Drinking Water

A long-awaited, controversial report weighs updates to standards that state officials say have failed to protect fish and wildlife. But environmentalists, Native tribes and others already are furious about how long this has taken — and the state is years away from putting a plan into action.

The irrigation bill, which aims to force businesses and institutions to remove their lawns, now goes to the governor.

Waste would undergo extensive treatment and testing before it’s piped directly to taps, providing a new, costly but renewable water supply. The state’s new draft rules are more than a decade in the making.

After California legalized medical marijuana in 1996 and then recreational cannabis two decades later, one might think that for many patients, the state would be a sanctuary for seeking treatment.  But as CalMatters’ state Capitol reporter Alexei Koseff explains, those who rely on cannabis to treat pain, seizures, glaucoma and other ailments say that despite […]

From CalMatters’ health reporter Kristen Hwang and political reporter Alexei Koseff: Gov. Gavin Newsom and a cadre of Democratic lawmakers want to be clear: They will protect medication abortion in California no matter what the U.S. Supreme Court decides on the issue — they’re just not entirely sure how. In a press conference Tuesday afternoon, […]

Bay Area Rapid Transit, San Francisco’s MUNI, Los Angeles Metro and transit agencies across the state are struggling to keep afloat. Public transit ridership in California hasn’t recovered since plummeting during the pandemic. And since then, transit agencies have been anticipating a “fiscal cliff” — a steep drop in revenue combined with the end of […]

Groundwater plans, largely serving low-income Latino communities, were deemed inadequate for preventing dry wells and sinking land.

The responsibility of keeping California's food system functioning falls heaviest on the backs of Latino workers, who are most frequently plagued by water contamination and scarcity. Given the trust local leaders have with their constituents, especially in Latino communities, education on water solutions is vital to ensure that vulnerable residents are protected.

The Sites Reservoir — a $4.4 billion project to add dams and store more water that’ll be sent south — is still years away from completion. The final environmental report is expected this year, before construction of two large dams and other structures can begin.

California has improved its water policies around safety, access and affordability in response to a 2012 law establishing a human right to water. There is much to be done in order to keep this promise to disadvantaged and water-strapped communities.