Water UCI

Water UCI UC Irvine interdisciplinary center that facilitates research and public outreach around water issues

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created in 1970 under President Nixon in response to growing concerns over...
07/01/2026

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created in 1970 under President Nixon in response to growing concerns over environmental deterioration, including notable events like
the Santa Barbara oil spill and the Cuyahoga River catching fire, and the growing environmental movement that led to the first Earth Day. The shift in understanding that the Earth's resources
were finite sparked a wave of social and political change that pressured leaders to enact stricter laws and legal standards to protect our natural resources. Before the EPA was created and
environmental protection laws were common, the world was experiencing high levels of smog and unchecked water pollution that allowed for the continued damage to the Earth.

Since the creation of the EPA, there have been numerous changes made to federal and state laws that serve to protect the environment. Without the EPA, there would be far fewer
environmental protections in place, allowing corporations to operate without regulations, increasing the risk of pollution (EPA, 2025). The main responsibilities of the agency are
protecting public health, cleaning up contaminated natural sites, managing natural resources, conducting scientific research, and supporting state and local governments.

One of the EPA’s most notable and important laws is the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), passed in 1974, which ensures access to safe drinking water. Under the SDWA, the EPA established minimum national standards for tap water quality through setting maximum contaminant levels and specifying the methods of water treatment that are required to reduce harmful contaminants (EPA, 2025). As the law expanded, states have set their own standards
and maximum contaminant levels that provide more protection than federal standards.

While the protections provided by the EPA and the SDWA have improved the lives of Americans, there are still oversights and challenges in ensuring safe drinking water for every
community in America. Across the country, water infrastructure, such as aging pipes, can cause contamination on a major scale, as seen in Flint, Michigan. This aging infrastructure, combined
with unprepared cities and inconsistent enforcement of water quality standards, can amount to cities going without clean water for over a decade. These shortcomings highlight the need for a
stronger investment in water infrastructure, consistent enforcement of environmental regulations, and equitable access to safe drinking water.

References provided on last slide!
Post Credit: Rachel Hillman 😊

Microplastics have emerged as a widespread concern contaminating California’s water supply. As plastic production grows ...
05/27/2026

Microplastics have emerged as a widespread concern contaminating California’s water supply. As plastic production grows exponentially throughout recent decades, plastic fragments smaller than 5 millimeters have infiltrated many water sources, ranging from tap water systems to bottled water. In California, marginalized communities have been disproportionately exposed to microplastics, proposing serious public health concerns, with risks including inflammation and reproductive harm demanding urgent attention. 

Physiological effects caused by microplastic ingestion represent a significant public health concern. While direct evidence that involves microplastic consumption to human disease is still in development, studies involving model organisms and cell cultures have consistently suggested that microplastics can provoke immune and stress responses, as well as reproductive and developmental toxicity (Blackburn & Green, 2021). California’s response to microplastics in drinking water reflects both the urgency of the problem and scientific understanding. California has become one of the first states with a government to develop a health-based threshold for microplastics in drinking water.

Beyond the biological effects, the concentration of microplastics in California’s drinking water to residents highlight how microplastics reach California residents raises serious equity concerns. For California, there is distrust of tap water quality among Latino and Black communities which has driven higher rates of bottled water consumption. While income is positively associated with bottled water purchasing, significant racial and ethnic disparities in microplastic exposure persist where minority communities are disproportionately exposed to higher concentrations of microplastics due to systemic misinformation and distrust about tap water safety. 

Although California is responsible for regulatory action, science is still in development to implement policy tools needed to establish mandated health policies. Together, these realities highlight the need for continued research and improved public communication about tap water safety.

Post Credit: Kara Truong 😊

Water scarcity is increasingly affecting all five continents, intensifying with growing population and climate variabili...
05/27/2026

Water scarcity is increasingly affecting all five continents, intensifying with growing population and climate variability. The global unreliability of water availability emphasizes the importance of nonconventional water resources (NWR). NWR are potential water resources supporting a sustainable water future, characterized by waters that are not naturally suited for domestic or agricultural use without treatment. Because NWR are the product of processes like desalination, they must be treated before use to remove potentially harmful components. It is important to consider the varieties, benefits, and limitations of NWR towards combatting water scarcity. 
 
Nonconventional water resources are commonly used as sources for domestic and agricultural use in water-stressed locations. The system of NWR consists of wastewater undergoing advanced treatment in order to prepare the water source for indirect potable reuse and direct potable reuse. While untreated wastewater was primarily used in agriculture in the past, population growth and the demand for agricultural production has promoted the reclamation of wastewater through treatment. 
 
