The Rundown
- U.S. and Mexico sign an agreement to clean up sewage pollution in the shared Tijuana River.
- President Trump signs an executive order to quicken the buildout of data center infrastructure.
- Water bills in Congress include water bill assistance, water filters for rural households, and Clean Water Act permitting.
- Reclamation begins public scoping for a project to deal with sediment buildup in two Arizona reservoirs that supply Phoenix.
- Lake Mead, on the Colorado River, keeps dropping to new annual lows.
- Federal researchers contribute to papers on Lake Erie phosphorus flows and non-native carp in the Tennessee River.
And lastly, an Ohio representative lauds geothermal energy and wastewater heat mining.
“There is a whole lot of energy wasted, being dumped into the lake. We have to capture it.” – Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) speaking on the House floor about treated wastewater – and the heat it holds – being discharged into Lake Erie. Kaptur went on the record to encourage more widespread use of wastewater heat and geothermal energy. “If we are serious about building a resilient energy-independent future, we need an all-of-the-above energy strategy, including unpacking the power that is already beneath us in the Earth and being wasted,” Kaptur added.
By the Numbers
1,054 Feet: Surface elevation of Lake Mead, the lowest the big Colorado River reservoir has been this year.
News Briefs
Tijuana River Cleanup Agreement
The U.S. and Mexico signed an agreement to resolve the longstanding problem of sewage pollution in the Tijuana River, which begins in Mexico and flows across the border.
The agreement lists actions and sets timelines. The U.S. agreed to expand the existing South Bay facility, with an interim expansion this summer and a doubling of its treatment capacity by December 2027. Mexico committed to complete a suite of sewage system improvements – pipelines, pump stations, power supply – by the same deadline.
The agreement provides for additional actions to control sewage pollution that will be settled in a forthcoming minute to their water-sharing treaty. That minute is due by the end of the year.
Accelerating AI
President Trump signed an executive order to accelerate the buildout of data center infrastructure so that the country can develop “technological dominance” in the realm of AI.
The order dangles a bevy of sweeteners: tax breaks, loans, loan guarantees, and truncated environmental permitting. The order reinforces an earlier announcement, which is to offer federal land for data center development. Brownfield and Superfund sites are also location targets.
Such an expansion brings environmental concerns. Data centers are using heaps of energy to power their operations and gobs of water to cool their equipment. Without forethought, a rapid buildout can strain local water supplies and utility system capacity.
Water Bills in Congress
More activity before the summer break, with bills on Clean Water Act permitting exemptions, household water bill assistance, and water technology.
- A bipartisan bill in the House would revive a low-income water bill assistance program that was born during the pandemic. Funding for the program, which helps low-income households pay their water bills, has since expired. Like its predecessor, this program would be set up under the Department of Health and Human Services. The bill authorizes $500 million annually for the program through 2030.
- Senate Republicans introduced a bill that would codify waterbodies that are exempt from Clean Water Act permitting. Those include waste treatment systems, ephemeral streams, and groundwater.
- A bipartisan bill in the House would reauthorize a grant program to spur water technology adoption that provides new supplies, identifies pipe leaks, or reduces utility operating costs. The program would be authorized at $50 million annually.
- A bipartisan bill in the House and Senate would reauthorize a federal program to forecast water supplies from snowpack.
- A bipartisan bill in both chambers would establish a grant program for rural drinking water improvements. The bill would allow households to install an in-home drinking water filter. Childcare facilities and apartments are eligible, too. Grants can also be used for water quality testing.
Studies and Reports
Lake Erie Phosphorus Sources
U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers contributed to a study that assessed the source of phosphorus flowing into Lake Erie.
Fields with high levels of soil phosphorus, thought to be the main culprit, were found to be a disproportionately large but “not the dominant source” that produces annual algal blooms in the lake. Nutrient reduction, the authors say, needs to be adopted broadly in the watershed.
Non-Native Carp
The U.S. Geological Survey began evaluating the best sites along the Tennessee, Cumberland, and Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway for preventing the movement of non-native carp.
On the Radar
Regulatory Hearing
On July 30, a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee will hold a hearing on Congress’s role in regulation. The debate follows the Supreme Court’s 2024 Loper Bright decision that curtailed agency power to interpret ambiguous laws.
Summer Break
The House is on recess until after Labor Day.
Sediment Buildup in Arizona Reservoirs
The Bureau of Reclamation is beginning an environmental review of a project to deal with sediment in two reservoirs on the Verde River.
Horseshoe Reservoir has lost a quarter of its original storage capacity due to accumulated sediment. Bartlett Reservoir has lost about 15 percent. The reservoirs are part of a water-supply system for the Phoenix area.
Reclamation will analyze several options, including dredging the reservoirs and building a new, higher Bartlett Dam.
Five public meetings will be held to gather comments, starting on July 28. Registration details are here.
Glen Canyon Dam Meeting
A committee that advises the Interior Department on the ecosystem effects of operating Glen Canyon Dam will hold a public meeting on August 20 and 21.
The agenda includes updates on Colorado River hydrology, possible 2026 scientific experiments, funding status, and endangered species in the watershed.
The meeting will be livestreamed. Log-in details are here.
Federal Water Tap is a weekly digest spotting trends in U.S. government water policy. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.