Water News 2023

Compare and contrast: Cheltenham councillors concerned over contaminated Pump Room water

BBC News

There are concerns over the lack of drinkable spa water in a town, two years after the issue was supposed to be resolved. In 2021, bacteria was detected in the water at Cheltenham’s Pittville Pump Room, making it unfit for consumption. The cause of contamination is still unknown. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Thames Water criticised over Bracknell Forest rivers’ quality

BBC News

The Environment Agency said sewage discharges by Thames Water was a major factor in pollution in water courses within Bracknell Forest council area. It said none of the monitored waterways reached a good ecological status. Thames Water admitted its discharges were an issue, but said agriculture and urban run-off added to the problem. Click here to continue reading

How to stay safe on open water ice: RCMP, province, Parks Canada tips

Edmonton Journal

Police warn the public that ice on open water should be at least 15 cm thick for a person to walk or skate on and at least 20 cm thick for groups of people; a thickness of 25 cm is required for safe snowmobiling or using off-highway vehicles on. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: New Mexico proposes regulations to reuse fracking wastewater

The Canadian Press

New Mexico environmental officials have proposed a new regulatory framework for reusing wastewater with a focus on the used, salty byproducts of oil and natural gas drilling in a major U.S. production zone. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Water increasingly at the center of conflicts from Ukraine to the Middle East

Los Angeles Times

Six months ago, an explosion ripped apart Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine, unleashing floods that killed 58 people, devastated the landscape along the Dnipro River and cut off water to productive farmland. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Land of 10,000 Lakes: how Minnesota’s most sacred resource made headlines in 2023

WCCO CBS News Minnesota

If there’s one thing Minnesota is known for, it’s water. However, our state of water has seen many changes over the years. Water is also at the heart of indigenous traditions, and a piece of any Minnesotan’s DNA. Click here to continue reading

Northern Manitoba First Nation hopes billion-dollar settlement will finally end boil-water advisory

Winnipeg Sun

It’s been years since anyone in the Tataskweyak Cree Nation (TCN) could drink water unless it was either boiled or sent in on a delivery truck. But thanks to a billion-dollar settlement reached with the feds, the far north community is now anticipating a chance to finally put an end to their ongoing boil-water advisory. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Researchers to tap into why Springwater aqua purest on Earth

Collingwood Today

Researchers will work to determine where Springwater’s water comes from, how it travels through the various layers of soil, the composition of that soil, what beneficial bugs and microbes are in the soil and how the water and soil are impacted by industrial, commercial and residential uses. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: After 6 days without running water, end in sight for Lincoln mini-home park

CBC

In a notice sent to residents, management warned individuals to boil the water because “your jugs or other transportation means may not be sterile and we want to prevent any sickness over the holidays.”. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: South West Water investigates discoloured water at beach

BBC News

A water provider has investigated after reports of “discoloured water” entering the sea at a beach in Cornwall.In a statement it said “discolouration in the bay has been caused by run off from agricultural land”. Click here to continue reading

After years of drought and wells running dry, this Nova Scotia community is looking to the sea

CBC

Barrington, Nova Scotia, is partnering with a Quebec-based company called Oneka Technologies to test a sustainable approach to desalination, which could potentially see some of the community’s drinking water coming from the ocean. The pilot project is set to start in 2024. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Towns reinforce dikes as heavy rains send rivers over their banks in Germany and the Netherlands

The Canadian Press

Firefighters and volunteers worked to reinforce dikes against rising floodwaters in northern and eastern Germany as heavy rains falling on already soaked ground pushed rivers and streams over their banks and forced several towns to evacuate residents. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: After a Decade of Planning, New York City Is Raising Its Shoreline

Yale Environment 360

Inspired by the Dutch model of living with water, New York’s coastal defenses are on the rise. The city — like others around the country — is combining infrastructure like floodwalls with nature-based features, as it moves ahead with the largest resiliency project in the U.S. Click here to continue reading

Canada and Nova Scotia invest in disaster mitigation infrastructure in Lawrencetown

Water Canada

Route 207 is adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean and has weathered significant damage during storms, at times making it impassable and causing economic harm to nearby communities. The project includes rebuilding a 500-metre section of the road further away from the coast and naturalizing the existing section. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: ‘This river is doomed’: Peru’s gold rush threatens waterways and the people who depend on them

The Guardian

Indigenous communities lead fight to stop illicit mining in Loreto, Peru, that is poisoning the water and destroying its forests. The activity has affected the quality of water, bringing the threat of pollution and disease to more than 170,000 Indigenous inhabitants across the Peruvian Amazon. Click here to continue reading

Important Notice: 2024 Irrigation Season Water Supply Update

St. Mary River Irrigation District

our water supply level as of December 18, 2023 based on the most recent information obtained from Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation. The current storage levels in the District’s reservoirs are at 136,000 acre-feet, which represents 43% of the Full Supply Limit (FSL) irrigation storage volume. Additionally, the Headworks reservoirs have experienced minor gains since their shutdown, resulting in a combined storage of 118,000 acre-feet, equivalent to 25% of the FSL. Click here to continue reading

Flooding, power outages plague Cape Breton residents

CTV News

Days of heavy rain proved to be too much for the sewer system in Sydney, N.S., on Thursday. As water levels continued to rise, so did concern among residents. Click here to continue reading
https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/more/flooding-power-outages-plague-cape-breton-residents-1.6698318

Compare and contrast: India’s new manual for water supply will replicate past failures

The Conversation – Global

Water utilities in India supply residents with water for an average of only four hours per day. Within cities, some neighbourhoods receive water almost all the time, while some receive less than half an hour per week. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Drought-prone California approves new rules for turning wastewater directly into drinking water

PBS News Hour
California regulators on Tuesday approved new rules to let water agencies recycle wastewater and put it right back into the pipes that carry drinking water to homes, schools and businesses. Click here to continue reading

Prairie First Nations call on Ottawa to rewrite clean water bill

CBC

First Nations leaders in Manitoba and Alberta are calling on Ottawa to redraft proposed new clean water legislation — and warn that the bill would fail to ensure safe drinking water and wastewater services in their communities. Click here to continue reading

Coal contamination spurs search for new backup drinking water source in Rocky Mountain city

The Narwhal

The small Rocky Mountain city of Fernie, B.C., is on the hunt for a new backup drinking water supply after selenium levels exceeded provincial water quality guidelines in tests of its secondary water source earlier this year. Click here to continue reading

Irrigation sector ratifies amalgamation in Sask.

The Western Producer

Irrigation Saskatchewan will represent private irrigators as well as irrigation districts in the province. The Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association and Irrigation Crop Diversification Corp. formally agree to join forces. Click here to continue reading

Boil-water advisory issued for all of Chelsea, Quebec

CBC

The municipality of Chelsea, Que., is advising residents to boil water prior to using it as a preventative measure during an emergency repair. The advisory affects everyone who’s served by the municipality’s water and sewer network, a news release Wednesday states. Click here to continue reading

‘Water apocalypse’ demands return to nature for flood, drought resilience: experts

The Canadian Press

Norm Allard knows he may never see the full impacts of his efforts to restore wetlands and floodplains in southeastern British Columbia, but he takes a”generational view”of the work that exemplifies a key part of climate resiliency. Click here to continue reading

Helping Alberta manage water supply

Water Canada

Alberta relies on melting snow and rain for most of its water. A lack of rain and early depletion of mountain snow led to drought in parts of the province this summer and below average precipitation has continued through the fall. Click here to continue reading

Together with First Nations leadership, Minister Patty Hajdu introduces a Bill to support clean drinking water in First Nations communities

Water Canada

Everyone in Canada should have access to safe and clean drinking water. First Nations have long called for legislation that affirms their inherent rights, recognizes their stewardship in keeping water clean and meets First Nations needs. Click here to continue reading

Construction finishes up on Saskatoon’s third Flood Control Strategy project

Water Canada

Construction has wrapped up in Weaver Park where crews had been working since February on the City of Saskatoon’s (City) third Flood Control Strategy (FCS) project. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Weather tracker: Parts of Rhine closed to shipping as river levels rise

The Guardian

Heavy rain and melting snow force closure near chokepoint of Maxau and Speyer, says German navigation authority. Water levels on the Rhine were critically high last week, after heavy rain across the catchment area and the snow melt that followed. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Understanding atmospheric flash droughts in the Caribbean

Science Daily

The word ‘drought’ typically conjures images of parched soil, dust-swept prairies, depleted reservoirs, and dry creek beds, all the result of weeks or seasons of persistently dry atmospheric conditions. In the sun-soaked islands in the Caribbean, however, drought conditions can occur much more rapidly. Click here to continue reading

Taking Action on Drought in Alberta

Chestermere Anchor

Most of the water that Albertans use to drink, grow crops, run our businesses and sustain our environment comes from rain and melting snow. The last three years have brought droughts and water shortages in various parts of our province, including most of Southern Alberta this summer. Click here to continue reading

Water Shortage Advisories in Alberta – Important Information for Water Licence Holders

Alberta Energy Regulator

Alberta is experiencing extremely low water levels in many parts of the province due to below-average snowpack and precipitation over the past several months, resulting in less runoff to rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. This is contributing to widespread dry conditions and water shortages, especially in southern Alberta. Click here to continue reading

Drought conditions force BC Hydro to rely on power purchases

The Globe and Mail

Persistent drought conditions have forced BC Hydro to rely on costly energy imports this year for one-fifth of its domestic demand, while the Crown-owned utility has missed an opportunity to fill the Site C dam’s reservoir this year, which could have mitigated the shortfall. Click here to continue reading

Small lakes, big studies: what Ontario’s experimental lakes area teaches the world about water

The Narwhal

For over half a century, 58 small, self-contained lakes in Treaty 3 territory have allowed scientists to replicate — and clean up — the effects of oil spills, microplastics and other threats to fresh water. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: How an overlooked study over a century ago helped fuel the Colorado River crisis

Science Daily

At the start of World War I, a scientist named Eugene Clyde La Rue hiked the American West to estimate how much water flows down the Colorado River. His findings were ignored, but leaders today don’t have to make the same mistake. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Flooding drives millions to move as climate-driven migration patterns emerge

The Canadian Press

Flooding is driving millions of people to move out of their homes, limiting growth in some prospering communities and accelerating the decline of others, according to a new study that details how climate change and flooding are transforming where Americans live. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Why Is the Colorado River Running Dry?

Mother Jones

It’s not just drought. It’s putting sacred cows above farmers, cities, and a secure future. Click here to continue reading

Southern Alberta wishing for snow as water levels at historic lows

Calgary Herald

Southern Alberta is experiencing an exceptional drought, the driest it has been in the last 50 years, says the Oldman River Watershed Council. Click here to continue reading

Residents cleared to return home as Quebec dike declared safe after repair work

The Canadian Press

Authorities say work carried out by government engineers has stabilized a dike northwest of Montreal that was at risk of bursting. With the Morier dike in the Laurentians region deemed safe, hundreds of residents from the municipalities of Chute-Saint-Philippe and Lac-des-Écorces can return home after being forced out 11 days ago. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: How to provide reliable water in a warming world – these cities are testing small-scale treatment systems and wastewater recycling

The Conversation – United States

A lot can go wrong in a large urban water system. Cities have started experimenting with small-scale alternatives – including wastewater recycling and localized water treatment strategies known as decentralized or distributed systems. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: ‘Floods have washed away entire villages’: Kenya’s rains made twice as intense by climate change

EuroNews Green

Kenya’s military has stepped up efforts to evacuate hundreds of people trapped by raging floods. Hundreds of people have died and millions more have been affected since the rains began in October. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Depleted Groundwater Could Be Refilled by Borrowing a Trick from Solar Power

Scientific American

In many places around the world, groundwater is being pumped out faster than nature replenishes it. A new model points to a possible solution. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Dangerous ‘Fill and Build’ Floodplain Policy Should Be Scrapped, Experts Say

Scientific American

A FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) advisory council says a program that allows developers to elevate homes on fill dirt is environmentally harmful and can increase flood risks for nearby homes. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: ‘Green Roads’ Are Plowing Ahead, Buffering Drought and Floods

Yale Environment 360

As the developing world witnesses a boom in road building, a movement to retrofit existing roads is gathering steam. Using embankments, channels, and dikes, so-called “green roads” help control floods, harvest excess water for use in irrigation, and slash maintenance costs. Click here to continue reading

Canada and British Columbia invest in wastewater infrastructure improvements in Kimberley

Water Canada

Kimberley, B.C. — The City of Kimberley will build new wastewater infrastructure after a combined investment of more than $90.6 million from the federal, provincial, and municipal governments. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Webcast: How water researchers are rethinking the global flood crisis

Nature

In this webcast, a panel of researchers discuss how to improve resilience to floods and the need for expertise from fields such as climate modelling, urban studies and behavioural science. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Sizing up hydrogen’s hydrological footprint

Nature

The use of hydrogen as an energy carrier is essential to decarbonizing economies. Industrial policies and technology developments could trim the water consumption involved in producing the gas, minimizing its cost and environmental impact. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Water and warfare: the battle to control a precious resource

Nature

Water resources can be casualties of violence, but disputes over water control can also act as triggers for unrest — for example, when two communities clash over access to a single water source. Historical records show that conflicts over water access stretch back millennia, with water systems often being targeted or manipulated as strategic assets on the battlefield. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: The human factor in water disasters

Nature

Decisions about land use and infrastructure have left little space for water, amplifying the effects of natural disasters and climate change. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: National policy aimed at reducing U.S. greenhouse gases also would improve water quality

Science Daily

A climate policy that raises the price of carbon-intensive products across the entire U.S. economy would yield a side benefit of reducing nitrate groundwater contamination throughout the Mississippi River Basin. The Gulf of Mexico, an important U.S. fishery, also would see modest benefits from the nitrate reductions. Click here to continue reading

University of Calgary named world’s first United Nations University hub for water

Calgary Herald

The University of Calgary has become the world’s first United Nations University hub focused on water. The hub is a partnership between the Calgary school and the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, which is a think tank based in Hamilton. Click here to continue reading

Glencore’s prized Canadian coal mines come with rising environmental scrutiny

Reuters

A Glencore-led consortium’s successful $9 billion bid for Teck Resources’ steelmaking coal unit could face tougher environmental clean-up obligations, as water pollution from the mines comes under increasing scrutiny in the U.S. and Canada. Ottawa and Washington are close to requesting a study of selenium contamination from Teck’s Elk Valley mines in southeast British Columbia. Click here to continue reading

EuroNews Green

Hydroponics uses just 10 per cent of the water needed for traditional cultivation. Amid water scarcity and shrinking arable land, some smallholders in Egypt are switching to soilless farming. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: A quarter of freshwater fish risk extinction -study

Reuters

About a quarter of all freshwater fish species are at risk of extinction due to threats from climate change and pollution, the latest Red List of Threatened Species showed on Monday. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Found in Freshwater Fish, Yet Most States Don’t Warn Residents

Scientific American

Staggering amounts of toxic “forever chemicals” have been found in freshwater fish, but there is no US federal guidance on what is a safe amount to eat. At least 17 states have issued PFAS-related fish consumption advisories, KFF Health News found, with some warning residents not to eat any fish caught in particular lakes or rivers because of dangerous levels of forever chemicals. Click here to continue reading

Tataskweyak Cree Nation to get $40M water pipeline after 6 years under boil water advisory

CBC

The construction of a new 40-kilometre pipeline and water treatment plant for the community is set to begin next spring, meaning Tataskweyak’s six-year boil water advisory will be coming to an end. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: We rely heavily on groundwater – but pumping too much threatens thousands of underground species

The Conversation – Australia

Groundwater is the world’s largest unfrozen freshwater reserve. Globally, we pump almost 1,000 cubic kilometres of this ancient water each year. About a third of the world’s largest groundwater basins are in distress, meaning levels are continuously declining. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Our cities will need to harvest stormwater in an affordable and green way – here’s how

The Conversation – Australia

When it rains, stormwater runs down surfaces like streets and parking lots and into drains. At such times, stormwater is seen as a problem. But it’s also the last untapped source of water available for cities. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: River deltas are threatened by more than climate change – leaving hundreds of millions of people at risk

The Conversation – United Kingdom

Perilously situated between rising sea levels and pressures from upstream lie coastal river deltas and their roughly half a billion inhabitants. Our recent research reveals that 49 deltas around the world, including the Nile, Mekong, and Mississippi are facing growing risks under all of the IPCC’s future scenarios for climate change and development. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Why circular water management is the next step

New Civil Engineer

For too long, the linear model of ‘take, make, consume, and waste’ has dominated, with water abstracted from the natural environment, ‘made’ drinkable through treatment, used by humans and then discharged back to the environment. Currently, over 80% of wastewater generated by society flows back into the environment without being treated or reused. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Predictive models augur that at the end of the century fields will need more water than today

Science Daily

A team has published evapotranspiration projections for Andalusia through 2100, using a machine learning model that allows this data to be obtained based on the air temperature. By 2100 more water will be needed to alleviate evaporation and transpiration losses from cultivated areas. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Extreme rainfall increases ag nutrient runoff, conservation strategies can help

Science Daily

Nutrient runoff from agricultural production is a significant source of water pollution in the U.S., and climate change that produces extreme weather events is likely to exacerbate the problem. A new study looks at how extreme rainfall impacts runoff and suggests possible mitigation strategies. Click here to continue reading

Okanagan Water Board seeks grant applications to address drought & other water challenges

Water Canada

The Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) is now accepting applications to its Water Conservation and Quality Improvement (WCQI) grant program for 2024. With an annual funding pool of $350,000, applicants that meet the program criteria can receive between $3,000 and $30,000 for water projects within the Okanagan Basin. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: UK water regulator enters next stage of enforcement cases in sewage treatment row

Reuters

The UK’s water regulator on Tuesday said it has reached the next stage of enforcement cases related to a 2021 probe into non-permitted sewage discharges by water firms. Water companies have been accused of releasing wastewater directly into rivers, watercourses and the sea during heavy rain or storms. Click here to continue reading

‘Do not swallow any unboiled water,’ McMaster tells students in downtown residence

CBC

McMaster University is telling students who live at its new downtown residence they should boil their water before drinking it and to add bleach when cleaning their dishes. The guidelines were part of a Saturday morning email to students and tenants in 10 Bay St. S., obtained by CBC Hamilton. Click here to continue reading

Feds introduce bill to set drinking water standards in First Nations

CBC

The federal government’s proposed new bill is intended to protect fresh water sources, create minimum national drinking water and wastewater standards in First Nations, and provide sustainable funding for maintaining water quality. Click here to continue reading

Study of Water Impacts of Hydrogen Development in Alberta – 2023

WaterSMART Solutions

In recognition of the potential scale and speed of hydrogen development in Alberta, this report has been prepared to assess the potential impacts of hydrogen development on water resources across Alberta, and to highlight locations in which available supply may limit hydrogen development. Click here to continue reading (Associated infographic)

Natural Infrastructure and Prairie Prosperity

IISD

The natural infrastructure sector contributes billions to the Prairie-wide economy and creates jobs. In 2022, the sector’s direct contribution to the GDP of the Canadian Prairies was estimated to be CAD 4.1 billion, and it directly employed over 33,000 people in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: ‘A scam all around’: Navajo Nation groups oppose hydropower projects

The Guardian

Navajo Nation environmentalists are opposing a “self-described jet setter” and French millionaire’s plans for a massive hydropower project they claim will adversely affect the land, water, wildlife, plants and cultural resources of the largest land area held by Indigenous American peoples in the US. Click here to continue reading

Canada and British Columbia invest in Fraser River bank erosion protection

Water Canada

Efforts to reduce the risk of further erosion on the Fraser River bank, and in particular that of the Matsqui Dike, are receiving much needed support, thanks to the combined investment of more than $19 million from the governments of Canada and British Columbia, along with the City of Abbotsford. Click here to continue reading

Deep in the Wilderness, the World’s Largest Beaver Dam Endures

Yale Environment 360

The largest beaver dam on Earth was discovered via satellite imagery in 2007, and since then only one person has trekked into the Canadian wild to see it. It’s a half-mile long and has created a 17-acre lake in the northern forest — a testament to the beaver’s resilience. Click here to continue reading

Quebecers evacuated over fears of dike breach won’t be able to return before Dec. 17

The Canadian Press

Residents forced from their homes in Quebec’s Laurentians region over fears a dike could burst and unleash a torrent of water won’t be able to return for another 11 days. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: You Won’t Believe What New Mexico Is About to Buy

Mother Jones

New Mexico will invest $500 million into purchasing water from controversial sources, including treated oilfield wastewater, as a means to bolster the state’s water portfolio. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Urban Anti-Flooding Strategies in Latin American Cities

ArchDaily

The issue of flooding, in particular, is becoming more prominent in urban centers. The lack of planning and inadequate drainage systems directly impact land use, leading to its subsequent impermeabilization. When addressing the issue of urban flooding, the primary mitigation tactics that emerge are precisely those related to green infrastructure. Click here to continue reading

Wetlands can provide potential climate change solutions: Lakehead study

Water Canada

In a recent study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, Dr. Florin Pendea and co-authors Dr. Nanda Kanavillil and Dr. Sree Kurissery from Lakehead, and Dr. Gail Chmura of McGill University, found that wetlands within the Lake Simcoe watershed were 50 percent more effective in storing carbon than other wetland ecosystems, second only to salt marshes that form along the shores of temperate seas. Click here to continue reading

Winter has been unusually warm and dry

The Western Producer

Fall is officially over and we are starting meteorological winter, so let s look at the fall weather numbers for Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Click here to continue reading

Irrigators plan for a dry year if conditions hold

The Western Producer

Soil moisture and precipitation in Alberta are far from ideal for field crops and even irrigated land had challenges in the last growing season a situation that had many producers talking options during the Ag Connections conference in Medicine Hat in November. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Sister climate cities, utility data predict future water, electricity demands

Science Daily

Modern-day Ciudad Mante, Mexico, could help Tampa, Florida, plan for shifting water and electricity demands due to climate change, according to an international team of researchers. Researchers used utilities data and climate analogs — contemporary cities with climates close to what other cities are predicted to experience in the future — to assess how climate change may impact residential water and electricity use across 46 cities in the United States. Click here to continue reading

Protecting coastal aquatic ecosystems in British Columbia through important restoration work

Water Canada

More than $12 million announced for 6 projects in British Columbia under the Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Fund (AERF). This fund supports projects to conserve and restore our aquatic ecosystems by addressing threats in these environments. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Dozens of Zimbabwe elephants die as climate change dries up Hwange park

Reuters

Dozens of elephants have died of thirst in Zimbabwe’s popular Hwange National Park, and conservationists fear losing more as a drought caused by climate change and the El Niño global weather pattern dries up watering holes. Click here to continue reading

A residential drinking well in northern B.C. has run dry, prompting concerns amid unprecedented drought

CBC

BC is currently in its second year of prolonged drought, which is having an impact on the groundwater that about a quarter of B.C.’s residents rely on for drinking water. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Urban water resilience: practical examples of locally-led adaptation [webinar]

Stockholm International Water Institute

An estimated 90% of climate-related impact is felt though water-related events and disasters, making water-focused adaptation sttegies vital. A session in the COP28 Water for Climate Pavilion looked at various examples of locally-led urban water resilience, to identify solutions that could be replicated and applied worldwide. [Recorded webinar]. Click here to continue reading

Morden issues water-use warning amid early drought conditions

The Free Press
Morden (Manitoba) residents are being asked to conserve water, after a moderate-level drought warning was announced this week. Morden leadership has set a use-reduction target of 10 per cent, and already reduced the amount of some water services, including landscape, construction sites and community leisure centres. Click here to continue reading

Alberta homes, businesses damaged by spring flooding can access provincial fund

CBC

The Alberta government is making $68 million available for people in Edson, Whitecourt, Yellowhead and Woodlands Counties who suffered losses in the floods caused by heavy rain and spring runoff last June. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Unprecedented drought in the Amazon threatens to release huge stores of carbon – podcast

The Conversation – United Kingdom

In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we speak to an ecologist who has spent 45 years living in and studying the Amazon for causes of drought, why it’s so dangerous for the planet, and what can be done to protect the rainforest. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Water crisis in South Africa: damning report finds 46% contamination, 67% of treatment works near to breaking down

The Conversation – Africa

The audit report found that the quality of the country’s drinkable water is getting worse. Nearly half (46%) of all water supply systems pose acute human health risks because of bacteria or other pathogens in the drinking water supply. The report also found that more than two thirds (67.6%) of all wastewater treatment works are close to failure. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: NCSC Urges UK Water Companies to Secure Control Systems

Infosecurity Magazine

The UK’s security agency has urged the nation’s water sector to apply best practice security measures after a US operator was breached via its industrial control systems. An unnamed US facility had been taken offline and switched to manual operation after its Unitronics programmable logic controllers (PLCs) were compromised. Click here to continue reading

Update on Lake Superior Outflows and Expected Conditions – December 2023

International Joint Commission

The gate setting of the Compensating Works at the head of the St. Marys Rapids will be lowered in December to a setting equivalent to approximately one-half gate fully open. After the gate adjustments on Wednesday, December 6, the St. Marys Rapids flow will be approximately 96 m3/s. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Not just Chennai, a dozen Indian cities might go 3 feet under water

India Today

The flooding brought by cyclone Michaung has highlighted the threat to Indian cities from climate-induced disasters. Not just Chennai, a dozen Indian cities could be under three feet of water by the end of this century. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Harvesting water from air with solar power

Science Daily

Researchers have developed a promising new solar-powered atmospheric water harvesting technology that could help provide enough drinking water for people to survive in difficult, dryland areas: They synthesized a super hygroscopic gel capable of absorbing and retaining an unparalleled amount of water. Click here to continue reading

Coastal First Nations get $60M boost from B.C. to protect Great Bear Sea

National Observer

The Indigenous-led funding allows coastal First Nations to push forward with a vast marine conservation network in their traditional territories to protect marine ecosystems, create new jobs and economic opportunities, and foster sustainable fisheries and tourism, Premier Eby said. Click here to continue reading

Shuswap Watershed Council opens Water Quality Grant Program for applications

Water Canada

The Shuswap Watershed Council (SWC) is inviting another round of applications to its Water Quality Grant Program, beginning December 1st. One of our objectives as a watershed council is to protect and maintain water quality in Shuswap and Mara Lakes, explains Erin Vieira, program manager for the SWC. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Greek villagers vote to relocate after deadly climate-driven flood

Reuters

Residents of the small Greek farming village of Metamorfosi have voted in favour of relocating their entire community after it was submerged by flood waters in September, seeking to protect themselves from future climate change-driven disasters. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: The houses built to survive floods

BBC News

The Manobo indigenous people live and thrive on a vast wetland in the Philippines despite dealing with dozens of storms and floods per year. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: More than 300 killed as heavy rains wreak havoc across East Africa

CNN

Torrential rains and flash floods have ripped through parts of East Africa for several weeks, killing more than 350 people and displacing over 1 million across Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Unprecedented drought emergency demands urgent action

UN News

A new report by the UN team combatting desertification reveals alarming trends over the past two years which have resulted in an unprecedented emergency due to human-induced droughts. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Cyclone Michaung hits India’s south after 13 killed in floods, rain

Reuters

Cyclone Michaung barrelled into the southern Indian coast on Tuesday with winds of up to 110 kph (70 mph), its arrival preceded by intense rain and flooding that killed at least 13 people, as officials assessed the damage. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Report: £8bn of UK food imports threatened by worsening floods, droughts and heatwaves

BusinessGreen

Bananas, rice, tea, coffee and sugar among £8bn of UK food imports from countries struggling to cope with increasingly extreme weather, Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) analysis finds. Click here to continue reading

Flood watches issued for B.C.’s South Coast and Lower Fraser regions as atmospheric river arrives

CBC

The province’s River Forecast Centre issued flood watches for rivers and streams in Metro Vancouver, the South Coast and the Lower Fraser regions, while Vancouver Island and the Nicola and Similkameen regions are under high streamflow advisories. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Water consumption drops in Great Lake cities, study finds

Midland Daily News

Residents of major Great Lakes cities, including Lansing, are using less water. And the relationship between per capita water use and socioeconomic factors such as income and race may prove significant as policymakers address inequities in the distribution and affordability of water. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Pumping cold water into rivers could help fish chill out

Science News Explores

This past summer, hundreds of fish in Canada beat the heat in human-made plumes of cold water. The approach could help protect cold-water species as climate change warms rivers. Click here to continue reading

Local groups say new funding will help promote living shorelines in N.S.