As freshwater scarcity persists, wastewater reuse has become more accepted. Wastewater is defined as any source of water contaminated by human activity. Treated wastewater, being one of the most important NWR, is mainly used for agricultural and industrial purposes. With the increasing acceptance of wastewater reuse, new developments in wastewater treatment technology are being made. Carbon-based advanced treatment, CBAT, is one development promoting safe, high-quality water production for medical use. The technological progress of treated wastewater indicates the growing possibilities and success of NWR. Seawater is another principal form of nonconventional water resources, with major developments being made to convert seawater to freshwater. 

The efficiency and viability of technologies also increase the risk of spreading dangerous pollutants, which threaten environmental and human health. These factors pose limitations on the effectiveness of NWR.

Post Credit: Meva Bayraktar 😊

Did you sign up for our webinar? You still have time to RSVP by clicking the link in our bio! May 21st at 2:30pm!Will yo...
05/18/2026

Did you sign up for our webinar? You still have time to RSVP by clicking the link in our bio! May 21st at 2:30pm!

Will you be there?

Highlighting several Indigenous knowledge strategies on freshwater management💧In contrast to Western water management, I...
05/08/2026

Highlighting several Indigenous knowledge strategies on freshwater management💧In contrast to Western water management, Indigenous cultures often regard water as sacred, approaching it with respect, reciprocity, and care rather than as a resource to be controlled or exploited. To achieve genuine sustainable water management, it is essential to establish active partnerships that center Indigenous leadership and perspectives, as well as respect Tribal sovereignty.

Resources cited at the end of the slide, along with a list of some Indigenous-led water organizations.

Post credit: Kailey Gharavi

TribalSovereignty IndigenousLeadership WaterJustice IndigenousKnowledge WaterStewardship DecolonizeWater WaterHarvesting BiocharFiltration Phytoremediation WetlandFiltration

As California continues to combat intensifying climate change and severe droughts, one proposed solution to the state’s ...
05/07/2026

As California continues to combat intensifying climate change and severe droughts, one proposed solution to the state’s water supply is desal plants. Desalination removes salts and minerals from seawater, making it suitable for human consumption, agricultural irrigation, or industrial use. To separate contaminants, water is distilled through thermal desalination or is pumped through a semi-permeable membrane that filters impurities while allowing clean water to pass through. This process typically involves 4 steps: seawater intake, pretreatment, reverse osmosis filtration, and final collection into freshwater reservoirs. While desalination may initially appear as an innovative solution, there are various drawbacks to the environmental, financial, and public health concerns produced by desal plants. These consequences by desal plants spark serious questions about whether or not California should bring back desal plants as a source for water supply.

Desalination is effective in providing a consistent and reliable water source to serve the water needs of vulnerable regions like California. Not only does desalination provide a stable source of clean drinking water, but its advanced technology produces desalinated water for crop irrigation and industrial and commercial use. As a result, California is relieved of its dependence on groundwater sources without facing water scarcity. However, the energy intensive desalination process contributes to a high carbon footprint, deeming it counterproductive in aiding the issue of global warming in California. Furthermore, desalination raises concerns for the wellbeing of marine life with the release of brine, high levels of salt and chemicals, released into marine ecosystems.

While desalination may be used as a “drought buffer” in extreme circumstances, the permanence of desalination plants in California is not sustainable. The temporary advantages are largely ineffective considering the potential risks of environmental damage, intensified global warming as a result of high energy consumption, cost inefficiency, and potential health risks. Alternatively, California can look toward integrating renewable energy sources like solar panels in order to mitigate the high energy cost caused by the need for high pressure electricity during desalination. In addition, the promotion of water conservation and stormwater collection would pose sustainable, cost-effective solutions for the increasing water crisis in California.

California has shown a complicated history with the installation of desal plants. Located in Santa Barbara, the Charles E. Meyer Desalination Plant was reactivated during California’s severe drought of 2015. Despite being used as an emergency water source rather than permanent solution, the plant had cost $72 million to reactivate (City of Santa Barbara). On a much larger scale, a $1.4 billion desalination plant in Huntington Beach was proposed but rejected as critics argued the potential environmental consequences of marine life and high costs (Rachel Becker, CalMatters). Together, these cases reveal evident concerns to the multiple consequences of desalination in California.

