The Rundown
- After Texas flood disaster, the FCC will consider upgrades to emergency alert systems.
- White House will defend a Biden-era rule to replace most lead drinking water pipes.
- NOAA researchers discover in the stratosphere an unexpected source of perchlorate, a chemical which contaminates groundwater.
- An important Colorado River reservoir forecast will be released this week.
And lastly, Colorado representatives ask the White House to release Colorado River water conservation funds.
“As Colorado and the other Basin States work towards an agreement for future operations on the river, it is critical to invest in the health of our headwaters so we can all better withstand the impacts of drought. We must make these investments in long-term drought management now as Congress intended, and not delay until only short-term solutions are available.” – Letter from Colorado’s congressional representatives asking the Interior Department to release $140 million for already-approved Colorado River projects in the state. The frozen funds were part of the $4 billion that Congress approved in 2022 in the Inflation Reduction Act for drought response in the western states.
By the Numbers
$9.5 Million: Grant funding available from the EPA for water system resilience to natural hazards and extreme weather. Utilities serving more than 10,000 people are eligible. Applications are open through October 6.
News Briefs
Emergency Alerts
The Federal Communications Commission will begin looking at changes to modernize the nation’s emergency alert systems that warn residents about imminent hazards such as floods, fires, severe weather, and tsunamis. The FCC held a hearing on the topic on August 7
One alert system operates through radio and television. Another via mobile phones. Both are aging relative to the pace of technological change.
Recent flood deaths in North Carolina, during Hurricane Helene, and in Texas last month brought the alert system and the need for upgrades to the attention of lawmakers and policymakers.
“Through this notice the commission would seek comment on which goals alerting systems should be able to achieve and explore how the nation’s alerting systems can be designed to better meet the needs of officials that send alerts,” said Steven Carpenter, an electronics engineer in the cybersecurity and communications reliability division.
In Texas, flood risk was magnified by buildings located in the floodplain.
Aging alert systems were not the only point raised at the hearing. The Trump administration’s funding cuts to public media were also brought into the spotlight.
Commissioner Ana Gomez lauded the work of journalists at public radio stations in Alaska and Hawaii who provided emergency updates last month when tsunami warnings prompted residents to flee and then get stuck in traffic. Public radio provided clarity during a time of panic, she said.
“There’s no doubt how critical a role public stations play in our alerting system,” Gomez said.
Last month Congress approved President Trump’s request to cut $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports public radio and television stations.
“So as we look at modernizing our alerting system, I’ll be paying close attention at how we continue to support public media’s vital role as a conduit for life-saving emergency alerts, and I would urge caution from this agency and any others seeking to further damage their ability to help save lives.”
Getting the Lead Out
According to the Associated Press, the White House will defend in court a signature Biden-era rule that requires most utilities to replace lead drinking water pipes within a decade.
What that defense looks like remains to be seen.
“Still, the [Justice Department] and an EPA spokesperson stopped short of saying whether the administration planned to tweak the rule,” E&E News reports.
The American Water Works Association, which represents water utilities, filed a lawsuit against the rule last December.
Studies and Reports
Perchlorate in the Sky
NOAA researchers discovered an unexpected carrier of perchlorate in the stratosphere: wildfire smoke.
Perchlorate is toxic to humans at high doses and it is known to contaminate groundwater.
One source of contamination is fireworks. (Yes, really.) Another is precipitation.
The study found that perchlorate in the stratosphere binds more easily to the organic and nitrogen-rich particles that are carried aloft by wildfire smoke. The chemicals would eventually precipitate or settle out and reach Earth’s surface.
The EPA has agreed in a court settlement to set a national drinking water standard for perchlorate by November 21, 2025.
On the Radar
Colorado River Reservoir Forecast
This week the Bureau of Reclamation is expected to publish a key report that will determine how much water will be released from the Colorado River’s big reservoirs next year – and how deep the cutbacks will be for Arizona and Nevada.
Every month Reclamation publishes its 24-month study, which forecasts reservoir levels that far into the future. The August study sets the operating parameters for lakes Mead and Powell for the next calendar year.
One number to watch is the projected level of Lake Mead on January 1, 2026. If it is between 1,050 ft and 1,075 ft – as is likely based on the July report – the lower basin states will be in a Tier 1 shortage. That means a 512,000-acre-foot cut for Arizona, about 18 percent of its Colorado River supply.
Another number to pay attention to is the elevation of Lake Powell. If the July report holds, Powell will be releasing just 7.48 million acre-feet next year, a lower volume that will cause Mead to shrink, setting the basin up for larger cuts to come. Depending, of course, on new reservoir operating rules, which are still being negotiated.
In context: Dry Colorado River Forecast Gets Drier
Texas Pumped Storage Power Project
Paradigm Shift Hydro submitted an application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a pumped storage hydropower project that would be located in West Texas and use groundwater as a water source.
The purpose of the application is to determine whether a permit from FERC is required for the 300-megawatt Last Chance Energy Project.
Pumped storage hydropower cycles water between an upper and lower reservoir in a closed-loop system in order to generate electricity at times of peak demand.
Public comments, protests, and motions to intervene are being accepted through September 3 via FERC’s comment portal.
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.