Latest news with #UCLA-led
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
As Colorado River declines, states are failing to tap an alternate resource
Five out of seven Colorado River basin states are failing to maximize a critical resource that could help alleviate the region's longstanding water crisis, a new report found. Across all the states, just 26 percent of treated municipal wastewater is being reused, according to the research, released by the University of California Los Angeles, along with the Natural Resources Defense Council. Arizona and Nevada, which both recycle more than half of their wastewater, stand out among the other five — California, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming — all of which reuse less than a quarter of their wastewater, the report determined. 'We're facing a hotter, drier future and we need to pursue water recycling aggressively if we're going to ensure a sustainable, resilient water supply for the Colorado Basin,' co-author Noah Garrison, a water researcher at UCLA's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, said in a statement. 'Even recycling 40% of our wastewater could make a dramatic difference, and we have two states already above 50% showing this is an entirely feasible solution,' Garrison added. The 1,450-mile Colorado River provides drinking water and agricultural irrigation to about 40 million people across seven U.S. states, 30 tribal nations and two states in Mexico. As the West becomes increasingly dry and a growing population consumes more water, this key transboundary artery is dwindling. On the domestic level, the seven U.S. basin states are currently negotiating an update to the Colorado River's operational guidelines, which are set to expire at the end of 2026. The UCLA-led research team drew their conclusions by analyzing 2022 data from publicly owned treatment works, which process more than 1 million gallons of wastewater daily across the states. They found that Nevada reused 85 percent of its treated wastewater, followed by Arizona at 52 percent. California, which is the region's biggest wastewater producer, recycled only 22 percent, despite setting ambitious water recycling goals in 2009 and boasting stringent regulations on the subject. Nonetheless, California fared much better than the remaining states, with New Mexico reusing just 18 percent, Colorado 3.6 percent, Wyoming 3.3 percent and Utah less than 1 percent, according to the study. 'This is a striking divide,' co-author author Mark Gold, director of water scarcity solutions at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a statement. 'The river is over-allocated by up to 4-million-acre feet a year, and state reductions can be less difficult,' Gold added. For reference, the basin states have the collective right to 15 million acre-feet per year, while Mexico receives a 1.5-million-acre-foot allocation. The average U.S. household consumes about half an acre-foot of water annually. In addition to identifying this dearth in water reuse, the researchers also flagged an apparent absence of basic monitoring as to how much recycling is actually occurring — creating a situation that they described as a 'data desert.' To quantify the amount of reuse that was occurring, the scientists said they had to in some cases call specific treatment plants to get answers. This absence of consistent reporting systems, they explained, speaks to other systemic issues: a situation in which prolonged drought, climate change, overuse and obsolete infrastructure have come together to create a regional crisis. The authors also criticized the lack of federal standards for wastewater recycling, while noting that just a handful of states track where their treated water goes and how much of it is reused. 'There is tremendous opportunity to expand recycled water use, but the lack of adequate data is a significant barrier for increasing wastewater reuse,' Garrison said. Going forward, the researchers suggested concrete policy recommendations for both state and federal governments. They advised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop model ordinances for states and work with them to create standardized reporting protocols and reuse targets. Also crucial, they added, would be the expansion of funding mechanisms, including grants from the Bureau of Reclamation. At the state level, the authors recommended assessing the effectiveness of individual state programs while also conducting comparisons between neighbors. Each state, they concluded, should establish its own numeric targets, timelines and interim goals, while working with local reclamation agencies. If the Colorado River basin states raised their water recycling rates to just 40 percent, they could gain nearly 900,000 acre-feet of new water each year, or enough to quench the thirst of almost 2 million households, according to the report. Although opportunities exist to ramp up the region's water recycling efforts substantially, the researchers stressed that doing so 'will require a strong commitment from all participants.' 'Water reuse won't solve the Colorado River crisis alone,' Garrison said. 'But it's one of the few solutions available today that can be rapidly scaled and sustained over the long term,' he added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
02-04-2025
- General
- The Hill
As Colorado River declines, states are failing to tap an alternate resource
Five out of seven Colorado River basin states are failing to maximize a critical resource that could help alleviate the region's longstanding water crisis, a new report found. Across all the states, just 26 percent of treated municipal wastewater is being reused, according to the research, released by the University of California Los Angeles, along with the Natural Resources Defense Council. Arizona and Nevada, which both recycle more than half of their wastewater, stand out among the other five — California, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming — all of which reuse less than a quarter of their wastewater, the report determined. 'We're facing a hotter, drier future and we need to pursue water recycling aggressively if we're going to ensure a sustainable, resilient water supply for the Colorado Basin,' co-author Noah Garrison, a water researcher at UCLA's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, said in a statement. 