Water and Covid-19

 from the California Institute

                                for Water Resources

The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, is presenting challenges across many facets of our lives, and water is no exception. While research related to water and COVID-19 is still emerging, there are some key areas, including safety, access, and infrastructure, where more information is available. Please explore the links below to find practical, credible resources. These will be updated as new information becomes available.

For an overview, read our recent blog post on water and COVID-19.

Information about COVID-19 is also available from the CDC in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean and from the World Health Organization in Spanish, French, Chinese, Arabic, and Russian.

Water safety

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that the COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking water. Read more from the CDC about Water Transmission and COVID-19.
  
  
• The California State Water Boards fact sheet: State-Required Treatment Process Removes Viruses, Including COVID-19. Available in Spanish.
  
  
• The Public Policy Institute of California interviewed with Dave Eggerton of the Association of California Water Agencies. Eggerton says: “The virus is not a danger to our public water supplies, and buying bottled water in response to it is unnecessary.” Read the full interview.
  
  
• The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an update on Coronavirus and Drinking Water and Wastewater, along with a series of frequently asked questions related to drinking water and wastewater treatment. There is also guidance for water utilities. Some US EPA information available in Spanish and several other languages. 
  
  
• See the UC ANR food and nutrition COVID-19 pages for more information related specifically to food safety and nutrition.
  
  

Water Access and Hygiene

• Hand washing is one of the best tools to slow the spread of COVID-19. Read in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean.
  
  
• Governor Newsom has signed an executive order restricting water shut-offs and ordering reinstatement of some water connections. Read the CalEPA news release on the order. Available in Spanish.
  
  
• In addition, the California Public Utilities Commission has a guide to Utility Consumer Protections During California COVID-19 Outbreak.
  
  
• Some municipalities are increasing the numbers of hand-washing stations available for the unhoused. This includes Berkeley, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and some other locations (no statewide list currently available).
  
  
• The Community Water Center has a comprehensive list of resources related to access, with a particular focus on the southern San Joaquin Valley and the Central Coast. Available in Spanish.
  
  

Water Infrastructure

• Given the widespread challenges of toilet paper shortages, people are flushing many non-flushable products, leading to sewage overflows, a public health challenge of its own. It is widely recommended that only bodily waste and toilet paper be flushed, all other items should be placed in the trash. Read guidance from the California Water Boards. Available in Spanish.
  
  
• The California Department of Water Resources outlines their Continuing Critical Operations Through Ongoing Public Health Emergency.
  
  

Water and COVID-19 in the News

• For news stories specifically related to water and COVID-19, follow the new Circle of Blue dedicated news feed.
  
  
• Follow us on Twitter.
  
  

UC COVID-19 Resources

• University of California
  
  
• University of California, Division of Ag and Natural Resources
  
  

Learning Resources for Water in California

The California Institute for Water Resources has many online resources for learning more about water in California:

• Insights webinar series – recorded talks from experts in the UC system and beyond on topics ranging from groundwater to wildfire to drought.
  
  
• Silver Solutions webinar series – join the series live on the second Tuesday of the month and/or watch the previously recorded talks from cooperative extension specialists from several UC campuses.
  
  
• Drought tips for ranchers, growers, and homeowners – a free, science-based resource on drought-related best practices. Many also available in Spanish at the same link.
  
  
• The Confluence – our blog covers a wide range of water issues and experts in California.

waterfall

Raspberry Tunnel Mangement Workshop

Stormwater and Sediment Management in Plasticulture Tunnels

13 June, Wednesday 8:30 AM-NOON
At UC Hansen Agricultural Center at Santa Paula
(from hwy 126 exit Briggs, the entrance gate is ~1000 ft on the left on Briggs road)
8:30 Registration, (interpretation into Spanish provided for the program).
9:00 Update on Agricultural Conditional Waiver and nutrient management requirements
9:20 Establishment of Best Management Practices (BMPs) in post rows in raspberry plasticulture tunnels
9:30 Effect of BMPs on nitrogen
9:50 Effect of BMPS on phosphorus, turbidity of runoff and sediment movement
10:10 Effect of BMPs on weeds
10:20 Costs of the tested BMPs
10:30 Look at treatments, demo of Polyacrylamide, questions and survey
11:00 Lunch

• VCAILG (Ventura County Ag Irrigated land) credits have been requested from RWQCB.

