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Thursday, March 16, 2006 Quote of the Day: "Man is the best computer ... and the only one that can be mass produced with unskilled labor." - Werner Von Braun (Thanks to Kelvin Harris, Utility Supervisor for the City of Oceanside)" Born on this Day: James Madison, Henny Youngman, Jerry Lewis, Bernardo Bertolucci, Chuck Woolery,  Robin Williams, Erik Estrada, Kate Nelligan, Nancy Wilson, Flava Flav, Patty Griffin, and Lauren Graham. On this Day in 1918: Tallulah Bankhead made her New York acting debut  with a role in "The Squab Farm." 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: Golden State Water Company: Water Quality Engineer City of Glendale: Sr. Environmental Program Specialist/Water Quality City of Fresno: Supervising Professional Engineer California Regional Water Quality Control Board: Engineering Geologist Marin Municipal Water District: Water Quality Field Supervisor Contra Costa Water District: Maintenance Superintendent Want more? See all postings. Infrastructure Funding Page Update  We have posted the full text of House bill HR 4560, establishing a national trust fund to improve wastewater treatment facilities, on the Infrastructure Funding page. Today's News —  Public Works Bond/Levees Bond Failure Equals Big Political Defeat For Schwarznegger (NBC News, 3/16) "A last-minute attempt to place a massive public works bond on the June ballot failed late Wednesday, handing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger a key legislative defeat in his bid for re-election." Aanestad Secures $1 Billion for Levee Repair in California (California Chronicle, 3/16) "Senator Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley) managed to secure a funding commitment of $1 billion from the state budget for levee repair and upkeep Wednesday, after a late night Floor Session failed to produce a bond agreement that would pass on time to appear on the June ballot. The budget appropriation means immediate funding for emergency levee repair work that should begin this summer." Yuba County levee repair money coming (Marysville Appeal-Democrat, 3/16) "Yuba County officials believe they may have adequate funding in place to keep repairing levees."  —  Water Supply Wells will measure saltwater intrusion (Lodi Sentinel, 3/16) "County engineers from the water resources division of the Public Works Department will spend $400,000 to dig two water wells somewhere west of Stockton and north of Lathrop." World Water Forum opens in Mexico (Associated Press, 3/16) "Failing public water systems have forced more and more people in poor countries to buy bottled water from private companies, a form of privatization that has created a sharp divide among activists and officials gathered in Mexico City for an international water summit."  California lives or dies with water -- whether it's snowpack, tap or bottled. (LA Times, 3/16) Opinion: "It's measured by the depth of the Sierra Nevada snowpack, the source of most California drinking water. As the snowpack goes, so goes the state. And with global warming what it is, it should be pretty well gone by the next century." Thirsty Valley drinks up rainfall (Fresno Bee, 3/16) "A late winter storm on Tuesday helped boost trailing rainfall totals and pad the Sierra snowpack as forecasters considered the prospect of more wet weather this week." —  Perchlorate EPA's perchlorate goal is criticized (Associated Press, 3/16) "A panel of scientists says a proposed federal limit of 24.5 parts per billion on the toxic chemical perchlorate in drinking water is too high." —  Infrastructure National Infrastructure Improvement Act introduced (WaterWeek, 3/16) "With bipartisan sponsorship, legislation was introduced March 8 in the US Senate to address the deteriorating conditions of the nation's drinking water systems, roads, bridges and other public works by establishing a National Commission on the Infrastructure of the United States and charging it with completing a study of current conditions and recommending federal priorities in three years." —  Dams/Floodwater Sacramento River getting closer and closer to home (Chico ER, 3/16) "Winters are hairy for Ehrk, whose home gets closer and closer to the Sacramento River as seasonal rains erode its bank. He surveys the damage after each storm, and the outlook, he admits, is bleak." Search for missing continues on Kauai (Contra Costa Times, 3/16) "Searchers with dogs looked for bodies in the mud and debris Wednesday after a break in a