Name: California Unveils New Long-Term Strategy to Bolster Water Security
Uploaded: 2025-01-04T21:03:19.000Z
Description: The governor of California on Thursday unveiled a new water-supply strategy that will enhance storing, recycling, and conserving more water that would otherwise go to waste.

Cary Dunst is the news anchor for NTD Evening News. He is also the co-host of NTD Good Morning.


Cary Dunst

NTD Plus

News

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.

NTD Good Morning

‘Parents Would Never Plead the Fifth’, Says Filmmaker on Fauci

With Trump’s Freedom Haulers 'Veterans Continue Their Purpose of Serving Their Country’, Says Veteran

Stefania Cox is an NTD News anchor and national correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Stefania anchors "NTD Newsroom," and co-anchors "NTD News Today" weekdays at 10:00 am ET.

Stefania Cox

Inventor Rights Resolution Seeks to Protect Threats to US Innovation From Within

Daniel Monaghan is a reporter for NTD News covering culture, social issues, and education. He holds a BA in Political Science and Government.

Daniel Monaghan

Women's Rights Rally Supports Sophie Cunningham Before Seattle WNBA Game

Mamdani's City-Run Grocery Stores 'Looks like the Old Soviet Union,' Warns Author

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


NTD Newsroom

France: Evacuees Return Home After Wildfire

Spain, Morocco Try to Halt Rush Into Spanish Enclave After 60,000 Cross and at Least 34 Die

US Sanctions Global Network Linked to Iranian Airline

Reuters is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages.

Reuters

US News

Cyber Defense Agency Warns Hackers Are Increasingly Targeting Water Systems

Dorothy Li is a reporter for The Epoch Times, covering China's politics, international relationships, security, and society. Contact Dorothy at dorothy.li@epochtimes.nyc.

Dorothy Li

Bessent Tells China to Fulfill Rare Earth, Farm Goods Commitment

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 31)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 30)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 29)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 28)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 27)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 24)

Paul Greaney is an NTD news anchor and producer. Since joining the company in 2018, he has anchored the station’s flagship Evening News broadcast, launched the NTD Business show, and produced documentary reports on pointed issues. 

The highlight of Paul’s time in the field was his coverage of the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Paul Greaney

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 23)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 22)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 21)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 20)

Tom Gantert is a reporter for The Epoch Times.

Tom Gantert

Melina Wisecup is NTD's congressional correspondent based in Washington, covering Capitol Hill and campaign politics.

Melina Wisecup

Politics

Executive Branch

Trump Uses Recent Speeches to Warn Americans of Resurging Communism

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

Shows

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

2.8 Million People in China Evacuated Amid Typhoon Bavi

NTD Movies

NTD+ Movies

The Unrestricted War

Breaking news and in-depth analysis from the United States and beyond. We bring you the latest updates, exclusive insights, and sharp discussions on the most pressing issues. NTD Newsroom airs Monday–Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

US Announces Visa Restrictions Targeting Cybercriminals

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

Congress

House Passes Legislation to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

Troy Myers is a regional reporter based in St. Augustine, Florida. His background includes breaking, criminal justice, and investigative writing for local news, producing on a national morning newscast in Washington, D.C., and working with an award-winning, weekly investigative news program. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his dog at the beach.

Troy Myers

Jason Perry is an Army veteran and NTD's national security correspondent. Jason primarily covers border security, national defense, foreign wars, and veterans' issues.

Jason Perry

Courts

Appeals Court Upholds Block on Trump Order to Tighten Mail-In Voting, Citizenship Verification

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

Sen. Lindsey Graham Likely Died After Aorta Tear, Medical Examiner Says

Bringing you the latest videos, livestreams, and premieres.


NTD Videos

Label

Live

NTD+ Live

Trump Makes an Announcement on Freedom Hauler in the White House

Mary Man is a writer for NTD. She has traveled around the world covering China, international news, and arts and culture.

Mary Man

China News

China Floods: Thousands at Risk After Multiple Dams Collapse in Guangxi

Jackson Richman is a Washington correspondent for The Epoch Times. In addition to Washington politics, he covers the intersection of politics and sports/sports and culture. He previously was a writer at Mediaite and Washington correspondent at Jewish News Syndicate. His writing has also appeared in The Washington Examiner. He is an alum of George Washington University.

Jackson Richman

House Passes Defense Policy Bill That Attaches SAVE America Act

The governor of California on Thursday unveiled a new water-supply strategy that will enhance storing, recycling, and conserving more water that would otherwise go to waste.

