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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Meters will improve water conservation in Strathcona, B.C.
Water Canada
New automatic water meters will help residents in Strathcona monitor and reduce their water consumption, limit water waste and support the sustainability of local ecosystems. The Province invested $2.8 million to support the project. Click here to continue reading
City of Fredericton launches interactive flood risk map
Water Canada
With $100,000 in financial support from Intact Public Entities (IPE) and Intact Financial Corporation, the City of Fredericton has launched an interactive Neighbourhood Flood Risk Map. This will allow residents to learn more about the current flood risk to their properties, actions they can take around their home and lot to reduce the risk, and capital projects by the City to make their neighbourhood more flood resilient. Click here to continue reading
Cost of adding fluoride to Calgary’s water triples as project timeline delayed
CBC News
Resuming fluoridation in Calgary’s water supply is going to be a longer and more costly process than originally expected. The plan was set in motion after a council vote and decision to reimplement fluoridation of the drinking water system in November of 2021 and was initially expected to be complete by June of 2024. Click here to continue reading
Polynesian canoe expedition circumnavigating Pacific Ocean makes stops in B.C.
CBC News
The expedition is being operated by the Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS). The society says the traditional Polynesian canoe — which has been named Hōkūleʻa, after the guiding star also known as Arcturus — will travel an estimated 43,000 miles around the Pacific Ocean and stop at more than 300 ports, 36 countries and archipelagoes and nearly 100 Indigenous territories along the way. Click here to continue reading
Saltwater or freshwater? Difference is large for the climate when we flood low lying areas
Science Daily
Researchers find large methane emissions: ‘Do not flood low-lying areas with freshwater’. Their studies find that freshwater lakes emit much more methane than saltwater lagoons, bogs and wet meadows. Click here to continue reading
Study: Freshwater systems not immune to microplastic accumulation
Water Canada
The study looks at plastic debris in surface water samples collected across 38 lakes and reservoirs located in 23 countries, across six continents, with varying population densities and environmental conditions. One of the main findings from the study, which is published in Nature, is that microplastic concentrations are equally, if not more, prevalent in freshwater systems compared to the marine (ocean) environment. Click here to continue reading
Thames Water suffers £1.4bn drop in value after its largest investor slashes the value of its stake
This is Money
Thames Water’s owner could be worth £1.4billion less than before after its largest investor slashed the value of its stake. The Ontario Municipal Employees’ Retirement System (Omers), which owns a third of the troubled supplier through multiple funds, significantly reduced the value of its investment last year, according to The Financial Times. Click here to continue reading
Found: Giant Freshwater Deposits Hiding under the Sea
Scientific American
Back in the 1960s the U.S. Geological Survey had drilled a series of vertical boreholes off the New Jersey coast, looking for sand deposits and other resources. They unexpectedly struck fresh water, which was baffling. Years later researchers obtained water samples from the same location and analyzed the chemistry, finding to their surprise that the liquid was a mix of recent rainwater and seawater. Rainwater, 65 kilometers (40 miles) out to sea—under the seafloor? Click here to continue reading
Compare and Contrast: Wildfires rage around Athens for third day as water bombers join effort
The Guardian
The battle to douse wildfires raging for a third day around Athens has intensified as water bombers flown in from Italy and France joined the operation to extinguish flames often fanned by strong winds. Click here to continue reading
‘Scary situation’ in Alberta’s drought-stricken fields raises questions about farming’s future
CBC News
The president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) says a dire situation has emerged for various municipalities, especially in the southern and eastern parts of the province. “There’s just not enough time, if we did have the moisture required, and just too late germination. So it’s a pretty scary situation,” Paul McLauchlin said. Click here to continue reading