century-old earthen dam released a roaring, tree-snapping torrent of water and raised fears about the safety of dozens of similar dams across Hawaii." Auburn Dam weirdness (Sacramento Bee, 3/15) Editorial: "The Auburn Dam isn't dead after all. At least three different strategies have recently surfaced to revive some version of the proposal." We could play big role in a regional disaster (Davis Enterprise, 3/15) "Scientists and lawmakers alike have been loudly ringing alarm bells about the potential for a regional disaster. With 100-year flood protection, Sacramento stands less prepared for a flood than any major city in the country." Dangers in flooding are real (LA Times, 3/15) "As the Los Alamitos High School student turned onto Studebaker Road from the Garden Grove Freeway, she lost control of her 2000 Jeep Cherokee, skidded through the intersection and plunged into the raging waters of a nearby flood control channel."  —  Surface Water Army Corps finishes San Luis Rey River channel clearing (NC Times, 3/16) "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers met Wednesday's deadline for clearing a 100-foot-wide path through five miles of the San Luis Rey River channel." —  Toxic Cleanups/Spills Rubidoux district dodges fine for spill (Riverside P/E, 3/16) "The Rubidoux Community Services District will not be fined for discharging an estimated 10,000 gallons of raw sewage into the Santa Ana River last month, a state water agency has concluded." State, feds settle on Stringfellow acid pits costs (Press Enterprise, 3/15) "The federal government has agreed to pay the state $9.1 million in cash and credits to settle a long-simmering dispute over cleanup costs at the Inland region's most infamous Superfund site, the Stringfellow acid pits, officials said Tuesday. " —  Events “World Water Day” is coming up - get involved (WWD News Release, 3/16) March 22 "In 1992, the UN General Assembly designated March 22 as 'World Water Day' to draw international attention to the critical lack of clean, safe drinking water worldwide. It is a time when we are encouraged to pause and consider the largest public health issue of our time – the global scarcity of clean water." “Early birds” can again enjoy Eastern Municipal Water District’s Audubon tours (EMWD News Release, 3/16) "In partnership with the Audubon Society, EMWD is offering free tours of its constructed wetlands beginning Saturday, March 18, weather permitting. Other tour dates include April 8 and May 13. The EMWD wetlands site is not normally open to the public." —  Local/Agency News Lafco advocates merger of two local water districts (San Bernardino Sun, 3/16) "A little-known water district that makes sure the pristine waters of the Santa Ana River and Mill Creek go into the area's groundwater supply could disappear some day after a decision Wednesday." OCSD launches pharmaceutical outreach program (OCSD News Release, 3/16) "The Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) teamed up with the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (LACSD) and the City of Los Angeles in partnership with the California Pharmacists Association and the California Poison Control System in a joint effort to launch a new public education campaign to reduce the improper disposal of pharmaceuticals. " Central Basin Municipal Water District taking steps to protect ratepayers following west basin action (CBMWD News Release, 3/16) "Central Basin Municipal Water District is taking steps to minimize negative impacts and protect its ratepayers following West Basin Municipal Water District’s unilateral decision to end the two Districts’ partnership of more than 15 years." Rincon Director Cornelius to step down after 29 years on board (Rincon News Release, 3/16) "Willis G. 'Bill' Cornelius announced his retirement from the Board of Directors at Rincon del Diablo Municipal Water District (Rincon), effective March 16th, coinciding with his 90th birthday. 'I am proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish since I came onto the board in 1977,' Bill said. 'But I believe it’s time for me to turn the reins over to someone else.'" —  Everything Else NASA says northern ozone pollution spurs Arctic warming (Reuters, 3/15) Thanks to Mark Moss for this one: "Ozone pollution in the Northern Hemisphere, churned out by factories and vehicles that burn fossil fuels, is a major factor in the dramatic warming of the Arctic zone, NASA climate scientists reported Tuesday." 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