Long Drought, Trillions of Gallons of Rainwater Wastefully Flowing into Sea
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Pacific Institute Studies Explore Benefits of Stormwater, an Under-Utilized Resource
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Stormwater capture in Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area could supplement California's water supply by as much as 630,000 acre-feet per year, the amount of water Los Angeles uses in a year.
Study
:
Stormwater Capture in California: Innovative Policies and Funding Opportunities
Study:
The Cost of Alternative Water Supply and Efficiency Options in California
Issue Brief
:
Stormwater Capture Potential in Urban and Suburban California
Issue Brief
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The Untapped Potential of California’s Water Supply: Efficiency, Reuse, and Stormwater
Study
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Sustainable Landscapes on Commercial and Industrial Properties in the Santa Ana River Watershed
Mapping Tool
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Sustainable Landscapes in the Santa Ana River Watershed
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Q&A with Senior Researcher Dr. Laura Feinstein
Water and Sanitation Access in California
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The theme of this year's World Water Day is "No one left behind." What would it take to secure universal access to water and sanitation in the State of California? Communications Manager Rebecca Olson sat down with Senior Researcher Dr. Laura Feinstein to talk about the state's progress so far and what still needs to be done to make sure all Californians have access to clean water and adequate sanitation.
View the video Q&A
here
.
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Where Are We on Sustainable Development Goal 6?
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This Wednesday March 20th, Pacific Institute President Jason Morrison will join the online
SDG Leadership Forum for Goal #6
.
Sustainable Development Goal 6 calls for clean water and sanitation for all people, and this live, text-based discussion will focus on addressing critical barriers to scaling successful initiatives. Participants will share important lessons learned and analyze the role of specific actors in increasing water security and improving water management globally.
The event will take place twice, from 9:00-10:30AM and 4:00–5:30PM EST. Learn more
here
.
Register to virtually attend
here
.
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Upcoming Events:
March and April 2019
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March 17-19
:
President Emeritus Dr. Peter Gleick will provide the opening keynote speech at the 2019 WateReuse California Annual Conference in Garden Grove, California.
March
19
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Senior Researcher Michael Cohen will attend a California State Water Resources Control Board workshop on the Status of Phase 1 of California's
Salton Sea Management Program
in North Shore, California.
March 27
:
Dr. Gleick will participate in an "Environmental Security in the Middle East" panel discussion presented by the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C.
March 27-28
:
Senior Researcher Dr. Sarah Diringer will attend the WaterNow Alliance 4th Annual Summit in Austin, Texas.
March 29:
President Jason Morrison, Senior Researcher Tien Shiao, and Research Associate Abbey Warner will participate in a workshop on addressing shared water challenges in Coimbatore, India.
March 29
:
Director of Research Heather Cooley and Research Associate Cora Kammeyer will attend the 2019 Santa Ana River Watershed Conference in Fullerton, California.
April 11:
Ms. Cooley will speak at a seminar on diversification of the California water supply portfolio at Stanford University.
April 24:
Ms. Cooley will speak at a symposium for the University of California, Berkeley’s Center for the Built Environment on the “Water-Energy Nexus: Holistic Solutions for Climate Change and Resiliency."
Keep an eye out for more upcoming staff events on our
news page
. Read the list of Pacific Institute experts’ past outreach
here
.
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Featured Blog Post:
CEO Water Mandate Launches Beta Version of Water Action Hub 3.0
By Peter Schulte, Senior Digital Engagement Associate
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This World Water Day, the UN Global Compact's
CEO Water Mandate
, for which the Pacific Institute is co-secretariat, will launch a beta version of the
Water Action Hub 3.0
. The Hub is a global online collaboration and knowledge sharing platform for business, NGOs, utilities, academics, communities, and others. This updated version will enable users to share their own lessons learned from their water stewardship experiences, ensuring new projects build on approaches that have already proven effective.
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Update from Circle of Blue, an Affiliate of the Pacific Institute
Water Utilities Call on Big Data to Guide Pipe Replacement
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When the Camp Fire swept across California’s Sierra Nevada foothills last November, flames nearly leveled the town of Paradise. More than nine out of 10 buildings were destroyed, and 86 people were killed. The tragic burning of Paradise represents a new chapter in America’s relationship with fire damage; no contemporary town has encountered a water system so extensively contaminated by chemicals released during a fire.
Read more
here
. Visit Circle of Blue's website
here
.
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Pacific Institute in the News
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The Economist:
Disputes Over Water Will Be an Increasing Source of International Tension
Bloomberg
:
California Touts Desalination, but Take It With a Grain of Salt
Read more news featuring Pacific Institute research and experts
here
.
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Help us advance sustainable, science-based water policy with a donation today.
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