With California’s ongoing historic drought exacerbated by global warming, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday released a new plan to adapt to the state’s hotter, drier future by capturing and storing more water, recycling more wastewater and desalinating seawater and saline groundwater.
The governor’s new water supply strategy, detailed in a 16-page document, lays out a series of actions aimed at preparing the state for an estimated 10% drop in California’s water supply by 2040 due to higher temperatures and reduced runoff. The plan focuses on accelerating infrastructure projects, increasing conservation and upgrading the state’s water system to match the increasing pace of climate change, ensuring enough water for an estimated 8.4 million households.
“The coughs are getting a lot hotter. The coughs are getting a lot drier,” Newsom said. “We have to adapt to the new reality and we have to change our approach.”
Newsom called it “an aggressive plan to rebuild the way we collect, store and deliver water so our children and grandchildren can continue to call California home in this warmer, drier climate.”
Newsom talked about the plan in Antioch, where a desalination plant is being built to treat brackish water.
Newsom also announced the appointment of his gubernatorial rival and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as his new infrastructure czar.
The state plan calls for expanding water storage capacity above and below ground by 4 million acre-feet; expanding average groundwater recharge by 500,000 acre-feet; acceleration of wastewater recycling projects; construction projects to capture more runoff during storms and desalination of seawater and saline groundwater.
The projected loss of 10% of the state’s water supply within two decades means a loss of 6 million to 9 million acre-feet per year on average—more than the volume of Shasta Lake, the state’s largest reservoir, which holds 4.5 million acre-feet -foot. .
The state’s plan refers to how warmer temperatures triggered by rising levels of greenhouse gases are leading to what many scientists describe as aridification. A warmer climate makes the atmosphere “thirstier” and draws more moisture from the landscape through evaporation and increases the amount of vegetation, leaving less runoff for streams and rivers.
“Regardless of drought or flood, in this changing climate, there will be less water available for people to use,” the state plan says. “To match the pace of climate change, California must move smarter and faster to update our water systems. Modernizing our water systems will help replenish the water California will lose due to warmer and drier weather.”
The extreme dryness and high temperatures during the 2012-16 drought, closely followed by the current drought since 2020, “send a strong climate signal that we need to heed,” the plan says. It says these more extreme conditions make it clear that California should “double down” on a set of actions to strengthen the state’s water supply “with urgency.”
State officials said implementing the strategy, which builds on the governor’s water resiliency portfolio released in 2020, will require coordination with local and federal agencies and tribes.
“The best science tells us that we need to act now to adapt to California’s water future. Climate change means that droughts won’t just continue for two years at a time, as they have historically,” Newsom said in a declaration. “Extreme weather is a fixture here in the American West, and California will adapt to this new reality.”
The plan includes goals and timelines, such as expanding brackish groundwater desalination to 84,000 acre-feet by 2040, and increasing the state’s capacity to capture stormwater by 500,000 acre-feet by 2040. By comparison, Los Angeles’ total annual water use is nearly 500,000 acre-feet.
Among other things, the state plan calls for the establishment of a coordination committee for recharging groundwater, which will help implement projects that will collect water and rebuild groundwater reservoirs.
To offset the increased evaporation and reduced supplies brought about by the changing climate, the plan says, “California must capture, reuse, desalinate and conserve more water.” It says the new set of priorities will “use water that would otherwise be unusable, expand supplies with efficiency, and expand our capacity to tap water from large storms in dry times.”
The plan says this approach is designed for a “weather whiplash-prone climate.”
Who owns the water in California?
In California, up to eight times more people have water rights than there is water to supply them. The oldest water rights belong to land bordering rivers, streams and lakes. But only the property that borders the water has the rights. You cannot sell the land without the rights.
Who controls the water in California? The Department of Water Resources is responsible for the management of water use, including the provision of water to two-thirds of California’s population through the State Water Project.
Is all water in California owned by the state?