CBC

The Nova Scotia government has pledged more than $2.4 million to seven community-led projects that focus on living shorelines. Living shorelines are seen as a nature-based way to reduce coastal erosion and flooding caused by climate change. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: World’s Largest Floating Solar Power Plant Taking Shape On Hydropower Plant

CleanTechnica

The plans for the world’s largest floating solar power plant illustrate how quickly the floating solar field can grow. The project is aimed at expanding an existing 145-megawatt (AC) floating solar array at the Cirata hydropower reservoir in West Java, Indonesia, to reach a total of up to 500 megawatts. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Unsafe lead levels in school drinking water: new study IDs building risk factors

Science Daily

Civil and environmental engineers have determined the factors that may help identify the schools and daycare centers at greatest risk for elevated levels of lead in drinking water. The most telling characteristic for schools in Massachusetts is building age, with facilities built in the 1960s and 1970s at the greatest risk. Click here to continue reading

Mild, rainy winter expected as Canada warms at twice the global rate

CTV News

Federal scientists presented a seasonal forecast on Friday that called for lower-than-average snowfall levels over large swaths of Western and Central Canada, above average levels in parts of the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Quebec, and average levels everywhere else. Parts of the country forecast to receive less snow should be prepared for more rain. Click here to continue reading

Helping Alberta manage water supply

Government of Alberta

The government has issued a request for proposal to help conduct modelling throughout the winter, and to work with municipalities, water users, industry and others to explore ways to maximize the province’s water supply, if needed. Click here to continue reading

Water Security Agency Issues Conditions at Freeze-up Report

Water Security Agency

The Water Security Agency released the 2023 Conditions at Freeze-up Report. Hot and dry conditions throughout the summer and fall have led to most areas of the province heading into the winter with below to well below normal soil moisture. Click here to continue reading

Upper Fish Creek State of the Watershed: online report released!

BRBC

The Bow River Basin Council (BRBC) has released the latest edition of the Upper Fish Creek State of the Watershed Report. This updated report builds upon the original version completed in 2021 for the Fish Creek Watershed Association. Click here to continue reading

BC Hydro’s Site C project inches closer to the finish line

Journal of Commerce

BC Hydro’s recent announcement marks a significant milestone for the Site C Clean Energy project, with 80 per cent of the construction now complete. The project is on track for filling in 2024 and project completion in 2025. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Can US pull off a $30bn plan to dump lead water pipes?

BBC News

President Joe Biden’s administration has announced a plan to rip out nine million lead water pipes across the US. It would cost about $30bn (£24bn), the Environmental Protection Agency says. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Proposed EPA rules require US cities to replace lead water pipes within 10 years

The Guardian

Most US cities would have to replace lead water pipes within 10 years under strict new rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency as the Biden administration moves to reduce lead in drinking water and prevent public health crises like the ones in Flint, Michigan, and, earlier, in Washington DC. Click here to continue reading

Below-average precipitation forecast

The Western Producer

November brought little relief for producers living through dry conditions across Alberta. Precipitation remains rare and many mountain snowpack stations are reporting below average levels, as 51 water shortage advisories stretch across the province, north to south. Seasonal forecasts predict little reprieve in the next three months as an El Nino weather system moves in. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Small marine creatures swimming in plastic chemicals not reproducing

Science Daily

Plastic waste in the water might be stopping — or interrupting — some shrimp-like creatures from reproducing. In a unique study, the ability of ‘shrimp like’ creatures to reproduce successfully was found to be compromised by chemicals found in everyday plastics. Click here to continue reading

Ontario Nature expands the Lost Bay Nature Reserve

Water Canada

Ontario Nature has announced the expansion of its Lost Bay Nature Reserve. The newly acquired 21.35-hectare (50 acres) property is an important connecting corridor within the Frontenac Arch, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve that is considered one of the most biologically diverse areas in Canada. Click here to continue reading

Lower Athabasca Region drinking water safety: Office of the Chief Scientist

Government of Alberta

Jonathan Thompson, chief scientist of Alberta, issued the following statement on drinking water quality in the Lower Athabasca Region. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: New Zealand freshwater study sounds alarm over E coli pollution levels

The Guardian

A new study of New Zealand’s freshwater quality has painted a sobering picture, showing that E coli is seeping through three-quarters of the land and into waterways at higher levels than national regulations allow. Click here to continue reading

Edmonton experiencing driest fall on record: Environment Canada

Global News

As the end of November approaches, Edmonton is experiencing something quite unusual: no snow on the ground. The city is currently on track for one of the driest and warmest Novembers ever. Click here to continue reading

‘Playing beaver’ in drying of the wetlands

The Columbia Valley Pioneer

The Columbia Wetlands are drying — and they have been for many decades due to climate change. One solution may help wetlands adapt and safeguard their key ingredient. It involves mimicking the actions of one of the most iconic and ubiquitous animals across Canada. Click here to continue reading

The $500,000 fight to protect a Muskoka wetland

The Narwhal

Very few of Ontario’s quickly vanishing marshes and swamps are safe from development. A group of citizens managed to preserve one, but they also found deep flaws in the system. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Drinking water restrictions introduced as northeast Spain weeks away from drought ‘emergency’

EuroNews Green

Drought ‘emergency’ could be weeks away, authorities in northeast Spain have warned. Barcelona may need fresh water shipped in by boat in the coming month, authorities in Catalonia say. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Every Bitcoin payment ‘uses a swimming pool of water

BBC News

Every Bitcoin transaction uses, on average, enough water to fill “a back yard swimming pool”, a new study suggests. That’s around six million times more than is used in a typical credit card swipe, Alex de Vries of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, calculates. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: ‘Forever chemicals’ found in drinking water sources across England

The Guardian

Potentially toxic “forever chemicals” have been detected in the drinking water sources at 17 of 18 England’s water companies, with 11,853 samples testing positive, something experts say they are “extremely alarmed” by. Click here to continue reading

Town of Orangeville signs with Neptune Technology Group for water meter replacement

Water Canada

The Town of Orangeville’s water meter replacement project is moving forward after signing an on-budget contract with Neptune Technology Group on November 10. The new water meters will be non-mechanical and equipped with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technology, which means they can be read remotely and that meter accuracy will be drastically improved. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Future floods: Global warming intensifies heavy rain — even more than expected

Science Daily

The intensity and frequency of extreme rainfall increases exponentially with global warming, a new study finds. The analysis shows that state-of-the-art climate models significantly underestimate how much extreme rainfall increases under global warming — meaning that extreme rainfall could increase quicker than climate models suggest. Click here to continue reading

Asbestos cement water pipes petition tabled in House of Commons

National Observer

On Nov. 9, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May tabled a parliamentary petition on an issue few Canadians are even aware of — asbestos cement pipes. National Research Council studies state that as these aging pipes deteriorate, they shed asbestos fibres into the water, and this comes with cancer risks. Asbestos is not regulated in Canadian water, so very few municipalities test for asbestos, even as the pipes break more and more frequently. Click here to continue reading

Déjà vu and heavy criticism for Alberta Energy Regulator at federal environment committee

National Observer

Critical questions about tailing pond leaks at Imperial Oil’s Kearl facility are still unanswered after the second round of testimony by the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) president, say some MPs. Laurie Pushor and his lawyer appeared via Zoom before the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development on Nov. 28 after he was legally summoned to testify. Click here to continue reading

Dal[housie] researchers tested the water in a local lake for viruses. Here’s what they found

Water Canada

A novel, simple and inexpensive way to test wastewater for the COVID-19 virus is now being used around the world to identify the presence of the pathogen in water systems and can also be detect viruses in freshwater lakes. Click here to continue reading

Wave-Powered Desalination System Produces 13,000 Gallons of Drinking Water a Day From Each Buoy

Good News Network

If a new Canadian startup is successful with its product, it could decarbonize the whole desalination industry, using only energy from the sea to turn seawater into drinking water. Click here to continue reading

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Compare and contrast: An ambitious plan to save the world’s oceans: What happened at the IUCN nature conference

EuroNews Green

The second IUCN Leaders Forum brought together over 400 participants to identify solutions to protect and restore nature. This year’s theme was ‘Global goals for nature: Tracking progress, financing success.’ Click here to continue reading

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Compare and contrast: Pristine Coral Reefs Discovered Are Thousands of Years Old And Teeming With Life

Good News Network

An international expedition from the Schmidt Ocean Institute to the Galapagos islands has revealed the presence of two pristine, cold-water coral reefs growing alongside the walls and bases of several seamounts over 1,000 feet below the surface. Click here to continue reading

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Compare and contrast: The country trailblazing the fight against disasters

BBC News

Bangladesh has a world-leading system to protect people from disasters, including through an army of female volunteers to better support women. What can other countries learn from it? Click here to continue reading

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Compare and contrast: Financing Viet Nam’s flood fighting efforts

International Food Policy Research Institute

Viet Nam is one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Its long coastline and river deltas are dangerously exposed to sea level rise. An estimated 10 million people will be affected in the next 15 years just from flooding alone. The Vietnamese government is keenly aware of these vulnerabilities and has been proactive in devising responses. Click here to continue reading

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Compare and contrast: Europe’s largest inner-city urban development project as a blueprint for the new European city on the waterfront

HafenCity

Despite the risk of occasional flooding, Hafen?City is neither surrounded by dikes, nor cut off from the water. Instead, with the exception of the quays and promenades, the whole area is being raised to between 8 and 9 m above sea level. The concept of building on artificial compacted mounds (warfts) lends an area once dominated by port and industrial uses a new, characteristic topography, retaining access to the water and the typical port atmosphere, while guaranteeing protection from floods. Click here to continue reading

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EuroNews Green

An old coal mine has been providing an English town with green energy for the last six months. The ground-breaking project in Gateshead is using the warm water that has filled the tunnels to heat hundreds of homes and businesses in the former coalfield community. Click here to continue reading

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Compare and contrast: Float-ovoltaics’: How floating solar panels in reservoirs could revolutionise global power

EuroNews Green

Floating solar panels on reservoirs could produce three times as much electricity as the entire EU, a new study has shown. Solar panels are one of the cheapest and most efficient ways of generating electricity but they also take up a lot of space. Click here to continue reading

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Compare and contrast: Google launches Flood Hub in the U.S., which predicts when rivers will flood and warns people to evacuate

Fast Company
In August, when heavy rain hit parts of Chile, tens of thousands of people had to evacuate their homes as their communities flooded. Many got a warning a couple of days in advance, thanks to a tool from Google called Flood Hub that rolled out in the country earlier this year. Click here to continue reading

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These massive B.C. coal mines are about to get a new owner. Why some are worried about Glencore’s record

The Narwhal
Teck’s plan to sell its Elk Valley coal mines to Swiss mining giant Glencore has raised alarm bells on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border amid negotiations over an international inquiry into extensive water contamination from the mines. Click here to continue reading

Quebec, feds to protect waterways around Anticosti Island with new marine park

CBC
Federal and provincial officials committed on Friday to the creation of a marine park to protect the waterways around Quebec’s Anticosti Island. Click here to continue reading

Runoff spill reported at Suncor’s Fort Hills oilsands site

Global News

A spill of surface runoff from a containment pond at Suncor Energy’s Fort Hills oilsands site may have spanned more than a year, the Alberta Energy Regulator has announced. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: The government’s Murray-Darling bill is a step forward, but still not enough

The Conversation – Australia

This week, the Australian Senate is debating changes to Australia’s most important water laws. These changes seek to rescue the ailing A$13 billion Murray-Darling Basin Plan to improve the health of Australia’s largest river system. Click here to continue reading

Ontario COVID wastewater signal hits one-year peak: ‘Your chance of being exposed is very high’

Toronto Star

In a sign that COVID-19 continues to affect the lives of Ontarians, even if the virus is far from the minds of many, both the province’s wastewater signal and nationwide hospitalizations for the virus have reached one-year highs. And they’re on their way up. Click here to continue reading

Province tells N.S. business owners they applied for non-existent flood relief

CBC

The province has apologized to some small business owners in Bedford, N.S., who were affected by July’s floods, after they applied to a relief program that was posted online in error. Click here to continue reading

Canada and British Columbia invest in wastewater upgrades for Sea to Sky Country

Water Canada

Communities in Sea to Sky Country will see upgrades and replacements to aging wastewater infrastructure that will accommodate future growth, thanks to a combined investment of more than $11.1 million from the Government of Canada, the Government of British Columbia, the District of Squamish, and the Sunshine Coast Regional District. Click here to continue reading

Manitoba Living Lab takes new direction

The Western Producer

The Manitoba Association of Watersheds is hammering out specifics for the next five years of Living Labs work. It s the successor to Living Labs Eastern Prairies, established as part of a multimillion-dollar commitment from the federal government in 2019. The idea was to provide common ground for researchers, farmers and other stakeholders to develop and test sustainable agriculture practices. The Nov. 15 announcement came with another $9.2 million in funding over the next five years. Click here to continue reading

Irrigation modernization moves ahead in Alta.

The Western Producer

It’s full bore ahead for the nearly $1 billion Alberta Irrigation Modernization program launched more than two years ago that will see hundreds of kilometres of open canals converted to underground pipes, improved infrastructure and expanded reservoir capacity. Most of the work is expected to be complete by the 2028 deadline. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Weather tracker: Ethiopia hit by severe drought amid east Africa floods

The Guardian
The regions of Tigray and Amhara in northern Ethiopia have continued to experience severe drought conditions. The southern and eastern parts of the country, along with Kenya and Somalia, have been hit by flooding. Somalia suffered the worst of the flooding, with 50 people reported dead. According to the Somali disaster management agency almost 700,000 people have been forced to leave their homes. Click here to continue reading

Alberta Energy Regulator sticks with approval for Suncor expansion into wetland

National Observer

Alberta’s energy regulator ruled Thursday that it won’t reconsider approvals for Suncor to expand an oilsands mine into a wetland once considered for environmental protection. It unlocks an estimated billion barrels of bitumen. Click here to continue reading

Canada and New Brunswick invest in new municipal well infrastructure in Fundy Albert

Water Canada

Fundy Albert will be building new wells and related infrastructure thanks to the combined investment of over $12.2 million from the governments of Canada and New Brunswick and the municipality. Click here to continue reading

Wastewater stats affirm Prince Albert’s growing drug crisis, says police chief

Prince Albert Daily Herald

Data from the Canadian Wastewater Survey shows the city has the highest daily load per capita of cocaine, methamphetamine and prescription amphetamines among seven Canadian cities – also including Saskatoon, Halifax, Montreal, Edmonton, Metro Vancouver and Toronto. Click here to continue reading

Water testing could help unveil substance abuse trends in Cold Lake

Lakeland Today

In an attempt to gain deeper insights into substance abuse trends within the Cold Lake community, the Cold Lake Regional Utility Service Commission (RUSC) has been given the green light for a pioneering proof-of-concept study. Click here to continue reading

Regulator investigating treated water release at Imperial’s Kearl oilsands facility

Edmonton Journal
The Alberta Energy Regulator is looking into an accidental release of treated water into the Muskeg River from Imperial Oil’s Kearl operation. Click here to continue reading

Despite the risk of military explosives, TC Energy wants to build ‘Ontario’s battery’ on Georgian Bay

The Narwhal

Pumping water in and out of a National Defence site in Meaford could be a win for clean energy. Locals are wary of TC Energy’s track record — and the buried weapons putting soil, water and wildlife at risk. Click here to continue reading

Mackenzie River’s low water levels are preventing crucial supplies from reaching remote NWT communities

The Globe and Mail

Tons of freight, including groceries and heating fuel, are left undelivered talong the Mackenzie River due to low water levels. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: The Amazon’s record-setting drought: how bad will it be?

Nature

Researchers who study the rainforest say other factors have come together to exacerbate this crisis, which has cut river communities off from supplies including food, and has forced Indigenous residents to use dirty, contaminated water, resulting in gastrointestinal and other illnesses. Click here to continue reading

Live zebra mussels found in Clear Lake at Riding Mountain National Park, says Parks Canada

CBC
An aquatic invasive species has been discovered at a lake in Manitoba’s Riding Mountain National Park, according to Parks Canada. Click here to continue reading

Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park at risk with reservoir option: Foundation CEO

Global News

A ranch and conservation group located on the Bow River between Calgary and Cochrane is raising concerns that a flood mitigation project could irreparably change the face of the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park. “We’re very concerned about the proposed East Glenbow Dam,” Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation CEO Jeromy Farkas said. Click here to continue reading

Ontario investing in critical infrastructure

Water Canada
The Ontario government is investing $200 million over three years to help municipalities repair, rehabilitate and expand critical drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. Click here to continue reading

Shuswap watershed groups warn of recent Zebra and Quagga Mussel discoveries

Water Canada

The Shuswap Watershed Council (SWC) and the Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society (CSISS) are raising the alarm about recent discoveries of invasive Zebra and Quagga mussels. Quagga mussels have been detected in the Snake River at Twin Falls, Idaho. Click here to continue reading

The Guardian

The waters of South America’s largest freshwater lake have severely receded leaving the Indigenous people around its shores struggling to maintain their livelihoods. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Climate change: The villagers building 100ft ice towers

BBC News

Innovation leading to the creation of ice cones to address changing precipitation patterns threatening the lives and livelihoods of the Ladakhi people, who face an uncertain future below the melting glaciers of the Himalayan mountains. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Amazon region hit by trio of droughts in grim snapshot of the century to come

The Conversation – Global

The Amazon is facing an unprecedented drought that is projected to continue affecting the region at least until mid-2024. The lowest water levels in 121 years of river-level records have been recorded in the city of Manaus. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Luxury water: Inside the companies going to the ends of the Earth for their rich customers

EuroNews Green

‘Fine water’ is drawn from volcanic rock in Hawaii, from icebergs that have fallen from melting glaciers in Norway or from droplets of morning mist in Tasmania. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Solar panels will cut water loss from canals in Gila River Indian Community

Associated Press

In a move that may soon be replicated elsewhere, the Gila River Indian Community recently signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to put solar panels over a stretch of irrigation canal on its land south of Phoenix. Click here to continue reading

Proposed wastewater lagoon on Hutterite colony raises concerns

CTV News Winnipeg

A proposed wastewater lagoon on a Hutterite colony development in Manitoba’s Interlake is raising concerns from some in the area who worry it could impact the health of Lake Winnipeg. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Coastal river deltas threatened by more than climate change

Science Daily

In a study covering 49 deltas globally, researchers have identified the most critical risks to deltas in the future. The research shows that population growth and poor environmental governance might pose bigger threats than climate change to the sustainability of Asian and African deltas, in particular. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Most inland bathing spots in England have unsafe pollution levels, report finds

The Guardian

In a survey of a representative sample of popular swimming and water sports locations, 60% were found to have pollution at unsafe levels, the annual report from Surfers Against Sewage said. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Irrigators overdrew 40,000ML of water from NSW rivers, audit finds, as farmers protest buy-backs

The Guardian

Irrigators in New South Wales have withdrawn the equivalent of 16,000 Olympic swimming pools’ worth of water over their allowed limits from waterways throughout the state. Click here to continue reading

Canadian coal mines still poisoning U.S. waters, U.S. study finds

National Observer

A new American study has confirmed southeastern British Columbia coal mines are contaminating waters shared by Canada and the U.S., adding the miner’s attempts to remove selenium from wastewater aren’t making much difference to the amount flowing south. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Why the Pyrenees’ mountain lakes are turning green

The Conversation – Europe

We sampled more than 100 mountain lakes located in the eastern Pyrenees to the Béarn region (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) at least once a year. Over time, we noticed changes, in particular the increased growth of algae cyanobacteria and sometimes dinoflagellates, the blue-green algae that turn many lakes green. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Ghana: Akosombo Dam disaster reveals a history of negligence that continues to this day

The Conversation – Africa

Recent heavy downpours in the Lower Volta area of Ghana led to the worst flooding in the region’s history. The flooding was caused by a spillage (a deliberate release of water) from the Akosombo Dam, the country’s biggest hydroelectric dam. Over 26,000 people were displaced. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Are wetlands really flood risk? Experts debunk most common myths around these precious ecosystems

EuroNews Green

Bog bodies and flood risks: Here’s what Europeans are getting wrong on wetlands. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: “Dams now run smarter with AI”

Science Daily

Scientists have leveraged artificial intelligence models to enhance dam operations. A research team recently employed deep learning techniques to scrutinize dam operation patterns and assess their effectiveness. Click here to continue reading

Living in Merritt is like living on an active volcano, says city manager, as concerns loom over flood risk

CBC

Residents, municipal officials worry not enough is being done to prevent future flooding. Click here to continue reading

‘Forever contaminant’ road salts pose an icy dilemma: Do we protect drivers or our fresh water?

The Conversation Canada

For decades, applying road salt has been regarded as a simple but vital tool in countering the dangers of slippery road conditions, but the downsides of its use are apparent with implications that extend beyond the cold months. But now we are finding that this chemical also disrupts the delicate balance of oxygen and nutrients in our freshwater lakes and ponds. Click here to continue reading

Hub to study climate change’s effect on water

The Western Producer

A UN University Hub focusing on water will be located at the University of Calgary to help communities adapt to changes.  Bridging the gap between scientists and decision makers to better deal with the impact of climate change on water is one goal of a pioneering global initiative involving the University of Calgary. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: It’s one of Europe’s last pristine rivers. Can scientists save it from 50 dams?

The Guardian

The Neretva river, which runs 140 miles (225km) from the Dinaric Alps to the Adriatic Sea, supports bears, wolves lynx and myriad rare species. It ranks among the most biodiverse and intact rivers in Europe – but ecologists say it is also among the most threatened. More than 50 dams, including one already under construction, are planned along its length and tributaries. Click here to continue reading

Earth is getting extra salty. And that’s bad for freshwater supplies

National Observer

Humanity is messing with the Earth’s “salt cycle,” with potentially dangerous consequences for drinking water supplies, crop production, and ecosystems.  It’s the first time that scientists have documented the extent to which humans have changed the salt content of the land, water, and air across the globe. Click here to continue reading

Let coastlines be coastlines: How nature-based approaches can protect Canada’s coasts

The Conversation – Canada

Our go-to solution to protect property and infrastructure is to build walls to block wave energy — walls that have become ineffective and unaffordable. It’s time to look beyond the status quo and consider nature-based solutions to protect the places we love. Click here to continue reading

After July floods took four lives, Nova Scotia plans flood plain mapping by 2026

The Richmond News

A plan is now in place to create the kind of detailed flood plain maps that some of Nova Scotia’s emergency managers have said they lacked when torrential flooding occurred in July. It’s expected the mapping will be conducted over the next three fiscal years and be completed by 2026. Click here to continue reading

B.C. Hydro postpones filling Site C reservoir for another year

Vancouver Sun

B.C. Hydro has been forced to abandon its plan to fill the Site C reservoir this fall, owing to some major unfinished business at the hydroelectric dam on the Peace River. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Water Utility Innovations Explored in NYC Environmental Tech Lab

Government Technology

The Environmental Tech Lab in New York City selected eight companies to explore proofs of concept as part of its inaugural Operational Efficiency Challenge and Data Utilization Challenge. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: High water closes parts of Rhine river in south Germany to shipping

Reuters

Parts of the river Rhine in Germany have been closed to shipping because of a rise in water levels following recent heavy rain, German authorities said on Thursday. Rhine river shipping has been stopped around Maxau in south Germany as vessels do not have enough space to sail under bridges, preventing vessels reaching Switzerland. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Catastrophic flood drives Greek village of Metamorfosi to seek relocation

Reuters

When floodwaters gushed through the Greek farming village of Metamorfosi in September, residents fled. Now they want to relocate their entire community, terrified it cannot survive another bout of extreme weather driven by climate change. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Not so silver lining: Microplastics found in clouds could affect the weather

Science Daily

From the depths of the seas to snow on mountains and even the air above cities, microplastics are turning up increasingly often. Now, researchers have analyzed microplastics in clouds above mountains. They suggest that these tiny particles could play a role in cloud formation and, in turn, affect weather. Click here to continue reading

What low water levels in Edmonton could mean for fish this winter

CBC

With multiple bodies of water under water shortage advisories after a dry start to the month, some fish in Edmonton could be facing a tough winter.  Low water levels can also mean there are reduced oxygen levels — even before a stream or lake gets seized up by ice. The fish and other creatures in those bodies of water will be using up what oxygen is available to them going into the winter.  Click here to continue reading

Governments of Canada and Manitoba allocates funds to boost hydro capacity at Pointe du Bois Renewable Energy Project

Water Power & Dam Construction

The federal-provincial investment allocates $314 million for the installation of eight new hydroelectric turbines at the Pointe du Bois Generating Station. Additionally, $161.6 million will be directed towards constructing a new 230kV transmission network in the Portage la Prairie area. Click here to continue reading

It was called a once-in-a-century flood. Cities aren’t sure they’re ready for the next one

CBC

British Columbia municipalities face challenge of mitigating floodwaters that flow across international borders.  Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Flood protection plans for English homes cut by 40%

The Guardian

The number of properties that will be better protected from flooding by 2027 has been cut by 40%, and 500 of 2,000 new flood defence projects have been abandoned, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Melting ice falling snow: Sea ice declines enhance snowfall over West Antarctica

Science Daily

As the world continues to warm, Antarctica is losing ice at an increasing pace, but the loss of sea ice may lead to more snowfall over the ice sheets, partially offsetting contributions to sea level rise, according to Penn State scientists. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: State of emergency declared in parts of France after record rainfall

The Guardian

Widespread flooding in northern and eastern France has led to thousands of people having to evacuate their waterlogged homes, the collapse of roads and the closure of schools and public buildings. Record rainfall has caused rivers to break their banks, forcing the government to declare an official state of emergency in hundreds of towns and villages. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: As water becomes a weapon of war, we must focus on cooperation and peace

The Guardian

In recent months, the world has been bombarded with reports of attacks on major dams and civilian water systems in Ukraine, water being used as a weapon during the violence in Gaza and the West Bank, unrest and riots in India and Iran over water scarcity and drought, and conflicts between farmers and herders in Africa over land and water sources. Our limited and precious freshwater resources have become triggers, weapons and casualties of war and conflict. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: First-Ever Flood Forecasting Maps Show Houses and Roads at Risk

Scientific American

The National Weather Service venture offers the first real-time forecasting service that shows precise areas such as city blocks likely to experience at least an inch of flooding over the subsequent five days, shading the areas blue on an online map.  Click here to continue reading

Dieppe to test residential water meters as Bathurst considers ditching them

CBC

Two New Brunswick cities are considering opposite approaches when it comes to residential water meters. Bathurst in the northeast has meters but is considering switching to a flat-rate model based on the cost to update its system. Dieppe in the southeast charges a flat rate but will test meters in several hundred homes next year. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Campaigners warn against Thames Water’s £250m effluent ‘recycling’ scheme

The Guardian

Thames Water is facing a public backlash over a multimillion-pound water “recycling” scheme promoted as a solution to tackling climate crisis-induced droughts. The technology involves using effluent from sewage treatment works, putting it through a further layer of treatment and releasing the treated water into a river, in order to replace the same amount of water that is abstracted off for drinking water. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Solar-powered device produces clean water and clean fuel at the same time

Science Daily

A floating, solar-powered device that can turn contaminated water or seawater into clean hydrogen fuel and purified water, anywhere in the world, has been developed by researchers. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Extreme drought in northern Italy mirrors climate in Ethiopia

The Guardian

Extreme drought in northern Italy has doubled over the past two decades, creating a climate that increasingly mirrors that of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, research shows. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Earth’s surface water dives deep, transforming core’s outer layer

Science Daily

A new study has revealed that water from the Earth’s surface can penetrate deep into the planet, altering the composition of the outermost region of the metallic liquid core and creating a distinct, thin layer.  Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: France is one of the world’s richest countries. Why are its territories facing water shortages?

