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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Canada urged to start national water dialogue
The Western Producer
Canada’s most valuable resource might be fresh water, a commodity so short in some parts of the world that it causes intense conflicts. Despite this, Canada treats water issues with inattention and disregard, some say. Now, leading water management experts hope to see that changed with a new federal water agency. Click here to continue reading
Intense rain, deadly torrents of mud destroy homes and farmland in northern Italy
CBC News
Rescue crews worked Thursday to reach towns and villages in northern Italy still isolated by heavy rains and flooding, as the death toll rose to 13 and authorities began mapping out cleanup and reconstruction plans. Click here to continue reading
Crescent Falls Provincial Recreation Area closed this summer
Red Deer Advocate
Crescent Falls Provincial Recreation Area will be closed this summer to support construction activities to upgrade the site. Alberta Forestry, Parks and Tourism recently announced the area will be closed from June 1, 2023 to June 2024 to reduce danger to the general public as contractors work in the area with heavy equipment and materials on land and near water, and to make construction more efficient. Click here to continue reading
More than half of the world’s lakes have shrunk in past 30 years, study finds
The Guardian
More than half of the world’s large lakes and reservoirs have shrunk since the early 1990s – chiefly because of the climate crisis and human consumption – intensifying concerns about water supply for agriculture, hydropower and human consumption, a study has found. Click here to continue reading
Land use linked to water quality and quantity
Science Daily
Researchers recently published a study that focuses on the Sudbury-Assabet and Concord watershed in eastern Massachusetts, and which links hydrological changes, including floods, drought and runoff, to changing patterns of land use. Click here to continue reading
State of emergency declared in Kinngait, Nunavut, over water problems
CBC News
Water problems in Kinngait, Nunavut, have led the territorial government to declare a state of emergency in the South Baffin community of about 1,400. An electrical problem at the community’s water pumphouse is the root of the problem. It’s limiting the hamlet’s ability to distribute treated water. Click here to continue reading
Global heating has likely made El Niños and La Niñas more ‘frequent and extreme’, new study shows
The Guardian
Global heating has likely intensified a climate pattern in the Pacific since the 1960s that has driven extreme droughts, floods and heatwaves around the globe, according to a new study. Click here to continue reading
Stantec deepens partnership with Apache Junction Sewer District for water reclamation facility expansion
Water Canada
Stantec has been selected to lead the water reclamation facility (WRF) expansion design for Apache Junction Sewer District (AJSD) in Apache Junction, Arizona. AJSD, previously the Superstition Mountains Community Facilities District No. 1, provides wastewater collection and treatment services to more than 7,000 customers. Click here to continue reading
Brandon, MB modernizes access to water network data
Water Canada
The City of Brandon, in partnership with Esri Canada, recently implemented the geographic information system (GIS) software ArcGIS Utility Network (UN), which allows the City to see, manage and share vital information about its water network in real time. This leads to better network management. The project is part of the City’s strategy to modernize asset management. Click here to continue reading
Italy floods: emergency services continue rescue efforts in flood-hit region – video
The Guardian
Italian authorities are continuing rescue operations across the flood-hit northern Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Footage recorded by the Italian coastguard showed helicopters rescuing people from their roofs, including a pregnant woman and an elderly couple. At least nine people have been killed by the floods and close to 5,000 evacuated from their homes. Click here to continue reading