Chattanooga Water Outage
Americans, for the most part, are fortunate to have reliable access to drinkable water. However, what happens when there is no water? Problems, such as water main breaks, can significantly impact a community and the local water supply, especially when the break occurs on a 36-inch water main in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee. More than 35,000 customers had either little or no water for 36 to 70 hours along with a boil advisory that lasted five days. There is now an investigation into the cause of the historic break, although Tennessee American Water Company officials have not officially reported the cause. […]
Continuing Rate Increases for Fulton County
In 2017, Fulton County saw a five percent increase in their water rates (approved through 2019); those funds were earmarked for infrastructure improvements. Now, another round of increases is on the horizon. Over the next three years, a four percent increase is proposed to cover the cost of expanding the Big Creek treatment plant which came in at a price of $50 million higher than anticipated. According to David Clark, Fulton’s public works director, the plant must be expanded from 24 million gallons per day to 38 million gallons per day, “or the county’s sewage system would not be able […]
Who Will Be the “Next Flint”?
It has been three years since the lead contamination and consequent drinking water crisis occurred in Flint, Michigan. Given the extent of aging infrastructure throughout the country, the question is, who will be next? Both Newark, New Jersey and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania are currently facing similar circumstances. In 2016, the same year Flint was dealing with lead in drinking water, Newark was also facing accusations of lead-contaminated water, although the city reported the issue to be confined to buildings with aging infrastructure. Subsequently, they prohibited the use of water fountains in 30 schools, providing bottled water, instead. The following year, testing […]
Chandler—A Model in Reclamation Planning
As cities across the country continue to experience growth, the obvious question for many is whether the existing resources, such as the water supply, are sufficient to support the growth. Many cities are growing so rapidly that they overload the available water resources. How do you support growth in locations that face water scarcity on a regular basis, like a desert? Chandler, Arizona, located in the Sonoran Desert and considered a suburb of Phoenix, has demonstrated the ability to navigate water scarcity with the power of foresight. As the city has grown, planners have considered the importance of water availability […]
New Jersey’s Algae Bloom Predicament
across the country (and around the world). Warmer temperatures and increased availability of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous from runoff, cause algae to multiply in such a way that they can produce toxic substances, making water unsafe. This summer, Lake Hopatcong in New Jersey is an example of one of those locations. A factor greatly impacting the algae growth is outdated sewer and stormwater systems. With increased rainfall, these systems are unable to perform efficiently, sending overflow into area waterways. The question that arises is how to pay for the necessary improvements, the EPA having estimated that New Jersey’s […]