Euronews Green

Drop by disappearing drop, water is an ever more precious resource on Mayotte, the poorest place in the European Union.

Taps flow just one day out of three in this French territory off Africa’s eastern coast, because of a drawn-out drought compounded by years of underinvestment and water mismanagement. Click here to continue reading

BC Hydro scrambles to tranquilize and remove bears hibernating in Site C dam flood zone before waters rise

The Narwhal

While construction of the megadam has been underway for more than eight years, B.C.’s public utility appears to be engaged in last-minute efforts to find grizzlies and black bears and relocate them to artificial dens — a plan one biologist says is ‘potentially deadly’ for the creatures. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Ontario plunges $1.3M into Lake Simcoe cleanup

National Observer

Ontario announced over $1.3 million to help tackle persistent problems with high phosphorus levels in Lake Simcoe. Phosphorus levels in Lake Simcoe are still at 90 tonnes per year, far higher than the crucial target of 44 tonnes per year by 2030 reduction goal set in the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan for 2023.  Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Zooplankton in ocean and freshwater are rapidly escalating the global environmental threat of plastics

Science Daily

A collaborative research team has recently revealed that rotifers, a kind of microscopic zooplankton common in both fresh and ocean water around the world, are able to chew apart microplastics, breaking them down into even smaller, and potentially more dangerous, nanoplastics.  Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: How mega-floods can be predicted

Science Daily

Extreme flood events are extraordinary outliers that were not considered possible on the basis of local data.  If data from other regions with similar hydrological conditions is taken into account, the extent of these ‘mega-floods’ suddenly becomes predictable.  Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: We can save lives and millions with less nitrate in drinking water

Science Daily

Denmark could save lives and more than $300 million a year by reducing the amount of nitrate in its drinking water. An ever-growing body of research concludes that the amount of nitrate in some Danish boreholes increases the risk of colorectal cancer.  Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Emmanuel Macron pledges €1bn to fund research into melting ice caps

The Guardian

France will spend €1bn (£880m) on polar research between now and 2030, amid rapidly rising scientific concern over the world’s melting ice caps and glaciers.  A new polar science vessel will spearhead the effort, and France is calling for a moratorium on the exploitation of the seabed in polar regions, to which the UK, Canada, Brazil and 19 other countries have so far signed up.  Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Murray-Darling water buybacks won’t be enough if we can’t get water to where it’s needed

The Conversation Australia

The report from a Senate inquiry , released on Friday, supports buybacks but also makes key recommendations to remove “constraints” to water delivery. These are physical constraints or limits to the movement of water through the river system. Managers can only deliver so much water before it spills out of the river onto private land.  Click here to continue reading

Water sharing agreements ‘helpful’ in a drought

The Western Producer

Irrigation districts in southern Alberta managed a tough growing season as drought maintains a stubborn hold and calls for maintaining co-operation between stakeholders and better water storage infrastructure continues. From the Milk River along the U.S. border to the Hay River running into the Northwest Territories, 50 water shortage advisories are currently in place across the province. Click here to continue reading

Too early for ice bubble walks on Abraham Lake near Nordegg, says Rocky Search and Rescue co-ordinator

Red Deer Advocate

Most of the Abraham Lake is still open water, yet people are posting pictures of themselves standing on ice bubbles on social media. And Van Heeren heard reports from a colleague that some skaters were out on frozen parts of the lake last weekend. Click here to continue reading

Lethbridge takes proactive steps to maintain water supply

Water Canada

It probably comes as no surprise that limited precipitation in 2023 has led to lower than typical water reserves across southern Alberta. The City of Lethbridge is carefully monitoring and taking proactive steps to ensure a sustained water supply for the region. Click here to continue reading

Three Hills pump house undergoes demolition

East Central Alberta Review

Nov. 2 removal of the Three Hills pump house by Red The Deer’s Diamond Demolition moves the Town closer to resuming full water services by the end of next summer. The new plant, constructed on the same site by Peace River’s AGS Mechanical Contractors, will allow the resumption of bulk water sales. The four-decades-old facility’s water mainline break in April resulted in Town insurers determining that the building was beyond repair. Click here to continue reading

Warman, SK, completes $21M wastewater infrastructure project

Water Canada

The City of Warman recently held a ribbon cutting and grand opening to officially celebrate the completion of its Sewage Treatment Lagoon Expansion and Improvements project. This approximately $21-million project was made possible with more than $13.2-million in combined Federal and Provincial funding through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program’s (ICIP) Green Infrastructure Stream. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: US chemical industry likely spent $110m trying to thwart PFAS legislation, study finds

The Guardian

The US chemical industry likely spent over $110m during the last two election cycles deploying lobbyists to kill dozens of pieces of PFAS legislation and slow administrative regulation around “forever chemicals”, a new analysis of federal lobbying documents has found. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: NSW households urged to reduce water use before state dips into drought

The Guardian

New South Wales residents have been urged to introduce water-saving measures before a looming drought causes major water storages to drop. It comes as data from Sydney Water revealed that households in Sydney’s richest suburbs use up to three times more water than the citywide average, and up to five times more than those living in regional and rural areas. Click here to continue reading

U of G collaboration recognized nationally for advances in groundwater protection

Water Canada

For two decades, Dr. Beth Parker, a professor in the School of Engineering and director of the Morwick G360 Groundwater Research Institute (MG360), has collaborated with the City of Guelph and two environmental engineering firms — Matrix Solutions and WSP Global — to enhance the City’s groundwater monitoring network with state-of-the-science methods to manage risks to the City’s water supply, safeguarding the community’s access to clean uncontaminated water into the future. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: EPA to push ban of toxic chemical found in US drinking water

The Guardian

The Biden administration is proposing a ban on TCE, a highly toxic chemical commonly used in stain removers, adhesives and degreasers, and which had been found to be contaminating drinking water on a wide scale across the US. Click here to continue reading

Funding for flood-damaged trails across Nova Scotia

Water Canada

Trails in Nova Scotia that were damaged in the July floods play an important role in the daily lives of Nova Scotians. The Province is investing $5 million to fix them. Click here to continue reading

Less snowpack, low rainfall, higher demand. Experts offer answers on low water levels in Lethbridge

CBC News

Water levels in the Oldman River reservoir are the lowest they’ve ever been since its construction in the early 1990s. The reservoir and the river are responsible for supplying water to a number of local communities, including Lethbridge. The City of Lethbridge said in a release that while there’s no immediate danger of being left without an adequate supply of drinkable water in the city, the lower-than-average water levels across southern Alberta is something they are watching closely. Click here to continue reading

Ship traffic ramps up through the Northwest Passage as Arctic ice retreats

Ponoka News

A growing number of people are now getting to witness those vibrant tundras first-hand. The same climate shifts that affect Arctic flora have also forced a massive retreat in Arctic sea ice — even in the passage, where geography and wind currents freeze the waters for a longer period of the year than in other parts of the Far North. Click here to continue reading

Technology aims to sequester carbon deep in the ocean off B.C. coast

CBC News

A project off B.C.’s coast focused on removing carbon dioxide from the air is aiming to tap into a resource that makes up roughly 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface — the ocean. The Solid Carbon Project, which is overseen by Ocean Networks Canada, wants to use the ocean in carbon sequestration efforts as a way to fight climate change, according to Kate Moran, the project’s principal investigator. Click here to continue reading

Threat of invasive mussels has Okanagan’s water board calling for moratorium on out-of-province boats

CBC News

The threat of invasive mussels has led the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) to propose a potential temporary ban on all out-of-province boats entering B.C.’s waterways. James Littley, deputy administrator for the OBWB, said two species of freshwater mussels — zebra and quagga mussels — could be catastrophic to lake and river systems if stringent measures aren’t put in place to keep them out of the province. Click here to continue reading

Lethbridge taking steps to maintain water supply as dam levels remain low

CTV News

Though the days of hot summer weather are behind us, the demand for water in southern Alberta remains. According to Doug Kaupp, general manager of water and wastewater services with the City of Lethbridge, volume in the Oldman Reservoir is the lowest it’s been since it was built in the early 1990s. Click here to continue reading

Balancing global water supplies

CIFAR News

The growing issue of climate change has exposed widely documented areas of inequity. The International Monetary Fund notes that the world’s poorest countries — those that rely most heavily on sectors like agriculture, fishing and forestry — are experiencing heightened levels of hardship with the acceleration of climate change. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: El Niño may be drying out the southern hemisphere – here’s how that affects the whole planet

The Conversation UK

A new study has shown that the southern hemisphere has been drying out more than the northern hemisphere over the past two decades (2001-2020). The authors suggest the principle cause is the weather phenomenon known as El Niño, which occurs every few years when ocean water in the eastern Pacific is warmer than usual.  Click here to continue reading

Suncor plans to pump 1 billion barrels of oil from a wetland — but vows to protect the other half with a wall

CBC News

McClelland Lake in northern Alberta is at once an important gathering place for local First Nations, a carbon sink, a wildlife habitat and a major potential source of bitumen. Plans to mine it have been brewing since 2002, when the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (a precursor to the Alberta Energy Regulator) allowed the company TrueNorth Energy to develop part of the wetland within its oilsands lease. Those plans kicked into high gear last fall, when the energy regulator gave current owner Suncor a green light to move ahead with its operational plan. Click here to continue reading

Town of Neepawa, MB recognized for 100+ year-old cast iron drinking water pipes

Water Canada

The Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA) welcomes the town of Neepawa in Manitoba, Canada, to the Century Club, which celebrates the strength and durability of cast iron water mains. Neepawa installed the cast iron mains along its Mountain Avenue in 1912. The town is currently in the process of replacing 4-inch mains with larger pipes to aid in fire flow operations, said Operations Manager Denis Saquet. There are also original 6- and 8-inch mains still in operation today. Click here to continue reading

Canada and British Columbia invest in the final phase of wastewater infrastructure upgrades

Water Canada

The final phase of wastewater infrastructure upgrades is set to get underway thanks to an investment of more than $10.1 million from the governments of Canada and British Columbia, as well as Lake Cowichan. Announced by Minister Sean Fraser, Minister Anne Kang, and Mayor Tim McGonigle, this project will enhance the wastewater system, safeguarding the Cowichan River. Click here to continue reading

Low river levels result in concentrated trout spawning locations in Calgary

Global News

Fall brings brown trout spawning time along Calgary’s Bow and Elbow rivers, and a group of citizen scientists hope to capture a better picture of how that fish population is faring. Volunteers with Calgary River Valleys (CRV) were on the Bow River from Baker Park to Parkdale counting spawning nests called redds. Click here to continue reading

Calgary lifts outdoor water restrictions as cold weather expected to reduce use

CBC News

The City of Calgary says it is lifting its outdoor water restrictions, but it’s still asking residents to use water wisely. Officials say the restrictions, which have been in effect for two months, will be removed Tuesday. They were implemented in mid-August due to record low flows in the Bow and Elbow rivers that supply the city and other downstream communities across the Prairies. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Rescuers free humpback whale ‘hog-tied’ to 300lb crab pot in Alaska

The Guardian

A young humpback whale was freed by rescuers in Alaska after it was discovered hog-tied to a 300lb crab pot. The rescue, which occurred on 11 October, came after two local residents discovered the trapped whale a day earlier in the coastal waters near Gustavus, a city close to Glacier Bay national park in the southernmost part of Alaska. Researchers estimate the whale to be about three to four years old. Click here to continue reading

‘Snowmazing’ conditions lead to early openings for some southern Alberta ski hills

Calgary Herald

With healthy levels of snowfall to close out October, several southern Alberta ski hills are planning opening days early next month. Mt. Norquay will be the first out of the gate, with opening day scheduled for Friday, followed by Nakiska, which is set to open some of its higher-terrain, intermediate to advanced level slopes on Saturday. Lake Louise Ski Area is set to open the following weekend. Click here to continue reading

Lakes in Kootenay and Yoho National Parks closed after suspected whirling disease

CBC News

All bodies of water in Kootenay and Yoho National Parks have been closed for the next five months after a suspected case of whirling disease was reported in British Columbia’s southeast Rocky Mountains. Parks Canada says in a news release it’s the first time the microscopic parasite that causes the fatal disease in fish has been detected in the province. Click here to continue reading

Drought reveals cracks in Canada-U.S. Columbia River Treaty as B.C. lake dries up

CBC News

The resident of Nakusp on the shores of the reservoir in British Columbia’s southern Interior says she’s seen thousands of dead fish on the shore, and the receding waterline means boat access has been cut to waterfront properties. Instead of lapping waters, some homes now face an expanse of sucking quicksand. Drought is part of the reason. But so too is the Columbia River Treaty with the United States that obligates B.C. to direct water from the reservoir across the border at American behest. Click here to continue reading

The race of water droplets

Science Daily

How fast does a droplet flow along a fiber? It depends on the diameter of the fiber… and also on its substructure! These are the findings of a study conducted by researchers who are interested in microfluidics, especially water harvesting in arid/semi-arid regions of our planet. Click here to continue reading

Tracking down environmental toxins

Science Daily

PFAS, a family of highly fluorinated substances, represent a danger for humans and the environment. Particularly problematic members of this family, such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) appear to cause organ damage and cancer, as well as disrupting the endocrine system. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: To the delight of eager U.K. ecologists, London welcomes its first baby beaver in centuries

CBC News

A baby beaver was spotted splashing about with its parents in the stark, black-and-white video recording captured by cameras set up around its habitat. The baby, known as a kit, is believed to be the first to be born in the area in hundreds of years. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: How the US supreme court and an Idaho couple upended wetlands protection

The Guardian

Often dismissed as dismal wet bogs and rampantly cleared since European arrival in the US, the underappreciated importance of wetlands has been placed into sharp relief by a supreme court ruling that has plunged many of these ecosystems into new peril. Click here to continue reading

Hillhurst, Edgemont, Silver Springs, downtown core hit by water main breaks

CTV News

Many Calgarians weren’t getting any water when they turned on the taps Saturday, due to numerous water main outages and breaks. That included troubles Saturday in a number of Beltine-area communities, as well as Edgemont, Hillhurst, Silver Springs and the downtown core. Trucks with water tanks were brought in to provide a temporary supply until water is restored. Click here to continue reading

Olds, Alta., issues boil water advisory after power failure at water treatment plant

CBC News

A boil water advisory is in place in the town of Olds, Alta. after a power failure was reported at the Mountain View Regional Water Services Commission water treatment plant, located on the banks of the Red Deer River. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: More than 4,000 English flood defences ‘almost useless’, analysis finds

The Guardian

More than 4,000 of England’s vital flood defences are so damaged they are almost useless, including hundreds in areas battered by Storm Babet. Nearly 800 critical assets – defined as those where there is a high risk to life and property – were in a “poor” or “very poor” condition in the 10 English counties worst affected by last week’s historic downpours. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: US Halloween pumpkin crop hit by extreme weather and lack of water

The Guardian

For some pumpkin growers in states such as Texas, New Mexico and Colorado, this year’s pumpkin crop was a reminder of the water challenges hitting agriculture across the south-west and west as human-caused climate change exacerbates drought and heat extremes. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: The Rio Grande isn’t just a border – it’s a river in crisis

The Conversation US

The Rio Grande is one of the longest rivers in North America, running some 1,900 miles (3,060 kilometers) from the Colorado Rockies southeast to the Gulf of Mexico. It provides fresh water for seven U.S. and Mexican states, and forms the border between Texas and Mexico, where it is known as the Río Bravo del Norte. The river is in decline, suffering from overuse, drought and contentious water rights negotiations. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Collaborative water management can be a building block for peace between Israelis and Palestinians

The Conversation US

Water is a central element of the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israel controls several water pipelines entering Gaza, much as it controls most of life there. But water can also be a source of hope for an alternative future.  Click here to continue reading

Do or dye: Synthetic colors in wastewater pose a threat to food chains worldwide

Science Daily

Dyes widely used in the textile, food and pharmaceutical industries pose a pressing threat to plant, animal and human health, as well as natural environments around the world, a new study has found. Billions of tons of dye-containing wastewater enter water systems every year, and a group of researchers say that new sustainable technologies including new membrane-based nano-scale filtration are needed to solve the issue, adding that legislation is needed to compel industrial producers to eliminate colorants before they reach public sewage systems or waterways. Click here to continue reading

Alta. vows to tackle water shortages

The Western Producer

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says there will be public engagement on how to best manage provincial water supplies as the situation threatens to become worse if moisture levels in southern Alberta don’t improve. Click here to continue reading

Cochrane lifts local state of emergency as pipeline repairs continue

CBC News

The Town of Cochrane has officially lifted its state of local emergency in response to a major pipeline break on the weekend that left its reservoirs at critically low levels. Mike Derricott, the town’s chief administrative officer, also confirmed the cause of the pipeline break: a guide for a directional drill was to blame for damaging the wastewater line. Click here to continue reading

Fukushima nuclear plant workers sent to hospital after being splashed with tainted water

The Guardian

Four workers at the Fukushima nuclear plant were splashed with water containing radioactive materials, with two of them taken to hospital as a precaution, according to the plant operator. The incident, which took place on Wednesday, highlights the dangers Japan still faces in decommissioning the plant. The reactor was knocked out by an immense tsunami in 2011 in the world’s worst atomic disaster since Chornobyl in 1986. Click here to continue reading

New ‘forever chemicals’ polluting water near North Carolina plant, study finds

The Guardian

At least 11 new kinds of PFAS “forever chemicals” are polluting the water around a North Carolina Chemours plant that manufactures the toxic substances, new research finds. The discovery, made by researchers using a novel testing method, is evidence that the environment around the plant is more contaminated with PFAS than regulators have found, the researchers said. Click here to continue reading

Ontario helping restore wetlands in the City of Pickering

Water Canada

The Ontario government has invested over $925,000 in two projects led by conservation organizations to restore and enhance wetlands in the City of Pickering. These projects are among hundreds of local wetlands restoration projects that are helping to improve water quality, help prevent flooding and build climate resiliency. Click here to continue reading

Improved water infrastructure for nine Saskatchewan communities

Water Canada

Nine water infrastructure projects in Saskatchewan will improve residents’ quality of life and contribute to the province’s long-term sustainability and growth thanks to the combined investment of more than $6.9 million from the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan. Announced by Parliamentary Secretary Terry Duguid and Minister Don McMorris, these projects will support communities, enhance their infrastructure, and ensure reliable access to safe and clean drinking water for years to come. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: MPs call for review of Environment Agency flood failings in England

The Guardian

MPs in areas of England worst hit by Storm Babet have called for a review of Environment Agency (EA) failings after reporting that some residents received flood alerts only after their homes were flooded. Click here to continue reading

State of emergency extended in central B.C. village as threat of water shortage looms

CBC News

The village, about 180 kilometres east of Prince George in central B.C., declared a state of emergency on Sept. 19 and restricted water usage the following day while under Stage 5 drought conditions — the highest level on the province’s severity scale. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘These levels are crazy’: Louisiana tap water sees huge spike in toxic chemicals

The Guardian

The water for a community along Louisiana’s Gulf coast has seen a significant increase in the levels of contaminants known as disinfection byproducts, according to recent state water tests reviewed by the Guardian. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), long-term exposure to such substances poses an increased risk of cancer. Click here to continue reading

Applications opening for livestock drought relief

Government of Alberta

Applications open Oct. 30 for the 2023 Canada-Alberta Drought Livestock Assistance program, providing livestock producers with up to $165 million to maintain breeding herds. Click here to continue reading

Bitcoin mining has ‘very worrying’ impacts on land and water, not only carbon

Science Daily

As bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have grown in market share, they’ve been criticized for their heavy carbon footprint: Cryptocurrency mining is an energy-intensive endeavor. Mining has massive water and land footprints as well, according to a new study that is the first to detail country-by-country environmental impacts of bitcoin mining. Click here to continue reading

Cochrane water reservoir levels stabilized but ‘not out of the woods yet,’ say officials

CBC News

While Cochrane remains under a state of emergency, town officials announced water reservoir levels have been partially restored after a major pipeline break over the weekend. Speaking to the media Wednesday, emergency management deputy director Shawn Polley said that thanks to voluntary conservation efforts from residents and business, as well as water hauling from nearby communities, reservoir levels had “stabilized.” Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Venezuelans handpick plastic and rake up oil in bid to save Lake Maracaibo – video

The Guardian

Anglers in Venezuela have been raking up oil spills and collecting plastic waste from Lake Maracaibo to try to save the lake that sustains their livelihoods. President Nicolás Maduro has ordered the implementation of a “rescue, attention and decontamination” plan for the 13,000 sq km lake, one of South America’s largest and one of the oldest in the world. Click here to continue reading

Governments come together to build flood resilience in Nooksack, Sumas watersheds

Water Canada

An international, multi-government agreement that commits to addressing flood risks and restoring salmon habitat in portions of British Columbia’s Fraser Valley and Washington state’s Whatcom County has been finalized. The Transboundary Flood Initiative advances a collaborative framework to identify and pursue actions for flood-risk reduction and habitat restoration on the flood-prone Nooksack and Sumas watersheds. Click here to continue reading

Stantec enters design phase for Tampa Bay Water potable water supply project

Water Canada

Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering, has begun the final design phase of Segment B for the South Hillsborough Pipeline with longtime client Tampa Bay Water. Tampa Bay Water awarded the firm a contract amendment to include final design engineering and construction management at risk support services (CMAR), bringing Stantec’s total fees to US$14 million. With a construction cost of approximately US$100 million, Segment B will help meet the growing demand for potable water in Hillsborough County’s South-Central service area. Click here to continue reading

New method to analyze implications of large-scale flood adaptation

Science Daily

In a test of their new analysis tool, researchers show where ‘moving up’ or ‘moving over’ may make the most sense for those affected by the 2022 Pakistan flood, and what costs it would entail. Click here to continue reading

Pottery becomes water treatment device for Navajo Nation

Science Daily

Large chunks of the Navajo Nation in the Southwest lack access to clean drinkable water, a trend that has been rising in many parts of the U.S. in recent years. A research team aims to change that. Click here to continue reading

Plants’ water use efficiency stalled 20 years ago

The Western Producer

It has often been thought by scientists that the rising concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere benefit plants and increase their water-use efficiency by absorbing more carbon, using less water and increasing growth. But recent research by scientists at the University of New Hampshire and colleagues at the universities of Michigan State, Montana and South Dakata and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences has shown that plant water-use efficiency has stalled since 2001. Click here to continue reading

State of local emergency called as Cochrane, Alta., residents could run out of water

CTV News

Officials in Cochrane, Alta., say water levels in the community’s reservoirs are very low, meaning some residents could run out of water. The town says it has declared a state of local emergency over the issue, which began on Oct. 21 when a contractor punctured a sewage and water line. The new measure, which allows the town to “take extraordinary actions,” comes after Cochrane put mandatory water conservation rules in place earlier this week. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Carrots farms v valley: the battle over a water-depleted California region

The Guardian

The 230-sq-mile Cuyama groundwater basin – which spans Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Kern and Ventura counties – is one of 21 basins in the state that are in “critical overdraft”. More water is being consumed than replenished; the valley gets an average of 8in of rain a year. And locals are angry they have been forced to lawyer up to preserve that increasingly rare resource. Click here to continue reading

Hiawatha First Nation celebrates new water treatment system

Water Canada

Hiawatha First Nation has announced the successful completion of the first phase of its new water treatment plant and distribution system. The critical project, which began in 2019, eliminates more than 20 years of boil water advisories (BWA) for the community. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: UK farmers warn of rotting crops after Storm Babet flooding

The Guardian

Potato and cereal crops are likely to have been heavily damaged by the recent devastating floods across the UK, farmers have warned. Entire fields have been submerged in water after Storm Babet swept across the country, with crops ruined. Extreme weather events are becoming more likely and frequent due to climate breakdown, and have caused food shortages and price increases. Click here to continue reading

How bombings, blockades and import bans caused Gaza’s water system to crumble

The Guardian

In 2020, the average Israeli citizen consumed 150 litres of water a day for domestic use, according to official figures. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 2.2 million people in Gaza are now trying to subsist on just three litres a day for all purposes – drinking, cooking and washing. Click here to continue reading

Cochrane’s water reservoir critically low post-line break, state of local emergency declared

Global News

The Town of Cochrane, Alta., has declared a state of local emergency as recent breaks to water and sewage lines have drastically reduced the level in the town’s water reservoir. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Climate is increasing risk of high toxin concentrations in Northern US lakes

Science Daily

As climate change warms the Earth, higher-latitude regions will be at greater risk for toxins produced by algal blooms, according to new research. The findings identify water temperatures of 20 to 25 degrees Celsius (68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit) as being at the greatest risk for developing dangerous levels of a common algae-produced toxin called microcystin. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Death Valley visitors delight in rare ephemeral lakes left behind by storm

The Guardian

After months of closure, visitors to Death Valley national park are being greeted by stunning new features, including lakes left behind by a ferocious summer deluge. The park reopened last week after being shuttered in August, when a record-breaking tropical storm unleashed a year’s worth of rain in a single day. Click here to continue reading

New report says national agrifood water strategy needed

The Western Producer

Canada should be exploiting its enormous water resources to be both a sustainable food powerhouse and a global water research superpower, says a new paper from the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute. Yet the country’s water policies, management and research efforts are underdeveloped and unco-ordinated, leaving water resources and challenges largely unaddressed. Click here to continue reading

New online dashboard for drinking water advisories for Saskatoon residents

Water Canada

The City of Saskatoon has launched a new online dashboard for drinking water advisories. Residents will now be able to check for updates regarding the status of a drinking water advisory by visiting the new dashboard. The dashboard is linked to the City’s internal system, providing residents more timely updates on their drinking water. Click here to continue reading

St. Lawrence Seaway strike leaving goods, ships stranded at Port of Thunder Bay

CBC News

The St. Lawrence Seaway shutdown has left ships unable to pass through the port of Thunder Bay on Lake Superior in northwestern Ontario. Hundreds of workers stationed between Lake Erie and Montreal walked off the job Sunday after they were unable to reach an agreement with the employer by the strike deadline, said the union. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Billions of snow crabs in Alaska likely vanished due to warm ocean, study says

