Both the Gatun and Alajuela lakes have reached the highest water levels ever recorded… — Panama Canal closed due to rain, Panama Digest, December 8, 2010

“… these rules are dangerous because, on the surface, it looks like the DRBC is doing something when they’re not.” — New Jersey chapter Sierra Club director Jeff Tittel, Delaware River Basin Commission posts proposed Marcellus Shale rules, The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 10, 2010. (For an overview of the water quality debate about gas exploration in the Marcellus Shale, click here.)

… the water exists only on paper. — A risky development, San Francisco Chronicle editorial on proposed development at Redwood City, December 6, 2010

… the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District is spending hundreds of thousands of ratepayer dollars on misleading publicity, when it could more usefully spend that money cleaning up its bacteria and ammonia-laden wastewater. — Pamela Creedon, executive officer of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, Another View: Time for Sacramento to update sewage plant, Sacramento Bee, December 7, 2010



The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, a state agency enforcing federal law, voted unanimously late Thursday to impose a strict new pollution control permit on the capital region’s wastewater system. — Sacramento appeal expected on sewer plant order, Sacramento Bee, December 11, 2010

Pacific Gas and Electric’s proposed plan to clean up Chromium 6 in Hinkley is projected to take 150 years to complete, but engineers working on the project say that expansion of the current processes already being used will work for the cleanup efforts. — PG&E proposed cleanup involves expansion of treatments, Desert Dispatch, December 9, 2010

Aquabib n. 1731 -1883: water-drinker, as in I was never much of an aquabib, and always preferred the harder stuff. — Archaic word item, Belfast Telegraph, December 11, 2010, via Proquest

“They’re picking on Florida.” — Attorney General Bill McCollum, Florida officials vow to fight EPA rules, Florida Times-Union, December 7, 2010

“Trying to get the truth out of the US Marine Corps is akin to nailing Jell-o to the wall.” — Mike Partain, who was born in a base hospital at Camp Lejeune, NC, site of a massive water contamination, Those affected by Camp Lejeune water still searching for answers, December 10, 2010

“People really need to test their wells.” — US Geological Survey scientist Martha Nielsen, Arsenic spreading in Maine well water, The Portland Press Herald, December 9, 2010

“Enjoy your next two years. You are so done. You’re worthless.” — Former board member John Ferreira to new board chairman Bryan Pilkington, North San Joaquin Water Conservation District’s stormy session, Lodi News-Sentinel, December 7, 2010

A hydrologist with Department of Environmental Quality, Robert Burgholzer … found that if this model had been used last summer to calculate the release from the lake, the water level of the reservoir [Lake Chesdin] would have fallen only about four feet instead of the more than 11 feet it actually fell. — State officials agree method used to compute river flow was flawed, Petersburg Progress-Index, December 10, 2010

“We may want the water to go that direction, but we don’t want the fish to go.” — Jacob McQuirk, project manager for the California Department of Water Resources, ‘Bubble curtain’ planned for slough to steer salmon to safety, Sacramento Bee, December 7, 2010

“We’re concerned about a veritable soup of active ingredients in our water, and we really don’t understand very much about the interactive effects they may have together.” — Ohio Environmental Council health policy director Ellen Mee, Drug traces in water raise questions, concerns, Dayton Daily News, December 7, 2010

“You guys are the experts.” — East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland to water officials on what will be needed as the city changes water supplier, East Chicago water department to shut down temporarily, Northwest Indiana Times, December 8, 2010

“Most of the folks who work on Delta water policy are not anti-dam. We’re anti-dumb dam.” — David Nesmith, California Environmental Water Caucus, East Bay reservoir expansion to begin in spring, Mercury News, December 10, 2010

“We are delighted to welcome Howard to our board.” — Muhtar Kent, chairman and chief executive of Coca-Cola, Son of Warren Buffett elected to board, Atlanta Constitution-Journal, December 9, 2010

For California water news, go to Aquafornia, the newsfeed of the Water Education Foundation. For San Diego stories, try Groksurf’s San Diego. Or, for all things fresh water, do check in with WaterWired. For Bay-Delta peripheral canal/tunnel debate, try On the public record.

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