WASDA News Briefs
Since Antiquity, water has represented the very essence of life. Primitive
cultures perceived water as a gift from the gods as it rained from the
heavens. The most powerful deities worshipped by the ancient Greeks lived
in and commanded the waters. In modern times, humans living in
industrialized societies have lost touch with the miracle that is water. We
turn on the faucet and expect it to be there when we need it. Most
Americans take water for granted.
As WASDA members, unlike our neighbors and friends, we appreciate the
significance and importance of having a strong and safe water
infrastructure. WASDA NewsBriefs are our means to stay on top of key issues
and developments concerning this vital industry.
July 2007

"So You Think It's Hot? Southwest to Sizzle for 90
Years"
"L.A. on Verge of Driest Rainy Season While Texas Nears
Rain Record"
"The Case of the Disappearing Great Lake"
"VY Discharge Effects Questioned"
"North Florida Out Front in Plan for Water-Wise
Homes"
"Rooftop Gardens Helping Boston Go Green"

"Editorial: Desalination Plant Offers Hope for S.A."
"Sens. Nelson, Martinez Fight Seismic Exploration in
Gulf"
"Population Increase and Freshwater Demand Drive the
Water Recycling and Reuse Market in the U.S."

"After Lobbying, Wetlands Rules Are Narrowed"
"State Seeks Funds for 2 Dams, Maybe a Canal"
"U.S. House Bill Includes Big Wins for Rivers"
"NJ Targets Polluters in 120 Lawsuits"
"Flood Control Pitched for D.C."
"Michigan Launches Surface Water Information Management
System"
So You Think It's Hot? Southwest to Sizzle for 90
Years
ABC News (07/06/07) ; James, Susan Donaldson
Researchers at Columbia and Princeton universities are warning that
the drought now facing the Southwest could last throughout the century and
lead to social conflicts over water in one of the fastest-growing regions
of the United States. In a study of 19 computerized climate models from
around the globe, the researchers say that even if steps are taken
immediately to mitigate global warming, the regional drought will last for
decades and could equal the severity of the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, which
devastated local agriculture and had huge impacts on migration and
employment. With five of the 10 fastest-growing states located in the
Southwest, potable water will emerge as a tremendous issue, say the
researchers. ""Being in the desert is unnatural," says Richard Seager of
the Lamont-Doherty Earth Institute at Columbia University. "The whole
Southwest is dependent on massive works of engineering, all of which were
built assuming there would be more water available than there really is.
How is that whole system going to stand up to this kind of stress? Who gets
the water?" The level of the Colorado River, which supplies most of the
region's water, has already dropped by about 15 percent. Seager warns that
without smart growth and planning, the current drought could stretch water
supplies to the point of social conflicts and strain relationships with
Mexico over immigration.
( Click here for website - Link to Publication Homepage)
L.A. on Verge of Driest Rainy Season While Texas
Nears Rain Record
Associated Press (06/29/07) ; Antczak, John
Los Angeles is asking residents to conserve water in the face of
its driest rainy season in well over a century. In contrast, Texas,
following two consecutive years of record drought, has had one of its
wettest springs on record. The two phenomena are related, say weather
experts, linked by a stationary high-pressure system caused by the mixing
of late cold blasts in Canada with very warm air from the Gulf of Mexico.
Such rain as Texas has experienced, however, does little to recharge
aquifers, explains Bill Patzert, a Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist who
studies the ocean's role in climate variations, because the water runs off
too quickly, in contrast to the slow melting of snowpacks. Patzert says
that California should expect more of the same in the coming years. "I
think last year, unfortunately, people should plan on that as a preview of
coming attractions because there are no big patterns in the Pacific that
are rainmakers," he says. "There's no El Nino galloping over the horizon to
save us here."
