Industry News
Industry News
This Week's News Highlights
Policy:
Environmentalists sue to block massive rail yard in California desert
Courthouse News Service, July 2, 2026
BNSF Railway is investing $4 billion to build the largest rail facility in the country in the city along historic Route 66. A group of environmental advocacy groups sued Barstow, California, to invalidate the city’s approval of a massive rail facility in the Mojave Desert northeast of Los Angeles.
The Sierra Club and three other nonprofits filed a writ petition Wednesday in San Bernardino County Superior Court to set aside the city’s approval of the Barstow International Gateway because they say it’s based on a faulty and inadequate analysis of the project’s environmental impact.
“It’s unconscionable that a city in this day and age would allow a giant industrial project that will result in so much increased diesel pollution, which is damaging to people and the environment,” Seth Alston, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. “Barstow needs to go back to the drawing board.”
Victory: California Bill Extending Water Rights for Delta Tunnel Pulled from Legislature
Daily Kos, July 2, 2026
Advocates for water equity celebrated the pulling of AB 2215, a controversial bill that opponents said would have fast-tracked the $60–$100 billion Delta Tunnel, from the California Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water yesterday. As a result, the proposed legislation is dead for now.
AB 2215 would extend the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) water rights permit for the State Water Project until 2046, a permit that is necessary to build the proposed Delta Conveyance Project. Bill proponents claim that it is a “critical response to climate change and ensuring reliable water supplies,” but opponents contend that the very opposite is true.
EDWARD RING: Choosing the right infrastructure projects can deliver affordable abundance
Maven’s Notebook, By Edward Ring, Director of Water and Energy Policy at the California Policy Center, July 2, 2026
Two variables determine whether spending government funds on infrastructure is going to yield long-term economic dividends to society. The first is to choose good projects. The second is to do so in a regulatory environment that doesn’t elevate costs way beyond that of the actual construction. In both cases, California urgently needs a reset.
If the state deregulated its building environment, lowering costs, more private investment would be attracted to infrastructure investments, and the publicly funded share would go a lot further. With the right choice of projects to develop, overall economic benefits are enormous. People who today collect state-funded benefits could instead be offered high-paying jobs in construction. Californians would not only make more money, but everything they purchased would cost less.
Is it time to talk about water yet? – POLITICO (PDF)
Politico, July 3, 2026
California’s water agencies are trying to force their way onto the 2026 gubernatorial campaign agenda. With Democrat Xavier Becerra heavily favored over Republican Steve Hilton in the general election, there’s now little pressure to get into the policy weeds.
But the Association of California Water Agencies still sees a window for influence. The nonpartisan group, which represents 470 public water agencies, doesn’t have a PAC and doesn’t make endorsements. But its board approved and launched a new effort this year intended to shape the next administration’s water priorities.
The other affordability crisis
Washington Post, July 2, 2026
More and more, families are shaking their heads in disbelief when their water service bills arrive. A survey commissioned this year by a consortium of organizations that support water infrastructure — including my organization, the American Water Works Association — found more than 25 percent of Americans — the highest percentage in a decade of polling — say that their water services are already unaffordable.
…there are readily available and proven mechanisms, particularly federal loan programs, that can put downward pressure on the cost of water services. But those tools can only help if we summon the will to invest in them more. And the sooner we do, the better we’ll be able to stop the cost of water from ballooning in the years ahead.
Colorado River:
What happens when the water dries up? Much of the American West is close to finding out
Straight Arrow News, July 4, 2026
John Wesley Powell led the first expedition through the Colorado River Basin in 1869, filling in the last blank spot on the map we now call the United States as the country celebrated its 93rd birthday. As America turns 250, the reservoir that bears his name is in danger of hitting dead pool, marking a crisis point for the river complex and the 40 million people who rely on it. While civilizations made homes along the Colorado River for thousands of years, America’s development boom along the waterway coincides with a period of extended drought. That drought has intensified within the past 25 years as the climate shifts and one of the country’s largest river basins dries.