'Even recycling 40% of our wastewater could make a dramatic difference, and we have two states already above 50% showing this is an entirely feasible solution,' Garrison added. The 1,450-mile Colorado River provides drinking water and agricultural irrigation to about 40 million people across seven U.S. states, 30 tribal nations and two states in Mexico. As the West becomes increasingly dry and a growing population consumes more water, this key transboundary artery is dwindling. On the domestic level, the seven U.S. basin states are currently negotiating an update to the Colorado River's operational guidelines, which are set to expire at the end of 2026. The UCLA-led research team drew their conclusions by analyzing 2022 data from publicly owned treatment works, which process more than 1 million gallons of wastewater daily across the states. They found that Nevada reused 85 percent of its treated wastewater, followed by Arizona at 52 percent. California, which is the region's biggest wastewater producer, recycled only 22 percent, despite setting ambitious water recycling goals in 2009 and boasting stringent regulations on the subject. Nonetheless, California fared much better than the remaining states, with New Mexico reusing just 18 percent, Colorado 3.6 percent, Wyoming 3.3 percent and Utah less than 1 percent, according to the study. 'This is a striking divide,' co-author author Mark Gold, director of water scarcity solutions at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a statement. 'The river is over-allocated by up to 4-million-acre feet a year, and state reductions can be less difficult,' Gold added. For reference, the basin states have the collective right to 15 million acre-feet per year, while Mexico receives a 1.5-million-acre-foot allocation. The average U.S. household consumes about half an acre-foot of water annually. In addition to identifying this dearth in water reuse, the researchers also flagged an apparent absence of basic monitoring as to how much recycling is actually occurring — creating a situation that they described as a 'data desert.' To quantify the amount of reuse that was occurring, the scientists said they had to in some cases call specific treatment plants to get answers. This absence of consistent reporting systems, they explained, speaks to other systemic issues: a situation in which prolonged drought, climate change, overuse and obsolete infrastructure have come together to create a regional crisis. The authors also criticized the lack of federal standards for wastewater recycling, while noting that just a handful of states track where their treated water goes and how much of it is reused. 'There is tremendous opportunity to expand recycled water use, but the lack of adequate data is a significant barrier for increasing wastewater reuse,' Garrison said. Going forward, the researchers suggested concrete policy recommendations for both state and federal governments. They advised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop model ordinances for states and work with them to create standardized reporting protocols and reuse targets. Also crucial, they added, would be the expansion of funding mechanisms, including grants from the Bureau of Reclamation. At the state level, the authors recommended assessing the effectiveness of individual state programs while also conducting comparisons between neighbors. Each state, they concluded, should establish its own numeric targets, timelines and interim goals, while working with local reclamation agencies. If the Colorado River basin states raised their water recycling rates to just 40 percent, they could gain nearly 900,000 acre-feet of new water each year, or enough to quench the thirst of almost 2 million households, according to the report. Although opportunities exist to ramp up the region's water recycling efforts substantially, the researchers stressed that doing so 'will require a strong commitment from all participants.' 'Water reuse won't solve the Colorado River crisis alone,' Garrison said. 'But it's one of the few solutions available today that can be rapidly scaled and sustained over the long term,' he added.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
CASIT to join forces with academic centres for academic hub launch
The University of California, Los Angeles' (UCLA) Center for Advanced Surgical & Interventional Technology (CASIT) in the US has announced the establishment of a Center to Stream Healthcare in Place (C2SHIP) academic hub in collaboration with over 24 academic and industrial centres. This hub, which was first chosen as a National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers programme in 2021, has now secured a $4m grant from the NSF. The funding will support C2SHIP's mission to enhance in-home healthcare technologies and improve chronic disease management outside the hospital environment. C2SHIP brings together six academic institutions, including UCLA, the California Institute of Technology, the University of Missouri, and the University of Southern California, with more than 20 industry partners. The collaboration aims to drive innovation in healthcare solutions, with a particular focus on empowering individuals to manage their health at home through advanced technology. This UCLA-led effort will be directed by Bijan Najafi, professor of surgery at UCLA Health and the research director of UCLA's CASIT. The team's projects, at the beginning, will concentrate on developing and testing next-generation in-home healthcare solutions such as wearable devices and smart home systems. These technologies will be evaluated in real-world settings, and the team may also initiate related clinical trials in the near future. Najafi said: 'We strive to support the ageing population and individuals with chronic illnesses by fostering a 'care-in-place' ecosystem that integrates remote monitoring, intelligent decision support, and patient-centred care solutions.' In addition to the NSF grant, the hub has garnered support from its industrial members, providing UCLA faculty with opportunities to receive pilot funding. By fostering cross-disciplinary partnerships between medical and engineering schools, the UCLA team, in partnership with C2SHIP's network, aims to accelerate the transfer of knowledge from the bedside to the bench and back again. Last year, UCLA Health acquired West Hills Hospital and Medical Center in Los Angeles, California and its related assets from HCA Healthcare. "CASIT to join forces with academic centres for academic hub launch" was originally created and published by Hospital Management, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
