Tag Archive for 'Water'

California council adopts delta management plan

Published on 05/17/2013 in management and policy. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Retrieved from: News10

“A California agency on Thursday unanimously adopted a broad, long-range plan to manage the ailing Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

After several hours of public comments and protests by opponents, the Delta Stewardship Council voted 7-0 to approve the final version of the Delta Plan, a blueprint for restoring the delta’s ecosystem and improving water supply reliability.

The plan does not call for specific construction projects but contains policies and recommendations. The $14 billion twin tunnel project, which is being developed through a separate federal and state initiative, will be incorporated into the plan if the tunnels are approved and permitted.

Critics say the Delta Plan doesn’t do enough when it comes to restoring and protecting the delta or its threatened fish species – and could negatively impact delta communities.

The plan comes after years of concerns over an increase in water demand and the degradation of habitat in the delta, which supplies drinking water for two-thirds of California residents and irrigates about 4 million acres of crops.

The ecosystem’s rapid deterioration has spurred regulations that limit delta pumping. Farmers and water users whose water was curtailed have clamored for a stable water supply. In 2009, the Legislature created the seven-member council to come up with a plan to manage the estuary.”

“The plan tells us how to get through the next 100 years,” said Phil Isenberg, the council’s chairman and a former Sacramento mayor. “Everybody has to conserve water all the time, everyone has to decrease reliance on the delta, and everyone has to help with the environmental needs of the delta. We’re running out of easy solutions, so everybody has to kick in.”

Read more: Fresno Bee
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Long wait ahead for packaged drinking water in Chennai

Published on 05/16/2013 in bottled water, management and tap water. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Retrieved from: Get it

“For thousands of residents who depend on ‘mineral water’ for cooking and drinking, the protest by packaged drinking water manufacturers has come as a shock.

Over the past few days, many city residents have been bluntly refused canned water supply by local distributors.

According to the Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water Manufacturers Association, there are 309 manufacturers in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts.

“Though we know the public will be inconvenienced, we have no choice but to stop production and packaging. We are not polluting industries and want separate rules to govern packaged drinking water, which is an essential service,” said K. Rajaram, president of the Association.

“We cannot depend on Metrowater for drinking water. The supply is erratic. I have undergone a heart surgery and cannot use anything but safe water,” said Sriram Prasad, a senior citizen on Mahalakshmi Street in T. Nagar.

Jothi. R, a resident of Thirumangalam, said water pumped in the sump of her house is ash-coloured.

“I sometimes find snails in the water. We cleaned the sump on Thursday and removed a huge mound of black slush. We let the water stay overnight before drawing it up to the overhead tank. Otherwise, our pipeline gets clogged,” she said.”

Read more: The Hindu

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New report reveals the U.S. areas facing the highest climate-related risk of water shortages

Published on 05/16/2013 in climate change and water shortage. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Retrieved from: Growing blue

“A new report from the Columbia University Water Center, in conjunction with Veolia Water and Growing Blue, reveals that businesses and cities in some of America’s most iconic regions are now under even greater risk of water scarcity.

“All cities and all businesses require water, yet in many regions, they need more water than is actually available – and that demand is growing,” said Upmanu Lall, director, Columbia Water Center. “In response, many tools have been developed to help businesses assess their water risk. But these tools actuallyunderstate the risk of climate variations. The new study reveals that certain areas face exposure to drought, which will magnify existing problems of water supply and demand.”

“Research already proves that the demands on our water systems, both urban and rural, have never been greater,” said Ed Pinero , chief sustainability officer for Veolia Water . “And in some very populated areas, this new research shows that the risk of water shortages has never been higher.”

The U.S. metropolitan areas of Washington, D.C.; New York City; Los Angeles; and San Diego are of greatest concern, which could impact approximately 40 million Americans. Numerous counties in 46 states are also facing the same challenge of experiencing drought-induced shortages. Joining the metro areas on the list are the breadbasket regions of Nebraska, Illinoisand Minnesota, which produce almost 40 percent of the nation’s corn, a key ingredient in many of our foods and an essential feed source for livestock.”

Read more: PR news wire

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EPA issues order to protect Yakama Nation drinking water

Published on 05/15/2013 in contaminated water and wastewater. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Retrieved from: Scientific American

“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10, has ordered two gas stations to close their underground injection wells to protect drinking water on the Yakama Indian Reservation in Washington.

Da Stor at Lillie’s Corner gas station, in Wapato, operates two underground injection wells. Cougar Den gas station in White Swan operates one underground injection well.

The injection wells dispose of untreated fluids collected through open drains on the stations’ fueling pads. The wells may contain contaminants such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, cadmium, chromium, and lead that could endanger underground drinking water sources.

Groundwater is the primary source of drinking water for the communities of Wapato and White Swan.”

Read more: Kimatv

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Billboard in Peru creates drinking water from humidity: 15,000 litres produced

Published on 05/15/2013 in solutions and outreach and water technology. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Retrieved from: The Drum

“A billboard in Bujama, Peru, which creates drinking water from humidity in the air, has produced 15,000 litres of water in six months.

Co-produced by outdoor advertising owner ClearChannel Peru and researchers at UTEC, University of Engineering and Technology in Lima, the billboard cost US $32,600 to set-up.

William Eccleshare, CEO of ClearChannel Outdoor, said: “This is outdoor advertising at its most inspiring: embracing new technology, working in partnership with a host of agencies and delivering a lasting benefit to the people of Bujama.”

On average, 15 to 18 families arrive at the billboard to access the water every day, which is stored in tanks at the top of the structure, and then filtered before flowing down a pipe to a tap that is accessible to all who walk past.”

