Water

There's a Deal to Conserve the Colorado River, Now Comes the Hard Part

After two decades of an ongoing “mega drought” in the West, there are a variety of water conservation efforts to choose from. But one idea in California sticks out.

  • By Rachel Gottlieb

North Dakota Governor for President?

What the U.S. Supreme Court rulings mean for states and localities; watching the debt limit drama; and more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.

  • By Elizabeth Daigneau

Supreme Court Scales Back Scope of Clean Water Act

Conservatives on the court say the decision preserves state authority to regulate land and water use. But liberal justices worry the ruling will gut efforts to curb water pollution.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

States Differ Over What's a 'Disadvantaged' Community

The definitions states are using to define a disadvantaged community varies widely, and it is leaving many low-income communities out of federal funding for essential water projects.

  • By Kery Murakami

Texas’ Water Infrastructure Is Broken, Jeopardizing Quality and Supply for a Growing State

Texas has more than 7,000 water systems. A fraction of them self-reported that they lost 30 billion gallons of water due to broken pipes and leaks in 2021.

  • By Pooja Salhotra and Jayme Lozano Carver, The Texas Tribune

Congress Used Money Slated for Clean Water as Earmarks

Despite a historic investment in water, states say they need the money diverted in earmarks during last year’s budget negotiations to provide clean water.

  • By Kery Murakami

States Awarded $6.5B to Help Remove Lead Pipes

After shortchanging the states with the most lead pipes last year, funding was tweaked to get the money to where it was needed most.

  • By Kery Murakami

A Spill Outside Philadelphia Adds to the Growing List of Chemical Accidents This Year

There have already been 50 chemical spills or fires in the U.S. this year, and it's only March.

  • By Max Graham, Grist

States’ Role in Water and Wastewater Spending Secure, Says EPA

An agency official reassured state and federal officials that “states are very much in the driver's seat” in picking which projects to spend funds from the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

  • By Kery Murakami

The Five Best Movies About State or Local Government

The glitz! The glamour! The government officials! In honor of this weekend’s Oscar Awards, here are our team’s top picks depicting everything from municipal water wars to prominent politicians.

  • By Elizabeth Daigneau

Schools Struggle With Lead in Water While Awaiting Federal Relief

President Joe Biden said in his State of the Union address that federal funds will pay to replace lead pipes in hundreds of thousands of schools and child care centers. In the meantime, schools are dealing with high lead levels now.

  • By Katheryn Houghton, KFF Health News

A New Strategy for Western States to Adapt to Long-term Drought: Customized Water Pricing

Even after January’s storms, California faces a water-scarce future. An economist and an engineer propose a way to test higher water prices as a conservation strategy without hurting low-income users.

  • By Matthew E. Kahn and Bhaskar Krishnamachari, The Conversation
Featured eBooks
Road and Transit Infrastructure Trends
Federal Recovery Funds at the State and Local Level
Infrastructure at a Turning Point

White House Launches New Push to Help States Remove Lead Pipes That Carry Drinking Water

Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin will be part of the Lead Service Replacement Accelerators program.

  • By Ashley Murray, Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Cheap Sewer Pipe Repairs Can Push Toxic Fumes Into Homes, Schools

COMMENTARY | Here’s how to lower the risk.

  • By Andrew J. Whelton, The Conversation

How California Could Save Up Its Rain to Ease Future Droughts

COMMENTARY | Instead of watching epic rainfalls just drain into the Pacific Ocean, the state could put it in the ground to replenish groundwater supplies.

  • By Andrew Fisher, The Conversation

After Years of Legal Action from States, 3M Will Stop Making ‘Forever Chemicals’

Legal experts estimate future PFAS litigation could cost the company more than $30 billion.

  • By John McCracken and Joseph Winters, Grist

A Water War Is Brewing Over the Dwindling Colorado River

Diminished by climate change and overuse, the river can no longer provide the water states try to take from it.

  • By Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica

$600M Slated for Jackson Water in Massive Federal Spending Bill

President Biden declared a state of emergency this summer in the most affected areas of the Mississippi city, where its water system is plagued with numerous problems.

  • By Bobby Harrison and Julia James, Mississippi Today

Municipal Water Leaders Want More Federal Help for Poor Customers

They say they’re facing an untenable situation as low-income households are pressured by higher rates and systems need major upgrades. One official warns that a recent drinking water failure in Mississippi “is a harbinger of a wider national problem.”

  • By Daniel C. Vock

Water Thieves Abound in Dry California. Why Are They So Hard to Catch?

A short-staffed state agency struggles to catch rogue water users.

  • By Jake Bittle, Grist

How Manchin’s Permitting Plan Would Restrict State Power

The senator’s proposal seeks to codify into law Trump-era rules narrowing how states can evaluate projects like gas pipelines and power plants under the Clean Water Act.

  • By Kery Murakami