Water News
Please note, the daily news can now be found at our new website, waterportal.ca . We will no longer be updating this page, as this website will be removed in the coming weeks. All of our content can be found at our new website, with a modern look and better functionality on all your devices.
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: The system that moves water around the Earth is off balance for the first time in human history
CNN
Humanity has thrown the global water cycle off balance “for the first time in human history,” fueling a growing water disaster that will wreak havoc on economies, food production and lives, according to a landmark new report.” ” Decades of destructive land use and water mismanagement have collided with the human-caused climate crisis to put “unprecedented stress” on the global water cycle, said the report published Wednesday by the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, a group of international leaders and experts. Click here to read the story.
Canadians drink more bottled water than most. That makes us part of the problem
Waterloo Region Record
Canadians are among the world’s heaviest drinkers of bottled water, about 97 per cent of which is sold in disposable plastic containers.” At $17.1 billion in annual spending on bottled water, Canada trails only the more populous U.S. ($87.7 billion), China ($67.7 billion) and Indonesia ($30.1 billion). Click here to read the story.
Compare and contrast: After hurricane, with no running water, residents organize to meet a basic need
Toronto Star
It takes water to flush a toilet and tens of thousands of North Carolinians have been without it since Hurricane Helene ripped through the state three weeks ago. Click here to read the story. Click the following link for more information on Climate and Severe Weather.
Montreal plans to stop adding fluoride to West Island tap water in 2025
CTV News
The West Island is one of the few places in Quebec that adds fluoride to the drinking water, but the City of Montreal plans to phase that out by 2025, and some in the community are upset. Click here to read the story.
Compare and contrast: It could take over 40 years for PFAS to leave groundwater
Science Daily
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, known commonly as PFAS, could take over 40 years to flush out of contaminated groundwater. Click here to read the story. Click the following link for more information on Infrastructure.
Construction update: Bearspaw South Feeder Main phase three repairs begin
City of Calgary
The City of Calgary is preparing to begin phase three of repairs to the Bearspaw South Feeder Main, with pre-work scheduled to begin today, Oct. 16. Construction is expected to continue until late November. These repairs are much smaller in scope and will not require city-wide water restrictions because these sections can be isolated while keeping the feeder main running. Click here to read the story. Click the following link for more information on Infrastructure.
Compare and contrast: Nile basin nations say water-sharing accord has come into force without Egypt’s backing
The Canadian Press
A regional partnership of 10 countries says an agreement on the equitable use of water resources from the Nile River basin has come into force despite the notable opposition of Egypt. The legal status of the “cooperative framework” was formally confirmed by the African Union after South Sudan joined the treaty, the Nile Basin Initiative said in a statement Sunday. Click here to read the story.
Click the following link for more information on Governance.
City of Saint John drinking water once again places among the top in Atlantic Canada
Water Canada
Saint John Water secured third place in the Atlantic Canada Water and Wastewater Association’s (ACWWA) annual “Best of the Best” tap water taste-testing competition. This year, the accolade was awarded to the Loch Lomond Drinking Water Treatment Facility, a previous winner in this prestigious event. Click here to read the story.
Compare and contrast: Atmospheric rivers are shifting poleward, reshaping global weather patterns
The Conversation – United States
Atmospheric rivers – those long, narrow bands of water vapor in the sky that bring heavy rain and storms to the U.S. West Coast and many other regions – are shifting toward higher latitudes, and that’s changing weather patterns around the world. Click here to read the story.
Click the following link for more information on Climate and Severe Weather.
MD of Bighorn weighs cost, benefit of automated groundwater monitoring system
Calgary Herald
The program proposes a system that would automate real-time groundwater level data collection at set frequencies, such as hourly, and thus allow trend analysis, but it would not make predictions of future water levels. Click here to read the story.