An Iranian hacker group known as Handala claims to have infiltrated municipal water systems serving Bakersfield, Visalia and Chico, California. The group framed the cyberattack as direct retaliation against the U.S. for striking two reservoirs in Sirik, Iran. While Handala posted screenshots of what appeared to be residential water bills and claimed to have stolen 5 gigabytes of data, they stated they would not shut off water services, framing the intrusion strictly as a warning.
Utility officials and cybersecurity experts are skeptical of the group's claims. California Water Service reported that preliminary scans of its internal networks showed no signs of compromise to its IT, water production or delivery systems, though a full investigation remains underway. Experts noted that Handala has a documented track record of exaggerating its capabilities.
3 Texas Water Professionals Plead Guilty to Falsifying Data
Three Texas water professionals, including two former executives of a Conroe testing facility, have pleaded guilty to falsifying or aiding and abetting the falsification of wastewater test results to hide illegal levels of E. coli, ammonia and phosphorus.
The three defendants now face up to two years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 each when they are sentenced in September.
Read more about it online at Houston Public Media.
Bureau of Reclamation Says Lake Mead on Track to Reach Lowest Level Since 1930s
According to the latest projections from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Lake Mead is on track to drop to its lowest water level since the reservoir was first filled in the 1930s. Driven by persistent long-term drought, the nation's largest reservoir is expected to fall to an elevation of 1,015.77 feet by July 2027, potentially dipping as low as 1,013.73 feet by November of that year.
As of mid-June, Lake Mead sits at just 29% capacity, holding roughly 7.48 million acre-feet of water. That figure marks 48% of its historical average for that time of year, according to Newsweek's analysis of USBR data.