The Guardian

Warmer ocean temperatures have likely caused the sudden and shocking disappearance of billions of snow crabs in Alaska, which had previously baffled scientists and environmentalists, a new study has shown. Click here to continue reading

Alta. livestock producers to receive $165M in drought support from provincial, federal program

CTV News

The governments of Alberta and Canada are to provide $165 million to support livestock producers affected by drought and extreme weather conditions. The Canada-Alberta Drought Livestock Assistance program is aimed at livestock producers with grazing animals. Click here to continue reading

New extremes in stratospheric water vapor

Science Daily

The focus of new research was to determine how deep, how much and how frequently water in the stratosphere was being increased by thunderstorms. Click here to continue reading

Wastewater from ruptured sewer line still flowing into Bow River: Town of Cochrane

CTV News

After initially saying that wastewater was no longer flowing into the Bow River, the Town of Cochrane said actually it still is. At 7:35 a.m. Sunday, the town said workers had stopped the flow of wastewater into the Bow following a Saturday sewage line rupture. However, at 12:20 p.m., they issued a statement to the contrary. Click here to continue reading

‘Dramatic decline’: Calgary researcher says sea ice in Antarctica lowest since 1986

CTV News

A Calgary researcher, who has spent the last eight months in Antarctica studying sea ice, says he has seen first-hand how big an effect climate change has had in the region. Click here to continue reading

As drought dries up B.C. rivers, conservationists turn to beavers for help

CBC News

The ongoing drought in many parts of B.C. is causing some rivers in the province’s northern Interior to reach their driest mid-October levels in years. In Prince George, the unusually low waters have locals worried. Click here to continue reading

First ‘significant’ snowfall over Alberta

Global News

Environment Canada said snow will develop over west-central Alberta Sunday and move towards the south and east Monday. Snowfall amounts will vary greatly across the province due to initially warm ground temperatures and the duration of the snowfall. Click here to continue reading

Sewage leaks into Bow River in Cochrane; Calgary urges residents to stay away from river

Calgary Herald

Cochrane has implemented water restrictions, but drinking water remains safe in both communities, officials say. Click here to continue reading

‘Crabs everywhere’: off Canada’s Pacific coast, Indigenous Haida fight a host of invasive species

The Guardian

The 150 islands of Haida Gwaii (“Islands of the People” in the Haida language) are under relentless attack by waves of invasive species, which threaten to upend a delicate ecosystem and erode the rich wildlife of the region. The scourge of invasives is a global problem costing $423bn (£350bn) a year, but as local people work to fend off the intruders, the debate over their eradication raises larger questions about how ecosystems adapt over generations. Click here to continue reading

Funding for Nova Scotia to help salmon, trout in vital wild salmon watershed

Water Canada

The Province is investing $75,000 from the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund to protect and enhance the habitat of one of Nova Scotia’s only healthy spring salmon rivers. Click here to continue reading

Reservoirs fill back up in southern Alberta

The Western Producer

Reservoirs across southern Alberta are starting to fill again after a year in which irrigation water resources were stressed but managed to get through a growing season dominated by dry conditions and little precipitation. The one major exception is the Oldman Dam reservoir, which continues to see levels drop, albeit at a much slower rate since the Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District shut down earlier this month. Click here to continue reading

Drought conditions not letting up

The Western Producer

Moisture is just as much of a concern as harvest wraps up across the Prairies as it was at the beginning of the growing season. As of Sept. 30, 72 percent of Canada was reported as having some level of drought conditions, 69 percent of which is agricultural land, according to Agriculture Canada’s recently released Canadian Drought Monitor report. Click here to continue reading

Cajun crawdads make unwelcome appearance in Nova Scotia lake

CBC News

An invasive crayfish native to the southern United States has been found in a lake near Lower Sackville, N.S., outside Halifax. It is believed to be the first confirmed detection in Canada of the red swamp crayfish, better known as the crawdad in Louisiana cuisine. Click here to continue reading

Province putting up $5M to study feasibility of proposed new southern Alberta dam

Calgary Herald

The Alberta government will spend up to $5 million on a study that will look into whether a new dam is needed in southern Alberta. The proposed Eyremore dam would be located southwest of the city of Brooks along the Bow River, about 43 kilometres downstream of the Bassano dam, improving southern Alberta water management and security, and flood mitigation. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘Everything out the faucet is salt’: Louisianans struggle as drinking water crisis persists

The Guardian

A few weeks ago the water crisis in Plaquemines parish stirred national headlines as a so-called “wedge” of saltwater surged upriver, traveling up the Mississippi, threatening the drinking water for nearly a million people in the city of New Orleans and the suburbs that surround it. Click here to continue reading

Ice that survived Arctic summer hits low, with implications for traditional harvesting and shipping

CBC News

The amount of sea ice that persists throughout the summer also affects how thick ice will grow in the Arctic in the winter. Ice that builds on an existing layer of ice can grow thicker than ice that grows seasonally from scratch. Summer sea ice in the Arctic naturally shrinks in the summer. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC), Arctic summer sea ice dwindled to 4.23 million square kilometres on Sept. 19 — the sixth lowest extent on a 45-year record. Click here to continue reading

Drought conditions expose rivers to hotter water temperatures

Science Daily

A new study reveals how reduced water flows and rising atmospheric temperatures are set to heat our rivers — creating major challenges for aquatic life, ecosystems, and society. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Pipeline dreams: the desert city out to surpass Phoenix by importing water

The Guardian

Arizona, stressed by years of drought, has declared its housebuilding boom will have to be curbed due to a lack of water but one of its fastest-growing cities is refusing to give up its relentless march into the desert – even if it requires constructing a pipeline that would bring water across the border from Mexico. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘You should be able to have a water break’: US workers fight for extreme-heat rules

The Guardian

Climate change is fueling record high temperatures, and the number of workers who die from heat exposure has doubled since the early 1990s. More than 600 people died on the job from heat between 2005 and 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Undocumented workers in outdoor industries like agriculture, landscaping, and construction who may fear retaliation for reporting unsafe working conditions, are often the most at risk.) Click here to continue reading

Shuswap Watershed Council releases updated report on nutrients and water quality

Water Canada

The Shuswap Watershed Council (SWC) has released an update to a report it originally published in 2020 summarizing the results of a multi-year water quality research partnership with UBC Okanagan. The report explains two separate research projects to better understand the inputs of nutrients to Shuswap and Mara Lakes. Click here to continue reading

Meet the magnet fishers pulling treasure from the Detroit River

CBC News

There’s plenty of history, some treasures and a whole lot of junk at the bottom of the Detroit River — and local magnet fishers are doing their part to bring it all to light. By casting strong magnets into the depths of the river in Windsor, Ont., the hobbyists hope they’ll pull up a something interesting — or at the very least, clean up some of the underwater litter. Click here to continue reading

Research finds water quality in Gulf of Mexico improves when adding social costs to carbon emissions

Science Daily

Researchers took a closer look at what would happen to agriculture if there was an extra cost, or so-called social cost, added to fossil fuels, which are essential for making fertilizer used in farming. They found that while CO2 emissions would decline by as much as 50%, the cost of fertilizer would rise leading to a significant benefit on water quality by lessening fertilizer runoff contributing to the Gulf of Mexico’s dead zone. Click here to continue reading

Ocean circulation, ice melt and increasing tourism could all be contributing to Arctic microplastics

Science Daily

Scientists measured microplastic concentrations in the highly productive Barents Sea and suggest that ocean circulation, ice melt, tourism, inadequate waste management, shipping and fishing are all likely contributors. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Water level at Amazon port in Brazil hits lowest point in 121 years amid drought

The Guardian

The water level at a major river port in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has hit its lowest point in at least 121 years, as a historic drought upends the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and damages the jungle ecosystem. Click here to continue reading

Solar design would harness 40% of the sun’s heat to produce clean hydrogen fuel

Science Daily

Engineers have designed a system that can efficiently produce ‘solar thermochemical hydrogen.’ It harnesses the sun’s heat to split water and generate hydrogen — a clean fuel that emits no greenhouse gas emissions. Click here to continue reading

New river channel breathes life into Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

CBC News

A new channel carrying river water to the lagoon in the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary is expected to revitalize a key wildlife habitat. The southeast park was heavily damaged by the 2013 flood on the Bow River. Since then, there have been cleanups and a rebuilding of the park infrastructure. A study was done to come up with ways to revitalize the area and enhance things like flood and erosion control. The plan included constructing a new channel that carries water from the Bow to the sanctuary’s lagoon. Click here to continue reading

Climate change coping mechanism discovered in humble algae

Science Daily

One of the building blocks of ocean life can adapt to cope with the effects of climate change, according to new research. The discovery holds promises for biotechnology developments that could counter the negative effects of changing environmental conditions, such as ocean warming and even the reduction in the productivity of crops. Click here to continue reading

Canada invests in Thunder Bay projects to clean up and protect the Great Lakes

Water Canada

These local projects will help to advance Canada’s commitments under the Canada–United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and the Canada–Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health. Click here to continue reading

A ‘whalecam’, seals v sharks and fish that play dead: it’s Planet Earth III

The Guardian

A detachable “whalecam”, remote underwater cameras operated from a director’s bedroom and a “drone ballet” are among the innovations that will be featured for the first time on David Attenborough’s Planet Earth III. Click here to continue reading

More than 50 Indigenous fish harvesters in the Maritimes charged or on trial

Sylvan Lake News

Three years after a First Nation started a self-regulated lobster fishery that sparked protests and violence in Nova Scotia, federal prosecutors are pressing ahead with charges against dozens of Indigenous fishers, some of whom are planning constitutional challenges. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Water metering should be compulsory in England, advisers likely to say

The Guardian

Water metering should be made compulsory for all households in England, the government is likely to be told this week, as water supplies come under pressure from increased demand and more frequent droughts and floods. Click here to continue reading

Above-average snowpack needed to bring water levels in southern Alberta back to normal

CTV News

While most crops are out of the ground, irrigation districts are reflecting on the possibility of another summer with drought-like conditions. Canada’s largest irrigation district – the SMRID — imposed a 15-inch per-acre allocation as a result of a low snow pack and precipitation this spring. Click here to continue reading

Scientists count huge melts in many protective Antarctic ice shelves. Trillions of tons of ice lost

CBC News

Four dozen Antarctic ice shelves have shrunk by at least 30 per cent since 1997 and 28 of those have lost more than half of their ice in that time, reports a new study that surveyed these crucial “gatekeepers” between the frozen continent’s massive glaciers and open ocean. Click here to continue reading

Ranchers feel the heat as water supplies dwindle

The Western Producer

The drought in Alberta has caused multiple rural municipalities to declare agricultural disasters, urban communities to issue water restrictions and warnings from the province about tough times for next season if present conditions continue. That warning includes irrigation districts that got through the 2023 season by tapping into its robust reservoir system built over the past century for just such years. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Toxic PFAS from US military bases polluting drinking water, report finds

The Guardian

The number of communities threatened by the military’s pollution is likely to increase as further more investigations are carried out. The defense department has only looked at about one-third of more than 700 facilities suspected of having contaminated the ground with PFAS. Click here to continue reading

Keeping more invasive species out of the Red Deer River is sparking inter-municipal discussions

Red Deer Advocate

Some paddle boarders and rafters on the Red Deer River last summer might have noticed a foreign species that’s been lurking in the waterway since at least 2018. That’s when an Alberta Conservation Association study confirmed the presence of carp in the Central Alberta river. Click here to continue reading

‘Ultrashort’ PFAS compounds detected in people and their homes, study shows

Science Daily

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have become ubiquitous throughout the environment, and increasing evidence has demonstrated their deleterious effects. A group of smaller, fluorinated compounds are becoming replacements for these ‘forever chemicals,’ though research suggests the smaller versions could also be harmful. Now, a study reports that the levels of these substances in many indoor and human samples are similar to or higher than those of legacy PFAS. Click here to continue reading

Rivers may not recover from drought for years

Science Daily

Lack of rainfall is not the only measure of drought. New research shows that despite a series of storms, the impact of drought can persist in streams and rivers for up to 3.5 years. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Saltwater threat to Louisiana drinking water to grow across US, experts warn

The Guardian

Louisianans have been preparing for a potential crisis because of seawater from the Gulf of Mexico penetrating the low-lying Mississippi. The mayor of New Orleans declared a state of emergency last month amid concerns about the potential health risks to the city’s drinking water, which would leave residents reliant on bottled water for cooking and cleaning. Click here to continue reading

Modular dam design could accelerate the adoption of renewable energy

Science Daily

Scientists have developed a new modular steel buttress dam system designed to resolve energy storage issues hindering the integration of renewable resources into the energy mix. The new modular steel buttress dam system facilitates the rapid construction of paired reservoir systems for grid-scale energy storage and generation using closed-loop pumped storage hydropower, cutting dam construction costs by one-third and reducing construction schedules by half. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Ancient Maya reservoirs offer lessons for today’s water crises

Science Daily

Ancient Maya reservoirs, which used aquatic plants to filter and clean the water, ‘can serve as archetypes for natural, sustainable water systems to address future water needs.’ The Maya built and maintained reservoirs that were in use for more than 1,000 years. These reservoirs provided potable water for thousands to tens of thousands of people in cities during the annual, five-month dry season and in periods of prolonged drought. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Indigenous Amazonians urge Brazil to declare emergency over severe drought

The Guardian

Indigenous people in the Amazon are calling on the Brazilian government to declare a climate emergency as their villages have no drinking water, food or medicine due to a severe drought that is drying up rivers vital for travel in the rainforest. Click here to continue reading

Dry conditions contributed to lower crop yields in southern Alberta this year

CTV News

Dry conditions helped Alberta farmers harvest faster, but also caused major problems throughout the growing season. Southern Alberta is ahead of the average harvesting pace, with 98.2 per cent of the crop harvested by Oct. 3, according to the province’s latest crop report. But this year’s crop yields are only 66.9 per cent of the five-year average. Click here to continue reading

Out with the old, in with the new

East Central Alberta Review

Out with the old, in with the new. A cliché, yes, but appropriate for what’s left of Three Hills’ 41-year-old pump house on 2 St. N. A critical water mainline break at the pump house’s foundation April 2023 rendered the building unsafe and inoperable. This plunged the community and its rural water customers into a quickly solved crisis that led insurance adjusters to determine the facility had to be replaced. Click here to continue reading

Titanium oxide material can remove toxic dyes from wastewater

Science Daily

Discharged in large quantities by textile, cosmetic, ink, paper and other manufacturers, dyes carry high-toxicity and can bring potential carcinogens to wastewater. It’s a major concern for wastewater treatment — but researchers may have found a solution, using a tiny nanofilament. Click here to continue reading

Alberta non-profit aims to help brain tumour patients through water rehabilitation

Global News

The Pool Brats rehab sessions are being held at the accessible ACT Centre in Rundle Park starting Sunday, Oct. 15, and they just need more people to dip their toes into the pool. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘A sacrifice zone’: East Palestine’s wastewater is flooding into this Ohio community

The Guardian

Owned by Buckeye Brine, a private company, the injection wells will see the wastewater pumped thousands of feet underground for storage. It has become a major concern for Coshocton residents and fueled protests. Click here to continue reading

A ship that sank on Lake Huron 128 years ago is found nearly intact off Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula

CBC News

The Africa, an American cargo steamer, vanished in 1895 on its way from Ashtabula, Ohio, to Owen Sound, Ont. The ship set off on Oct. 4, 1895, with the barge Severn in tow. Both vessels were loaded with coal and bound for Georgian Bay until a snowstorm snapped the towline separating both vessels. Click here to continue reading

University of Ottawa’s Delatolla Lab working with CHEO Research Institute and McMaster’s Children’s Hospital uses real-time wastewater measurements to boost hospital preparedness

Water Canada

Working in close collaboration with CHEO Research Institute (RI) and McMaster’s Children’s Hospital, Dr. Robert Delatolla’s lab at the University of Ottawa led the study during the early and intense 2022-2023 RSV season, comparing wastewater surveillance signals of RSV to clinical surveillance signals, which rely upon RSV clinical test positivity and hospitalizations. Researchers compared city-wide wastewater samples and pediatric RSV clinical test positivity and hospitalization trends in Ottawa and Hamilton between Aug. 1, 2022, and March 5, 2023. Twenty-four-hour composite wastewater samples were collected daily and five days a week at the wastewater treatment facilities in both cities. Click here to continue reading

Lethbridge, AB advocacy efforts continue for water, wastewater improvements

Water Canada

Water is not an infinite resource and as the city’s population continues to grow, the process to provide water and wastewater services to residents and businesses becomes a more pressing issue. Advocacy efforts for sustainable long-term water and wastewater infrastructure have been in conversation at last week’s Alberta Municipalities conference in Edmonton, at last month’s Economic Standing Policy Committee meeting and at Lethbridge City Council’s meeting on Tuesday. Click here to continue reading

Cost of Canada’s new flagship ocean science vessel jumps to $1.28B

CBC News

The budget for Canada’s new flagship ocean research ship increased 28 per cent this year jumping from $995 million to $1.28 billion. Construction of the offshore oceanographic science vessel is underway at the Seaspan Shipyards in North Vancouver, B.C., as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. It will replace the decommissioned Canadian Coast Guard Ship Hudson — now at a wreckers yard — to provide scientific and ocean mapping missions in Atlantic Canada. Click here to continue reading

How a huge new LNG plant spells ‘dire’ trouble for whales off Canada’s coast

The Guardian

Collisions between large whales and even larger ships have been growing more common as marine traffic increases, including a spate of deadly collisions this summer. Now, with the opening of a huge new liquid natural gas (LNG) terminal in 2025, transforming the deep fjords of northern British Columbia into a crowded marine highway, researchers are warning of a likely “dire” increase in whale deaths. Click here to continue reading

Alberta pumpkin farmers impacted by drought, but patches prevail

CBC News

After Alberta’s hot, dry summer, droughts impacted all parts of the agricultural landscape, especially pumpkin farmers —yet even after the challenges, many growers are really proud of their pumpkins. Click here to continue reading

Remnants of post-tropical storm Philippe bring high winds, heavy rain to Maritimes

CBC News

The remnants of post-tropical storm Philippe have combined with another low pressure system and the merger of the two systems is now bringing high winds and heavy rain to the Maritimes. According to CBC meteorologist Tina Simpkin, the rain is heaviest in the west and will continue to push in from west to east. The wind and rain will continue for the morning and into the afternoon in Prince Edward Island, eastern New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: More rain to come for flood-hit Scotland, with amber warning in place

The Guardian

Heavy rainfall caused flooding, transport disruption and the cancellation of events across many parts of Scotland over the weekend with a warning of more to come. An amber weather warning – the second highest – was in place between Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon for parts of north-east Scotland, while a yellow warning was in place for much of northern Scotland. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Groundwater a significant source of pollution on Great Barrier Reef, study shows

The Guardian

Scientists say they have discovered large flows of pollution are reaching the Great Barrier Reef after soaking into underground water, a finding that could have implications for policymakers focused on cutting pollution from river catchments. Click here to continue reading

Supporting Peace Region wetlands through student-driven conservation

Water Canada

Peace Wapiti Academy students are the new protectors of the Peace Region’s wetlands. Through a partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada, Peace Wapiti Academy students receive training and mentorship to lead wetland stewardship as part of their coursework. It’s part of a newly launched Wetland Centre of Excellence in Grande Prairie designed to engage and empower young people in meaningful nature-based experiences. Click here to continue reading

Canada and Yukon invest in water, sewer, and road improvements in Watson Lake

Water Canada

Through this funding, the Town of Watson Lake will replace over 1,200 metres of sanitary line and more than 1,500 metres of water mains with upgraded materials across the community in addition to restoring more than two kilometres of affected roadway. Funding will also support over 14 kilometres of road repairs across the town. Once complete, residents will have improved access to safe drinking water, increased sewage capacity, and more reliable roads, creating a safer, healthier and more sustainable community. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘We are vulnerable’: demand for drought aid rises as El Niño takes hold in Queensland

The Guardian

Demand for emergency rural aid is rising as farmers face a dry and unproductive summer ahead. The latest Australian agricultural seasonal outlook forecasts farm incomes will plummet by 41% on average this financial year. The chief executive of Rural Aid, John Warlters, said requests to the national charity for mental health support, financial counselling and emergency livestock feed had “effectively doubled” in the last month. Click here to continue reading

City of Calgary looks at more measures to help deal with drought

Global News

Outdoor watering restrictions are still in effect in Calgary and those rules may become normal in the future. The Bow River through Calgary is at far below normal levels, according to data from Alberta’s river basin dashboard. A provincial graph shows that the flow rate of the Bow River in Calgary is around 28 cubic metres per second. Normal levels for this time of the year should be between 50 to 70 cubic metres per second. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: As Waters Rise, a Community Must Decide: Do We Stay or Go?

Yale Environment 360

Faced with more frequent flooding and worse to come, the Philadelphia environmental justice community of Eastwick is grappling with difficult questions about its future: Will levees and flood walls protect them, or should residents abandon their homes and move to higher ground? Click here to continue reading

Trying to keep farm families fed in 1930s was a struggle

The Western Producer

During the 1930s, an almost decade-long drought affected much of the Prairies along with infestations of grasshoppers, gophers and cutworms. With the lack of rain, the dry farmland blew away, creating terrible dust storms. A worldwide Depression, which led to a rapid decline in global trade and rising unemployment, occurred at the same time. Click here to continue reading

Irrigators warned to plan for shortages

The Western Producer

The situation along rivers and in reservoirs across southern Alberta received a reprieve from deteriorating conditions on the last day of September, but challenges remain as the last few irrigation districts shut off their taps for the season. Rainfall in late September was among the largest seen in weeks and was also widespread and felt from the Eastern Slopes to the Saskatchewan border. The rainfall resulted in one-day accumulations ranging from 38 millimetres in Pincher Creek to 8.5 mm in Medicine Hat. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Glacial lake burst banks in northeast India, triggering lethal flash floods

CBC News

At least 40 people were killed after a glacial lake burst its banks and triggered flash floods this week in the Indian Himalayas, government officials told Reuters on Friday as rescuers searched for dozens missing for a second day. The Lhonak Lake in the mountainous northeastern state of Sikkim overflowed on Wednesday after a cloudburst triggered torrential rains and an apparent avalanche, causing major flooding in the Teesta River. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Dead lawns, dry wells: Texas drought persists after summer heat dome

The Guardian

The heat dome that roasted a wide swath of the US this summer has dissipated – but it has left behind a crisp, dehydrated landscape, particularly in Texas. Even as the weather cools, more than 30% of the continental US is experiencing drought, according to a newly released analysis from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa). Click here to continue reading

Nova Scotia consulting coastal property owners

Water Canada

The Province is contacting people who own coastal property in Nova Scotia and inviting them to provide their input on how to plan and adapt development along the coastline in response to climate change. Click here to continue reading

Parksville, B.C. and The Nature Trust of British Columbia partner to protect critical habitat along the Kw’a’luxw River

Water Canada

The City of Parksville and The Nature Trust of British Columbia, have announced plans to conserve an ecologically important property along the Kw’a’luxw (Englishman) River in perpetuity at 130 Shelly Road. The 5.2ha (13 acre) property contains important floodplain, riparian and forested habitat immediately adjacent to the Kw’a’luxw (Englishman) River and supports numerous species of fish and wildlife throughout the year. Click here to continue reading

Here’s what El Nino means for Canada’s winter

CTV News

El Niño has entered the chat. After seven years characterized by La Niña conditions, the World Meteorological Organization announced in July(opens in a new tab) that the surface temperature of the tropical Pacific Ocean has warmed again, signalling the switch to a global El Niño event. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Discovery of massive undersea water reservoir could explain New Zealand’s mysterious slow earthquakes

Science Daily

Researchers working to image New Zealand’s Hikurangi earthquake fault have uncovered a sea’s worth of water buried in the Earth’s crust. The water was carried down by eroding volcanic rocks and is believed to be dampening the earthquake fault, allowing it to release most of the pent-up tectonic stress through harmless slow slip earthquakes. Click here to continue reading

Staying dry for months underwater

Science Daily

Researchers have developed a superhydrophobic surface with a stable plastron that can last for months under water. The team’s general strategy to create long-lasting underwater superhydrophobic surfaces, which repel blood and drastically reduce or prevent the adhesion of bacterial and marine organisms such as barnacles and mussels, opens a range of applications in biomedicine and industry. Click here to continue reading

Calgary water restrictions remain amid record low levels in the Bow, Elbow Rivers

CTV News

It’s been nearly two months since Calgary implemented outdoor water restrictions, but it could still be another few weeks until they’re lifted. The City of Calgary issued the water restrictions on Aug. 15 following record-high temperatures paired with dry conditions and little precipitation. As the seasons change and winter approaches, staff will look at whether the city can lift those restrictions. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Floods linked to increased deaths from heart and lung disease, Australian-led research shows

The Guardian

It has long been known there is an increased risk of communicable diseases after floods but a new Australian-led study shows people are also more likely to die from heart and lung disease about three to six weeks after a disaster. That is likely to be due to reduced access to health services caused by road closures, along with increased exposure to black mould and other contaminants, including pathogens, researchers say. Click here to continue reading

Sniffing out invasive species: Alberta’s canine conservationists are on the job

CTV News

The fight against invasive species in Alberta is aided by a trio of four-legged friends. Years into the province’s Conservation K-9 Unit, hundreds of instances of mussel-foul boats have been found and dozens of bodies of water are monitored by dogs to make sure Alberta’s waterways and parks are free from harmful species. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Watchdog berates Thames Water and Southern Water over level of complaints

The Guardian

Under-fire Southern Water and Thames Water have been named the “standout poor performers” in handling complaints from customers over the past year by a water watchdog. Click here to continue reading

Disagreements between city, territory slowed Iqaluit water crisis response: report

CBC News

A bypass system that allowed people in Iqaluit to drink the city’s tap water again after it was contaminated with fuel could have come online earlier, according to a report from a third-party review of the 2021 water crisis. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Hundreds of potentially toxic road runoff outfalls polluting England’s rivers

The Guardian

A toxic cocktail of damaging chemicals created by road pollution is flowing into England’s rivers and no regulator is monitoring the scale of its impact on wildlife or public health. More than 18,000 outfalls, such as pipes, and about 7,700 soakaways managed by National Highways discharge rainwater potentially contaminated with heavy metals, hydrocarbons, microplastics and other chemicals from the main road network into rivers and on to land. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘Exceptional year’: Mont Blanc shrinks by another 2 metres

The Guardian

Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in the Alps, has shrunk by 2.2 metres since 2021 to its lowest height in recent memory. The mountain, which is capped by a ridge of ice covering the rock, was measured by a team of surveyors from the Haute-Savoie regional administration, aided by a drone. Click here to continue reading

International recognition for the protection of the Magpie River

Water Canada

The Muteshekau-shipu Alliance is pleased to announce that the Magpie River has been registered as an Indigenous and Community Conserved Area (ICCA), an internationally recognized status for the conservation of Indigenous territory. It is the first territory in Canada to achieve ICCA status, the result of an initiative announced by the Alliance last December. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Wetlands win reprieve after deal over Andalucian natural space

The Guardian

A controversial plan that would have placed one of Europe’s most important and threatened wetlands in even greater jeopardy has been paused after an unexpected agreement was reached between Spain’s caretaker government and the regional authorities in Andalucía. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Type of storm that drenched New York is up to 20% wetter due to climate crisis

