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Friday, March 3, 2006 Quote of the Day: "My own business always bores me to death;  I prefer other people's." Oscar Wilde Born on this Day: Alexander Graham Bell, Jean Harlow, Gia Scala, Jennifer Warnes, David Pritchard, Robyn Hitchcock, Mary Page Keller, Herschel Walker, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Tone Loc, David Faustino, and Danny Masterson. On this Day in 1978: The remains of Charles Chaplin were stolen from  his grave in Cosier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland. The body was recovered 11 weeks later near Lake Geneva. Sent to more than 23,000 readers nationwide... and thousands more via our lineup of online ads like the one above that appears on watertechonline.com Latest postings: Lincoln Avenue Water Company: Water System Operator Marina Coast Water District: Project Engineer County Sanitation Districts of L.A. County: Project Engineer Brown and Caldwell Engineering: Supervising Engineer Brown and Caldwell Engineering: Senior Engineer Brown and Caldwell Engineering: Engineer I Want more? See all postings. Asset Management NAMS asset management references now available from US source: Three basic references for asset management, formerly available only by mail order from New Zealand, can now be purchased from a US distributor. These are, of course: the 2006 International Infrastructure Management Manual; Optimized Decision Making Guidelines; and Creating Customer Value from Community Assets. Prices are comparable to buying from NAMS New Zealand, but the manuals can be purchased online by credit card and delivery should be faster. If interested, check out the site Asset Management Source for North America.   Today's News —  Global Warming World faces water crisis due to global warming (Sydney Morning Herald, 3/3) "The ice sheets of Antarctica - the world's largest reservoir of fresh water - are shrinking faster than new snow can fall, scientists have reported in the first comprehensive survey of the continent." Study predicts of 25% water drop in Africa (Monsters and Critics, 3/3) "Changes in rainfall as a result of global warming could leave one quarter of the African continent dry by the end of the century, according to a study by South African scientists." Warming: More water wars, UK and NATO say (United Press International, 3/2) "Climate change could become a major source of global conflict over the next 30 years, with countries battling for control of water supplies, British Defense Secretary John Reid has warned." —  Water Supply Mine-tainted water will be ready for home taps (Salt Lake Tribune, 3/3) "They are about to turn dirty water into clean water here, at the foot of the world's largest open-pit copper mine."   Plan OK'd to limit connections in Lake Arrowhead (Riverside Press-Enterprise, 3/2) "Lake Arrowhead water officials approved a plan that includes limiting the number of new water connections in order to meet a state requirement that the utility cut its use of lake water by about half. " Water transfers OK, but not subsidies (Modesto Bee, 3/2) Editorial: "The Oakdale Irrigation District has been slowly falling apart. Its main tunnels and canals are crumbling; its means of delivering water are inadequate and wasteful. Neglect, lack of funds or political will, the reasons really aren't important." —  Infrastructure/Levees New Katrina video shows Louisiana governor assuring levees safe (Associated Press, 3/3) "As Hurricane Katrina loomed over the Gulf Coast, federal and state officials agonized over the threat to levees and lives. Hours after the catastrophic storm hit, Louisiana's governor believed New Orleans' crucial floodwalls were still intact." Cities, counties lobby for infrastructure bond (NC Times, 3/3) "Speaking from a podium draped with a sign that read, '9 days to take care of the next generation,' regional officials and the head of California's association of cities Thursday vowed to press Sacramento to put a big bond on the June ballot." Levee talks spark anger, doubt (Sacramento Bee, 3/2) "With the deadline for a June bond ballot bearing down fast, Democratic legislative leaders expressed befuddlement and anger Wednesday over Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's latest proposal to front-load spending on Northern California levee repairs. " Al-Qaida vs. El Niño; Here, homeland security means levee fixes (Sacramento Bee, 3/2) Editorial: "Homeland Security doesn't seem to take natural disasters nearly as seriously as terrorism. The department, for example, recently proposed to drop Sacramento from the list of regions that faced risks significant enough to qualify for a special pot of security funds. " —  Surface Water Giant reed in Lindo Channel to be eradicated (Chico ER, 3/3) "Funding to eradicate Arundo donax -- or giant reed -- an invasive plant from Lindo Channel had been granted to Chico State University's Research Foundation." Study shows mercury levels high in Berryessa fish (St. Helena Star, 3/3) "New studies showing high levels of mercury in certain fish from Lake Berryessa and Putah Creek warn child-bearing women and children under 17 to closely ration their intake of those species." Computers used for checking fish mercury levels (ENN, 3/2) Thanks to Mark Moss for this one: "Pacific Seafood, a wholesale distributor in Sacramento, Monday became the first seafood processor in the nation to offer its customers the option of testing the level of mercury in the fish they purchase." —  Stormwater Napa flood officials field concerns about creeks (Napa News, 3/2) "The meeting was meant to give residents near Napa Creek, especially those in the Behrens Street area, a chance to vent about flood problems and possible solutions." —  Nukes EPA in hot seat over nuclear storage radiation (MSNBC, 3/2) "The Environmental Protection Agency will issue a final rule by the end of the year on how much radiation can be released from the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump, an agency official told senators at a hearing Wednesday." —  Meetings AWWA to host Desalination Symposium (Water Tech Online, 3/2) May 7-9. "Water desalination experts will gather May 7-9 in Honolulu, HI, to share their desalination experiences and explore emerging technologies at the first AWWA Desalination Symposium, according to a March 2 AWWA press release." —  Local/Agency News Bay Area water project could stall traffic (Inside Bay Area, 3/3) "The San Ramon Valley Recycled Program — a joint effort by the Dublin San Ramon Services District and the East Bay Municipal Utility District — is looking to install recycled water pipe on a stretch of Bollinger Canyon Road." BIMID reaches the same conclusion (Contra Costa Times, 3/2) "Members of the Bethel Island Municipal Improvement District voted 4-1 to accept a consultant's conclusion that building a water treatment and distribution system wouldn't adversely affect the environment in any way that the district couldn't offset." —  Everything Else AWWA announces new manual: Water Conservation Programs - A Planning Manual (AWWA News Release, 3/2) "This new manual discusses the benefits of water conservation programs that are carefully designed and implemented. It is a water conservation planning guide for city water utilities that provides worksheets, steps, goals, and program participant responsibilities and roles."   About the California Water News The California Water News is a weekday e-mail with links to current news stories in the California water resources industry.  Subscription is free to qualified persons!  Please go to our subscription page to subscribe.  For more information, you can also see some frequently asked questions. Referrals to new subscribers are welcome, as are suggestions for new links, news stories, opinion pieces, and your agency's press releases.   Any documents you e-mail us may be published on our web site and linked to from the News, subject to editorial discretion. Ken Harlow Brown and Caldwell 400 Exchange, Suite 100 Irvine, CA 92702 714-689-4852