( Click here for website - Link to Publication Homepage)
The Case of the Disappearing Great Lake
USA Today (06/14/07) P. 15A ; Cauchon, Dennis
Cargo ships carrying iron ore and other heavy materials are running
partly empty because of the low water level of Lake Superior. According to
Adolph Ojard, executive director of the Duluth, Minn., Seaway Port
Authority, loads are being lightened by about 5 percent, which means cargo
ships that average $6 a cargo ton and make 40 trips a year stand to lose
about $1 million in revenue. The water of Lake Superior, the deepest of
the Great Lakes, is 20 inches below average and a foot lower than a year
ago. Low levels are seen at Lake Huron and Lake Michigan as well, but not
to the same degree as Lake Superior, and a drought and warm weather appear
to be the reason for the decline. "It's been a long time since we've been
this low, but it has happened," says Tim Calappi, a hydraulic engineer for
the Army Corps of Engineers, which monitors water levels. "We still think
this is within the range of what's normal, but we have to wait and see."
The commercial channels in Lake Superior ports will get some relief in the
form of dredging that will make them a little deeper, adds Scott Brossart,
an engineer for the Army Corps in Duluth.
( Click here for website )
VY Discharge Effects Questioned
Brattleboro Reformer (VT) (07/06/07) ; Heintz, Paul H.
Lawyers from the Connecticut River Watershed Council and the New
England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution are challenging a study claiming the
Entergy Vermont Yankee power plant has not had detrimental effects on the
water temperature of the Connecticut River. Aquatic ecologist Mark Mattson
was commissioned to examine the areas both upstream and downstream from
Entergy and its effect on the river's species. The Vermont Environmental
Court met to determine whether or not the plant would be able to increase
water temperature by 1 degree Fahrenheit from May until October, which
would enact a permit issued to Entergy by the Agency of Natural Resources
in 2004. Entergy opponents have cited the American shad and Atlantic
salmon among the fish that would not be able to fare the temperature
increase and noted that the decline of these species in the river have been
due to the plant. Mattson said the plant "has the most restrictive thermal
discharge criteria of any facility I've ever seen," and that aquatic
species would not be affected by the temperature changes. New England
Coalition lawyer Evan Mullholland noted that Mattson had worked for
Entergy, but the ecologist refuted any claims of bias. The hearings are
set to continue in Newfane.
( Click here for website )
North Florida Out Front in Plan for Water-Wise
Homes
Florida Times-Union (06/22/07) ; Hunt, David
The St. Johns River Water Management District's Florida Water Star
program aims to reduce water consumption by 20 percent indoors and 40
percent outdoors through the installation of efficient toilets,
dishwashers, and irrigation systems by participating home builders. A
total of 20 homes in the Jacksonville area will boast program
certifications by next week; and water management district education
manager Eileen Tramontana hopes a partnership between the District and
Beazer Homes will boost the number above 500 by mid-2008. The District
estimates that Water Star certified homes save $2,200 per year on their
water bills by cutting usage by 290,000 gallons, but actual savings will
soon be calculated as part of a study of 10 certified dwellings.
Tramontana says incentive programs--such as expanding the pool of qualified
buyers by permitting mortgage lenders to take water bill savings into
consideration--could be established once the study is completed. Officials
in Sarasota, St. Petersburg, and North Carolina have expressed interest in
their own programs; and the partnership with Beazer could bring it to other
regions of the country.
( Click here for website - May Require Free Registration)
Rooftop Gardens Helping Boston Go Green
WBZ TV (Boston) (06/19/07) ; Michaels, Mish
Green roof systems are taking root throughout the Boston
metropolitan area, helping in the struggle to combat global warming. One
such example is the green roof system atop the Yawkey Building at Mass
General hospital. Its plants and soil act like insulation, keeping the roof
significantly cooler in the hot summer months. Steve Imrich, the rooftop
garden's architect, states: "It has all kinds of enormous benefits to the
building and to the local environment, as well as to the planet as a whole
... . Dark colored roofs get to be very, very hot in the summer and when
you add up all the buildings in the city, it gets to be a very large heat
problem for the city and in fact raises the temperature for cities."
Another Boston-area green roof is the one being installed at the recently
renovated Children's Museum. That green roof is designed by Plants Across
Communities to capture stormwater for use in the building's plumbing.
( Click here for website - May Require Free Registration)
Editorial: Desalination Plant Offers Hope for
S.A.