The Guardian

The unmistakable influence of the climate crisis helped cause New York City to be inundated by a month’s worth of rain within just a few hours on Friday, scientists have warned, amid concerns over how well the city is prepared for severe climate shocks. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Rare tidal phenomenon in Chinese river creates pec

CBC News

The Qiantang River in eastern China was a sight to behold as a fish scale-shaped tide was seen forming on the water’s surface. This type of tide is rare, discovered only in the past few years, and usually lasts only about a dozen minutes before fading. There was also a crossing tide — where two tides collide into each other — on the Qiantang River, creating a different but equally striking visual. Click here to continue reading

Despite being properly treated and highly diluted, wastewater still impacts on the river ecosystem

Science Daily

An experiment using water from a large wastewater treatment plant has shown that this water continues to affect river diversity and the trophic web (food web) despite being properly treated and highly diluted before discharge. The study shows that the limits currently in place and the procedures used to treat wastewater may not be sufficient to protect the natural properties of food webs. Click here to continue reading

Study: UBCO researcher examines how wildfires can transform rivers

Water Canada

After wildfire, the devastation to the landscape and communities is obvious and unforgettable. And now, a UBC Okanagan researcher is taking a different look at fire-impacted areas. Dr. Alessandro Ielpi, an Assistant Professor in Geomorphology with UBCO’s Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, recently published research examining how the record-setting 2017 Elephant Hill Fire affected the Bonaparte River near Cache Creek, BC. Click here to continue reading

Desalination system could produce freshwater that is cheaper than tap water

Science Daily

Researchers have designed a new solar desalination system that takes in saltwater and heats it with natural sunlight. The system flushes out accumulated salt, so replacement parts aren’t needed often, meaning the system could potentially produce drinking water at a rate and price that is cheaper than tap water. Click here to continue reading

Wet winter needed to feed next years’ crops, say Alberta irrigators amid early water shut-off

CBC News

Lake Newell, a reservoir south of Brooks, Alta. that helps feed water to farmland as well as various municipal, industrial, wildlife and recreational areas, is less than half the level it should be heading into winter. The lake is a part of the Eastern Irrigation District (EID), an area east of Calgary bound by the Red Deer river to the north, and the Bow River to the south. On Sept. 25, EID shut down its irrigation season roughly two weeks ahead of when it normally would, due to dry conditions throughout the summer that have strained water supply. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Mass death of Amazonian dolphins prompts fears for vulnerable species

The Guardian

The sudden die-off of more than a hundred Amazonian river dolphins in recent days has prompted fears that rising global heat could be passing the tolerance threshold of species in vulnerable areas. The floating corpses of the endangered mammals, along with thousands of dead fish, have appeared at Lake Tefé where the temperature is now like a hot bath after a protracted drought has dried up most of the water. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Thousands of salmon escaped an Icelandic fish farm. The impact could be deadly

The Guardian

Suspected escapees have now been found in at least 32 rivers across north-west Iceland, according to unconfirmed social media posts, one of which showed fish covered in sea lice, a parasite that can be lethal to wild fish. Iceland’s Marine and Freshwater Research Institute (MRI) confirmed the farmed fish have been found in multiple rivers. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: New York City reels after flash flooding chaos and powerful downpours

The Guardian

As flash flooding swept over parts of the New York City region on Friday, residents reeled from powerful downpours and surging waters. On Saturday, some localities in Connecticut and Long Island braced for still more rain. While no fatalities have been reported, scenes of chaos emerged as residents waded through knee-deep water in search for higher ground and drivers abandoned their vehicles on overwhelmed highways. In one north Brooklyn, New York City, building, residents said raw sewage seeped into their apartments amid the torrent. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘We felt so betrayed’: Indigenous tribe reels after exclusion from US marine sanctuary

The Guardian

The Chumash tribe had advocated for California’s central coast to be protected, but a draft management plan left out the stretch they had hoped would be protected. Click here to continue reading

AI and data centres drink up billions of litres of water, experts say. This is why

CTV News

Artificial intelligence is making things easier in some industries, like health care and astronomy, but in other ways, AI can be harmful. It’s difficult to determine whether these types of technology do more harm than good, as some AI systems use a lot of energy, emitting a significant amount of carbon. Others can aid industries already harming the environment by amplifying their resources. Click here to continue reading

At Canada’s largest Atlantic puffin colony, chicks are dying of starvation

CBC News

The volunteers who rescue Atlantic puffin chicks — called “pufflings” — knew something was wrong when so few strays from the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve on Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula showed up this summer. The fledglings emerge from their burrow at night to avoid predators, but some are attracted to the lights in the rapidly growing communities on shore. Members of a group called the Puffin Patrol capture the stranded pufflings and release them into the ocean. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Fight over precious groundwater in rural California town is rooted in carrots

Ponoka News

The battle playing out in this stretch of rural California represents a new wave of legal challenges over water, long one of the most precious and contested resources in a state that grows much of the country’s produce.For years, California didn’t regulate groundwater, allowing farmers and residents alike to drill wells and take what they needed. That changed in 2014 amid a historic drought, and as ever-deeper wells caused land in some places to sink. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘It smells so bad’: glut of wild salmon creates stink in Norway and Finland

The Guardian

Along the border between Norway and Finland lies the world’s greatest Atlantic salmon river. To the Norwegians, it is the Tanaelva or Tana; the Finns call it the Tenojoki or Teno. But to both countries it is known as one of the purest and cleanest rivers, passing through largely unspoiled and unpolluted regions from Finnmark, Norway’s northernmost county, into Lapland. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: English water firms face backlash over plans to ask customers to pay £96bn to cut leaks

The Guardian

Water companies are facing a backlash from campaigners after revealing they will ask customers to pay for a record £96bn investment to fix raw sewage leaks, build new reservoirs and reduce leaks. The main water and sewerage companies want the regulator, Ofwat, to approve their spending plans for 2025-30, which they say amount to almost doubling the investment into providing clean water, protecting the environment and securing future water resources. Click here to continue reading

ALTRA | SANEXEN’s Martin Bureau wins 2024 Clean50 Award

Water Canada

Martin Bureau, Vice-President of Innovation and Head of the PFAS Centre for Excellence at ALTRA | SANEXEN, has won the 2024 Clean50 Award, in the Clean Technology category. The prestigious Clean50 award recognizes leaders from across Canada who have done the most to advance climate action and develop smart climate solutions. Click here to continue reading

‘Situation is not ideal’

The Western Producer

A generational hydrological drought is occurring in rivers in southern Alberta, resulting in water levels rivaling the lowest seen in 50 years, the activation of a county’s emergency operations and a warning from the province. Hydrological drought refers to the effects of precipitation shortfalls on surface or subsurface water, such as stream flows, reservoirs, lake levels and groundwater. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Weather tracker: South Africa floods kill at least 11 people

The Guardian

Extreme rain and strong winds across South Africa’s Western Cape province have caused flooding, torn off roofs, destroyed crops and damaged roads this week. It is estimated that the 48-hour rainfall totals between Sunday and Monday were between 100mm to 200mm (4-8in) in this region. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘The dog’s very happy’: water-conscious Swedish islanders compete for ugliest lawn title

The Guardian

Dry, brown grass is no longer a source of shame on one Swedish island where residents have been competing over the “ugliest lawn” in an attempt to save water – and it seems the trend is spreading. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: New York sees wettest day since Hurricane Ida as heavy rain causes severe flooding

The Guardian

Schools, roads, public transport and airports affected; New Jersey declares state of emergency; reports emerge of raw sewage flooding New York homes. Click here to continue reading

Stettler county council questions water licenses enforcement

East Central Alberta Review

Stettler county council discussed a tense situation occurring at a lake located within the municipality and wondered if the provincial government’s water licensing system relies too much on the honour system. Click here to continue reading

Alberta Energy Regulator followed rules in Kearl mine wastewater release, report finds

CBC News

A third-party report into the release of millions of litres of oilsands wastewater at Imperial Oil’s Kearl mine has found the Alberta Energy Regulator followed its rules in keeping the public and area First Nations informed — but concludes those rules are significantly lacking. Click here to continue reading

Celebrating the next generation of Indigenous water treatment plant operators

Water Canada

Graduation often marks the end of a journey. For the Indigenous youth and community members who recently completed a training program to become certified water treatment plant operators, graduation is just the beginning. Click here to continue reading

Funding for flood prevention in Amherst, NS

Water Canada

With this funding, the Town of Amherst will complete a stormwater management study and improve stormwater infrastructure. The upgrades will help reduce the risk of flooding in the area surrounding Dickey Brook, protecting the community from damage during heavy rainfall or storms. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Swiss glaciers are disappearing, with ‘massive ice loss’ tracked in past 2 years

CBC News

A Swiss Academy of Sciences panel is reporting a dramatic acceleration of glacier melt in the Alpine country, which has lost 10 per cent of its ice volume in just two years, after high summer heat and low snow volumes in winter. Switzerland — home to the most glaciers of any country in Europe — has seen four per cent of its total glacier volume disappear in 2023, second only to the six per cent drop in 2022, the academy’s commission for cryosphere observation said. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Forever chemicals at former Nasa lab are leaking into LA River, say watchdogs

The Guardian

Two highly toxic chemicals polluting a former Nasa research site are also probably contaminating the Los Angeles River and aquifer from which the region’s agricultural growers draw their water, watchdog groups and a whistleblower charge. Click here to continue reading

Summer’s over, but Calgary still has water restrictions in place. Here’s why

CBC News

While the outdoor watering restrictions implemented in Calgary on Aug. 15 have already saved an estimated 1.1 billion litres of water, they aren’t going away any time soon, say city officials. In order to get through what climate models are predicting to be a dry winter, the City of Calgary is planning to keep outdoor water restrictions in place for the time being, to prevent water stores from dropping too low come spring. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Water firms forced to pay back customers for poor performance

BBC News

Water companies have been ordered to pay back £114m to customers through lower bills after missing key targets.  Click here to continue reading

Scientists use water fleas to filter pollutants out of wastewater

The Guardian

Tiny water fleas could play a big role in filtering out drugs, pesticides and industrial chemicals from wastewater to make it safe, according to scientists. Treatment plants do not remove all of the persistent chemical pollutants in wastewater from industry, so they often end up in rivers, streams and irrigation systems. This harms the biodiversity of these ecosystems and pollutes our food and water, but many of the current options for water filtering are expensive, carbon-costly and can be polluting themselves. Click here to continue reading

New study finds that sewage release is worse for rivers than agriculture

Science Daily

Sewage pollution, whether treated or untreated, was found to be the primary driver of increased nutrients, algae, and sewage fungus in rivers. Sewage discharge also radically altered plant, animal, and microbe communities, increasing the abundance of harmful species. Run-off from agriculture was also found to lower water quality and be particularly harmful for sensitive insect groups. Click here to continue reading

Ocean acidification makes ecologically important seaweed species fragile

Science Daily

Ocean acidification will likely almost triple by the end of the century — a drastic environmental change that could impact important marine species like fleshy seaweeds, algae that grow vertically and promote biodiversity in more than a third of the world’s coastline. To get a better idea of how seaweeds might fare in a rapidly acidifying ocean, a team of marine scientists subjected a common fleshy seaweed species to the acidification levels expected by the end of the century. Click here to continue reading

New study definitively confirms Gulf Stream weakening, understanding the changes could help predict future trends in extreme events

Science Daily

The Gulf Stream transport of water through the Florida Strait has slowed by 4% over the past four decades, with a 99% certainty that this weakening is more than expected from random chance, according to a new study. Click here to continue reading

Rivers contain hidden sinks and sources of microplastics

Science Daily

New research represents the first combined analysis of microplastics in water, sediment and air around a major river system. It found significant quantities of microplastics trapped in riverbed sediments, and also found they were being transported through the air and the flow of the river. Click here to continue reading

Antarctic sea ice shrinks to lowest annual maximum level on record, data shows

The Guardian

Antarctica has likely broken a new record for the lowest annual maximum amount of sea ice around the continent, beating the previous low by a million square kilometres. The new mark is the latest in a string of records for the continent’s sea ice, as scientists fear global heating could have shifted the region into a new era of disappearing ice with far reaching consequences for the world’s climate and sea levels. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Brown bear cubs in Japan die of starvation amid salmon shortage

The Guardian

As many as eight in 10 brown bear cubs born this year in a remote part of northern Japan have died amid a shortage of salmon, with experts blaming rising sea temperatures caused by the climate crisis. Along with acorns, pink salmon are an important source of food for the estimated 500 brown bears living along Hokkaido’s Shiretoko peninsula, a Unesco world heritage site known for its dramatic coastline and wild animals. Click here to continue reading

Government of Canada calls for proposals to advance flood mapping science and climate adaptation projects

Water Canada

Canadians across the country are already facing the consequences of climate change, which is causing more frequent and severe weather. Climate-related natural disasters, including flooding, pose a serious threat to the safety of Canadian communities and our economic stability, underscoring our need to adapt. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘We can’t drink oil’: how a 70-year-old pipeline imperils the Great Lakes

The Guardian

It’s little known to the throngs of tourists who gawp at the wonder of the Great Lakes but at the meeting point of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, a combined system that forms the largest lake in the world, there is a 70-year-old pipeline, battered and dented by dropped boat anchors. Click here to continue reading

Lethbridge closes Elma Groves storm pond, Chinook Lake to mitigate goldfish population

CTV News

The City of Lethbridge is closing Chinook Lake and Elma Groves storm pond in order to continue its efforts to mitigate the goldfish population in both. Both bodies of water will be treated with Rotenone, which the city says is a “naturally-derived compound with a short half-life, meaning it will not remain in the water system for long and does pose threat to anything other than fish,” according to the city’s website. Click here to continue reading

Rocky Mountain House to get $30-million wastewater plant

Red Deer Advocate

Rocky Mountain House and Clearwater County have teamed up to build a $30-million wastewater treatment plant outfitted with the latest technology and able to support decades of population growth. Click here to continue reading

Monitoring Alberta’s wastewater could help drug users avoid harm. Here’s how.

CBC News

A Calgary research facility that developed the most comprehensive wastewater monitoring program in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic is setting its sights on another burgeoning public health issue: illicit drug use. Advancing Canada Water Assets (ACWA), a joint initiative between the City of Calgary and the University of Calgary, is applying the same techniques it used to monitor COVID-19 case numbers to track illicit drugs in the province’s wastewater. Click here to continue reading

Every fish in B.C.’s Emerald Lake may have to be killed after signs of rare parasite detected

CBC News

Researchers say every fish in B.C.’s Emerald Lake may have to be “sacrificed” after the discovery of a rare parasite in the water. But first, more testing needs to be done. Parks Canada says it is investigating a suspected case of whirling disease in Yoho National Park’s Emerald Lake. The disease is a microscopic parasite that affects trout and salmon, and can cause infected fish to swim in a whirling pattern and die prematurely. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Tropical storm Ophelia makes landfall, as coastal North Carolina hit by flooding

CBC News

Residents in parts of coastal North Carolina and Virginia experienced flooding on Saturday after tropical storm Ophelia made landfall near a North Carolina barrier island, bringing rain, damaging winds and dangerous surges of water. Click here to continue reading

Bow River stream flows at record low; historic glacial melt recorded in Rockies

Global News

Autumn is casting its signature hue across the Rockies. As tourists flock to its peaks and valleys to witness the splendor of one season dying and another beginning, others are zeroing in with great concern on the shrinking rivers. Click here to continue reading

Why Calgary’s drinking water is tasting icky

Calgary Herald

You may wonder why your water is suddenly tasting moldy. This unpleasant taste may follow you into the shower, your workplace, gym or college campus. You may have also been losing sleep over thoughts of contaminated water affecting your health. But the reality is nowhere near as dangerous as it seems. City officials say the cause of your worry is geosmin, a “harmless” naturally occurring carbon compound that usually makes its way into Calgary’s reservoirs in late summer or fall. Click here to continue reading

Money, power and an ecosystem are all at stake in Canada-U.S. negotiations over a massive river

CBC News

Walk along the banks of the Columbia River in B.C. and you might be forgiven for thinking it’s like any of the province’s other big waterways. You might spot a sturgeon, or glimpse one of the more than 60 dams in the Columbia’s watershed. But the Columbia is not like other rivers. For one, it crosses the U.S. border to empty into the Pacific in Oregon. The Columbia River basin is also a vital source of electricity, providing about 40 per cent of all U.S. hydroelectric power, while B.C. draws almost half of its total electrical generation from the region. Click here to continue reading

New method for purifying drinking water could be used in disaster zones

Science Daily

Scientists have developed a new method that converts seawater into drinking water that could be useful in disaster zones where there is limited electrical power. The most popular method for removing salt (sodium chloride) from sea water is reverse osmosis, which uses a porous membrane that allows water molecules through but not salt. Click here to continue reading

Extensive impact of metal mining contamination on rivers and floodplains

Science Daily

A groundbreaking study, published today in Science, has provided new insights into the extensive impact of metal mining contamination on rivers and floodplains across the world, with an estimated 23 million people believed to be affected by potentially dangerous concentrations of toxic waste. Click here to continue reading

Predicting the sustainability of a future hydrogen economy

Science Daily

As renewable energy sources like wind and solar ramp up, they can be used to sustainably generate hydrogen fuel. But implementing such a strategy on a large scale requires land and water dedicated to this purpose. Click here to continue reading

New development model for the world’s third-longest river

Science Daily

A new research paper published in Science Advances reveals how changes in the size of the Yangtze River watershed may have led to the carving of deep canyons. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: What to Know About the Saltwater Threat to Louisiana’s Drinking Water Supply

Time

A long-lasting drought in Louisiana is impacting the drinking water in the Mississippi River, posing a risk for the state’s near 5 million residents, and particularly those in the New Orleans area. Click here to continue reading

Restoring the flow: Tsleil-Waututh’s race to save salmon habitat in drought stricken southwest B.C.

The Narwhal

When tens of thousands of pink salmon became stranded in the Indian River during September’s unrelenting drought, the nation raced into action, continuing their work to rehabilitate culturally significant spawning streams crippled under the twin pressures of climate change and industrial development.  Click here to continue reading

Riddle of varying warm water inflow in the Arctic now solved

Science Daily

In the ‘weather kitchen,’ the interplay between the Azores High and Icelandic Low has a substantial effect on how much warm water the Atlantic transports to the Arctic along the Norwegian coast. But this rhythm can be thrown off for years at a time. Experts finally have an explanation for why. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Drought sparks drinking water concerns as saltwater creeps up Mississippi River

The Guardian

Drought across the midwestern and southern US has left the Mississippi River with such low water levels that saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico is creeping upriver in Louisiana, which could affect the drinking water of thousands of residents in the next few weeks. Click here to continue reading

Monitoring dairy cows’ water use has benefits

The Western Producer

Small changes can pay dividends in water use on dairy farms, financially and in preserving water quality and supply. Determining where to make those changes takes careful monitoring and investigation. Click here to continue reading

Alta. irrigators survived ’23 but ’24 remains dire

The Western Producer

Irrigators were able to get through the 2023 season but not without getting bounced around in what has been a year marked by drought conditions, a quick melting mountain snowpack and little precipitation. The situation facing irrigators is best summed up by the latest bulletin from the Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Severe plankton bloom off Thailand creates marine ‘dead zone’

The Guardian

An unusually dense plankton bloom off the eastern coast of Thailand is creating an aquatic “dead zone”, threatening the livelihood of local fishers who farm mussels in the waters. Click here to continue reading

Fisheries and Oceans Canada and its partners confirm the arrival of Zebra Mussels in New Brunswick

Water Canada

Since last summer’s detection of Zebra Mussels in Lake Temiscouata, Quebec, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and its provincial, municipal, non-governmental and Indigenous partners have been closely monitoring New Brunswick’s lakes and rivers for any new presence of the aquatic invasive species (AIS). Click here to continue reading

Canada and Saskatchewan invest in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades

Water Canada

The Narrow Hills Provincial Park will also benefit from upgrades to its water system. The existing systems will be consolidated into a single water treatment and distribution facility to improve efficiency. This will include the construction of a new water treatment plant, potable water treatment equipment, and a new backup well. The new system will make sure a safe and reliable drinking water supply remains available for generations to come. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: California orders bottled water firm to stop drawing from natural springs

The Guardian

California has ordered the company that owns Arrowhead bottled water to stop using some of the natural springs it has utilized for more than a century, following a years-long campaign by environmentalists to stop the operation. Click here to continue reading

Extreme weather shows need for early warning systems, says Spanish minister

The Guardian

The latest spate of natural disasters – from the floods in Libya, Greece and Spain to the wildfires in Hawaii and Canada – has further underscored the need for early warning systems to help the world cope with the realities of the climate emergency, Spain’s environment minister has said. Click here to continue reading

Laser-based ice-core sampling for studying climate change

Science Daily

Researchers have developed a new laser-based sampling system for studying the composition of ice cores taken from glaciers. The new system has a 3-mm depth-resolution and is expected to help reconstruct continuous annual temperature changes that occurred thousands to hundreds of thousands of years ago, which will help scientists understand climate change in the past and present. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: UN warns of potential ‘second devastating crisis’ from contaminated water in wake of Libya floods

CBC News

Officials warned Monday that a disease outbreak in Libya’s northeast, where floods have killed thousands, could create “a second devastating crisis” as diarrhea spread among those who drank contaminated water. In a statement, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya said it was particularly concerned about water contamination and the lack of sanitation after two dams collapsed during Mediterranean storm Daniel, sending a wall of water gushing through the eastern city of Derna on Sept. 11. Click here to continue reading

The BoM has finally declared an El Niño. What does it mean – and why did it take so long?

The Guardian

The Bureau of Meteorology has declared that Australia is now in the grip of an El Niño climate pattern. The US government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had made its own declaration that El Niño was under way in June, followed by a similar warning from the World Meteorological Organization, the UN’s weather agency, in July. It foreshadowed a “surge in global temperatures and disruptive weather and climate patterns” around the planet. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Property over people? New York City’s $52bn plan to save itself from the sea

The Guardian

New York’s topography, which includes lengthy river and ocean coastlines, and its dense urban development, as well as the constrained capacity of the city’s sewer system (which floods sewage into the harbour in heavy rains), are hard issues to overcome with a single solution. Click here to continue reading

Huron Clean Water Project is accepting funding applications

Water Canada

The Huron Clean Water Project is a fund that supports water quality projects in Huron County. There is a total of $500,000 in available funds for water quality projects by Huron County residents, landowners, and community groups. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Global heating made Greece and Libya floods more likely, study says

The Guardian

Global heating made the levels of rainfall that devastated the Mediterranean in early September up to 50 times more likely in Libya and up to 10 times more likely in Greece, according to a study from World Weather Attribution that used established methods but had not yet been peer-reviewed. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: As extreme downpours trigger flooding around the world, scientists take a closer look at global warming’s role

The Conversation – US

After severe flooding on almost every continent this year, including mudslides and flooding in California in early 2023 and devastating floods in New York and Vermont in July, it can seem like extreme rainfall is becoming more common.  So, what role does global warming play in this? And importantly, what can we do to adapt to this new reality?  Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Road Hazard: Evidence Mounts on Toxic Pollution from Tires

Yale Environment 360

Researchers are only beginning to uncover the toxic cocktail of chemicals, microplastics, and heavy metals hidden in car and truck tires. But experts say these tire emissions are a significant source of air and water pollution and may be affecting humans as well as wildlife.  Click here to continue reading

Polar experiments reveal seasonal cycle in Antarctic sea ice algae

Science Daily

Results provide the first measurements of how sea-ice algae and other single-celled life adjust to the dramatic seasonal rhythms in the Southern Ocean. The results provide clues to what might happen as this ecosystem shifts under climate change. Click here to continue reading

What a circular water system could mean for Alberta

CBC News

A University of Alberta researcher is receiving $1.4 million over seven years to support the creation of a circular water system. The end goal is a holistic approach to water reuse, incorporating engineering, environment, science and the social aspects of bringing water into a resilient circular water system. Click here to continue reading

The Mackenzie River is a lot lower than normal. Those who rely on it wonder if it’s an anomaly

CBC News

The Mackenzie, one of the longest rivers in Canada, runs from Great Slave Lake through the Northwest Territories before eventually emptying out into the Arctic Ocean. It is used as a highway to transport goods to remote communities along the river and in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the high Arctic. But early this season, territorial officials knew that it would not be business as usual. Click here to continue reading

Now a post-tropical storm, Lee moves into Gulf of St. Lawrence

CTV News

Thousands remained without power Sunday as post-tropical storm Lee gradually moved out of the Maritimes, leaving a trail of downed trees and coastlines damaged by pounding surf.
By midday the storm had moved past Prince Edward Island and into the Gulf of St. Lawrence where it was to pass west of the Magdalen Islands and reach northern Newfoundland in the evening hours. Click here to continue reading

Libyan flood survivors face twin risks of landmines and water shortages, UN report says

CBC News

People whose homes were swept away by flooding in Libya’s eastern city of Derna a week ago faced the dilemma on Sunday of whether to stay despite a lack of fresh water or flee through areas where landmines have been displaced by the torrents. Click here to continue reading

Study: Disrupting the myth of water abundance in Ontario

Water Canada

Ontario may seem to be a water secure region, but new research out of the University of Waterloo challenges the myth of water abundance in the Great Lakes watershed. Using a first-of-its-kind risk analysis, researchers connected water quality, quantity, regulations and public concern to obtain a more comprehensive picture of water security at the local level. The novel approach revealed that at least half of the studied watersheds had a moderate to high potential for risk. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Libya dam collapse: engineering expert raises questions about management

The Conversation – Africa

More than 11,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands are missing following the catastrophic collapse of two dams in the eastern Libyan city of Derna. The dam collapse came after an extreme storm, Storm Daniel, slammed into the north African country. The Conversation Africa’s Moina Spooner asked water resources and engineering expert Nadhir Al-Ansari, who has researched the design and safety of dams, to provide insights into the disaster.  Click here to continue reading

The grim reality of drought and farming

CBC News

Due to the drought conditions, many farmers had their crops in the bin early, even though there wasn’t much to harvest. We talked to one farmer during the last few swaths of the field about how challenging the last few years have been. Click here to continue reading

Device that monitors Red Deer River for oil spills was installed on Taylor Bridge this week

Red Deer Advocate

Traffic on Taylor Bridge in Red Deer was inconvenienced for a good environmental cause on Thursday. City of Red Deer workers took a northbound lane out of commission for the installation of a new $50,000 hydrocarbon detector. The pipe-like device is now hanging down one side of the bridge and constantly scanning water flow in the Red Deer River. Click here to continue reading

Lacombe County seeking funding for wetland initiative

Red Deer Advocate

Cellphone photographers could help track changing lake landscapes if Lacombe County is successful in getting funding for a wetlands preservation project. In its pitch for funding, the county says it plans to set up fixed-point photography sites at Gull, Sylvan, Buffalo and Lacombe Lakes. They involve a post topped with a guide frame allowing photographers to place their cellphones in exactly the same spots. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: What are medicanes? The ‘supercharged’ Mediterranean storms that could become more frequent

The Guardian

The flash flood that has killed thousands of people in Libya this week followed a “medicane”, a rare but destructive weather phenomenon that scientists believe will intensify in a warming world. The term is an amalgamation of the words Mediterranean and hurricane. Used by scientists and weather forecasters, it is less well known to the wider public. Click here to continue reading

