The Santa Cruz Flows Again
For more than 70 years, a stretch of the Santa Cruz River in Tucson has been a dry riverbed due to the natural flow being interrupted by groundwater pumping. On June 24, the river flowed once again. The Tucson Water Department released 2.8 million gallons of treated effluent, or reclaimed water, to restore the aquifer and the area along the river and its wildlife habitats as part of the Santa Cruz River Heritage Project. Additionally, the project has the goal of “complementing recreational, cultural and historical resources in the area.”[1] The Heritage Project uses existing infrastructure along with additional pipeline […]
Detroit Gets Upgraded
Michigan has had plenty of bad press in recent years about water-related issues; lead levels in drinking water and flooding to name a few. However, some good news came at the end of June when Detroit’s Water and Sewerage Department announced that it will invest in upgrades to the city’s water and sewer systems, and the city would also invest $500 million in the endeavor over five years. These upgrades are, in part, related to Michigan’s revised “Lead and Copper Rule” which “establishes action levels (AL) for lead and copper based on a 90th percentile level of tap water samples.”[1] […]
All is Not “Well” in Washington
Prior to the recent heat wave that gripped most of the country, many areas have seen higher than normal levels of rain and, in some places, flooding. That has not been the case for Washington State which continues to deal with dry conditions. Recent months (March through May) have seen little precipitation and is tied for the 13th driest on record for the state since 1895. Under advisement of the Department of Ecology, Governor Jay Inslee increased the size of the state’s drought emergency to include 27 watersheds. In response to the dry conditions, some irrigation water districts plan to […]
Can Rain Surpluses Erase Long-term Losses?
This year has seen a monumental turnaround in climate conditions in Colorado. For the past 20 years, the state has experienced drought with last year being the worst on record. Weather patterns of the past winter and spring brought huge amounts of precipitation and colder temperatures resulting in snow, rain and snow melt runoff. For the first time since 2000, the state is free from drought and “the snowpack sits at 3,700 percent of normal.”[1] According to experts, however, the precipitation benefits to the area are significant but not enough to erase the long-term losses and ever-increasing demands on the […]
Facing the Inevitable
Much of the nation’s infrastructure was installed in the early 1900’s and needs to be replaced. Old pipes lead to a lot of problems: leaks, clogs, rust, lead, and backups are just a few. The unfortunate reality is that fixing the problems comes with a price tag and many think that paying more for water and sewer is inevitable. In Wareham, MA, Sewer Department Superintendent Guy Campinha commented that although water departments in need of upgrades know that additional costs to customers will not be popular, there are few options other than increased rates if the repairs are to be […]