Drinking water

Louisiana voters head to the polls Nov. 3 to decide 10 constitutional amendments covering property taxes, bail, and term limits, among other issues. Several measures address property tax policy, including allowing a disabled veteran's surviving spouse a one-time transfer of a tax exemption, giving local taxing authorities more flexibility on millage rates, expanding the income threshold for the elderly property tax freeze to $150,000, extending added exemptions for homeowners 65 and older, and creating a parish option to exempt rehabilitated blighted properties.

Other amendments would bar bail for people convicted of aggravated offenses against children, limit governors to two four-year terms in a lifetime rather than two consecutive terms, let retirement systems apply surplus funds to any unfunded liability instead of only the oldest, permit public funds for replacing lead-affected drinking water lines on private property, and prohibit property expropriation by foreign adversaries. The outcomes carry implications for state fiscal policy, criminal justice, and gubernatorial politics.

Water quality and Iowa's elevated cancer rates — long politically sensitive topics given the state's reliance on agriculture — have become central issues in this year's midterm campaigns. Iowa has the second-highest rate of newly diagnosed cancers nationally, with prostate, breast and lung cancer cases rising faster than the U.S. average. State-funded University of Iowa research attributes much of the above-normal rates to demographic and behavioral factors, though researchers are now examining environmental contributors, including nitrates from fertilizer and animal waste that run off into rivers and drinking water supplies.

Candidates across the ballot — including U.S. Senate hopefuls Josh Turek and Ashley Hinson, gubernatorial contenders Rob Sand and Zach Lahn, and agriculture secretary rivals Chris Jones and incumbent Mike Naig — are addressing the issue, though they differ sharply on whether conservation practices should be mandatory. Gov. Kim Reynolds recently committed $320 million toward water infrastructure and conservation incentives, following lawn-watering restrictions and a prior failed lawsuit by Des Moines-area utilities against upstream counties over nitrate removal costs.

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced plans to link the state's cap-and-invest carbon market with Washington's, a step officials say will cut additional pollution and boost revenue. The announcement, made during Climate Week in New York, allows the California Air Resources Board to begin the public process toward linkage, with joint auctions targeted for 2027. Officials estimate the move could generate roughly $10 billion in bill credits for electricity customers and $8 billion for California's climate fund through 2030.

California's cap-and-invest program, launched in 2013 and extended by lawmakers last year through 2045, requires major polluters to pay for carbon emissions and trade allowances, with the pool shrinking annually. Linking with Washington would expand the existing California-Quebec market. Modeling cited by the Environmental Defense Fund projects an additional 45 million metric tons of avoided emissions through 2045. The move comes as California pushes back against federal rollbacks of climate rules under the Trump administration.

More than 20 mayors and municipal leaders from across New Jersey will take part in "Over the Edge for Clean Water," a fundraiser for the New Jersey Highlands Coalition's 2026 Mayors' Challenge. The event supports the coalition's mission to protect the Highlands region, which supplies drinking water to about 70% of New Jersey residents.

Participants must raise a minimum of $1,000 for the chance to rappel 20 stories down the World of Blue hotel in East Rutherford. NJHC Executive Director Julia Somers said the event demonstrates bold leadership on water protection while raising critical funds.

The fundraiser is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and spectators are welcome to attend.

California lawmakers have passed Senate Bill 1153, which would give water agencies a legal defense against lawsuits blaming them for hydrants running dry during wildfires. The bill clarifies that public water agencies have no duty to design or maintain systems for wildfire suppression, and that loss of water pressure during a wildfire is not a "substantial cause" of fire damages. It also requires water suppliers in high fire-risk zones to include wildfire-specific response procedures in disaster plans. The measure, sponsored by the Assn. of California Water Agencies, awaits Gov. Gavin Newsom's signature.

The bill follows lawsuits against Los Angeles and the LADWP over hydrant failures and an empty Santa Ynez Reservoir during January 2025's Palisades fire, which killed 12 people. Similar hydrant failures occurred in the Eaton fire and past blazes including the Tubbs, Thomas, and Woolsey fires. A separate bill requiring water agencies to disclose backup pump power failed, though a narrower Ventura County law mandating backup power was enacted last year. Supporters say SB 1153 protects ratepayers from costly litigation; critics argue it lets agencies avoid accountability for preparedness gaps.

The Pickens, South Carolina City Council has voted unanimously to authorize its city attorney to negotiate a separation from city administrator Tim O'Briant, who had served in the role for about two and a half years. The council gave no public reason for the move, and O'Briant says he has not been told why. The vote followed an Aug. 19 decision to suspend him without pay, also without a stated cause, and came after a lengthy closed-door session at an Aug. 24 special meeting.

Council member Jonathan Baker, who has publicly clashed with O'Briant since his campaign last fall, described months of conflict and alleged retaliation against others who crossed the administrator, tracing tension back to a 2024 decision to leave the Pickens Regional Joint Water System. O'Briant has denied any financial or criminal wrongdoing, saying the dispute concerns his management style and the council's oversight of it. He was hired in January 2024 after leaving a role in Aiken city government.

The St. Petersburg, Florida City Council voted to raise utility rates for residents, with increases for potable water, stormwater, wastewater, reclaimed water, and sanitation services taking effect Oct. 1. City officials said the higher rates are needed to fund essential operations and routine maintenance across the city's utility systems.

The vote was not unanimous, and public comment at Thursday's meeting was uniformly opposed, with residents citing strain on fixed incomes. Depending on water usage, monthly bills are expected to rise between $8 and $14. Council Member Gina Driscoll pushed to skip a year of increases, while Council Member Copley Gerdes argued that delaying upgrades would risk infrastructure failure. The city reviews utility rates annually, and Driscoll noted that future rates could be affected by the outcome of a property tax amendment on November's general election ballot.