Federal Water Tap, March 28: Clean Water

USAID Newsletter
The U.S. Agency for International Development published its bi-monthly newsletter last week. In this edition of “Global Waters”, read about the agency’s work with wastewater treatment in the Philippines, urban water provision in Africa, and a partnership with Coca-Cola.

US, World Bank Say ‘We Do’
At a ceremony held on World Water Day, representatives from the U.S. government and the World Bank signed an agreement to improve coordination of their water-development programs. The Memorandum of Understanding is a first step toward collaborations in knowledge-sharing and program development, and increased investment in data collection and water-efficient technologies, especially in the agricultural sector.

Clean Water Act Offenders
With a couple mouse clicks you can find the Clean Water Act violators in your backyard. The Environmental Protection Agency has released a new version of its web-tool for CWA enforcement updated with the results of its most recent non-compliance report. Covering 2008-09, the tool shows inspection information and violations from large and small facilities in every state.

Snowpack Bonus
Thanks to the above-average snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, the Bureau of Reclamation has raised its allocation forecast for deliveries from the federally-operated Central Valley Project. Most users will get 100 percent of their historical allocation, as the bureau announced in February. The revised forecast increases allocations to agricultural and municipal-industrial users south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta, who will see their shares rise by 5 percent, to 55 percent and 80 percent of normal, respectively.

Reading Material
The U.S. Geological Survey released a bevy of scientific studies and reports last week:

• an assessment of the hydrologic effects of groundwater pumping in the Snake and Spring Valleys in Nevada and Utah (this is the area that the Southern Nevada Water Authority is looking to tap to bring water to Las Vegas and its environs)
• a study of the hydrology of the Biscayne Aquifer in southern Florida (necessary to avert urban flooding during the Everglades restoration)
• data from a study examining the distribution patterns of pharmaceuticals in wastewater effluent discharged to streams in Minnesota
• a report on the emergency response to the 2010 earthquake and tsunami in Chile.

Federal Water Tap is a weekly digest spotting trends in U.S. government water policy. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

Brett Walton

Brett writes about agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the politics and economics of water in the United States. He also writes the Federal Water Tap, Circle of Blue’s weekly digest of U.S. government water news. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, one of the top honors in American environmental journalism: first place for explanatory reporting for a series on septic system pollution in the United States(2016) and third place for beat reporting in a small market (2014). He received the Sierra Club’s Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Brett lives in Seattle, where he hikes the mountains and bakes pies. Contact Brett Walton