“This problem in the Colorado River,” said Brad Udall, a senior water and climate research scientist at the Colorado Water Center, “is unique globally and it represents a human-caused climate change shift in how we operate.”
Colorado River governors say they’re not at a ‘stalemate’ as clock ticks down
Fox 13, July 5, 2026
Governors from several Western states confirmed they met this past week to discuss the Colorado River in hopes of hammering out an agreement.
“We did meet to talk about the Colorado River and what it would take to get a deal,” Utah Governor Spencer Cox confirmed to FOX 13 News when asked directly about it. “I think we left pretty hopeful that there’s work being done now.”
The stakes are very high, with demand for water out of the river exceeding supply. A recent study warned that the entire Colorado River system is headed for a “crash.” Water is being released from Flaming Gorge to help prop up Lake Powell. The federal government has warned Glen Canyon Dam could be unable to generate power by the end of this year.
The U.S. Department of the Interior has said that in the absence of a state deal, it is planning to move forward with its management plan for the Colorado River. Final details are expected to be released by the end of July. The current multi-state agreements governing the river expire by October.
The “era of pools”
Arizona Agenda, July 2, 2026
If you want to understand the state of play on the Colorado River, you have to understand three very important letters. The letters are ICS, shorthand for Intentionally Created Surplus.
Among water nerds, it is an infamously arcane, controversial and yet critically important program that basically allows certain (typically large) water users in the Lower Basin to bank volumes of unused water in Lake Mead. The ICS program allows them to save water for a rainy — er, dry — day while providing some operational flexibility to the overstressed reservoir and its hydroelectric turbines.
The program was introduced in 2007, but it’s set to expire unless renewed in the next plan for the Colorado River.
Supercharged bubbles are threatening Lake Powell’s dam. Federal officials are battling to sustain water levels.
The Colorado Sun, July 6, 2026
Today, the same forces that threatened the dam at high water are once again a threat as the dam’s reservoir, Lake Powell, shrinks to historic lows.
At low water levels, more air from the reservoir’s surface can be mixed into the water, ideal conditions for bubbles to implode with destructive force as the water travels through tubes and turbines. And this year, the reservoir’s water level is extremely low. Federal reports show that the dam might have to stop hydropower generation before the end of the year to avoid catastrophic damage caused, in part, by the small-but-mighty bubbles.
The Bureau of Reclamation has spent millions of dollars adding protective layers to some of the dam’s water release valves. State and federal officials are debating how to manage around the dam’s limitations as part of high-stakes negotiations this year.
Tribes:
Drought emergency at largest Native American reservation in the US could create ripple effect
Fox Weather, June 15, 2026
SEE ALSO, Native News Online: Navajo Nation Declares Drought Emergency as President Buu Nygren Signs Order
The Navajo National Commission on Emergency Management — the largest Native American reservation in the United States — has officially declared a State of Emergency due to severe, ongoing drought conditions. Authorities said drought conditions are impacting communities across the Navajo Nation.
“The health of our communities, livestock and natural resources depends on our ability to respond proactively to these challenging conditions,” Nygren said. “This declaration allows us to coordinate resources, strengthen drought mitigation efforts and support the families who rely on agriculture and ranching for their livelihoods.”
The declaration followed drought disaster designations issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for counties encompassing the Navajo Nation, and recent emergency actions taken by the states of Arizona and New Mexico in response to persistent drought and elevated wildfire risks.
Critical concerns include declining water availability, deteriorating livestock infrastructure, reduced stock pond capacity and increasing pressure on grazing land, according to the Navajo Nation Drought Contingency Plan.
To address these challenges, the commission recommended allocating $6.5 million from the Agricultural Infrastructure Fund for windmill repairs, livestock water storage systems and other drought mitigation projects designed to strengthen agricultural infrastructure and improve long-term resiliency.
Energy / Data Centers:
Nevada’s largest county to consider data center regulations — but likely not a moratorium
The Nevada Independent, July 1, 2026
The Clark County Commission will be discussing potential new regulations and approval criteria for data center construction in the area. Two weeks after the contentious approval of a new data center expansion, the Clark County Commission is scheduled Tuesday to discuss the potential of “new regulations and the approval criteria” for data center construction, according to a meeting agenda posted Wednesday.
