The future of California’s sustainable water supply is local

By Sean Bothwell, especially for CalMatters

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Imagine turning on your faucet and not sure what comes out is safe to drink.

For one million Californiansthis scenario is not hypothetical. In disadvantaged communities, including some in the Central Valley, families have been told for years to boil tap water for safety or buy bottled water they can’t afford.

Their water supply systems are constantly failing safe drinking water standards. Yet no significant action has been taken to fix this known problem. Meanwhile, 30,000 miles of the state’s shorelines, lakes and rivers fail to meet basic water quality standards.

How can a country at the forefront of environmental leadership fail to provide clean and reliable water for its people?

The short answer: California runs 21^St a century of water challenges with 20^th century technology under 19^th age-old law. And state leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, continue to promote infrastructure projects designed for rainfall patterns that climate change is already erasing.

This year’s rapid loss of snowpack is not an anomaly; this is a preview. Yet the state continues to push for large-scale projects that can’t deliver water to farms or families without reliable Sierra snowmelt. Instead of more dams and diversions, we need to focus attention and resources on a local approach rooted in our new reality.

California Coast Guard Alliance Climate Ready Water Policy Blueprint is a practical guide for state policymakers, regulators and the next governor to chart a course for a more resilient and sustainable water future. The plan is built on several clear imperatives.

Prioritize sustainable local water supplies

Instead of spending tens of billions to transport water across the state, California should prioritize investments in wastewater recycling, stormwater capture and water efficiency. These systems deliver water regardless of how long the snowpack persists.

These types of systems are proven, scalable and drought resistant. The payoff extends beyond reliability: California’s water sector consumes 19 percent of the state’s electricity and 30 percent of its natural gas, driven largely by importing water into urban centers from faraway locations. Prioritizing local water supplies reduces water insecurity in a cost-effective and affordable way, while reducing the emissions that accelerate climate change.

Strengthening and enforcement of water laws

The Trump administration’s repeal of the Clean Water Act has steadily eroded protections Californians have relied on since the 1970s. The most damaging change stripped federal protection of millions of acres of wetlands and thousands of miles of seasonal streams, leaving them open to pollution and development. In response, the state must strengthen its own standards.

We need enforceable rules that restore fisheries and protect coastal communities. California must adopt specific standards to combat pollution leading to ocean acidification and subsequent ecosystem collapse. We need real investments in floodplain restoration, forest health and the natural infrastructure that protects communities from billions of dollars in climate disasters.

Correct the water management system

California’s water bureaucracy is antiquated, unfair and unaccountable. The process for appointing our nation’s leaders is antiquated, prioritizing engineering expertise over science and fair representation. This approach leads to a continued reliance on gray infrastructure and engineering solutions over more sustainable and durable solutions based on nature and greening of the urban environment.

The result is a system where large water users—such as pistachio growers and data centers—get water cheaply while low-income communities subsidize their use.

We need reforms to address historic inequalities and ensure that those who want more water pay for it. Environmental justice and tribal leaders must be involved in water planning from the beginning. And we must ensure that polluters, not ratepayers or taxpayers, pay to clean up the water we drink and swim in.

Our economy and our communities depend on making the hard choices that will deliver clean and affordable water into the future. We won’t get there by funding yesterday’s decisions and hoping the climate cooperates.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and is republished under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives license.