If you require special arrangements, translation into Spanish or have further questions, please contact Oleg Daugovish at UCCE –Ventura: (805) 645-1454 or odaugovish@ucdavis.edu

El Manejo de Aguas Pluviales y Sedimentos en los Túneles de Plasticultura
13 de Junio, Miércoles de 8:30 al Mediodía
En el UC Hansen Agricultural Center de Santa Paula
(de la 126 se toma la salida Briggs, la puerta de entrada queda a 1000 pies a la izquierda en la Briggs road)
8:30 Registración, (interpretación en español disponible) .
9:00 Actualización de la Exención Condicional Agrícola y los requisitos para el manejo de
nutrientes
9:20 Establecimiento de Mejores Prácticas de Gestión (BMP) en las filas con postes en los túneles de plasticultura de la frambuesa
9:30 Efecto de estas prácticas (BMP) sobre el nitrógeno
9:50 Efecto de estas prácticas (BMP) sobre el fósforo, turbidez de la escorrentía y
movimiento de los sedimentos.
10:10 El efecto de estas prácticas (BMP) sobre la maleza.
10:20 Costos de estas prácticas que ya se han experimentado
10:30 Vistazo a los tratamientos, demostración de la poliacrilamida, preguntas y encuesta
11:00 Lonche
• Se han solicitado créditos VCAILG al RWQCB.
Si usted requiere arreglos especiales, traducción al español o tiene otras preguntas, favor de comunicarse con Oleg Daugovish a UCCE –Ventura: (805) 645-1454 o odaugovish@ucdavis.edu

tunnel workshop

New Row Crops Publication

UCCE Ventura staff Dr. Oleg Daugovish, Maren Mochizuki and Julie Newman, UC Davis post-doctorate researcher Lea Corkidi, UCCE Orange County advisor Darren Haver and UC Riverside Extension specialist Donald Merhaut have collaborated on a new publication, “Row Crops Best Management Practices to Protect Water Quality.”  This publication is also available in Spanish entitled, “Prácticas de Cultivo de Hortalizas para Proteger la Calidad del Agua.”

This publication can help growers and land owners comply with conditional waivers for irrigated lands.  The publication focuses on best water management methods that will maintain a higher level of water quality and reduce pollutant impacts.   It includes a questionnaire that growers can use to evaluate their practices and a checklist for assessing and implementing a plan for managing soil, irrigation, fertilizer and pests for a variety sites.

Link to these publications on our website at:

"Row Crops Best Management Practices to Protect Water Quality"  

“Prácticas de Cultivo de Hortalizas para Proteger la Calidad del Agua”

The ANR Catalog should have a hard copy available for sale in the near future.

Farm Water Quality Workshop for Nursery Growers

UC Ventura County Cooperative Extension's Floriculture and Nursery Crops Advisor, Julie Newman, moderated a "Farm Water Quality Planning and Evaluation of Management Practices" workshop in Carpinteria on September 5, 2012.

The event was sponsored by the Santa Barbara County Flower and Nursery Growers Association and included a barbeque lunch as part of the registration fees.

The workshop was designed to assist greenhouse and nursery growers evaluate their water quality management practices (BMPs) and implement an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program.  Information was provided to assist growers in conducting a self-audit of current water quality management practices, developing a farm water quality plan and implementing an IPM program to reduce impacts on water quality.

UC and ANR manuals and resources were used to supplement the presentations.  Continuous education credits were also requested for participants.

For more information please visit the AG Water Quality Program webpage or view the workshop PowerPoint presentation here.

11th Annual Strawberry Production Meeting Held

UC Ventura Cooperative Extension advisor, Dr. Oleg Daugovish, hosted the 11th Annual Strawberry Production Meeting on August 31, 2012.  Approximately 100 members of the public attended this meeting held at the Freedom Center in Camarillo, California. 

The meeting focused on updating growers and interested members of the public on subjects relevant to producing strawberries in Ventura County and other areas.  The agenda included topics on:

• Strawberry cultivar performance and research updates
• Management of Macrophomina and Fusarium and treatments
• Irrigation practices for strawberries in Oxnard and Watsonville
• Water quality monitoring results for strawberry production fields in Ventura County
• Fertility research updates
• Management of mites, thrips, corn earworm and spotted wing Drosophila
• California Strawberry Commission update on research and regulatory issues pertaining to strawberry production

The production meeting included lunch and attendees could receive continous education credits from the Department of Pesticide Regulation. 

For a list of this and other strawberry meeting presentations online, please click here.

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