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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Alberta floods caused coal mine wastewater to run into environment: regulator
Global News
An environmental group is calling for stronger action from Alberta’s energy regulator after it announced heavy rain had caused flooding and excessive surface runoff at energy sites, including coal mines. The Alberta Energy Regulator posted on its website Tuesday that some coal mines in the Hinton and Grande Cache areas reported wastewater being discharged into the environment. Click here to continue reading
Antarctic ice shelves experienced only minor changes in surface melt since 1980
Science Daily
Antarctic ice shelves have experienced only minor changes in surface melt rates over the past four decades, unlike the rapid increase in surface melt experienced by Greenland’s glaciers during the same time period, according to new research. The news is not cause for celebration just yet, though — the researchers expect Antarctic ice shelf surface melt rates to increase substantially in the coming decades due to rising global air temperatures. Click here to continue reading
Alberta floods: Rivers receding west of Edmonton, some evacuation orders dropped
Global News
Rivers that had burst their banks west of Edmonton are starting to recede, though some danger still remains, according to the Alberta government. The Athabasca, McLeod, Pembina and North Saskatchewan rivers were high west and northwest of Edmonton after heavy rainfall across the province over the past week. Click here to continue reading
Compare and Contrast: Texas governor signs bill rescinding water breaks as deadly heat grips state
The Guardian
Amid a dangerous heatwave that has brought blistering temperatures across Texas, the state’s governor signed a law this week eliminating local rules requiring water breaks for workers. Click here to continue reading
How wildfires can have a devastating, long-term impact on nearby water supplies
CBC News
Monica Emelko arrived in Fort McMurray, Alta., in June 2016 to help study the impact of the wildfires. She says the devastation to people’s homes and lives she witnessed changed her as a person. Emelko, the Canada Research Chair in water science, technology and policy at the University of Waterloo, was there to help ensure the drinking supply was safe for consumption as people readied to return to their homes. Click here to continue reading
Compare and Contrast: Freight train carrying hot asphalt, molten sulfur plunges into Yellowstone River as bridge fails
CTV News
A bridge that crosses the Yellowstone River in Montana collapsed early Saturday, plunging portions of a freight train carrying hazardous materials into the rushing water below.
The train cars were carrying hot asphalt and molten sulfur, Stillwater County Disaster and Emergency Services said. Officials shut down drinking water intakes downstream while they evaluated the danger after the 6 a.m. accident. An Associated Press reporter witnessed a yellow substance coming out of some of the tank cars. Click here to continue reading
Food security increases with improved Fraser Valley flood resiliency
Water Canada
The new $20-million Fraser Valley Flood Mitigation program, delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC, will increase the province’s food security. The program will support flood resiliency on individual farms as well as larger, community-scale projects that reduce flood risks for the broader community and support shared values like fish habitat and ecological diversity. Click here to continue reading
Waterfront homes tap into lakes for cheaper geothermal heating
CBC News
Heating and cooling your home with a ground-source heat pump is climate-friendly and very efficient. But it can require expensive digging or drilling. Waterfront home or cottage owners have a cheaper shortcut: pond or lake geothermal (or geoexchange) heating and cooling. Click here to continue reading
Compare and Contrast: 3M to pay at least $10.3B to settle ‘forever chemical’ drinking water lawsuits in U.S.
CBC News
Chemical manufacturer 3M Co. will pay at least $10.3 billion to settle lawsuits over contamination of many U.S. public drinking water systems with potentially harmful compounds used in firefighting foam and a host of consumer products, the company said Thursday. Click here to continue reading
Vastly more sustainable, cost-effective method to desalinate industrial wastewater
Science Daily
While desalination through reverse osmosis has made tremendous strides — allowing for salt removal from seawater for less than a penny per gallon — it still falls short in eliminating saline in wastewater from industries like mining, oil and gas and power generation and in inland brackish water. The industrial brines are currently injected into deep geological formations or transferred to a evaporation ponds, and both disposal methods are facing more regulatory and environmental challenges. Click here to continue reading