Seven states rely on water from the Colorado River. They’ve split into two camps and have made “zero progress” ahead of current apportionment rules expiring in 2026.
One key issue for working-class and low-income Black voters in Detroit is the cost of water. As of 2023, 27 percent of Detroit households are at risk of having their water shut off due to unpaid water bills, with $700 being the average amount owed.
While environmentalists say the new rules don’t do enough to protect groundwater, oil and gas operators are contesting stricter requirements for waste pits near wells.
Future in Context
Statewide cybersecurity initiatives, like whole-of-state programs, are offering essential support to smaller communities and agencies. Backed by federal funding, they aim to bridge resource gaps and strengthen defenses against cyber threats.
Minneapolis just unveiled a $60 million water tunnel to help the city manage runoff. But what about the state’s small rural communities?
The continuing injustice of Flint should be a wakeup call. With billions flowing from Washington and millions of lead pipes still in place across the country, now is the time to establish access to clean water as a human right.
The state’s “exceptional” drought has caused historically low water levels this year, risking pasture loss, severe crop damage and depleting water resources.
An estimated 9 million water service lines that still carry drinking water to homes and businesses are made of lead throughout the country. Yet an October deadline and a November election could delay replacement.
The water was being siphoned at the top of an old coal ash pond for reuse at the Boswell Energy Center in Cohasset, Minn., but escaped after an underground pipe broke. Experts say the risk is low to local drinking water.
In the Cuyama Valley, north of Santa Barbara, water continues to be heavily pumped to irrigate thousands of acres of farmland. A plan to prevent over-pumping has sparked a legal battle.
The lost water costs the cities millions and heightens the state’s water supply challenges.
A 2023 study found that 90 percent of the state’s beaches tested positive for unsafe levels of fecal bacteria for at least one day. Fecal contamination can come from urban runoff, sewage overflows and factory farms.
States are spending about $20 billion of the flexible funding from the American Rescue Plan Act on water infrastructure. Demand is expected to grow in coming years.
The Surfrider Foundation found that of the nation’s 10 most polluted beaches, three are in California. San Diego’s Imperial Beach held the top spot, with every water sample failing the state’s health standards.
In 2012, the city was spending five times more on sewers than it was on drinking water. In 2017, it was losing an increasing amount of water to leaky pipes. Last month’s crisis reiterated a history of jumping from crisis to crisis without fixing long-standing issues.
The new state department will be housed at Florida Atlantic University. It seeks to harness public and private research, education, technology and business applications involving fresh and salt water.
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