Water News
Alberta Water News is a free, subscription-based service that provides the latest information on water news across Alberta and upcoming events.
The news is distributed weekly on Mondays via a collated email and Monday to Friday via WaterPortal social media (X was Twitter). Please note that news will not be distributed on Holiday Mondays and will be released the following Tuesday.
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Compare and Contrast: ‘Escaping PFAS is nearly impossible’: Nearly half of US tap water tainted with forever chemicals
Euro News
Almost half of America’s tap water could contain toxic ‘forever chemicals’ known as PFAS, according to government data. Testing by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed that water for as many as 26 million people in hundreds of communities across the country had measurable levels of PFAS. Click here to continue reading
Blue-green algae advisory issued for Pigeon and Wizard lakes
Global News
Health advisories have been issued for two popular lakes in the Edmonton region. Alberta Health Services issued blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) advisories for both Wizard Lake and nearby Pigeon Lake, both located south of Edmonton in Leduc County and County of Wetaskiwin. Click here to continue reading
Marmot Basin sees August snowfall
CTV News
While central and north-central Alberta are soggy, it’s snowing hard at higher levels through the mountains near Jasper. Marmot Basin webcams from Friday afternoon show several centimetres of snow accumulation on the upper mountain and although there’s not much snow on the ground mid-mountain, snowflakes are falling. Click here to continue reading
Compare and Contrast: Hurricane Hilary threatens ‘catastrophic’ flooding in Mexico and California, now in a state of emergency
CBC News
Hurricane Hilary roared toward Mexico’s Baja California peninsula late Saturday as a downgraded but still dangerous Category 1 hurricane likely to bring “catastrophic” flooding to the region and cross into the southwestern U.S. as a tropical storm. Click here to continue reading
Dwindling water supply leaves some southern Alberta farmers dry
CBC News
Record-breaking high temperatures across southern Alberta, a lack of rain and evaporation in reservoirs have led to more than 30 water shortage advisories across the province. Farmers, ranchers, rural municipalities, cities, towns and villages have been told to cut back on water use. Click here to continue reading
Helpful hints to tend to your garden during a heat wave and drought
CBC News
Tending to your vegetable garden should be a relaxing endeavour but it might become stressful if your plants are parched and are suffering from the intense heat. Click here to continue reading
Farmers in B.C. brace for fish-protection water restrictions
The Western Producer
The crop situation in British Columbia is dire as drought and fire continue to plague much of the province and rivers that provide irrigation are drying up, according to the executive director of B.C. Agriculture Council. Click here to continue reading
Farmers play the thunderstorm lottery
The Western Producer
From May until early August, almost all rain that fell on southern Manitoba came from thunderstorms. There hadn’t been a widespread rain for months — until the weekend of Aug. 12. The rain’s arrival is too late for crops like wheat and oats, but the precipitation should provide a boost for corn and soybean yields in Manitoba. Click here to continue reading
Compare and Contrast: Drinking water of millions of Americans contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’
The Guardian
Drinking water consumed by millions of Americans from hundreds of communities spread across the United States is contaminated with dangerous levels of toxic chemicals, according to testing data released on Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Click here to continue reading
Cleaning water with ‘smart rust’ and magnets
Science Daily
Pouring flecks of rust into water usually makes it dirtier. But researchers have developed special iron oxide nanoparticles called ‘smart rust’ that actually makes it cleaner. The magnetic nanoparticles attract different pollutants by changing the particles’ coating and are removed from water with a magnet. Now, the team is reporting a smart rust that traps estrogen hormones, which are potentially harmful to aquatic life. Click here to continue reading