Five amazing ocean sites to make the first protected high seas areas

The Guardian

From 20 September, the UN’s high seas treaty will at last be open for signatures – an important moment that starts the process for nations to ratify it into their own laws. At least 60 countries must do so for the treaty to come into force. Scientists hope that it will finally allow marine protected areas (MPAs) in the high seas to be established. Click here to continue reading

New project in Saskatoon’s Churchill Park will significantly reduce neighbourhood flooding

Water Canada

Devastating floods are less of a concern for dozens of property owners in the Adelaide/Churchill Park neighbourhood, thanks to a new project in the north end of Churchill Park. The new dry storm pond is the second of nine flood mitigation projects to be completed under the Flood Control Strategy (FCS) by 2027. The FCS was approved by Saskatoon City Council in 2018. Click here to continue reading

Genetically modified bacteria break down plastics in saltwater

Science Daily

Researchers have genetically engineered a marine microorganism to break down plastic in salt water. Specifically, the modified organism can break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a plastic used in everything from water bottles to clothing that is a significant contributor to microplastic pollution in oceans. Click here to continue reading

Oceans could be used for carbon capture on a big scale

CBC News

Scientists have said we’re poised to overshoot the 1.5 C warming target enshrined in the Paris Agreement, and that in order to return to 1.5 C by 2100, we would need to remove vast amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Carbon capture from smokestacks or the air, using technology and tree planting, has received a lot of attention and funding. But last week, a few hundred scientists around the world argued that more attention should be paid to carbon capture in the ocean. Click here to continue reading

Edmonton Libyan community fundraising to help those affected by deadly flood back home

CTV News

Libyan Edmontonians are working to get supplies to family and friends who have been affected by flooding in the eastern part of their home country. Heavy rains from the Mediterranean storm Daniel caused the collapse of two dams on Monday, sending water several metres high gushing through the port city Derna. Click here to continue reading

County of Stettler hears it’s facing historic levels of heat, lack of moisture

East Central Alberta Review

It’s certainly no secret to any agricultural producer in the County of Stettler, but the municipality is facing historic levels of heat and lack of moisture according to one expert at the Government of Alberta. The Agriculture Service Board (ASB) heard a provincial update on drought at its regular board meeting Aug. 23. Click here to continue reading

Climate change is reducing global river water quality

Science Daily

A review of almost 1000 studies on the effects of climate change and extreme weather events on rivers around the world has found an overall negative effect on water quality in rivers globally. An international team of experts sourced from every continent, conducted between 2000-2022. Click here to continue reading

Lethbridge, AB begins mitigation of aquatic invasive species in lakes and storm ponds

Water Canada

The City of Lethbridge has begun the process of removing goldfish and koi out of Chinook Lake and Elma Groves storm pond. Goldfish and koi are non-native species introduced into lakes and storm ponds that cause problems for the native species and the habitat. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: UK government defeated over plan to relax water pollution rules to boost homebuilding

Reuters

The British government’s plan to relax rules around water pollution to enable the construction of thousands of new homes was defeated by the upper house of parliament on Wednesday.  (See earlier story from September 5, 2023, for more detail.)  Click here to continue reading

Fall snow levels can predict a season’s total snowpack in some western states

Science Daily

Research found that, in some western states, the amount of snow already on the ground by the end of December is a good predictor of how much total snow that area will get. Click here to continue reading

New super-fast flood model has potentially life-saving benefits

Science Daily

A new simulation model that can predict flooding during an ongoing disaster more quickly and accurately than currently possible has been developed by University of Melbourne researchers. Click here to continue reading

Toxic algae blooms seem to occur earlier, more often: Ducks Unlimited Canada

CTV News

One of North America’s biggest conservation groups says toxic algae blooms seem to be happening earlier and more often. Ducks Unlimited Canada says it’s putting additional effort into protecting Alberta wetlands from nutrient-rich runoff that can help trigger blue-green algae blooms. Click here to continue reading

Slow-moving Hurricane Lee set to bring wind, rain to Maritimes

CBC News

While some uncertainty remains about the exact path Hurricane Lee will take through the region this weekend, there’s little doubt that the storm will impact the Maritimes. The large-scale and slow-moving storm is looking likely to bring rain, gusty winds and pounding surf, as well as the potential for storm surge. The latest guidance continues to weaken Lee as it tracks northward over the next few days into an area of increasing wind shear and cooler ocean temperatures. Click here to continue reading

Wastewater monitoring underway for opioids and other lethal drugs

Water Canada

Providing additional data of the abundance of COVID-19 and its emerging strains proved to be a beneficial public health tool. That same detection system has been revised to look for 48 substances connected to the use of illicit drugs. Click here to continue reading

Study: Permafrost melting and landscape change in the Canadian High Arctic

Water Canada

Accelerating global warming may be driving permafrost melting and profound environmental change in the Canadian High Arctic, suggests a paper based on fieldwork data from the region published in Nature Communications. The findings are based on a 60-year reconstruction of landscape evolution for a region of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Environment Agency failing to monitor water firms in England, data suggests

The Guardian

The Environment Agency is failing to regularly audit water companies to check they are telling the truth about pollution and illegal sewage dumping in England, the Guardian can reveal. The audits contribute to the star rating companies are given for environmental performance by the watchdog. Some companies are being given top ratings, even though the FoI data suggests the EA has not audited them for several years. Click here to continue reading

Efforts underway to save salmon trapped in B.C. lake due to drought

CBC News

Biologists are lending a helping hand to salmon in the B.C. interior that are struggling to make it to their spawning grounds due to severe drought conditions. More than 80% of B.C.’s water basins are experiencing level 4 or 5 drought conditions. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Project to liberate part of Somerset river hailed as ‘squelchy’ success

The Guardian

It does not have the sense of order associated with the National Trust’s manicured stately homes, nor the grandeur of many of the wild places that the organisation manages. But a muddy piece of land in west Somerset was unveiled with a fanfare on Wednesday by the conservation charity, which sees this unassuming-looking plot as a pioneering project that could revolutionise the way some rivers are managed. Click here to continue reading

Floating sea farms: A solution to feed the world and ensure fresh water by 2050

Science Daily

The sun and the sea — both abundant and free — are being harnessed in a unique project to create vertical sea farms floating on the ocean that can produce fresh water for drinking and agriculture. Click here to continue reading

Hybrid catalyst produces critical fertilizer and cleans wastewater

Science Daily

Synthetically produced fertilizer urea supports half of global population. Using pure metals, researchers develop hybrid catalyst with capacity to convert waste nitrogen and carbon dioxide to urea. The process could denitrify wastewater and runoff while creating a new revenue stream for water treatment facilities. Click here to continue reading

Hot summer air turns into drinking water with new gel device

Science Daily

Researchers have focused on the moisture present in the air as a potential source of drinking water for drought-stressed populations. They reached a significant breakthrough in their efforts to create drinkable water out of thin air: a molecularly engineered hydrogel that can create clean water using just the energy from sunlight. Click here to continue reading

Workers to pump water into Cowichan River amid drought

CTV News Vancouver Island

A crew from Catalyst Paper is installing 18 pumps along the company’s weir on the Cowichan River.  The weir’s floodgates are fully open and that has some water flowing into the river but with no substantial rain in the forecast, that won’t be the case for long.  Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: At least 2,000 dead and 10,000 believed missing in Libya as ‘catastrophic’ flooding breaks dams and sweeps away homes

CNN 

At least 2,000 people have died and 10,000 are believed missing after Storm Daniel dumped so much rain on Libya’s northeast that two dams collapsed sending water flowing into already inundated areas. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Faster disaster: climate change fuels ‘flash droughts’, intense downpours and storms

The Conversation – Australia

We know climate change underpins some of the more extreme weather we’re seeing. But is it also pushing these extreme events to happen faster?  The answer? Generally, yes.  Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: What Arizona and other drought-ridden states can learn from Israel’s pioneering water strategy

The Conversation – United States

Arizona is one of the fastest-growing states in the U.S., with an economy that offers many opportunities for workers and businesses. But it faces a daunting challenge: a water crisis that could seriously constrain its economic growth and vitality.  Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Water hookups come to Alaska Yup’ik village, and residents are thrilled to ditch their honey buckets

CBC News

Many Alaska villages don’t have running water and flushing toilets. Instead of using a bathroom, people retire to a room in a house, pull a curtain and use a honey bucket — typically a five-gallon bucket with a toilet seat on top and a plastic bag inside. Instead of showers, they rely on steam baths or sponge baths. Water for drinking and washing has to be hauled in. Click here to continue reading

Study reveals human destruction of global floodplains

Science Daily

A hydrologist’s study provides a global estimate of human destruction of natural floodplains. The study can help guide future development in a way that can restore and conserve vital floodplain habitats that are critical to wildlife, water quality and reducing flood risk for people. Click here to continue reading

B.C. drought brings increased flood risks, far-reaching damage, experts warn

CBC News

As severe drought conditions have helped usher in British Columbia’s most devastating wildfire season on record, experts and elected officials are warning of increased flooding risks and lingering damage even after wetter weather returns. Click here to continue reading

22 Acres of riparian lands donated to Fort Erie

Water Canada

In May 2022, an environmentally friendly settlement regarding the Harbourtown Development was reached between the developer and Fort Erie Community Voices. The settlement included an increase in environmentally protected lands while creating three vernal ponds for amphibian breeding. The additional 22 acres of riparian lands will help expand and preserve the environmentally protected areas connected with Waverly Beach Park. This donation will protect part of our significant natural sites for wildlife to prosper and residents to enjoy. Click here to continue reading

Artificial intelligence technology behind ChatGPT was built in Iowa — with a lot of water

The Associated Press

The cost of building an artificial intelligence product like ChatGPT can be hard to measure. But one thing Microsoft-backed OpenAI needed for its technology was plenty of water, pulled from the watershed of the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers in central Iowa to cool a powerful supercomputer as it helped teach its AI systems how to mimic human writing. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: From Carbon Sink to Source: The Stark Changes in Arctic Lakes

Yale Environment 360

For millennia, lakes in Greenland’s dry tundra have locked up huge loads of carbon in their sediment. But as the region becomes warmer and wetter, scientists believe these lakes are becoming sources of carbon, which could have major consequences for the world’s climate.  Click here to continue reading

Some fish species are shrinking, scientists say, probably due to global heating

The Guardian

A global analysis of thousands of animal and plant sizes has found that species are shrinking, an effect most clearly found by researchers in changes to the body size of fish, which are getting smaller. Species such as the thorny skate, a north Atlantic fish that can grow up to a metre in length, have become smaller, while smaller-bodied species such as mackerel are growing in abundance, according to the researchers, changing the composition and functioning of ecosystems. Click here to continue reading

Alta. irrigators watch river levels

The Western Producer

Late August rains in parts of southern Alberta are providing relief but river levels remain far below historical averages. That has caused irrigation districts to post early shut-off notices. Flow rates for the Oldman and Bow rivers, which converge to form the South Saskatchewan just upstream from Medicine Hat, have been stifled all season as a sudden spring heat wave saw mountain headwaters melt quickly while precipitation remained elusive all season. Click here to continue reading

Calgary marks completion of downtown flood barrier

Global News

Ten years after flooding devastated the city, Calgary’s downtown and Eau Claire neighbourhoods have more protection now that the flood wall is complete. The downtown flood barrier runs 1.39 kilometres long along the south bank of the Bow River, and consists of steel sheet piles, earthen berms, concrete walls and stop log openings designed to resist a one-in-200-year flood event. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Intense rainfall drenches Hong Kong, causes widespread flooding

CBC News

Torrential rain deluged Hong Kong on Friday leading to widespread flooding across the densely packed city, submerging streets, shopping malls and metro stations, as authorities shut schools and asked workers to stay at home. Click here to continue reading

Bursting air bubbles may play a key role in how glacier ice melts

Science Daily

New research has uncovered a possible clue as to why glaciers that terminate at the sea are retreating at unprecedented rates: the bursting of tiny, pressurized bubbles in underwater ice. Click here to continue reading

Weather tracker: Omega block brings torrential rain to Greece and Spain

The Guardian

An Omega block has been in place over Europe this week, leading to some extreme weather for many. An Omega block is a synoptic setup consisting of a high-pressure region sandwiched between two low-pressure regions, creating a shape resembling the Greek letter omega. Click here to continue reading

Stantec chosen to design next phase of Toronto’s Basement Flooding Protection Program

Water Canada

The City of Toronto has selected Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering, to provide engineering services for Phase 5 of the City’s Basement Flooding Protection Program (BFPP). This multiyear program, which began in 2006, helps reduce the risk of flooding through improvements to the sewer system and overland drainage routes, which can face increased pressure with heavy rainfalls. Click here to continue reading

Multidisciplinary initiative to track influenza, other viruses in wastewater

Water Canada

Recognizing Western’s excellence in developing robust systems to track and fight global health threats, the government of Ontario has renewed and expanded the university’s wastewater surveillance project to track COVID-19, influenza and other emerging viruses until March 2024. The expansion is part of an additional boost of $18.7 million in provincial funding for Ontario’s COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance initiative. Click here to continue reading

Rubber plumbing seals can leak additives into drinking water

Science Daily

As drinking water flows through pipes and into a glass, it runs against the rubber seals inside some plumbing devices. These parts contain additives that contribute to their flexibility and durability, but these potentially harmful compounds can leak into drinking water, according to a small-scale study. The authors report that the released compounds, which are typically linked to tire pollution, also transformed into other unwanted byproducts. Click here to continue reading

Researchers develop highly efficient and stable photoelectrode for water splitting using organic semiconductors

Science Daily

The production of green hydrogen using solar energy involves splitting water into its constituent elements through charges generated in semiconductors that absorb sunlight. Previous studies primarily focused on utilizing inorganic semiconductors for constructing photoelectrodes. However, organic semiconductors offer several advantages such as lower costs, various process methods, and easier large-scale production. Click here to continue reading

Bit by bit, microplastics from tires are polluting our waterways

Science Daily

Urban stormwater particles from tire wear were the most prevalent microplastic a new study has found. The study showed that in stormwater runoff during rain approximately 19 out of every 20 microplastics collected were tire wear particles with anywhere from 2 to 59 particles per liter of water. Tire rubber contains up to 2500 chemicals with the contaminants that leach from tires considered more toxic to bacteria and microalgae than other plastic polymers. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Utah officials sued over failure to save Great Salt Lake: ‘Trying to avert disaster’

The Guardian

The largest saltwater lake in the western hemisphere has been steadily shrinking, as more and more water has been diverted away from the lake to irrigate farmland, feed industry and water lawns. A megadrought across the US south-west, accelerated by global heating, has hastened the lake’s demise. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘They’re sentient beings’: a new way of raising fish – and vegetables – in New York

The Guardian

Oko Farms is New York City’s first outdoor aquaponics farm, combining aquaculture (growing fish) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil) into one recirculating ecosystem. It’s an ancient technique once practiced by the Incas, as well as in Mexico, Peru, Japan and Egypt, that’s now seeing a resurgence in the US, particularly in urban areas since it doesn’t require soil and can increase crop production thanks to faster plant growth and year-round production, if done indoors. Click here to continue reading

Testing the waters: what we can all learn about protecting our Prairie lakes

CBC News

When the water in your lake is 100 years old and has few opportunities to replenish itself, you want to take steps to keep it clean. Here’s what advocates at Wabamun Lake have learned, and how that knowledge could help protect other Prairie lakes. Click here to continue reading

Important wetlands and forests in Essex County, ON now protected

Water Canada

More than 25 years ago, Orfeo Lucchese purchased a rural farm and woodlot property in Essex County, near Harrow, Ontario. With great effort and insightful vision, he transformed it into a vibrant forest, meadow and wetland sanctuary. Now, these restored ecosystems will be protected forever. Click here to continue reading

3D-printed ‘living material’ could clean up contaminated water

Science Daily

A ‘living material,’ made of a natural polymer combined with genetically engineered bacteria, could offer a sustainable and eco-friendly solution to clean pollutants from water. Researchers developed their living material using a seaweed-based polymer and bacteria that have been programmed to produce an enzyme that transforms various organic pollutants into harmless compounds. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria hit by fatal flash floods

The Guardian

At least 11 people have died in Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria as flash floods from torrential rainstorms turned rivers into torrents, swept away bridges and inundated streets, homes and public buildings. Click here to continue reading

Prince Rupert council approves borrowing for infrastructure replacement

Water Canada

Prince Rupert is edging closer to having the funds needed for an ambitious plan to replace the most critical 26 km of our water and sewer infrastructure. Now that the deadline has passed for the Alternative Approval Process with 47, and 48 respondents (respectively for the two bylaws) of the over 1000 required to register their opposition to borrowing, Council passed final readings of two borrowing bylaws last night. Click here to continue reading

Nova Scotia seeks input on Protected Areas Strategy

Water Canada

Nova Scotians are invited to help shape the approach for protecting 20 per cent of the province’s land and water by 2030. The input will be used to develop the Nova Scotia Collaborative Protected Areas Strategy, which will outline how the Province will achieve its 2030 land and water conservation goal and identify next steps. Click here to continue reading

P.E.I. salmon streams get boost from new watershed project

CBC News

A watershed group on P.E.I. hopes it will be smoother swimming for salmon returning to spawn this fall, thanks to a new pilot project run in partnership with the Canadian Wildlife and the Atlantic Salmon federations. The Souris and Area Branch of the P.E.I. Wildlife Federation is leading the project, which builds on work that’s already been done in Western Canada while adapting it to the unique conditions in the province. Click here to continue reading

Water-quality risks linked more to social factors than money

Science Daily

When we determine which communities are more likely to get their water from contaminated supplies, median household income is not the best measure. That’s according to a recent study that found social factors — such as low population density, high housing vacancy, disability and race — can have a stronger influence than median household income on whether a community’s municipal water supply is more likely to have health-based water-quality violations. Click here to continue reading

Ontario mayor calls for coordinated action on coastal resilience from province, feds

CBC News

Tecumseh and other municipalities such as Lakeshore and Chatham-Kent have completed studies detailing the expensive efforts needed to protect people who have property along an eroding shoreline that’s being pounded by destructive storms. Click here to continue reading

World Water Week Participants Promote Clear Business Case for Nature-Based Solutions

UN Environment Programme

Drought is an increasingly urgent and systemic problem. More than a quarter of the global population live in countries facing extremely high water stress, exacerbated by climate change, with expected shocks to food and energy security, water availability and ecosystems. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Groundwater depletion rates in India could triple in coming decades as climate warms, study shows

Science Daily

A new study finds that farmers in India have adapted to warming temperatures by intensifying the withdrawal of groundwater used for irrigation. If the trend continues, the rate of groundwater loss could triple by 2080, further threatening India’s food and water security. Reduced water availability in India due to groundwater depletion and climate change could threaten the livelihoods of more than one-third of the country’s 1.4 billion residents and has global implications. Click here to continue reading

Antarctica’s ice shelves are thinner than we thought. Here’s what that means for sea levels

CTV News

New research has found that previous studies on the Antarctic ice shelves may have overestimated their thickness, an important factor for scientists to determine how fast sea levels could rise. Researchers from Ohio State University say in a study published in the Journal of Glaciology last month that previous estimates were off by almost six per cent on average, amounting to a difference of about 17 metres. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: State-backed disinformation fuelling anger in China over Fukushima water

The Guardian

Japan began its release of more than 1m tonnes of water on 24 August. The process, which is expected to take decades, has been approved by the UN atomic watchdog and mirrors similar wastewater releases by other countries including China. However, several countries have expressed concerns or objections, with China and Hong Kong announcing bans on importing Japanese seafood. Click here to continue reading

‘Significant rain’ in Hay River, N.W.T., expected to reduce fire activity for next 2 days

CBC News

Significant rainfall and favourable winds are expected to reduce the fire risk around Hay River, N.W.T. for the next few days. After two days of gusting winds and heat that whipped up the wildfire burning around the community, rain began to fall in Hay River Saturday night. N.W.T. Fire said Sunday around 8 p.m. that about 20 millimetres of rain fell in the last 24 hours. Click here to continue reading

Crews battling Okanagan fires are in it for the ‘long haul’ as heat, drought continue: wildfire service

CBC News

British Columbia’s wildfire service says fire activity could pick up in the Okanagan Valley in the short term and crews are preparing for a “long haul” to contain the destructive McDougall Creek blaze amid ongoing dry, warm weather. Click here to continue reading

WSA launching infrastructure crossing replacement program

Water Canada

The Water Security Agency (WSA) is launching a new $500,000 cost-sharing pilot program that will assist rural municipalities (RMs) and irrigation districts with the cost of replacing aging infrastructure. RMs and irrigation districts replacing infrastructure like bridges or culverts that cross WSA channels are eligible for 50/50 cost sharing. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Why the UK government is relaxing rules for river pollution

The Conversation UK

The UK government has announced plans to enable the delivery of 100,000 new homes by 2030 that are currently being held up by a controversial EU law designed to protect water bodies from pollution.  To re-start many of those stalled applications, the government is proposing an amendment to the law.  Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: As the Mississippi Swerves, Can We Let Nature Regain Control?

Yale Environment 360

After the lower Mississippi began pouring through and enlarging Neptune Pass in 2019, sediment began flowing into a sand-and-silt-starved Delta bay. Now the Army Corps of Engineers — breaking with tradition — is considering letting at least part of the river have its way.  Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: El Nino should benefit South American crops

The Western Producer

South American crop production should benefit from the El Nino weather phenomenon that is expected to be in place through the northern hemisphere winter, says an analyst. It will be a welcome reprieve from three consecutive years of La Nina, especially in Argentina, which is still recovering from the worst drought in 60 years. Argentina’s corn production fell 31 percent year-on-year in 2022-23, while its soybean output plummeted 43 percent. Both crops are expected to rebound in 2023-24. Click here to continue reading

Coastal fisheries show surprising resilience to marine heat waves

Science Daily

New research found that marine heat waves — prolonged periods of unusually warm ocean temperatures — haven’t had a lasting effect on the fish communities that feed most of the world. The finding is in stark contrast to the devastating effects seen on other marine ecosystems cataloged by scientists after similar periods of warming, including widespread coral bleaching and harmful algal blooms. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Residents return to find homes gone, towns devastated in path of Idalia

CTV News

Hurricanes and tropical storms are nothing new in the U.S. South, but the sheer magnitude of damage from Idalia shocked Desmond Roberson as he toured what as left of his Georgia neighbourhood. Roberson took a drive through Valdosta on Thursday with a friend to check out damage after the storm, which first hit Florida as a hurricane and then weakened into a tropical storm as it made its way north, ripped through the town of 55,000. Click here to continue reading

Himalayan avalanches are increasing risk for climbers in warming climate

The Guardian

Avalanches in the Himalayas are causing an increasing number of deaths and threatening the safety of climbers, research suggests. While high-altitude mountaineering comes with an inherent avalanche risk, global heating is exacerbating the danger during the climbing season in the Himalayan mountain range, experts warn. Click here to continue reading

Saskatchewan communities can now apply for Flood Damage Reduction Program

Water Canada

The Water Security Agency (WSA) is offering a cost-sharing rebate to help communities implement proactive flood damage prevention and reduction measures. The Flood Damage Reduction Program (FDRP) supports cities, towns, villages and hamlets at risk of recurrent flood damage. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Maui Fires Could Contaminate the Island’s Waters

Scientific American

Researchers in Hawaii are studying the effects of the deadly blazes on its island of Maui, including how they have impacted drinking-water quality and might affect local marine ecosystems.  Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: China vs. Japan: Tension over Fukushima’s radioactive ocean dump | About That

CBC News

Japan is dumping treated radioactive wastewater from the ruined Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. China has responded by instituting a seafood ban that could create billion-dollar losses for Japan. Click here to continue reading

Can this forest survive? Predicting forest death or recovery after drought

Science Daily

How long can trees tolerate drought before the forest dies? Researchers from UC Davis can now predict which forests could survive despite future drought. Their new method links precipitation to tree growth, and it can help people decide where to put their resources as climate change affects patterns of snow and rainfall that impact the health of forests. Click here to continue reading

What’s in Floodwaters?

