El Paso has one of the largest water desalination plants in the world. Its efforts will inform Texas’ efforts to use desalination to address its water shortage.
As drought grips most of California, water thefts have increased to record levels. Thieves tap into hydrants, pump water from rivers and break into remote water stations and tanks.
Gov. Gavin Newsom requested that residents voluntarily reduce their water usage by 15 percent as the drought worsens. Some wonder if state officials should mandate water restrictions while others think it’s unnecessary.
The California governor has asked residents to voluntarily cut their water use by 15 percent as a heat wave exacerbates the state’s drought conditions. Nearly every Bay Area county has enacted an emergency drought declaration.
In a major shift, groundwater, once considered private and free, is now labeled as a shared resource, according to state law. Aquifer managers must submit sustainability plans and use meters as drought conditions worsen.
The breach of a Florida water treatment system that could have poisoned citizens sent shockwaves through local government. No-cost assessment tools and low-cost fixes can increase security in this sector.
Any new federal infrastructure program should provide states and localities with the flexibility to tap the private-sector innovation and expertise that can produce new revenues, meaningful savings and operational efficiencies.
With most of the state gripped by extreme dryness, some conditions are better, some worse, than the last record-breaking drought. Over-pumping of wells hasn’t stopped. But urban residents haven’t lapsed back into water-wasting lifestyles.
The Supreme Court recently dealt defeat to Florida in its 20-year legal battle with Georgia over river water. Other interstate water contests loom, but there are no sure winners in these lawsuits.
Despite the dry conditions, Gavin Newsom has not yet declared an official drought emergency. Many believe that the recall threat against the governor is preventing the declaration.
A former employee of a water district plant in Ellsworth, Kan., allegedly logged in and attempted to tamper with the public drinking water system. This is just one of several recent hacks on water systems nationwide.
Wastewater offers high-tech jobs at the leading edge of sustainability and public health. But aging workers are leaving, creating a shortage of skilled workers. Public utilities need to step up their recruitment game.
With adaptive design, infrastructure is ready to be expanded in the future. It’s working for the Dutch.
Huge gaps exist in scientific knowledge, but California is about to set the world’s first health guidelines for microplastics in drinking water. Yet no one agrees how to test water for the tiny bits of plastic, or how dangerous they are.
Millions of Americans are living on properties that are at-risk for climate change-related disasters. The solution to the problem is far more complicated than just telling residents to move.
The city has endorsed a $2 billion plan to wall off the historic downtown from rising seas and surging storms. It is the latest in a growing number of expensive seawalls and barriers being proposed to defend U.S. coastal cities.
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