San Antonio Express-News (TX) (07/10/07)
The San Antonio Water System (SAWS) is launching a test project to
help it proceed with the deployment of a desalination plant in Atascosa
County, Texas. The plant will remove brine from brackish water from the
Wilcox Aquifer to produce potable water. Jerry Needham has reported in the
San Antonio Express-News that according to state studies, there are roughly
1.2 million acre-feet of brackish groundwater in the planning region,
including San Antonio. In June, Texas Water Development Board innovation
specialist Jorge Arroyo said the desalination effort is something the city
should look into because the technology is no longer risky. "The economics
are there that makes this cost-competitive with other options." According
to Needham, contracts for constructing the $150 million SAWS desalination
plant are expected in 2008, and it could begin operating by 2011. If the
initial facility is successful, additional ones may eventually be built.
Several such plants already operate across Texas.
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Sens. Nelson, Martinez Fight Seismic Exploration
in Gulf
Associated Press (06/30/07)
U.S. senators from Florida are fighting a $10 million plan to
launch a seismic inventory of oil and natural gas resources in the eastern
Gulf of Mexico. Sens. Mel Martinez (R) and Bill Nelson (D) pledged Friday
to oppose a $32.3 billion Senate energy and water bill that would allocate
the money for seismic exploration in the Gulf. In the past, Florida
politicians have opposed Gulf drilling for fear of spills and pollution
that could damage the state's beaches and environment. Nelson said on the
Senate floor that earlier, he and Martinez had agreed to support the
expansion of offshore drilling in the Gulf, provided there would be
language to safeguard Florida from additional exploration. But Nelson
complained that the agreement had been breached. Martinez asserted that
Florida's waters are protected and that a survey would serve no useful
purpose and would squander taxpayer resources. Drilling advocates said the
bill would spur access to much-needed energy resources, particularly
natural gas, which may eventually lower prices. The sponsors of the
proposed legislation are Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Larry Craig
(R-Idaho), who say making decisions about potential oil development depends
on knowing what is available.
( Click here for website - Link to Publication Homepage)
Population Increase and Freshwater Demand Drive
the Water Recycling and Reuse Market in the U.S.
Business Wire (06/19/07)
Frost & Sullivan has released a new report on the U.S. water
recycling and reuse systems markets, discussing drivers, restraints, and
market trends. The study found that population increases and freshwater
demand are driving the markets amid increasing municipal and industrial
applications such as agricultural irrigation, lawn watering, and other
non-drinkable uses. Among the technologies now used for treating
wastewater is the membrane bioreactor, which merges activated sludge
treatment with membrane filtration and is currently on a high growth path.
Meanwhile, a number of states are establishing rules for water reuse in the
absence of federal standards. The study observed that "the rising cost of
water, which is a direct effect of the current water shortage, coupled with
tighter environmental regulations, offers good market opportunities for
existing and emerging participants." To help counter negative perceptions
surrounding wastewater reuse among the public, state water authorities and
manufacturers hope to educate end-users by focusing on the advantages of
reusing water. They prefer to rely on groups such as the Water Environment
Federation because of their ability to disseminate information quickly and
their greater access to the public.
( Click here for website - May Require Free Registration)
After Lobbying, Wetlands Rules Are
Narrowed
New York Times (07/06/07) P. A1 ; Broder, John M.
In June 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army
Corps of Engineers proposed new guidelines under the Clean Water Act that
could have put scores of small streams and wetlands--including temporary
ponds resulting from heavy rain--under the law's jurisdiction if they have
an impact on the quality of water in navigable waterways located nearby.
However, developers, farmers, and ranchers lobbied hard against the
proposal; and this push is reflected in the final wetlands rules released
in June. Washington-based attorney Virginia Albrecht, whose clients
include property developers, argued that the original proposal would give
regulators authority over a broad region even if a project would have only
a local impact on a stream or swam. A case-by-case review of developments
would be more appropriate, she said. The original guidelines would have
given regulators jurisdiction over wetlands and small streams if their
inclusion in a watershed connected to navigable waters could be proven.
However, the new guidelines require proof that the wetland or stream is
directly connected to navigable waters before permits become necessary.
According to Sierra Club water policy analyst Navis Bermudez, "There are
definitely waters that will not be protected because of this latest
guidance. The final guidance is clearly weaker than what we saw in the
September guidance."