Scientific American

As water accumulates in a region, whether the cause is a storm’s effects, a dam failure or any other reason, it picks up a host of threats to human health, including bacteria, viruses, chemicals, debris, downed power lines and even wild animals. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Hurricane Idalia batters south-eastern US causing storm surges and power outages

The Guardian

Federal officials warned of “catastrophic and life-threatening” flooding across the south-eastern US on Wednesday after Hurricane Idalia crashed ashore in Florida with 125mph winds, torrential rains and surging seawater. Later in the afternoon the storm made its way up the coast to Georgia and the Carolinas. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: New EPA rule weakens protections for wetlands after supreme court ruling

The Guardian

The Biden administration weakened regulations protecting millions of acres of wetlands on Tuesday, saying it had no choice after the supreme court sharply limited the federal government’s jurisdiction over them. The rule would require that wetlands be more clearly connected to other waters like oceans and rivers, a policy shift that departs from a half-century of federal rules governing the nation’s waterways. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Rare blue supermoon could raise tides to exacerbate Idalia storm surge

The Guardian

A rare blue supermoon could raise tides above normal just as Hurricane Idalia smashes its way across Florida’s west coast, exacerbating flooding from the storm. The moon will be closest to the Earth on Wednesday, the day Idalia made landfall in Florida. While a supermoon can make for a spectacular backdrop in photos of landmarks around the world, its intensified gravitational pull also makes tides higher. Click here to continue reading

Heavy precipitation, glacier runoff forces trail closure in Nunavut’s Auyuittuq Park

CBC News

Parks Canada has closed a popular hiking route in Nunavut’s Auyuittuq National Park amid concerns over heavy precipitation, glacier runoff, and an increased risk of flooding and landslides. The closure last week meant that some hikers already in the park had to be retrieved by helicopter, while others had to rethink their travel plans. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Foreign ownership of Australia’s water rights on the rise

The Guardian

Foreign interests hold almost 12% of all water entitlements in the Murray-Darling Basin and the level of foreign ownership in water is increasing, a new report shows. Foreigners own or have a significant share in 4,503GL of Australian water entitlements, which is 11.3% of all the entitlements across the country, the Australian Taxation Office’s report says. Click here to continue reading

Why Alberta researchers are monitoring wastewater for opioids, lethal drugs

CTV News

A Calgary researcher is flagging the importance of monitoring Alberta’s wastewater for the presence of opioids and other lethal drugs, saying it could save lives. Dr. Monty Ghosh has been monitoring wastewater for a research study and says the use of carfentanyl, a synthetic opioid used in veterinary medicine to tranquilize large animals, rose dramatically in June when drug overdoses in the province spiked. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Why do floods follow drought? Scientists show climate change is fuelling more ‘sudden shifts’

Euronews

Wild weather swings from severe drought to heavy rains are becoming more common with climate change, new research has found.  Click here to continue reading

Researcher finds inspiration from spider webs and beetles to harvest fresh water from thin air

Science Daily

A team of researchers is designing novel systems to capture water vapor in the air and turn it into liquid. They have developed sponges or membranes with a large surface area that continually capture moisture from their surrounding environment. Click here to continue reading

Calgary’s water woes means lush lawns will have to go: UCalgary hydrologist

Water Canada

Prepare to kiss your grass goodbye, Calgary — that’s the message from a University of Calgary hydrologist, following a municipal order to restrict water use due to record-setting scarcity in local rivers. With the Bow River at its lowest level since 1911 and the Elbow at a 23-year low, Dr. Tricia Stadnyk, P.Eng., says Calgary and other Alberta municipalities must accept we are entering an era where water is scarce and too precious to be wasted keeping non-native plants alive. Click here to continue reading

Alberta scientists tracking blue-green algae blooms using satellite imagery

CBC News

A team of experts is working to better understand the spread of blue-green algae in Alberta lakes by combining satellite technology with near-simultaneous water sampling. The project, funded through Alberta Innovates, is a collaboration between several groups, including Alberta Lake Management Society (ALMS), the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI), and researcher Rolf Vinebrooke from the University of Alberta. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Trees and the Hydrological Cycle

Amazon Aid Foundation

The hydrological water cycle is one of the most important functions of the Amazon rainforest. The nearly 390 billion trees act as giant pumps, sucking water up through their deep roots and releasing it through their leaves, a process known as transpiration. One tree can lift approximately 100 gallons of water out of the ground and release it into the air each day! Click here to continue reading

A severe drought is affecting the Panama Canal. That’s not a good sign for supply chains — or your holiday shopping

CNN 

Panama is about halfway through its rainy season right now, and one of the wettest countries in the world is having one of its driest seasons on record. At the Panama Canal, where freshwater serves as the lifeblood for its lock-driven operations, the lack of abundant rainfall is leading to lower water levels and putting a squeeze on a critical international shipping artery: Canal authorities have imposed restrictions on vessel weights and daily traffic. Click here to continue reading

Paper drinking straws may be harmful and may not be better for the environment than plastic versions

Science Daily

“Eco-friendly” paper drinking straws contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals, a new study has concluded. In the first analysis of its kind in Europe, and only the second in the world, Belgian researchers tested 39 brands of straws for the group of synthetic chemicals known as poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Click here to continue reading

New study examines historical drought and flooding on the Amazon River

Science Daily

Despite the rapid increase in severe flooding, a new article indicates recent floods and droughts in the Amazon River Basin may have not yet exceeded the range of natural hydroclimatic variability. Click here to continue reading

Connections between drinking water quality and increased lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis

Science Daily

High levels of some minerals and metals in environmental water supplies may increase the risk of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) pulmonary infections in people with cystic fibrosis, according to a new study. The study found the presence of the metals molybdenum and vanadium along with sulfate — a collection of mineral salts — in the U.S. municipal water system was associated with an increased incidence of NTM pulmonary infections, the leading cause of drinking-water associated illnesses. Click here to continue reading

Beef’s high cost: Butchers and buyers struggle with price of cattle cuts; ranchers struggle with ongoing drought conditions

CTV News

The rising price of beef is impacting local butchers and small businesses in Alberta. Shane Eustace, store manager of Urban Butcher in southwest Calgary’s Mission neighbourhood, says his team has noticed a pretty significant spike in the price of beef since the beginning of spring. Click here to continue reading

Early harvest another side effect of drought for many Alberta farmers

CBC News

It’s yet another symptom of the drought conditions plaguing Western Canada this year. The harvest in south and central Alberta is progressing ahead of schedule, according to provincial data, with the crops having matured faster than usual in the hot, dry conditions. Click here to continue reading

Canada’s lakes are becoming less blue — but that could be good for fish

CBC News

If you drive the Icefields Parkway through the Canadian Rockies, you’ll pass multiple turquoise-coloured lakes that are popular with tourists for taking photos. The lakes get their iconic colour from rock flour, which is similar in appearance to baker’s flour used for making bread. Rock flour is made from glaciers grinding rocks into powder, which can take thousands of years. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Climate crisis means quarter of European ski resorts face scarce snow

The Guardian

A quarter of European ski resorts will have scarce snow every other year with 2C of global heating, a comprehensive analysis has found. It calls into question whether such resorts have a future as the climate crisis intensifies. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Rewetting peatland is good for the climate. Here’s why Europe is very slow at it

Euro News

Rewetting drained land could help in the fight against climate change but the EU’s agricultural subsidies scheme currently favours the use of drained land. Click here to continue reading

Visualizing the Global Population by Water Security Levels

Visual Capitalist

Most of the world’s population today lives in countries facing critical water security issues. Dealing with issues such as declining freshwater availability, demand from growing populations, insufficient infrastructure, or flawed water governance can impact how easily a country’s population can access water. A combination of multiple factors quickly makes problems with water security a lived reality. A recent Global Water Security Report by the United Nations University assessed the water security of different countries across the world. Click here to continue reading

B.C. crop yields up in the air amid drought

The Western Producer

Crops in British Columbia have gone from bad to worse as a grave wildfire situation compounds drought problems. B.C. Premier David Eby called a state of emergency for the entire province last week. B.C.’s Peace Country near the Alberta border, has dealt with fire and drought this year, but cereal, pulse and oilseed crops are being harvested, according to B.C. Grains spokesperson Jennifer Critcher. Click here to continue reading

Return of El Nino and a warmer ocean bring uncertainty

The Western Producer

Weather extremes in recent months have so far had limited impact on global crop production but the prospects for the coming year are uncertain as the world faces the return of El Nino, coupled with exceptionally warm ocean temperatures. El Nino and La Nina are the two ends of the Pacific Ocean oscillation and we know their usual impacts. Click here to continue reading

‘Double-whammy’ of wildfires and low river levels disrupting barge travel to N.W.T. communities

CBC News

Extremely dry conditions in the Northwest Territories is causing havoc both on land and in its waterways. Amidst wildfires that have forced the evacuation of more than two-thirds of the N.W.T.’s residents, low water levels in the Mackenzie River have caused problems for barges that supply fuel and cargo to some northern communities. Click here to continue reading

Brock University researchers analyzing toxic algae blooms in local waterway

Water Canada

A team of Brock researchers is gathering samples at the Wignell Drain in Port Colborne this summer as part of a study on factors contributing to algae blooms, which can be toxic to humans. Vaughn Mangal, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry, and Kelly Biagi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences, are collaborating with the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) and local residents on the project. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Indonesia’s tropical Eternity Glaciers could vanish within years, experts say

The Guardian

Two of the world’s few tropical glaciers, in Indonesia, are melting and their ice may vanish by 2026 or sooner as an El Niño weather pattern threatens to accelerate their demise, the country’s geophysics agency has said. Click here to continue reading

Reefs made from trees could help restore biodiversity, study finds

The Guardian

Reefs made from sunken trees can help restore biodiversity in degraded marine habitats, scientists have found. It is estimated that coral reefs support about 25% of all marine life. They provide housing, food and areas to spawn for millions of marine species and are the backbone of maintaining the aquatic life cycle. Click here to continue reading

Epcor tackles flooding mitigation as climate change challenges Edmonton’s water supply

CBC News

Edmonton’s utility company, Epcor, plans to start building a concrete wall and berms around parts of its water treatment plants at Rossdale and E.L. Smith — both in the North Saskatchewan River floodplain — to help protect the region’s water supply. Construction on the flood mitigation project is slated to start next year with a budget of $65 million, with about $22 million coming from the federal and provincial governments. Click here to continue reading

Stormwater biofiltration increases coho salmon hatchling survival

Science Daily

A relatively simple, inexpensive method of filtering urban stormwater runoff dramatically boosted survival of newly hatched coho salmon in an experimental study. That’s the good news for the threatened species. The bad news: unfiltered stormwater killed almost all of them. Click here to continue reading

Wet and humid P.E.I. summer has left some grain growers in ‘lots of hurt’

CBC News

Grain growers on Prince Edward Island have seen better years, but some haven’t seen very many worse than this one. At Meadowbrook Farms in Winsloe, David Mol was using the sunshine on Thursday to cut a field of Helena milling wheat ahead of another torrential weather system forecast for Saturday and Sunday. Click here to continue reading

City of Lethbridge lowers lake to prepare for goldfish mitigation

CTV News

A portion of Ermineglen Road was closed Wednesday in order to lower the water at Chinook Lake. There will be no through traffic between 122 and 163 Emineglen Road, which is the intersection leaving Ermineglen Road through to Kodiak Boulevard, until September 15. The closure is because the city is preparing to mitigate the goldfish population, which is an invasive species that has been introduced into Alberta lakes, ponds and waterways. Click here to continue reading

Wetaskiwin water bills show estimation correction

The Wetaskiwin Times

Wetaskiwin residents have been wondering what’s been going on with their water bills. While not all customers were impacted, several Peace Hills Utilities Inc. customers saw an increase or decrease in their water consumption on the July bills. Click here to continue reading

Stettler county council says AgriRecovery program will fight drought

East Central Alberta Review

The County of Stettler is calling on the Government of Alberta to bring back a popular and effective agriculture program that the municipality feels will address the effects of drought on its producers. The discussion was held at the Aug. 9 regular meeting of council. Click here to continue reading

Solar powered irrigation: A game-changer for small-scale farms in sub-Saharan Africa

Science Daily

A new study finds that standalone solar photovoltaic irrigation systems have the potential to meet more than a third of the water needs for crops in small-scale farms across sub-Saharan Africa. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: China bans Japanese seafood after Fukushima wastewater release

The Guardian

Japan has begun discharging more than 1m tonnes of tainted water into the Pacific Ocean from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in a move that has prompted China to announce an immediate blanket ban on all seafood imports from Japan and sparked anger in nearby fishing communities. Click here to continue reading

Alta. irrigators cautioned as water levels worsen

The Western Producer

Alberta is elevating its water shortage rating to Stage 4 of its five-level conservation and management system as municipalities and irrigation districts are stressing the need not to waste any of the resource because of the conditions along the South Saskatchewan basin. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Southern California’s ‘water doctor’ pushes for transformation to adapt to climate change

Los Angeles Times

As general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Hagekhalil is responsible for ensuring water for 19 million people, leading the nation’s largest wholesale supplier of drinking water. He says that with climate change upending the water cycle, the three existing aqueducts will no longer be sufficient. Click here to continue reading

Microplastics now pervasive in Great Lakes, with 90% of water samples surpassing safe levels for aquatic wildlife: new studies

International Institute for Sustainable Development

However, if Canada and the United States act together soon, we can develop systems to monitor and reduce the risks that these pollutants pose to the health of these critical ecosystems. Click here to continue reading

Heavy rain aids in tempering B.C. wildfires in Shuswap, Okanagan regions

CTV News

Firefighters in British Columbia’s southern Interior continue to battle a number of major blazes, having been aided by ample rainfall that fell Wednesday over the Okanagan and Shuswap regions. Click here to continue reading

Canadian hydroelectric megaproject completes earthfill dam

Ground Engineering

Canadian electric utility BC Hydro announced the completion of the Site C earthfill dam at the end of last month. The 60m tall structure is 500m wide at its base and stretches more than 1km across Peace River in north east British Columbia. Site C will form a third dam and hydroelectric generating station on the river. Once completed in 2025, it will provide 1,100MW of capacity and produce about 5,100GWh of electricity each year. Construction on the project began in 2015. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Murray-Darling Basin Plan to be extended under a new agreement, without Victoria – but an uphill battle lies ahead

The Conversation – Australia + New Zealand

It was clear too much water was being taken out of the system and everyone would suffer if Basin states could not find a better way to share. But it has been much harder to strike the right balance than first hoped. Click here to continue reading

Reusing some household water can help with drought. Here’s why that’s tricky in Canada

CBC News

For a while, every time Caetano Dorea’s kids took a bath, he used a bilge pump to save the water and pour it on his plants outside. As a University of Victoria engineering professor specializing in wastewater treatment, Dorea knows more than the average person about how much water the average household uses in Canada. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘Coastal squeeze:’ Massive loss of U.S. coastline tidal flats over 31 years

Science Daily

The entire contiguous U.S. has experienced massive urban expansions and the Atlantic Coast shows outstandingly high rates. Urban expansion has substantially squeezed the space of tidal flats and affected surrounding environments. In new urban areas, tidal flats have undergone considerable degeneration with more significant patterns as they get closer to new urban locations. Tidal flats protect against the ocean’s destructive powers such as hurricanes. Without some inland spaces to move around, they will likely disappear, which will have dire consequences for beachfront communities. Click here to continue reading

Highway between Banff and Jasper reopens after being washed out by river

CTV News

A road closure that shut down travel on Highway 93 has been cleared, officials said Tuesday afternoon. Officials said earlier in the day that Highway 93 was closed in both directions between Saskatchewan River Crossing and Parker Ridge because the river had washed out the road. Click here to continue reading

Red Deer County gravel pit not source of water well contamination: report

Red Deer Advocate

A Red Deer County-operated gravel pit was not responsible for contaminating a nearby water well with aluminum and lead concluded an Alberta Parks and Protected Places investigation. Click here to continue reading

Thinning ice sheets may drive sharp rise in subglacial waters

Science Daily

A new study shows that water underneath glaciers may surge due to thinning ice sheets — a dangerous feedback cycle that could increase glacial melt, sea level rise, and biological disturbances. Click here to continue reading

Saskatchewan government to offer $70 million to help drought-stricken producers

Ponoka News

The funds are to provide farmers with up to $80 per head to maintain breeding stock for beef cattle, bison, elk, deer, sheep and goats. The money was triggered through AgriRecovery, a federal-provincial framework that’s used to help producers recover from natural disasters, like drought. Click here to continue reading

Calgary sees ‘noticeable decrease’ in water use amid restrictions: city

Global News

A week into restrictions imposed by the City of Calgary on outdoor water use, city officials are noting a “noticeable decrease” in water demand. According to the city’s water services department, Calgarians reduced their daily water use between 57 million and 87 million litres during the hot and dry days following the declaration of Stage 1 outdoor water restrictions. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Japan set to release water from Fukushima nuclear power plant into ocean later this week

CBC News

Japan said on Tuesday it will start releasing radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant on Aug. 24, putting into motion a plan that has drawn strong criticism from China. The plan, approved two years ago by the Japanese government as crucial to decommissioning the plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), has also faced criticism from local fishing groups, who fear reputational damage and a threat to their livelihood. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Water harvesting in Death Valley: Conquering the arid wilderness

Science Daily

Death Valley desert represents one of the world’s hottest and most arid regions. With persistently elevated temperatures reaching 40 degrees even at midnight, soaring to a scorching 57 degrees during day, and a relative humidity below 7%, the area experiences exceptionally dry conditions. Click here to continue reading

Why beaver-like dams can protect communities from flooding – new research

The Conversation – UK

Low cost, human-made river barriers, similar to those built by beavers, can protect communities at risk of flooding. Our new research has found that such natural barriers intentionally increase water levels upstream to slow down river flow. These flood barriers are made of materials like logs, branches, mud and leaves. They reduce downstream water levels by deliberately blocking the river and storing the water. They then slow down the river flow during a storm. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘Escaping PFAS is nearly impossible’: Nearly half of US tap water tainted with forever chemicals

Euro News

Almost half of America’s tap water could contain toxic ‘forever chemicals’ known as PFAS, according to government data. Testing by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed that water for as many as 26 million people in hundreds of communities across the country had measurable levels of PFAS. Click here to continue reading

Blue-green algae advisory issued for Pigeon and Wizard lakes

Global News

Health advisories have been issued for two popular lakes in the Edmonton region. Alberta Health Services issued blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) advisories for both Wizard Lake and nearby Pigeon Lake, both located south of Edmonton in Leduc County and County of Wetaskiwin. Click here to continue reading

Marmot Basin sees August snowfall

CTV News

While central and north-central Alberta are soggy, it’s snowing hard at higher levels through the mountains near Jasper. Marmot Basin webcams from Friday afternoon show several centimetres of snow accumulation on the upper mountain and although there’s not much snow on the ground mid-mountain, snowflakes are falling. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Hurricane Hilary threatens ‘catastrophic’ flooding in Mexico and California, now in a state of emergency

CBC News

Hurricane Hilary roared toward Mexico’s Baja California peninsula late Saturday as a downgraded but still dangerous Category 1 hurricane likely to bring “catastrophic” flooding to the region and cross into the southwestern U.S. as a tropical storm. Click here to continue reading

Dwindling water supply leaves some southern Alberta farmers dry

CBC News

Record-breaking high temperatures across southern Alberta, a lack of rain and evaporation in reservoirs have led to more than 30 water shortage advisories across the province. Farmers, ranchers, rural municipalities, cities, towns and villages have been told to cut back on water use. Click here to continue reading

Helpful hints to tend to your garden during a heat wave and drought

CBC News

Tending to your vegetable garden should be a relaxing endeavour but it might become stressful if your plants are parched and are suffering from the intense heat. Click here to continue reading

Farmers in B.C. brace for fish-protection water restrictions

The Western Producer

The crop situation in British Columbia is dire as drought and fire continue to plague much of the province and rivers that provide irrigation are drying up, according to the executive director of B.C. Agriculture Council. Click here to continue reading

Farmers play the thunderstorm lottery

The Western Producer

From May until early August, almost all rain that fell on southern Manitoba came from thunderstorms. There hadn’t been a widespread rain for months — until the weekend of Aug. 12. The rain’s arrival is too late for crops like wheat and oats, but the precipitation should provide a boost for corn and soybean yields in Manitoba. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Drinking water of millions of Americans contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’

The Guardian

Drinking water consumed by millions of Americans from hundreds of communities spread across the United States is contaminated with dangerous levels of toxic chemicals, according to testing data released on Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Click here to continue reading

Cleaning water with ‘smart rust’ and magnets

Science Daily

Pouring flecks of rust into water usually makes it dirtier. But researchers have developed special iron oxide nanoparticles called ‘smart rust’ that actually makes it cleaner. The magnetic nanoparticles attract different pollutants by changing the particles’ coating and are removed from water with a magnet. Now, the team is reporting a smart rust that traps estrogen hormones, which are potentially harmful to aquatic life. Click here to continue reading

Collecting clean water from fog

Science Daily

Researchers have demonstrated the use of a specially coated metal mesh to harvest water from fog and simultaneously remove pollutants. People living in foggy areas with low rainfall should benefit from this technology. Click here to continue reading

City of Lethbridge asking residents to conserve water

Global News

Southern Alberta has been experiencing dry, hot weather and it’s taking a toll on water supplies in the region. The city is now asking for voluntary action from residents to help prevent the need for mandatory restrictions in the coming days and weeks. Click here to continue reading

Low water and high temperatures threaten fish and other wetland species

CTV News

The long, hot summer and exceptionally low water levels have combined to leave some Alberta rivers dry or so warm that trout and other aquatic species are struggling to survive. Lesley Peterson, a biologist with Trout Unlimited Canada, says field teams are finding stretches of tributary rivers and streams that have gone completely dry. Click here to continue reading

Bragg Creek beaver problem be damned! Groups turn flood risk into coexistence opportunity

CBC News

From the gravel on Mountain Road you can see the beaver’s work. There’s pools of water held back by stacks of twigs and branches. And headed into the thick of the woods, more of these animal-made dams. It’s a pretty sight cast against the West Bragg Creek scenery. The beavers really settled into the region after the 2013 flood. When these well-meaning engineers move in, they start working. Beavers are a bit compulsive: they hear flowing water, and have to block it up. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘Coral are going to die’: Maui wildfires take toxic toll on marine ecology

The Guardian

Layers of charred soils and toxic contaminants were left among the wreckage, where thousands of buildings and blackened cars lie in smoldering ruins. The conflagration that claimed more lives than any other US wildfire in the last century burned to the shoreline, littering underwater habitats with scorched boats and debris. The ashen aftermath could end up wreaking more havoc if allowed to slip into the aquatic environment. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Scientists lament Southern Ocean ‘data desert’, just as climate crisis brings frightening changes

The Guardian

A chronic shortage of observations of the vast ocean surrounding Antarctica is hindering more accurate forecasts of the consequences of the climate crisis, a meeting of 300 scientists has concluded. Click here to continue reading

Investing in Alberta’s wetlands and watersheds

Government of Alberta

This year, Alberta’s government is providing $3.5 million to fund 22 projects in rural and urban communities through the Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program. The funding is helping restore riverbanks and wetlands, protect streambanks and improve natural drainage among other projects. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: 25 Countries, Housing One-quarter of the Population, Face Extremely High Water Stress

World Resources Institute

New data from WRI’s Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas show that 25 countries — housing one-quarter of the global population — face extremely high water stress each year, regularly using up almost their entire available water supply. And at least 50% of the world’s population — around 4 billion people — live under highly water-stressed conditions for at least one month of the year.  Click here to continue reading

Lacombe tackling water loss

Red Deer Advocate

Billions of litres of treated drinking water are being lost in Canadian communities every year. The City of Lacombe is among those municipalities trying to get a handle on the problem and find ways to stem the flow of losses. Click here to continue reading

Our oceans are the warmest in recorded history. This is why it’s so concerning

CBC News

Our oceans are running a fever. And just like when we run a fever, it’s indicative that something is very wrong. On Monday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that July ocean temperatures were the hottest they’ve ever been. Click here to continue reading

Blue-green algae advisory issued for Alix Lake

Red Deer Advocate

Blue-green algae has been found in Alix Lake and prompted an advisory from Alberta Health Services. AHS issued the advisory on Monday, telling visitors and residents to the lake that they should avoid all contact with blooms, avoid swimming or wading where blooms are visible and avoid giving fish from the lake to pets. Click here to continue reading

90% of Great Lakes water samples have unsafe microplastic levels – report

The Guardian

About 90% of water samples taken over the last 10 years from the Great Lakes contain microplastic levels that are unsafe for wildlife, a new peer-reviewed paper from the University of Toronto finds. Click here to continue reading

Water conservation plan initiated in Lethbridge and area

CTV News

The City of Lethbridge is asking residents and business owners to cut down on their water usage in the midst of drought-like conditions. Officials announced the measures on Thursday as “extended dry, hot weather conditions” are having an impact on southern Alberta’s water supplies. All of the rules are voluntary, the city said, and will work to prevent a mandatory conservation plan in the future. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Water Quality in Coal Creek Following the 2021 Marshall Fire

Natural Hazards Center

The Marshall Fire was the largest of multiple fires that spread through Boulder County on December 30, 2021, destroying over 1,000 structures and raising concerns regarding the water quality and ecosystem health of Coal Creek. This stream and wetland habitat play a crucial role in supporting sensitive species and are important for recreation and agriculture within the affected region. This study was designed to monitor the impacts of the fire on water quality at the wildland-urban interface (WUI), where constituents (some of which may be contaminants) can enter the stream from both wildland and urban sources. Click here to continue reading

City of Calgary declares Stage 1 Outdoor Water Restrictions

City of Calgary

The quality of The City’s drinking water remains high; this is an issue of quantity, not quality. These restrictions apply to all customers that use water from The City of Calgary including all Calgary residences, businesses and City operations. Calgarians can still use water outdoors during Stage 1; however, there are restrictions on how and when water can be used as outlined in the Water Utility Bylaw. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Extreme water stress faced by countries home to quarter of world population

The Guardian

Twenty-five countries that are home to a quarter of the world’s population are facing extreme water stress, according to new research. Data from the World Resources Institute suggests these countries are regularly using 80% of their water supplies each year. WRI’s Aqueduct water risk map reveals demand for water is increasing around the world and has more than doubled since 1960. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Great Lakes gets its first wind farm – but some fear environmental fallout

The Guardian

With a surface water area larger than the entire UK, the five Great Lakes might seem like an obvious location for offshore wind. The US Department of Energy says that the lakes collectively boast the potential to provide 700 gigawatts of offshore electricity – enough to power millions of homes. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: United Utilities fined £800,000 for taking 22bn litres of water from aquifer

The Guardian

United Utilities has been fined £800,000 after illegally abstracting 22bn litres of water in Lancashire, causing damage to an important aquifer that will take years to recover. The illegal removal of water from the Fylde aquifer, which happened during a period of dry weather in 2018, is likely to have negatively affected river flows. Click here to continue reading

Flood insurance could soon be available to all property owners in Canada

CBC News

As Nova Scotia continues to clean up after last month’s destructive flooding, the federal government and the Insurance Bureau of Canada are working on a way to make insurance coverage for that kind of damage possible. Currently, standard insurance policies generally do not cover storm surge and overland flooding because it is considered too high risk. Click here to continue reading

Firefighters hoping for rain for ‘reprieve’ in battling wildfires in Alberta-N.W.T.

Sylvan News

Evacuations have been ordered for Fort Smith, Enterprise, Jean Marie River and Hay River. Many highways have been closed by the fires and the territory is mounting what officials have called the largest airlift in its history. Canadian Forces personnel are helping firefighters and flying evacuees out on Hercules aircraft. Click here to continue reading

Green lawn paint makes it easy to be the envy of the neighbourhood amid water restrictions in B.C.

CTV News

Despite water restrictions, a house in Surrey’s Fraser Heights neighbourhood has a lush-looking lawn – but it’s not because the owners ran their sprinklers illegally. Instead they hired a company to paint their parched brown grass green. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Irrigating more US crops by mid-century will be worth the investment

Science Daily

With climate change, irrigating more crops in the United States will be critical to sustaining future yields, as drought conditions are likely to increase due to warmer temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns. Yet less than 20% of croplands are equipped for irrigation. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: We can’t allow our right to water to go down the drain

Euronews

Europeans are still finding their access to water under threat and measures taken to protect this fundamental human right might not be bold enough.  Click here to continue reading

Long delays at Panama Canal after drought hits global shipping route

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Compare and Contrast: As Armenian Fish Farming Expands, a Pristine Aquifer Is Drying Up

Yale Environment 360

In recent decades, aquaculture has proliferated in Armenia’s Ararat Valley. The heightened use of water, combined with a warming climate and increased drought, has led to groundwater reserves shrinking by two-thirds, once-bountiful farms withering, and wells going dry. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Oil drilling threatens the Okavango River Basin, putting water in Namibia and Botswana at risk

The Conversation Africa

The Namibian and Botswana governments may be risking their water resources for oil and gas revenue. They have licensed a Canadian firm, ReconAfrica, to prospect for oil in the Cubango Okavango River Basin, in an area covering 34,000km². Click here to continue reading

Even treated wastewater affects our rivers

Science Daily

Wastewater treatment plants are undoubtedly a great achievement. After all, they have made a significant contribution to improving the quality of natural waters. A study shows, however, that substances still manage to enter the water cycle that have an impact on the composition of the organisms living in it. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘An utter disgrace’: 90% of England’s most precious river habitats blighted by raw sewage and farming pollution

The Guardian

More than 90% of freshwater habitats on England’s most precious rivers are in unfavourable condition, blighted by farming pollution, raw sewage and water abstraction, an Observer investigation reveals. None of the approximately 40 rivers with protected habitats in England are in overall good health, according to an analysis of government inspection reports. These include the River Avon in Hampshire, the Wensum in Norfolk and the Eden in Cumbria. Click here to continue reading

Amid drought, several Metro Vancouver cities are inviting residents to show off their brown lawn — for a prize

CBC News

Amidst new water restrictions, several Lower Mainland municipalities are encouraging residents to flaunt their dehydrated lawns with pride. Municipalities including Port Coquitlam, Abbotsford, Mission and Chilliwack are asking residents to submit photos of their well-maintained, albeit brown lawns to win a prize. Click here to continue reading

‘The saving grace for agriculture’: Farmers look to irrigation amid climate woes

CBC News

Sean Stanford’s wheat farm just south of Lethbridge, Alta. falls within the far left corner of Palliser’s Triangle — an expanse of prairie grassland encompassing much of southeast Alberta, a swath of southern Saskatchewan, and the southwest corner of Manitoba. The area is named for explorer Capt. John Palliser, who in 1857, famously declared the entire region a wasteland — so hot and arid that no crops would ever grow. Click here to continue reading

Drought can have an impact on soil test results

The Western Producer

The direct damage from drought is obvious, but the real hurt might lie deeper in the soil and affect next year’s crop. The crop-killing drought that’s hanging prairie crops out to dry will have an impact on residual nutrients this fall. What can producers expect to see in their soil tests? Click here to continue reading

Drones put to work tracking down water stress relationship

The Western Producer

A University of Saskatchewan researcher is using drones to study the correlation between the thermal temperature of a plant and water stress, which typically means a shortness of water. Click here to continue reading

Return of El Niño raises risk of hunger, drought and malaria, scientists warn

The Guardian

The return of El Niño against the backdrop of the climate crisis will hurt people’s health in many parts of the world, scientists have warned. The hot natural weather pattern is back after three years of its cooler sister, La Niña, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed last month. As it grows stronger, scientists fear it will raise the risk in some countries of hunger, drought and malaria. Click here to continue reading

Mix of rain, hot weather present challenge for farmers in central Alberta

CTV News

Spring and summer have brought plenty of heat and rain, but it’s not all good news for farmers. Scott Jespersen says it’s created a unique situation. Click here to continue reading

Sask. RM declares ag disaster despite irrigation

The Western Producer

The council of the Rural Municipality of Rudy declared a drought disaster late last month even though it’s in the heart of Saskatchewan’s main irrigation area. The RM said drought and grasshopper infestations created the agricultural disaster. Less than 25 millimetres of rain have fallen in much of the region around Outlook. Click here to continue reading

Irrigators test direct seeding to prevent erosion

The Western Producer

Irrigation in southern Alberta has proven transformational to the ability to grow crops in the region, but although it has delivered water to the dusty plains, it hasn’t tamed the wind. Direct seeding is a piece in the puzzle to stem wind erosion in the area known for gales that can make it hard to keep a vehicle on the road, let alone valuable topsoil on the ground. Click here to continue reading

Drought another threat to beef herd

The Western Producer

The situation comes at a time of record demand for beef along with positive market signals for the industry. But to take advantage of the situation, changes are needed to business risk strategies. Alberta triggered the AgriRecovery program assessment process earlier this summer. Producers are now waiting for the results from the federal government. If successful, that program could provide stability to cattle inventories, depending on the shape the initiative takes. Click here to continue reading

VIDEO: River levels run low in Alta.

