Entries by Brett Walton

Deep Drought Stirred Action on California’s Right To Water

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Pioneering water law gained relevance in dry weather for solving hazards of water inequality. By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue Though the nation’s first state law to assure the human right to safe water and sanitation was enacted in California in 2012, not much happened immediately afterward. The law existed in a dormant state, like […]

California’s Clean-Water-for-All Experiment Begins to Deliver

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The state was the first in the U.S. to declare a human right to water. By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue Hundreds of thousands of California residents, perhaps as many as one million of the 39 million people in the state, do not have safe drinking water or toilet facilities. The wide gap in access […]

Federal Water Tap, September 11: Reclamation Misspent Funds on California’s Delta Tunnels Planning, Investigators Say

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The Rundown Reclamation subsidized planning costs for farmers and cities that get water from the Central Valley Project. A senator questions the economic analysis the EPA used in revising a contentious water rule. The House approves a budget amendment that would neuter the EPA’s ability to enforce Chesapeake Bay water pollution targets. Baltimore submits a […]

Federal Water Tap, September 5: Hurricane Harvey Cleanup Begins But Rivers Still Flooding

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The Rundown Dozens of drinking water and wastewater facilities in Texas are not operating or are destroyed because of Hurricane Harvey. President Trump nominates top EPA water official and appoints a regional EPA administrator. Mining company proposes expanding Nevada gold mine then treating the wastewater to grow alfalfa. Interior Department investigators can neither confirm nor […]

Federal Water Tap, August 28: Advisory Council Warns of Cyber Threat to Critical Infrastructure

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The Rundown Advisory council again warns that the federal government is not doing enough to prepare for cyberattacks on water and energy systems. The Interior Department receives millions of comments, primarily in support, for its review of national monuments. Energy regulators want more financial data for a proposed Lake Powell water pipeline. The EPA inspector […]

When It Comes To Water Service How Expensive Is Too Expensive?

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As rates rise, water authorities question longstanding affordability measurement.

Federal Water Tap, August 21: Undermanned EPA Delays Lead and Copper Rule — Again

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The Rundown Draft lead rule is now expected in January. The Justice Department settles a closely watched Clean Water Act lawsuit against a California farmer. Trump infrastructure executive order turns its back to the rising oceans, while the EPA will review an Obama-era water pollution standard for fossil fuel power plants. Thanks to a wet […]

Undermanned EPA Delays Action on Lead in Drinking Water

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For second time, draft of new health regulation is deferred.

Federal Water Tap, August 14: Wheeling and Dealing in the American West

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The Rundown A House Committee approves a bill to ease the transfer of irrigation and related infrastructure from the Bureau of Reclamation to local agencies. The Energy Department subsidizes hydropower generation from dams that did not previously generate power. The planet set another yearly temperature record in 2016, with lakes showing warming too. Local water […]

Record Heat in 2016 Broke Lake Temperature Records Too

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Warming lake waters worsen pollution, harm ecosystems. By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue An annual analysis of the planet’s climate reaffirms what researchers knew was the case: that 2016 was the hottest year since at least 1880, when reliable global measurements were first kept. Record concentrations of heat-trapping gases and a strong El Nino raised […]

Federal Water Tap, August 7: DHS Waives Environmental Review of San Diego Border Wall Construction

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The Rundown The waiver applies to a 15-mile section inland from the Pacific Ocean. The EPA adds seven sites, including a town whose drinking water was tainted by nonstick compounds, to the Superfund list. The annual summer Gulf of Mexico dead zone is the largest on record. Federal scientists are collecting water samples in a […]

UN Report Sets New Baseline for Drinking Water and Sanitation | PODCAST |

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Brett WaltonBrett 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 […]