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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Long delays at Panama Canal after drought hits global shipping route

PUBLISHED: 15 August 2023      Last Edited: 15 August 2023

The Guardian

Commercial ships are facing long queues and delays to travel through the Panama Canal as a lengthy drought in the Central American country has led to a cut in the number of vessels able to pass through one of the world’s most important trading routes. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: China’s oldest water pipes were a communal effort

PUBLISHED: 15 August 2023      Last Edited: 15 August 2023

Science Daily

A system of ancient ceramic water pipes, the oldest ever unearthed in China, shows that neolithic people were capable of complex engineering feats without the need for a centralized state authority, finds a new study. Click here to continue reading

Water restrictions in place for some southern Alberta communities as temperatures soar

PUBLISHED: 15 August 2023      Last Edited: 15 August 2023

CTV News

The Town of Pincher Creek is currently under a stage 2 water restriction, meaning residents can only water their lawns once a week and all watering activities are restricted to the hours of 6 to 10 a.m. and 7 to 11 p.m. Click here to continue reading

Irrigation to end early in southern Alberta

PUBLISHED: 15 August 2023      Last Edited: 15 August 2023

Global News

Irrigation has been the only thing keeping some southern Alberta farmers going the past couple of years, but the stream of water will be shutting off earlier than usual this year. According to the Raymond Irrigation District (RID) extremely low reservoir levels have led to the decision to shut off water earlier than normal. Click here to continue reading

New research offers solutions to improve drinking water access in developing countries

PUBLISHED: 15 August 2023      Last Edited: 15 August 2023

Science Daily

New research examines the critical problem of drinking water access in rural areas of developing countries and recommends optimal locations to build new water projects. Click here to continue reading

More than 300 million litres of sewage water poured into Ottawa River during storm

PUBLISHED: 15 August 2023      Last Edited: 15 August 2023

Ottawa Citizen

Last week’s severe thunderstorm overwhelmed Ottawa’s new, purpose-built sewage and stormwater storage tunnel, sending 316 million litres of contaminated water pouring into the Ottawa River. It was the worst overflow since the $232 million Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel (CSST) went into service in 2020. Click here to continue reading

A Pacific marine heat wave has arrived in B.C. waters. Here’s what it means for ocean life

PUBLISHED: 15 August 2023      Last Edited: 15 August 2023

CBC News

A warm water mass heating up Pacific waters for months has arrived in British Columbia — raising alarms about what impact those temperatures could have on marine life native to the coast. The Pacific marine heat wave started forming about 1,600 kilometres off the coast in May, but in recent weeks has migrated east toward B.C. and Oregon. The warm water mass, about four million square kilometres in size, was predicted to wash up on B.C. shores by mid-August. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Creating ‘sponge cities’ to cope with more rainfall needn’t cost billions – but NZ has to start now

PUBLISHED: 14 August 2023      Last Edited: 14 August 2023

The Conversation – Australia + New Zealand

The “sponge city” concept is gaining traction as a way to mitigate extreme weather, save lives and even make cities more pleasant places to live. This is particularly important when existing urban stormwater infrastructure is often already ageing and inadequate. Auckland has even been cutting spending on critical stormwater repairs for at least the past two years. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: 300,000 residents left without reliable water sources as drought ravages southern France

PUBLISHED: 14 August 2023      Last Edited: 14 August 2023

Euro News

As Europe continues to experience recording breaking heatwaves, southern France has been hit by severe drought. Following the country’s hottest year ever in 2022, France is once again struggling to handle the heat. High temperatures and low rainfall have resulted in issues with fresh water supply across the country. This week, over 300,000 commune inhabitants have had their water supplies disrupted. Some 67 communes are now receiving water by tanker and 18 by bottles. Click here to continue reading

‘Train Wreck’ Feared as BC Water Use Rules Begin to Bite

PUBLISHED: 14 August 2023      Last Edited: 14 August 2023

The Tyee

With large parts of British Columbia in drought this summer, the province is beginning to cut groundwater access to unlicensed water users. But critics like BC Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau say users losing access to water — including farmers — are victims of a botched government attempt to transition to a new licensing system. Click here to continue reading

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