It is notable that California’s water crisis remains a reality, and there are alternative methods to the current process of desalination. When resorting to the use of desalination plants in extreme circumstances, reconstructing and upgrading existing plants pose a more sustainable option by reducing infrastructure and energy demands. Although the high cost to operate desal plants remains a challenge, it currently justifies a necessary trade-off for a reliable supply of clean water to California in return. With current desalination methods including high energy demands, marine ecosystem damage, pollution, and high costs, these issues can be combated with potential solutions. Ultimately, if desalination methods were to be brought back to California, it can evolve with a variety of sustainable methods to reduce carbon footprint and protect the ecosystem.

How do you feel about desalination? Do you think California should revisit this idea amidst record breaking water scarcity?

Post credit: Kara Truong and Meva Bayraktar!! 😊

The combination of climate change and water demand in California is raising concern for the declining groundwater balanc...
05/05/2026

The combination of climate change and water demand in California is raising concern for the declining groundwater balance. Climate change in California is starting to affect future water availability, impacting water supplies necessary for housing growth and agricultural demand. Regions in the western United States are already facing decades of drought and those dependent on groundwater sources lack sufficient water resources. Future climate and increasing use of groundwater is putting water security at risk for several counties in California. 
 
The housing demand in California is outpacing construction (Wilson et al., 2024). Federal and state legislation has promoted housing growth but failed to consider the availability of water sources, especially in regions with limited water supply (Wilson et al., 2024). Of course, when new homes are built, they require additional water sources to serve occupants. Additionally, the continuous warming shown in climate change projections as well as drought conditions add to the uncertainty of water sources.  
 
Agriculture is the largest use of water in the western U.S., with agriculture accounting for ~80% of water demand in California (Wilson et al., 2024). Recent agricultural trends show the increased demand for water as a result of more intense practices including more water intensive vineyards and croplands. This continued expansion would stress groundwater supplies, limit the adaptability of farmers, and overall increase water demand (Wilson et al., 2024). 

Land-use related water demand in coastal regions of California may put housing policies and sustainable groundwater management in conflict. Housing policies such as the 1969 Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) states that local municipalities must accommodate housing growth (Wilson et al., 2024). However, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) develops sustainability plans to manage and limit groundwater supply and use. The incompatibility of the RHNA and SGMA in California cause instability in water resources needed for the growing population and gradual need for land use. 

Post credit: Meva Bayraktar! 😊

Speaking of Water presents Nataly Escobedo Garcia! The webinar will be taking place on May 21, 2026 at 2:30pm. RSVP now ...
05/01/2026

Speaking of Water presents Nataly Escobedo Garcia! The webinar will be taking place on May 21, 2026 at 2:30pm. RSVP now by clicking the link in our bio!

With droughts being a recurring feature to California’s climate, global warming is contributing more to this phenomenon....
04/30/2026

With droughts being a recurring feature to California’s climate, global warming is contributing more to this phenomenon. As California continues to grow in population and agricultural demands, the reliability of water supplies has become a major issue the state faces. Based on the most severe California drought from 2011 to 2015, it was caused by four consecutive years of failed rainy seasons. This failure of rainy seasons resulted in extreme moisture deficits, reducing agricultural productivity and depleting groundwater. 
 
However, failed rainy seasons are not the only cause of droughts in California. Climate change alters the frequency and severity of droughts through two prominent ways: precipitation and rising temperatures. As global temperatures continue to rise, the atmosphere’s capacity to capture moisture, known as evaporative demand, has begun to outpace the rate of precipitation. Droughts in California can also be derived from the warmer atmosphere that can increase droughts and drain moisture from the land. 
 
From the effects of climate change, results from a 2024 UC Merced study discovered that the probability of California’s drought recovery has dropped 25% to 50% lower than historical records, with ⅓ of the reduction caused by human-induced climate change (Williams et al., 2024) This indicates that on average, California may take three months longer to recover from a drought compared to historical norms due to increasing summer temperatures that evaporate soil moisture. (Lorena Anderson, UC Merced) 

Based on these statistics, human-induced climate change has fundamentally altered California’s drought risk. With these effects of rising evaporative demand, slower drought recovery, and snow loss, the trends all suggest that drought will become a more frequent and severe feature of California’s climate.

Post credit: Kara Truong! 😊

Water UCI welcomes our Spring 2026 Field Study Students! 😁🎉We are looking forward to working with each of you. Your effo...
04/29/2026

Water UCI welcomes our Spring 2026 Field Study Students! 😁🎉
We are looking forward to working with each of you. Your efforts and work will not go unrecognized! Please join us in welcoming our cohort for this quarter!👏👏

Read more about their interests on our Water UCI Fellows page!

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