Commissioner Tick Segerblom (D) told The Nevada Independent that he requested the item be put on the agenda to start the discussion around data centers after more than a dozen people spoke out at a county commission meeting last month to protest a Switch data center expansion.
“It’s a hot topic, and it seems that people are scared,” Segerblom said. However, he said he’s not considering any concrete ideas yet. “I’m not sure if we’re considering a moratorium, it’s really just a discussion item to throw things out there.”
Data Centers and Groundwater Resources: National Ground Water Association Position Statement
JD Surpa, June 29, 2026
The National Ground Water Association (“NGWA”) issued a position statement titled:
Data Centers and Groundwater Resources (“Statement”).
NGWA stated that it launched a Data Center Task Force consisting of NGWA members to focus on developing guidance for policymakers, utilities, communities, and data center developers. The Task Force addressed ways to protect long-term water resources by focusing on:
- Groundwater availability.
- Transparency in water use.
- Best practices for siting and operating data centers.
The stated concern is that the proliferation of data centers in groundwater-reliant and rural communities makes it important that water resource professionals and communities are incorporated early in the conversation.
The NGWA Statement notes by way of introduction:
… data center development must protect groundwater quality and quantity, be transparent in water and energy use, and incorporate best available technologies to minimize or eliminate consumptive water use while supporting reliable and sustainable infrastructure growth.
Climate:
‘Uncharted territory’ as brewing El Niño, roasting oceans, heat bring risk for California, planet
LA Times, July 6, 2026
As extreme heat smothered the eastern United States over the July Fourth weekend and Europe struggled with its own deadly heat wave, experts warned that more record high temperatures could be in store for this year because of a strengthening El Niño.
Warming ocean waters have wide-ranging effects, scientists say. They can provide extra energy to storms and increase evaporation, boosting the chance for extreme precipitation and flooding; contribute to sea level rise; exacerbate ice melt and stress marine ecosystems, according to a statement from the Copernicus Climate Change Service and Copernicus Marine Service.
Only 3% of Arizona’s rain, snow ends up in our groundwater supply
Arizona Daily Star, June 21, 2026
More than 95% of all precipitation that falls in Arizona ends up evaporating into the air from soil or plants that take up the water. Only 3% of our rainfall and snowfall ever finds its way into the state’s often parched aquifers.
Those two realities form the backdrop for a new, state-financed report on groundwater recharge from researchers at the state’s three major universities. It urges public officials to step up efforts to capture precipitation and encourage it to infiltrate through sands and gravels in the ground into our groundwater supply.
The $3.7 million report concludes that carrying out even a small increase in the amount of water captured and recharged could cause significant increases in water supplies, although it didn’t specify how much of an increase.
Treatment:
After bold pledge, EPA shelves microplastics testing in U.S. drinking water
Los Angeles Times, June 30 ,2026
For the next five years, the Environmental Protection Agency has indicated it will not require public water utilities to test for microplastics or pharmaceuticals in drinking water, according to a proposed rule published in the Federal Register.
On Friday, the EPA submitted a list of chemicals it plans to test for under the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, a mandatory testing program used to collect information about concerning chemicals in drinking water that could be harming human health. It did not include microplastics or pharmaceuticals.
Advanced water purification: Creating Arizona’s next water supply
KTAR News, June 26, 2026
Arizona communities have spent decades showing that we can thrive in the desert by making every drop of water count. To do so, cities have invested in conservation programs, infrastructure upgrades, groundwater storage and water recycling, while residents have reduced water use. These efforts have helped Arizona communities grow while using water more efficiently than ever.
As Colorado River supplies become increasingly uncertain, conservation alone cannot solve every challenge. While continuing to conserve, communities must also develop new, dependable local water sources to replace reduced Colorado River water supplies and avoid relying solely on groundwater pumping. One of the most promising tools available today is Advanced Water Purification (AWP)