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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Anticipated La Nina wet weather pattern could ease drought conditions in B.C.
National Observer
Citing the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Fleming, who works in UBC’s Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, said early projections show a 71 per cent chance that an La Nina weather pattern will move in. La Nina is a climate phenomenon resulting from the flow of warmer water in the Pacific Ocean that typically brings lower temperatures and higher precipitation. Click here to read the story.
Click the following link for more information on Climate and Severe Weather.
Here’s how to remove some persistent pollutants from your drinking water at home
The Conversation – Canada
The most effective way to treat drinking water is to modernize treatment plants to eliminate PFAS, thereby guaranteeing safe drinking water for everyone, whatever their socio-economic status. This modernization effort is all the more essential given that conventional water treatment is often ineffective in eliminating these substances. However, specific treatments for PFAS can be costly and time consuming to implement. Click here to read the story.
Compare and contrast: Hurricane Helene Lays Bare the Growing Threat of Inland Flooding
Inside Climate News
Climate change is causing more severe tropical storms, which can inundate communities hundreds of miles from the coast. Click here to read the story.
Click the following link for more information on Climate and Severe Weather.
Compare and contrast: Floods are wreaking havoc around the world. Vienna might have found an answer
The Guardian
The reason the city escaped the worst of the floods is because of human engineering and political foresight dating back to the 1960s, which emerged in response to earlier floods that devastated parts of the city. Click here to read the story.
Click the following link for more information on Flood.
Tofino wastewater treatment plant now operational, protecting marine ecosystems
Water Canada
The District of Tofino has officially opened its new wastewater treatment plant, marking a significant achievement for the community and its partners. The $79.25 million project, the largest capital investment in Tofino’s history, will end the discharge of untreated sewage into the marine environment, safeguarding local ecosystems for future generations. Click here to read the story.
Click the following link for more information on Infrastructure.
Compare and contrast: EPA’s drinking water limits for PFAS are under threat – and that’s nothing new
The Guardian
Utilities have successfully helped kill, delay or weaken virtually all proposed limits on toxic substances like lead, the rocket fuel perchlorate, and carcinogenic disinfectants. Click here to read the story.
Click the following link for more information on Governance.
Compare and contrast: Untapped potential: Study shows how water systems can help accelerate renewable energy adoption
Science Daily
As power grids rely more on renewable energy sources like wind and solar, balancing energy supply and demand becomes more challenging. A new analysis shows how water systems, such as desalination plants and wastewater treatment facilities, could help enhance grid stability and create new revenue streams. Click here to read the story.
Compare and contrast: On Navajo Lands, Ancient Ways Are Restoring the Parched Earth
Yale Environment 360
Farming once thrived in the Black Mesa region, before overgrazing and climate change wreaked havoc with the land. Today, the Navajo are restoring their watersheds – and boosting their food sovereignty – with earthen berms and small dams made of woven brush, sticks, and rocks. Click here to read the story.
Click the following link for more information on Drought.
Compare and contrast: Joliet, Illinois, Plans to Source Its Future Drinking Water From Lake Michigan. Will Other Cities Follow?
Inside Climate News
The aquifer from which Joliet, Illinois, sources its drinking water is likely going to run too dry to support the city by 2030 – a problem more and more communities are facing as the climate changes and groundwater declines. So Joliet eyed a huge water source 30 miles to the northeast: Lake Michigan. Click here to read the story.
Wildfire suppression in rural BC fuelled by proactive water mapping
Water Canada
Easy access to local knowledge of water sources is a critical asset for firefighting crews, especially those arriving from outside the region or country. By compiling, digitizing and transforming local knowledge into interactive maps, the collaboration between ASAP and Living Lakes helped crews to quickly orient themselves and gain situational awareness at a critical time. Click here to read the story.