Gavin Newsom's (D-Calif.) proposal comes as drought continues to grip the West Coast and the state prepares to lose 10 percent of its water supply by 2040, according to projections by the Department of Water Resources.

“The science and the data lead us to now understand that we will lose 10 percent of our water supply by 2040—if all things are equal, we will lose an additional 10 percent of our supply by 2040," Newsom said at a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBnf_MMSuRc">news conference</a> in Antioch on Thursday.

"As a consequence of that deeper appreciation, that deeper understanding, we have a renewed sense of urgency to address this issue head-on," he continued. "But we do so from a multiplicity of perspectives and ways, not just from a scarcity mindset."

In a 16-page report (<a href="https://resources.ca.gov/-/media/CNRA-Website/Files/Initiatives/Water-Resilience/CA-Water-Supply-Strategy.pdf">pdf</a>), the governor detailed the strategy to ensure Californians have enough water for the coming generations—with proposed actions including:
<ul>
 	<li>Creating storage space for up to 4 million acre-feet of water, allowing the state to capitalize on big storms and store water for dry periods;</li>
 	<li>Recycling and reusing at least 800,000 acre-feet of water per year by 2030—which could optimize the use of wastewater currently discharged into the ocean;</li>
 	<li>Freeing up 500,000 acre-feet of water through more efficient water use and conservation to help make up for water lost due to climate change;</li>
 	<li>Making new water available for use by capturing stormwater and desalinating ocean water and salty water in groundwater basins, diversifying supplies and making the most of high flows during storm events.</li>
</ul>
"These targeted actions aim to secure supplies for people, so that homes, schools, and businesses do not suffer disruptions, and the state’s agricultural economy continues to thrive," the report states.

An acre-foot of water is generally considered enough to supply two urban households per year. In total, Newsom is seeking to boost the annual water supply by nearly 3 million acre-feet each year.

California generally consumes for either agriculture, urban, or environmental purposes between 60 to 90 million acre-feet per year, and losing 10 percent of this volume to drought means that about six to nine million acre-feet could disappear, more than the state's largest reservoir—Shasta Lake—which holds 4.5 million acre-feet.

In an aerial view, low water levels are visible at Shasta Lake in Redding, Calif., on July 02, 2021. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The proposal doesn't call for any immediate, mandatory cuts to water use in cities or on farms. Instead, the governor wants Californians to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15 percent. He also asked the state's more than 400 local water districts to develop their own plans to reduce water usage.

However, Newsom has previously said he wants the Legislature to consider a law that would allow the state to curtail people's water rights even when there's no drought. The state operates an archaic system of water rights to govern how much water cities, farms, and others are entitled to take and from where. An effort is underway to digitize records that spell out those terms, some of which are more than a century old.

Interest in water recycling is expanding across the West as states and cities see their water supplies threatened amid extended droughts. About two dozen communities, including those in Nevada and Colorado, rely on some recycled water for drinking, but that number is expected to grow.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (R) prepares to taste wastewater that was treated at the Antioch Water Treatment Plant with former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (L) and Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe (C) in Antioch, Calif., on Aug. 11, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Over the last three years, California has invested more than $8 billion in water infrastructure and management, Newsom noted in the report. The recycle and reuse strategy, which would make treated wastewater safe for drinking, would cost an estimated $27 billion by 2040, the biggest price tag associated with the plan.

California State Sen. Brian Dahle, a Republican running against Newsom in this fall's election, said he supports building more reservoirs, water recycling, and desalination, but doubts the governor's plan will come to fruition. He pointed to the fact that no projects have been completed with the bond money the state passed eight years ago.

"When do the people wake up and go, 'I want results. I actually want some results and I want to stop being promised and charged for non-results,'" he said.

<em>The Associated Press contributed to this report.</em>

CALIFORNIA

water

Videos

04_Top Stories

Latest Clips

Newsom

California

Lorenz Duchamps is a news writer for NTD, focusing primarily on the U.S., world, and entertainment news.

Lorenz Duchamps

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.

California Unveils New Long-Term Strategy to Bolster Water Security

News with integrity, from the United States and around the world. Focused reports and analyses that shed light on major issues the world deserves to know. NTD Evening News airs daily at 6 p.m. ET.

NTD Evening News

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 31)

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

NTD News Today

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 31)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 30)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 29)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 29)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 28)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 28)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 27)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 27)

Chris Beers is an NTD News anchor and political correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Chris co-anchors "NTD News Today" weekdays at 10:00 am ET.