Read more: The Drum

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Scientists Find Extensive Glacial Retreat in Mount Everest Region

Published on 05/14/2013 in climate change and glaciers. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Retrieved from: Science Daily

“Researchers taking a new look at the snow and ice covering Mount Everest and the national park that surrounds it are finding abundant evidence that the world’s tallest peak is shedding its frozen cloak. The scientists have also been studying temperature and precipitation trends in the area and found that the Everest region has been warming while snowfall has been declining since the early 1990s.

Glaciers in the Mount Everest region have shrunk by 13 percent in the last 50 years and the snowline has shifted upward by 180 meters (590 feet), according to Sudeep Thakuri, who is leading the research as part of his PhD graduate studies at the University of Milan in Italy.

The researchers suspect that the decline of snow and ice in the Everest region is from human-generated greenhouse gases altering global climate. However, they have not yet established a firm connection between the mountains’ changes and climate change, Thakuri said.

“The Himalayan glaciers and ice caps are considered a water tower for Asia since they store and supply water downstream during the dry season,” said Thakuri. “Downstream populations are dependent on the melt water for agriculture, drinking, and power production.”

Read more: Science Daily

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Chile denies deal to export fresh water to Qatar

Published on 05/13/2013 in management, water diversions and water shortage. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

“Chile denied on Monday that it will export fresh drinking water to Qatar after a recent report about shipments to the oil-rich but water-poor Persian Gulf country caused a public backlash.

The Gulf Times newspaper of Qatar cited Chilean Ambassador Jean Paul Tarud over the weekend as saying that ‘‘Chile has some of the largest fresh water export capabilities in the world.’’

The report caused a public outcry in Chilean social media after Tarud reportedly confirmed that a trial project to export fresh drinking water to Qatar had started.

But Chile’s foreign ministry ruled out any such project, saying media reports had confused the intention of a private company in Qatar with a plan by Chile’s government.

‘‘There’s no initiative from the government or our embassy’’ in the United Arab Emirates, the ministry said in a statement Monday. ‘‘Ambassador Tarud denies making the claims attributed to him on the subject and even more so, making any offerings involving the Chilean government.’’

The world’s driest desert is located in Chile’s north and the country has been suffering from drought in several regions. Environmental groups have staged protests in recent months arguing that Chile’s water scarcity is caused by government policies that exploit natural resources.”

Read more: Boston globe

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Canada’s method of water treatment a ‘national embarrassment’

Published on 05/13/2013 in aquatic ecosystems and wastewater. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Retrieved from: Global news

“To Mark Mattson, Canada’s  old   fashioned method of water   treatment is a national embarrassment.

“We’re probably one of the most backwards countries in terms of treating our water,” says Mattson, who runs the Lake Ontario Waterkeepers, an organization that advocates for clean, safe water.

Until recently, municipalities were only required to use primary treatment, meaning wastewater plants would clean solid waste – or “floatables” – from the water. Primary treatment doesn’t include liquids, such as spoiled milk, or cleaning products and even the old medications that get poured down our drains.

“We might have removed at best about 70 per cent of the suspended solids here,” says North Vancouver Mayor, Darrell Mussatt at the Lions Gate Wastewater Treatment plant.

Cities such as Vancouver, on the Pacific Ocean, have been banking on the old notion that ‘dilution is the solution to the pollution’ for years – that water dilutes and assimilates waste.”

Read more: Global news

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Why Federal Efforts to Ensure Clean Tap Water Fail to Reach Faucets Nationwide

Published on 05/12/2013 in contaminated water and policy. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Retrieved from: NY Times

“Laura Garcia was halfway through the breakfast dishes when the spigot went dry. The small white tank beneath the sink that purified her undrinkable water had run out. Still, as annoying as that was, it was an improvement over the days before Ms. Garcia got her water filter, when she had to do her dishes using water from five-gallon containers she bought at a local store.

“Ms. Garcia’s well water, like that of her neighbors, is laced with excessivenitrates, a pollutant associated with agriculture, septic systems and some soils. Five years ago, this small community of 49 homes near the southern end of the Central Valley took its place on California’s priority list of places in need of clean tap water.

“Today the community is still stuck on that list, with no federal help in sight.

“Monson’s situation has parallels in places around the country, large and small, seeking federal funds under theSafe Drinking Water Act. The Environmental Protection Agency distributes these funds to state agencies that are supposed to identify problems and underwrite solutions. By the E.P.A.’s calculations, no state has been as inept in distributing the money as California.”

Read more: NY Times

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Emergency desalination units needed as Marshall Islands face acute water shortage

Published on 05/12/2013 in desalination, drought and water shortage. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

Retrieved from: Glogster

“About 6,000 people who live on the remote Marshall Islands in the Pacific are facing an acute shortage of fresh water as a severe  drought worsens.

A state of disaster was declared in the north. Australia announced it would provide AU$100,000 (£65,335) for emergency desalination units. The US has also donated several reverse-osmosis machines, which convert salt water into fresh water.

There is no end in sight to the drought, with fine weather forecast for at least the next 10 days. The drought has also affected the food supply, hitting crops such as breadfruit, bananas and taro.

Casten Nemra, who chairs the national disaster committee, said many large families were surviving on as little as 4.5 litres of water a day.”It’s an increasingly desperate situation out there,” he said. “The dry season should have ended six weeks ago.”

He said there had been no deaths recorded but there has been an increase in diseases including conjunctivitis and diarrhoea. The government has deployed ships carrying food, water and medical supplies to the affected islands, he added.”

Read more: The Guardian

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