6 Creative Arizona Water Policies to Learn From
Arizona residents have been affected by drought more and more frequently. While population rises, and groundwater resources diminish the state has established a diverse portfolio of water supplies and management strategies to create a sustainable water system. The diversity of this system assures that Arizona can effectively manage their water resources and generate more planning opportunities for economic growth. (1) We can learn from these six creative Arizona water policies: (2) Water Reuse Water Conservation Water Exchanges Slow Groundwater Usage Unused Water Storage Tribal Water Claims Settlements Water reuse is number one for a reason. Arizona is one of the top four […]
8 Methods to Achieving a More Water-efficient Garden
Spring has finally sprung! Do you love gardening but hate wasting water? Here are 8 water-efficient gardening methods from Lathika George, writer of the Essential Kitchen Garden, you can use to save water and money: Install a drip irrigation system and allow the plants to deep soak to see 50% water savings. This method can be used in urban terrace gardens to large garden spaces and can even be put on a timer. The water is applied directly to the roots for maximum efficiency. Mulch at the base of plants and trees to deter weeds and prevent evaporation. Spread a […]
San Diego Approves Recycled Drinking Water
The $3 billion “Pure Water San Diego” recycling program is officially underway. The goal of the Pure Water program is to recycle enough wastewater to produce one-third of San Diego’s water supply by 2035. This three-phase plan aims to produce 83 million gallons of drinking water per day-creating a local water supply that is not only independent but also drought-proof. (1) The first phase of the Pure Water program will include: construction of the North City Pure Water Facility, the creation of new pipelines and pump stations, as well as runoff diversion from the aging wastewater treatment plant Point Loma […]
$683 Billion Required for U.S. Water Systems
In the next 10 years capital expenditures on U.S. municipal water, stormwater infrastructure and wastewater will grow by a whopping 11 percent according to a recent report by Bluefield Research. The report states $683 billion is needed to address aging infrastructure, combined sewer overflows, and the demand increase on treatment plants and distribution networks by 2027. (1) More than half of the funds, about $376 billion, are allocated to the distribution and collection networks for water and wastewater. Of this spend 75% of the funds will go to pipes, of which 60% is dedicated to fixing the existing crumbling networks. Water […]
Robots Work Irrigation Canals
Robots and drones will soon be performing a portion of Salt River Project’s dirty work. These highly intricate robots are being developed to inspect miles of remote irrigation canals, ditches and pipes for sampling purposes as well as to remove mussels blocking narrow pipes. This new method will increase efficiency and limit the amount of resources, people and time it takes to get the job done currently. (1) Arizona State University’s Robotics and Intelligent Systems Laboratory is working on an unmanned aerial vehicle to maintain 131 miles of open irrigation canals and 1,00 miles of lateral ditches and pipes. Ideally […]