Water is protected for the use and benefit of all Californians. California waters cannot be owned by individuals, groups, corporations, or government agencies. But permits, licenses and registrations give individuals and others the right to beneficially use reasonable amounts of water.
Who controls the water supply in California?
The State Water Resources Control Board is a five-member board appointed by the governor that assigns water rights to California’s surface waters and, along with nine regional boards, regulates the state’s water quality.
How much of California water is privately owned?
System ownership and size are inversely related. These smaller systems are responsible for the drinking water supply of approximately 2.3 million people. 68% of such systems are privately owned (n=1,644), compared to only 18% of larger systems (n=82).
Who owns the water rights to California?
The waterfront property owner who lives next to the river has the right to use that water, a right that cannot be transferred off the land. But during the gold rush of the 19th century, miners also developed a system where they demanded rights to take and transport water.
Is water privately owned in California?
Water rights are property rights, but their holders do not own the water itself. They have the right to use it.
Who controls the water supply in California?
The State Water Resources Control Board is a five-member board appointed by the governor that assigns water rights to California’s surface waters and, along with nine regional boards, regulates the state’s water quality.
Is water privately owned in California?
Water rights are property rights, but their holders do not own the water itself. They have the right to use it.
Is water District public or private?
What is a Water District (WD)? A water district is a local corporate entity that operates and maintains a water supply system in one or more provincial cities or municipalities. It is established on the basis of local option and, like the LWUA, is classified as a government-owned and controlled corporation, or GOCC.
Is California water service a government agency?
California Water Service Group (CWSG) is an American public utility that provides drinking water and wastewater services.
Why can’t California use desalination plants?
After an hour-long hearing, members of a state coastal panel unanimously rejected a proposed desalination plant for Southern California on Thursday over concerns that the plant would kill marine life and increase the cost of water.
Why doesn’t the US desalinate seawater? The problem is that desalination of water requires a lot of energy. Salt dissolves very easily in water and forms strong chemical bonds, and these bonds are difficult to break. Energy and the technology to desalinate water are both expensive, and this means that desalinating water can be quite expensive.
Is desalination possible in California?
Currently, there are 12 existing desalination plants throughout California.
What states in the US have desalination plants?
In the United States, over 400 municipal desalination plants have been opened since 1971, and an estimated 200 or more are currently in operation, although the exact number is not known with certainty. Most are in California, Florida and Texas.
Is desalination practical for California?
“Seawater desalination is an option for California, but it’s the most expensive option, and it has significant energy and greenhouse gas impacts, and it affects our marine environment,” said Pacific Institute Research Director Heather Cooley.
Why is the US not building desalination plants?
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – A California coastal panel on Wednesday rejected a long-running proposal to build a $1.4 billion seawater desalination plant to turn Pacific Ocean water into drinking water as the state grapples with persistent drought expected to worsen in coming years with climate change .
Why can’t California purify ocean water?
Mandy Sackett, California policy coordinator for the Surfrider Foundation, said it didn’t make sense to discharge treated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean only to have the same water pumped back up for desalination, a process that would cost residents more and harm marine ecosystems.
What is the main problem with desalination plants?
Desalination has the potential to increase dependence on fossil fuels, increase greenhouse gas emissions and exacerbate climate change if renewable energy sources are not used for freshwater production. Desalination of surface water is a huge threat to marine life.
Why can’t California purify ocean water?
Mandy Sackett, California policy coordinator for the Surfrider Foundation, said it didn’t make sense to discharge treated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean only to have the same water pumped back up for desalination, a process that would cost residents more and harm marine ecosystems.
Does California purify ocean water?
California currently has 12 seawater desalination plants in operation. The Huntington Beach proposal has the support of Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said he wants to diversify the state’s water supply.
Why can’t they filter ocean water?
Salt dissolves very easily in water and forms strong chemical bonds, and these bonds are difficult to break. Energy and the technology to desalinate water are both expensive, and this means that desalinating water can be quite expensive.
