California Water Views

On January 10, 2025, Governor Newsom announced his 2025-2026 budget proposal of $322.3 billion. Unlike in 2023 and 2024, the proposal is for a balanced budget with a surplus of $363 million, although it does include $7 billion in funds from the state’s rainy day fund. The budget site includes a full combined summary, summaries of individual sections and a full detailed budget.

The budget includes reductions in funding for nearly all government agencies. The Natural Resources Agency has the biggest cut in net dollars and the second biggest cut percentage wise, with a 55.4% and ...

On August 6, 2024, the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved the direct potable reuse (DPR) regulations that were previously adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) on December 19, 2023. The approved regulations – which go into effect on October 1, 2024 – will allow public water systems and other agencies in California to obtain permits to develop DPR projects.

DPR is when purified recycled water is placed directly into a public water system or into a “raw” (untreated) water supply immediately upstream of a drinking water treatment plant ...

If there is one truism in California water, it is that there is not enough of it. In part to try to help address that issue, on December 19, 2023, the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) adopted the state’s first direct potable reuse (DPR) regulations. As detailed in the State Water Board’s press release, the new regulations represent the “most advanced standards in the nation,” provide a “climate-resilient water source,” and “add millions of gallons of additional drinking water.” However, is the picture quite that rosy? …