We were pretty astonished to see the Santa Clara Valley Water District, in California, remove a specialized micro-tunnel boring machine from the bottom of Anderson Lake, marking the completion of a 1,736-foot tunnel. It was a sight to see
We were even more intrigued as we got to learn the nuts and bolts of this project, part of the broader Anderson Dam Retrofit, a $1.2-billion initiative to secure drinking water and protect the community from flood risks. After talking with Ryan McCarter, Valley Water deputy operating officer and Anderson Dam project manager, and Valley Water Director John Varela, we were pleased to share the latest water news out of Silicon Valley.
This project was launched in earnest more than a decade ago, and there's still years of work ahead of the Valley Water team and its contractors. It's a fine example of the sheer regulatory and operational complexity facing water districts and their aging infrastructure—all over the U.S.
As we continue to build Water Daily, we're eager to share up-close looks at similar projects that are bringing yesterday's infrastructure into tomorrow, safely.
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Speaking of Tomorrow
With former President Donald Trump now future President Donald Trump, looking ahead to a Jan. 20 inauguration, what's on tap for water and wastewater?
Trump wasn't exactly name-dropping water and wastewater policy from the campaign trail, but by looking back to his previous administration, we can glean that, in general, the next few years will tilt toward a pro-industry, de-regulatory environment. What that actually means remains to be seen.
In 2020, Trump signed an executive order to establish an interagency "Water Subcabinet," a move that was only ratified by President Joe Biden in 2023 via the Flood Level, Observation, Operations, and Decision Support Act (FLOODS Act); the subcabinet was renamed the Interagency Committee on Water Management and Infrastructure or the “Water Policy Committee."
The day after the election, representatives from numerous agencies signed a letter to U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, underscoring the committee's importance: "The economic, health, and infrastructure priorities of the American people require specific attention to ensure effective delivery of water services and use of taxpayer dollars."
More pointedly, in the last days of the campaign, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., in an adviser role to the incoming president, insisted that fluoride may be removed from water treatment systems in the U.S. Locally, some jurisdictions have already taken this step. Union County, N.C., ended water fluoridation at the Yadkin River Water Treatment Plant earlier this year.
Add that potential policy to the list of things to monitor out of Washington, D.C., in 2025.
Got a tip? What is your agency watching from the federal government? Let us know!