How does California move water around to areas that don’t have enough?
An integrated system of federal, state, and locally owned dams, reservoirs, pumping facilities, and aqueducts transports much of the state’s surface water hundreds of miles. But moving water over great distances has created intense regional rivalries.
How is water stored and moved in California? Everything depends on the development and management of water: capturing it behind dams, storing it in reservoirs and diverting it in canals that stretch hundreds of miles across the state. California has 1,400 dams, two of the largest water storage and transportation systems in the world – the Central Valley Project (CVP) …
Why is there not enough water in California?
In fact, California is moving into new “and worrisome” territory for three reasons: increasing heat, which causes increased evaporation; the continued depletion of groundwater supplies; and growing water shortages on the Colorado River, the main external water source for Southern California.
Does California not have enough water?
The answer, according to Kightlinger and other experts, is that there is plenty of water available to new Californians if the 60-year trend of residents using less continues and accelerates into the future.
How long until CA runs out of water?
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) now predicts that California only has enough water supply to last one year.
How Can California get more water?
Reuse. Increase water supply through safe recycling. Every year in California, we divert 4 million acre-feet of water from our rivers, use it once, partially clean it up, and dump it into the ocean. That’s more water than the massive State Water Project can deliver.
What are some possible solutions to California’s water problems?
However, new technologies such as desalination, satellites, rainwater filtration, anti-leakage products, cloud seed drones and micro-drip irrigation may hold the key to ameliorating the drought disaster in the state.
How can we solve the California drought?
Install low-flow shower heads and save 2.5-15 liters of water during a 10-minute shower. Take five-minute showers instead of 10-minute showers and save 12.5-25 liters of water. Almost 22 percent of indoor water use in the home comes from washing clothes, save water by only using it for full loads.
Why is the US not building desalination plants?
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – A California coastal panel on Wednesday rejected a long-running proposal to build a $1.4 billion seawater desalination plant to turn Pacific Ocean water into drinking water as the state grapples with persistent drought expected to worsen in coming years with climate change .
Why did California reject desalination plants? Coastal Commission staff had advised the commission to deny approval – citing, among other things, the high cost of the water and lack of local demand for it, the risks to marine life and the possibility of flooding in the area as sea levels rise.
Why can’t California purify ocean water?
Mandy Sackett, California policy coordinator for the Surfrider Foundation, said it didn’t make sense to discharge treated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean only to have the same water pumped back up for desalination, a process that would cost residents more and harm marine ecosystems.
Why can’t they filter ocean water?
Salt dissolves very easily in water and forms strong chemical bonds, and these bonds are difficult to break. Energy and the technology to desalinate water are both expensive, and this means that desalinating water can be quite expensive.
Is desalination possible in California?
Currently, there are 12 existing desalination plants throughout California.
What is the main problem with desalination plants?
Desalination has the potential to increase dependence on fossil fuels, increase greenhouse gas emissions and exacerbate climate change if renewable energy sources are not used for freshwater production. Desalination of surface water is a huge threat to marine life.
What are the 3 main problems associated with desalination?
There are definitely three factors: drought, climate change and population growth.
What are two issues with desalination plants?
Brine production and high energy consumption are important disadvantages of desalination. Disposal of toxic brine is both costly and associated with negative environmental impacts.
Why does the US not have more desalination plants?
However, there is increasing regional scarcity. So why don’t we desalinate more to alleviate shortages and growing water conflicts? The problem is that desalination of water requires a lot of energy. Salt dissolves very easily in water and forms strong chemical bonds, and these bonds are difficult to break.
What is the downfall of desalination?
Desalination is not a perfected technology and desalinated water can also be harmful to human health. Byproducts of the chemicals used in desalination can seep into the “clean” water and endanger the people who drink it. Desalinated water can also be acidic to both pipes and digestive systems.
How many desalination plants are there in USA?
The United States currently has over 1,400 installed desalination plants, with the majority used to desalinate brackish water.
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