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State Seeks Funds for 2 Dams, Maybe a
Canal
Los Angeles Times (07/11/07) ; Vogel, Nancy
California Department of Water Resources director Lester Snow says
that that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to put a bond measure of $4
billion or more on next year's ballot to pay for new dams and maybe a canal
around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This despite the fact that the
governor and lawmakers have not yet tapped into $5.4 billion from a water
bond issue that voters approved late last year. Snow informed lawmakers
that additional money is required for the heart of the state's complex
water system--the delta where California's two largest rivers meet. Snow
said he wanted to work with legislators to place on 2008's ballot an
initiative to support two pending pieces of legislation: one that would
start construction of a pair of dams in Central and Northern California and
one that would make California water authorities study multiple versions of
a canal surrounding the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The delta's pump
diversion site is at risk of earthquakes, which could destroy the earthen
walls that channel water. Endangered fish that utilize the channels could
also make regulators close the pumps. One of the proposed dams would store
water from the upper Sacramento River, while the other would be constructed
upstream of the Friant Dam on the San Joaquin River outside of Fresno.
Combined, the newly-created reservoirs would hold over 3 million acre feet
of water, enough to supply about 750,000 families for one year.
( Click here for website - May Require Free Registration)
U.S. House Bill Includes Big Wins for
Rivers
Waterchat.com (06/27/07)
On June 27, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $27.6
billion Interior-Environment Appropriations Bill, which includes $1.125
billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to help states deal with
sewage spills and overflow problems. Of that amount, $75 million will be
used to find new ways to launch non-structural improvements as well as
green infrastructure improvements. The Targeted Watersheds Grant program
will receive $25 million, and the U.S. Geological Survey will get a $5
million increase for the National Streamflow Information Program, which
funds many of the stream gauges around the country. The Partnership Wild
and Scenic Rivers program will receive $2 million, and the Open Rivers
Initiative has been allocated $6 million for helping willing owners remove
obsolete and hazardous dams. The Environmental Protection Agency will get
funding for several key regions, including the Chesapeake Bay ($30
million), the Great Lakes ($25 million), Puget Sound ($15 million), Long
Island Sound ($10 million), and the Gulf of Mexico ($4.5 million).
( Click here for website - May Require Free Registration)
NJ Targets Polluters in 120 Lawsuits
Forbes (06/29/07) ; Santana, Rebecca
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has filed 120
lawsuits against manufacturers, marketers, and other firms--such as
ExxonMobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips--involved in the gas-additive
pollution of rivers, streams, lakes, groundwater, and land. The natural
resource damage claims aim to hold the polluters accountable for their
spills and other actions that have allegedly damaged the state's natural
resources. It is unclear how much the state will seek in damages, but many
of the accused firms already have paid fines and cleanup costs in relation
to the allegations. The department hopes the lawsuits will result in
additional funds that can be used to restore the damaged resources.
( Click here for website - May Require Paid Subscription)
Flood Control Pitched for D.C.
Washington Times (06/14/07) ; Ramstack, Tom
The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) unveiled a draft
proposal to improve flood control around the District of Columbia, which
calls for higher levees along river banks, updated stormwater facilities,
and sewer system upgrades to improve the handling of stormwater runoff.
Because the city is located between two rivers on flat land, increases in
rainfall leave the National Mall and Federal Triangle especially vulnerable
to flooding. The commission calls upon the city's government to take
action. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently estimated $7 million in
investments could eliminate up to $200 million in potential water damage to
city buildings, museums, and landmarks. Officials already drafted a plan
for $1.9 billion in sewer system upgrades over the next two decades,
including the use of separate pipes for sewage and stormwater to reduce
instances of flooding. Other tactics under discussion include the use of
low-impact fixes, such as rooftop gardens that would absorb rainfall.
( Click here for website )
Michigan Launches Surface Water Information
Management System
Government Technology (06/14/07)
The newly launched Michigan Surface Water Information Management
(MiSWIM) system is an online mapping application for accessing water
quality information about Michigan's rivers, lakes, and streams. Users,
including the public, can access information on water and sediment
chemistry, fish contaminants, E. coli bacteria, industrial and municipal
wastewater discharge sites, river flow, land use classifications, soil
types, fish communities, and aerial photographs. "Better access to this
information through the MiSWIM system will improve water quality decision
making at all levels of government," asserted Steven E. Chester, director
of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
( Click here for website )
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