Click here to read the draft comments released yesterday afternoon by the Metropolitan Water District on the CUWCC BMP revisions. While MWD supports the basic concept of the BMPs, they do ask for greater explanation of the “new compliance strategies and goals or targets for agencies to strive towards.”  Comment papers are due to the CUWCC Wednesday, October 1, 2008.

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The CUWCC is set to vote on proposed revisions to the Memorandum of Understanding and the Best Management Practices December 2008.  With the date fast approaching, we invite Group 1 members to share their thoughts, positions or concerns on these key issues. Below, Matt Lyons from the Long Beach Water Department has this to say about the importance of participating in this statewide discussion:

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On Sunday, the City of Downey lifted the “boil-water order” for most of the city. The order has been enacted since Thursday, September 25, after city water supplies tested positive for coliform bacteria. Although the Downey relies 100% on groundwater, and not on water imported through Central Basin, the city is one of the largest in our 24-city service area. In a statement issued by Director Ed Vasquez, who represents the City of Downey in Division I:

 ”The city has an exceptional track record for providing the highest quality water to its residents. Their response to this incident further demonstrates their commitment to maintaining a healthy and safe water supply….we have been in touch with city officials to extend any services we can, from providing bottled water to support with water quality testing.”

City Press Release

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Boil Water Order -Q&A

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Water seems to be a hot topic in Hollywood. Here are a few upcoming films, documentaries and TV series featuring the world’s scarcest natural resource:

• “Flow” Opening September 2008 in New York and Los Angeles, this award-winning documentary investigates what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis. Read the favorable Los Angeles Times Review here.

• New California Water Series: Huell Howser’s popular series will be returning September 23rd, looking at the relationship between the water and wildlife of California, and how the two invariably impact eachother. The series, which started in 2006, is underwritten by ACWA and covers issues addressed in the association’s statewide policy document “No Time to Waste: a Blueprint for California’s Water.”  

• “The American Southwest: Are We Running Dry?”: A film intended to give audiences an “indepth awareness and education of the water crisis in the United States.” Billed as a “groundbreaking collaboration about the American Southwest’s water crisis,” the film is co-funded by the Metropolitan Water District, the Southern Nevada Water Authority and the California Water Association. Jane Seymore narrates this documentary, scheduled to be released Fall 2008.

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This month, Gov. Schwarzenegger and the Department of Water Resources announced their plan to revive a water banking system from the 1990s. According to the Sacramento Bee, the water bank will help thirsty Southern California cities and farmers cope during the drought, moving as much as 600,000 acre-feet of water from “willing sellers in the north to buyers in the south.” If managed well, that will be enough water to meet the needs of 1.2 million SoCal homes for a year. Read more about the project here. (Video behind the cut)

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With a statewide drought in full swing, this study couldn’t be timelier: Botanist Louis Santiago from UC Riverside has been awarded a grant by the National Science Foundation to look at the link between our current drought conditions, climate change, and Southern California vegetation. Not only will this project shed light on important drought tolerance issues, but it will create new opportunities for UCR students to research local ecosystems. From the press release:

Louis Santiago, the principal investigator of the two-year, $175,000 grant, will investigate which plant species in Southern California are most susceptible to drought and how their disappearance might impact the amount of water available for human use.

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We are please to announce that the wait is over! The Water Cooler is back online. Please stay tuned for great new posts on the California drought and water supply; the development of dueling state water bonds; and our brand new “Shut Your Tap!” water conservation campaign, which is bringing together more than 2 million people behind a single, important cause.

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