Berkeley University of California
Berkeley University of California is a university that is part of the pulse of the water sector. Here we bring together everything it publishes on Smart Water Magazine: its news, its blogs and the events it takes part in.
Scientists find oceans of water on Mars, but too deep to tap
Using seismic activity to probe the interior of Mars, geophysicists have found evidence for a large underground reservoir of liquid water — enough to fill oceans on the planet’s surface. The data from NASA’s Insight lander allowed the scientists to estimate that the amount of groundwater could cover the entire planet to a depth of between 1 […]
Study shows forever chemicals are a threat to water in rural, predominantly Latinx communities
Public water wells in communities of color might be disproportionately polluted by pesticides contaminated with harmful per and polyfluoroalkyl substances, according to a new study led by a team of researchers from UC Berkeley School of Public Health. The chemicals, commonly known as PFAS, have been widely used in industry and consumer products since the […]
Gaps in stream monitoring may hinder water management in California, study finds
California relies on its rivers and streams for a plethora of services—water supply, flood control, biodiversity conservation, and hydropower generation, to name a few. As a result, understanding the flow of water through the state's stream network is critical for supporting California's economy and ecosystems. A new study published by UC Berkeley researchers in Nature […]
Record-breaking heat and humidity predicted for tropics this summer
A new statistical analysis of the interaction between El Niño and rising global temperatures due to climate change concludes that the approaching summer in the tropics has nearly a 7 in 10 chance of breaking records for temperature and humidity. The prediction, by climate scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, applies to a broad […]
White House rule dramatically deregulated wetlands, streams, and drinking water
The 1972 Clean Water Act protects the "waters of the United States" but does not precisely define which streams and wetlands this phrase covers, leaving it to presidential administrations, regulators, and courts to decide. As a result, the exact coverage of Clean Water Act rules is difficult to estimate. New research published in Science by a team at […]
As rising seas disrupt toxic sites, communities of color are at most risk
By the end of the century, coastal flooding threatens to inundate hundreds of toxic sites in California, including oil refineries, industrial facilities, sewage treatment plants and cleanup sites, putting communities like Richmond, Calif., at greater risk of hazardous exposure.
Study finds potentially dangerous levels of arsenic in California prison drinking water
Ten years after the state of California recognized the human right to water, hundreds of thousands of residents still rely on drinking water that contains dangerous levels of contaminants, including the highly toxic mineral arsenic. Many of them live in low-income and rural communities that struggle to afford the necessary infrastructure to remove arsenic from drinking water. […]
Providing arsenic-safe drinking water in rural California
According to the Rev. Dennis Hutson, people used to love the taste of Allensworth's water. "People used say things like, 'Wow, this is the best water I've ever tasted!'" said Hutson, who owns a farm in the small Central Valley community. "There were even visitors who took gallon jugs of water home with them because […]
Model pinpoints glaciers at risk of collapse due to climate change
As climate change warms the planet, glaciers are melting faster, and scientists fear that many will collapse by the end of the century, drastically raising sea level and inundating coastal cities and island nations. A University of California, Berkeley, scientist has now created an improved model of glacial movement that could help pinpoint those glaciers […]