The Western Producer

Watershed council directors who manage two of the largest waterway systems in southern Alberta say the Bow and Oldman rivers will struggle to provide water to irrigators if present conditions persist. They said the rivers can currently deal with the lowest water levels seen in two decades, but there are limits. Water shortage advisories have gone out for 11 tributaries for that feed into the Bow and Oldman. Click here to continue reading

The desperate race to create a protection zone around the rapidly melting Arctic

The Guardian

The ice once protected the Arctic ocean from threats – but as it melts it exposes the sea to fishing, shipping, mining and pollution. Would a marine protected area help secure this fragile ecosystem or is it too late? Click here to continue reading

Microplastics found embedded in tissues of whales and dolphins

Science Daily

Microscopic plastic particles have been found in the fats and lungs of two-thirds of the marine mammals in a graduate student’s study of ocean microplastics. The presence of polymer particles and fibers in these animals suggests that microplastics can travel out of the digestive tract and lodge in the tissues. Click here to continue reading

Hamilton tenants went 12 weeks without running water. Internal city emails reveal what went wrong

CBC News

Tenants at a downtown apartment building had been without running water for two days after pipes froze and burst. The landlord had yet to make any repairs. Within minutes of the CHCH news segment airing, the mayor sent an email to top staff, including city manager Janette Smith who oversees all divisions. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Norway prepares for more evacuations as river levels keep rising

CBC News

Authorities were on standby to evacuate more people in southeastern Norway on Friday, where huge amounts of water, littered with broken trees, debris and trash, thundered down the usually serene rivers after days of torrential rain. The level of water in swollen rivers and lakes continued to grow despite two days of dry but overcast weather, with houses abandoned in flooded areas, cars coated in mud and camping sites swamped. Click here to continue reading

Watch where you step: Tourists voice concerns after slipping into holes on icefield glacier

CBC News

When Richard Strandquist and his family stepped off a glacier sight-seeing tour on the Columbia Icefield last month, the safe zone wasn’t yet marked. Strandquist said staff told guests to stay in the plowed area until a perimeter was established. As Strandquist walked on what he thought was solid ice, his left leg suddenly plunged into a water-filled ice hole. Click here to continue reading

Water monitoring group finds 16 invasive crayfish in Nose Creek in less than 60 seconds

CBC News

A record number of invasive northern crayfish has been counted in one of Calgary’s northeast water bodies this past week by a volunteer advocacy group, Save Nose Creek. The group has been testing Nose Creek each week since June for water quality, chemicals and invertebrates, as part of their training with CreekWatch Alberta. Click here to continue reading

Lack of snow shuts down Haig Glacier training in Alberta for the first time in program history

CBC News

Reliable access to summer snow, groomed trails, simple alpine huts to rest your head after a long slosh on skis — all perched atop a mountain in Alberta’s Peter Lougheed Provincial Park near Haig Glacier. The Beckie Scott High-Performance Training Centre has given athletes an edge for decades. A chance for bonding, conditioning in high altitudes and off-season practice, but not this year. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Water wars: meet the guardians of one of Europe’s most vital wetlands

The Guardian

In the heart of Spain’s Doñana national park, a battle is being waged to safeguard one of the most important wetlands in Europe. Doñana, with its impressive landscapes and extraordinary biodiversity, hosts an estimated 6 million migratory birds every year. But its fate hangs in the balance. Click here to continue reading

Risk management options are available for drought relief

The Western Producer

At the end of June 2023, 83 percent of the prairie region was classified as abnormally dry or in moderate drought, including 90 percent of the region’s agricultural landscape. With no end in sight to higher-than-normal temperatures, farmers and ranchers are encouraged to look into risk management options. Click here to continue reading

Feed tests especially important during drought

The Western Producer

Several areas in Western Canada are suffering from drought again this year. Drought creates many difficulties for ranchers, who must struggle with the immediate and long-term problems that can arise from not having enough forage for their cattle. Click here to continue reading

Growing more crop per drop

The Western Producer

As irrigation water allocations become more scarce, irrigation farmers battle each other and government regulators for water rights. Some parties have expressed concern about the long-term sustainability of irrigation farming. Click here to continue reading

Province confirms poor water quality in Washington state river is coming from B.C.

CBC News

The province has confirmed water of poor quality flowing through the Nooksack River in Washington state is coming from multiple sources in B.C. This comes a month after Washington farmers and officials called upon B.C. to investigate and address high levels of fecal bacteria coming from the Canadian side of the border. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Sydney’s drinking water quality under threat from climate crisis, report finds

The Guardian

Sydney’s drinking water is unlikely to remain healthy unless the effects of the climate crisis are mitigated, according to a report handed to the New South Wales government. Click here to continue reading

Fears over Antarctic sea ice as yearly ozone layer hole forms ‘very early’

The Guardian

The hole in the ozone layer has begun to form early this year, prompting warnings that a larger-than-average hole may further warm the Southern Ocean while the level of Antarctic sea ice is at a record low. Satellite data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts suggests the hole has already begun to form over Antarctica. Click here to continue reading

Touring water infrastructure south of the border

Government of Alberta

Representatives from several southern Alberta communities will also attend the tour. The trip will include a visit to the St. Mary Canal and the repaired Drop 5 infrastructure, which helps divert water from the St. Mary River to the Milk River. During the tour, attendees will have the opportunity to discuss water security in the region and new areas for collaboration. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Public could receive hundreds of millions as water firms face sewage lawsuit

The Guardian

The public could receive hundreds of millions of pounds in compensation in the first class action against water companies which are alleged to have failed to reveal the true scale of raw sewage discharges, and abused their position as privatised monopolies. Click here to continue reading

Why B.C.’s lakes inspire legends and myths of monsters

CBC News

Travel to a popular lake in British Columbia, and chances are you’ll encounter a beach, some boats — and a tale about some sort of unidentified creature that lurks beneath the surface. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Hoodies sell out in Tonga as El Niño brings wintry chill

The Guardian

Tonga is bracing for more chilly weather as the Pacific nation shivers through one of its coldest winters ever, sparking a rush for jackets and heating units. The island has experienced unusually cold weather through July and Tonga Meteorological Services (TMS) recorded a low of 9.3 degrees Celsius at the Lapaha village weather station at the end of the month. The country’s record low of 8.7C was set in September 1994. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: More than 1m acres of Indigenous land flooded by dams, new study finds

The Guardian

More than a million acres of tribal land – an area larger than the state of Rhode Island – have been flooded by dams, compounding centuries of land seizures and forced displacement by settler colonials and the US government, new research has found. Click here to continue reading

Protecting nature at the Massé Stream in Montérégie, part of $6.7 million in national habitat protection

Water Canada

The project aims to improve the ecological functions of riparian buffer zones and the water quality of the Massé Stream, and will educate and raise community awareness of issues affecting natural biodiversity. As part of these efforts, Ciel et Terre will identify priority areas for intervention, clean up shorelines, plant riparian buffer strips, remove invasive exotic species, and deliver education and awareness campaigns. Click here to continue reading

Extreme weather: glacial flooding, wildfires and hailstorms cause havoc across the world – video

The Guardian

Countries across the globe are facing a range of extreme weather events. In Germany, snowploughs were deployed in the middle of summer to shift ice from roads after a hailstorm. Severe flooding has affected parts of Europe including Sweden and Slovenia, with hundreds of houses submerged. Human-caused climate change is supercharging extreme weather across the world, driving more frequent and more deadly disasters, from heatwaves to floods to wildfires. Click here to continue reading

Special Areas farmers battle drought, grasshoppers and crop failures

East Central Alberta Review

Special Areas declared an agricultural disaster on July 12 for Special Areas No. 2, 3 and 4 due to prolonged drought conditions. According to information prepared by the Special Areas agricultural fieldmen, this year’s drought conditions have worsened due to the increased amount of grasshoppers they are seeing. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Then vs. now: Did the Horn of Africa reach a drought tipping point 11,700 years ago?

Science Daily

If climate models predict that much of tropical Africa will become wetter with a warming climate, then why does it keep getting drier in the Horn of Africa? Click here to continue reading

Measuring the extent of global droughts in unprecedented detail

Science Daily

While some parts of the world suffer extreme heat and persistent drought, others are being flooded. Overall, continental water volumes vary so much over time that global sea levels fluctuate significantly too. By combining the hydrological model WaterGAP with GRACE satellite data, a team of geodesists have come up with a new set of data that shows how the total distribution of water over the Earth’s land surfaces has changed over the past 20 years more accurately than ever before. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Heavy rains cause partial dam collapse, flooding in Norway

CBC News

Storm Hans battered Norway with heavy rains Tuesday and Wednesday. Flooding of the Braskereidfoss power dam control room prevented the hatches from opening, causing a partial collapse and flooding downriver. The heavy rains provoked mudslides and swollen rivers which swept away some structures and flooded towns, requiring the evacuation of more than 3,000 people and isolating others. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: An £800 million legal challenge against six water utilities begins

Global Water Intelligence

Professor Carolyn Roberts has instructed the law firm Leigh Day to instigate a collective legal action against six English water companies to claim compensation on behalf of customers on the basis that the companies have under-reported sewage discharges and that Ofwat should have lowered their tariffs as a consequence.   Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: California Waves Have Grown a Foot Taller because of Climate Change

Scientific American

A new study, published Tuesday in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, finds that average winter wave heights have grown by as much as a foot in the last 50 years. And between 1996 and 2016, the number of extreme wave events — when they are taller than 13 feet — doubled from the period between 1949 to 1969. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: 15 Million People Are at Risk from Bursting Glacial Lakes

Scientific American

At least 15 million people worldwide live in the flood paths of dangerous glacial lakes that can abruptly burst their banks and rush down mountainsides. Click here to continue reading

Help for Alberta farmers impacted by wildfire and drought

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

The AgriStability program has reopened for late participation so producers affected by wildfires and drought can consider enrolling to manage business risks.  Alberta producers can sign up for AgriStability until September 29. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: China floods: at least 14 killed after torrential rain in north-east

The Guardian

At least 14 people are dead after torrential rain hit China’s north-eastern Jilin province, state media has reported, in the latest fatalities from more than a week of weather-related disasters across the country. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Japan to start Fukushima water release within weeks – report

The Guardian

Japan plans to start releasing treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean as soon as late August, Japan’s Asahi Shimbun daily reported on Monday, citing unnamed government sources. Click here to continue reading

Current estimates of Lake Erie algae toxicity may miss the mark

ScienceDaily

A new study analyzing toxins produced by Microcystis, the main type of cyanobacteria that compose the annual harmful algal bloom (HAB) in Lake Erie, suggests that the toxicity of the bloom may be overestimated in earlier warm months and underestimated later in the summer.  Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: In the Utah desert, can golf justify itself?

High Country News

The struggle for water is straining St. George, Utah, where golf – and grass – are sacred cows. Click here to continue reading

Putting Indigenous knowledge at the forefront of water research in Canada

University of Saskatchewan

In an attempt to create a better water future for everyone, Indigenous water experts and Knowledge Keepers have created a protocol that puts co-generation of research at the forefront, and promote its use across Canada in future water research projects. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Mussel-inspired membrane can boost sustainability and add value to industrial wastewater treatment

ScienceDaily

Engineers have developed a new kind of membrane that separates chemicals within wastewater so effectively that they can be reused, presenting a new opportunity for industries to improve sustainability, while extracting valuable by-products and chemicals from wastewater.  Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Ocean surface hits highest ever recorded temperature and set to rise further

The Guardian

The surface temperature of the world’s oceans has hit its highest ever level as climate breakdown from burning fossil fuels causes the oceans to heat.  Global average daily sea surface temperatures (SST) hit 20.96C this week, breaking the record of 20.95C reached in 2016, according to the Copernicus climate modelling service.  Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Aftermath of Typhoon Doksuri brought Beijing floods, meteorologists explain

The Guardian

According to reports, almost a million people have been evacuated in the region. Rescue and recovery crews searched flooded streets in rubber dinghies for any trapped behind. Hundreds of flights were either delayed or cancelled at the city’s two major airports. Click here to continue reading

Clearcut logging leads to more frequent flooding, including extreme floods

Science Daily

Loss of forest cover is associated with more frequent extreme flooding, as well as more frequent floods of any size, according to new research. While it’s widely thought that loss of forest cover is strongly linked to increased flooding, most studies have suggested that the impact is limited to smaller floods. But the study, focused on two snow-dominated regions in British Columbia, the Deadman River and Joe Ross Creek watersheds, argues otherwise. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Expert panel calls for urgent rethink on Great Barrier Reef management amid ‘unremitting’ climate crisis

The Guardian

Leading national experts on the Great Barrier Reef have called for an urgent reassessment of the way the world’s biggest reef system is managed, saying current approaches are too inflexible in the face of “unremitting global warming.” Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Chemical companies’ PFAS payouts are huge – but the problem is even bigger

The Guardian

When the chemical giant 3M agreed in early June to pay up to $12.5bn to settle a lawsuit over PFAS contamination in water systems across the nation, it was hailed by attorneys as “the largest drinking water settlement in American history”, and viewed as a significant win for the public in the battle against toxic “forever chemicals”. Click here to continue reading

More than $662,000 invested in lagoon upgrade at Saskatchewan’s Meadow Lake Provincial Park

Water Canada

The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, and Saskatchewan’s Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport Laura Ross have announced the completion of the Lac Des Isles Sewage Lagoon Upgrade in Meadow Lake Provincial Park. The Government of Canada contributed $315,000 toward the upgrade, and the Government of Saskatchewan contributed $347,000. The project was completed in mid-May 2023. Click here to continue reading

A floating sponge could help remove harmful algal blooms

Science Daily

In the peak heat of summer, beachgoers don’t want their plans thwarted by harmful algal blooms (HABs). But current methods to remove or kill toxin-producing algae and cyanobacteria aren’t efficient or practical for direct applications in waterways. Now, researchers have coated a floating sponge in a charcoal-like powder, and when paired with an oxidizing agent, the technique destroyed over 85% of algal cells from lake and river water samples. Click here to continue reading

Alberta announces $45 million to fund hydrogen innovation

Edmonton Journal

Alberta is investing $45 million in projects by researchers, companies or industry associations that will advance the province’s hydrogen fuel technologies. The funding will be funneled through two competitions that will select a proposal in its early stages of development and another that is closer to completion. Click here to continue reading

Oldest species of swimming jellyfish discovered in 505m-year-old fossils

The Guardian

The oldest species of swimming jellyfish ever recorded has been discovered in 505m-year-old fossils, scientists have said. The fossils were found at Burgess Shale in Canada, an area known for the number of well-preserved fossils found there. Click here to continue reading

Temporary water stations for pedestrians and pets to be set up in and around downtown Calgary

CTV News

Calgary pedestrians and their pets will have six extra places to cool off and hydrate this summer, courtesy of city hall. The City of Calgary is installing six temporary water stations in downtown and downtown-adjacent locations. You can hit up the first spot already, on the sidewalk along Riverfront Avenue S.E., just west of the 4th Avenue overpass. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘The cruelty Olympics’: Texas workers condemn elimination of water breaks

The Guardian

Austin and Dallas are the only places in Texas where such protections exist, requiring 10-minute breaks every four hours for workers at a construction site. Marroquin says that the mandated breaks vary from site to site, and from her experience, locations within Austin city limits tend to follow the ordinance precisely. Those just outside the city limits are not required to follow the rule. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Heavy rain hits China around Beijing – in pictures

The Guardian

Heavy rain has hit China after Typhoon Doksuri, which has caused flooding that has destroyed roads, uprooted trees and knocked out power. Torrential rain in areas around Beijing has killed at least 20 people and left 27 missing. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Climate crisis: Australia must ready for ‘devastating’ regional disruption, MPs told

The Guardian

Australia must prepare for “devastating” climate-fuelled disruption in the Asia Pacific, including failed states, forced migration and regional conflicts over water shortages, a stark briefing for federal politicians warns. Click here to continue reading

Site C dam builder fined $1.1 million for discharging contaminated wastewater

The Narwhal

The contractor building the Site C hydro dam in northeast B.C.’s was fined $1.1 million this week after pleading guilty to discharging more than three million litres of contaminated wastewater into the fish-bearing Peace River. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Researchers find evolutionary adaption in trout of Wyoming’s Wind River Mountains

Science Daily

Scientists found that trout from lakes stocked decades ago in the Wind River Mountains have higher numbers of gill rakers, which are bony or cartilage structures in the gullets of fish that act as sieves to retain zooplankton and nourish the trout. The difference is likely a result of the trout adapting to the food sources of the once-fishless high-mountain lakes — a change that has taken place in a relatively short period of time and at a rate that is generally consistent with the historic timing of stocking for each of the lakes. Click here to continue reading

Sask agency makes water, vacant land available for ag use

The Western Producer

Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency has announced it will make water and vacant land available to farmers and livestock producers during the drought. The agency owns and manages land across the province and those who live near these lands can contact it to see if under-used or vacant land is available. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Australian climate science projects in Antarctica put on ice due to budget cuts

The Guardian

Dozens of crucial climate science projects including studies of record low sea ice and rapidly declining penguin populations are set to be cancelled, delayed or restricted due to budget pressures at the Australian Antarctic Division. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Airport submerged as widespread flooding continues in China – video report

The Guardian

At least 11 people have been killed in Beijing after four days of torrential downpours, according to Chinese state media. A further 27 people have been reported missing since Typhoon Doksuri triggered widespread flooding in the north of the country. Click here to continue reading

High levels of arsenic detected in 112 wells across N.L. — and hundreds more could be at risk

CBC News

More than 100 households in Newfoundland and Labrador have learned their well water contains dangerous levels of arsenic — and hundreds more across the province may be drinking the toxin without knowing it. The Department of Environment recently released the first batch of results from its free testing program for private wells it announced last year. Click here to continue reading

Disaster Financial Assistance for Nova Scotia’s July 2023 Floods

Water Canada

The Province’s Disaster Financial Assistance Program is designed to help Nova Scotians, municipalities, small businesses and not-for-profit organizations get back on their feet after a major storm or natural disaster. Not all disasters are covered by private insurance, and this program helps those whose losses are not insurable. Types of losses can include flood damage and damage to uninsurable items like household appliances, such as washers, dryers and furnaces. Click here to continue reading

Manitoba Government announces new tiered municipal water and wastewater investment framework

Water Canada

The Municipal Water and Wastewater Investment Framework establishes investment tiers for the province to clarify funding mechanisms, procurement approaches, and partnership opportunities for municipalities. The Manitoba government will structure its review and support for projects using the new framework that is informed by input from partners. This approach will categorize water and wastewater projects into three tiers according to cost, project type and scale, and potential to utilize alternative delivery and financing approaches. Click here to continue reading

Meteorologist says national flash flood warning system would save lives

CBC News

A week after floods in Nova Scotia contributed to the deaths of four people, including two children, some people are asking why more wasn’t done to warn residents of possible flash floods. Some provinces that have historically had higher flood risks, like Ontario and Quebec, have their own flood forecasting programs, but Nova Scotia does not. Click here to continue reading

Finding ways to grow crops with limited moisture

The Western Producer

In the areas suffering from consecutive years of serious drought, soul searching is underway on what can be done differently to make better use of whatever moisture is available. Troy LaForge, a well-known agronomist from southwestern Saskatchewan, believes stripper headers on combines are going to become increasingly popular. LaForge farms near Cadillac and uses a stripper header. Click here to continue reading

More moisture still needed for farmers, says latest Alberta Crop Report

Red Deer Advocate

Central Alberta farmers still need more moisture to allow crops to finish growing, according to the provincial government’s latest crop report. Further moisture is “required” for crop yields to reach their current potential, according to the Alberta Crop Report, which was released Thursday, July 27 features conditions as of Tuesday, July 25. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Swimmers avoiding the water over fears of raw sewage on UK beaches

The Guardian

Almost a quarter of the UK’s sea swimmers may not take a dip in the ocean this year because of sewage dumping by water companies, according to a poll. Sewage was dumped into waters near England’s most celebrated beaches for nearly 8,500 hours last year, analysis shows. A separate review earlier this year found there were 1,504 discharges in 2022 on beaches supposed to be free from such pollution. Click here to continue reading

Low water in N.W.T. means less hydro power, more use of diesel generators

CBC News

A drop in water levels in the southern N.W.T. means hydro generators are producing less electricity for Yellowknife and its surrounding area — and diesel generators are helping to meet the need. Click here to continue reading

Tools for wetland classification: research contributes to major win in Manitoba wetland conservation

Water Canada

Wetlands face an ever-increasing threat worldwide, despite their value in providing essential services like carbon storage, water purification, wildlife habitat, and more. Wetlands play a crucial role in supporting local biodiversity. And these vital ecosystems are our allies in the pursuit of sustainability and climate resiliency. Click here to continue reading

New Kootenay Lake Visualization Tool helps understand water levels

Water Canada

A new web-based tool provides information to better understand the complexities, competing interests and physical limitations in the management of Kootenay Lake’s water levels. You can access the Kootenay Lake Visualization Tool on the International Kootenay Lake Board of Control (IKLBC) website at static.ijc.org/klv/app.html. Click here to continue reading

The Government of Canada invests to protect Tuktoyaktuk from coastal erosion

Water Canada

Arctic communities in the Beaufort Region have become more vulnerable to the effects of climate change with declining sea ice, warmer temperatures, and increased frequency and intensity of storms. Due to its geographical location, the Inuvialuit Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk is particularly affected by rapid coastal erosion of up to one metre each year, flooding, and permafrost thaw. Inuvialuit and residents are at great risk of losing the very land where they live, work and play as well as the services on which the Hamlet relies, such as the health care centre and the local college. Click here to continue reading

Water quality advisory issued for Shorncliffe Lake

East Central Alberta Review

Due to elevated levels of fecal bacteria currently present in the water of Shorncliffe Lake, located nearby Czar, Alta. approximately 40 km. west of Provost, Alta. Health Services (AHS), AHS is advising the public not to swim or wade at the lake’s beach, effective immediately. Click here to continue reading

City of Calgary reduces water use amid drought conditions

CBC News

The City of Calgary says it has moved its drought monitoring dial to dry from normal. It says the decision is based on tracking of precipitation levels, reservoirs and lake levels, stream flow rates in the rivers and water demand. Click here to continue reading

Rains bring some relief in B.C.’s record wildfire season, but barely affect drought conditions

CBC News

Recent rains have offered some reprieve in British Columbia’s record wildfire season, but several blazes still threaten communities and officials caution there could still be tough times ahead. Most regions in the province have only received 40-80 per cent of their usual rainfall for this time of year, the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says. Click here to continue reading

Turning down the taps: City restricts its water use while more Calgarians choose xeriscaping

CTV News

The City of Calgary is restricting its water use and encouraging residents to do so as well after assessing the current drought risk. And a growing yard trend is helping people cut back. The city moved its drought monitoring dial from “normal” to “dry” conditions based on its ongoing monitoring of precipitation levels, reservoirs and lake levels, stream flow rates in rivers and water demand. Click here to continue reading

Manitoba Government commits additional $1.5M for safe drinking water in Northern Affairs communities

Water Canada

The Manitoba government continues to take concrete action to improve the safety of drinking water in Northern Affairs communities, Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations Minister Eileen Clarke announced today. Click here to continue reading

Research: More algal blooms likely in Lake Erie as deep-water oxygen levels continue to drop

Water Canada

Researchers at York University went searching for the fossilized remains of small insect larvae called chironomids, found in sediment in Lake Erie, to find a history of deep-water oxygen deprivation in the lake that continues today. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Why Uzbekistan is hoping gravity will help solve its irrigation issues

EuroNews.next

Uzbekistan is modernising its regional irrigation system to improve water supply to the agricultural sector.  In South Karakalpakstan, gravity is now being used instead of electric pumps to irrigate the fields. A recent major infrastructure project is also drastically reducing the loss of a major resource – water.  Click here to continue reading

Shoal Lake 40 files lawsuit against federal government, Winnipeg over water diversion

The Toronto Star

An Anishinaabe community in northwestern Ontario is suing the federal government and the City of Winnipeg, claiming it hasn’t been compensated for a diversion to supply Manitoba’s capital with clean water a century ago that resulted in it being cut off from road access. Click here to continue reading

Some Lake Erie anglers consider algae blooms helpful — but what are the health implications?

CBC News

Despite often being described as smelly and not nice to look at, Eric Hirzel and Matthew Hehn say they find algae blooms helpful when it comes to catching more fish in Lake Erie. Both are longtime charter fishing captains who patrol the lake’s western basin, primarily pulling walleye (pickerel) and yellow perch from the water. Algae blooms are caused when algae grow quickly in water systems from excess nutrient run-off, like phosphorus or nitrogen from fertilizer. Click here to continue reading

Resolution to Iqaluit’s water crisis still ‘years’ away: Nunavut MLA

CTV News

In April, the city of about 7,700 people, as of the 2016 census, said its water treatment plant would return to service after shutting down due to fuel contamination. Although the federal government last year announced $214 million to fix the city’s water infrastructure, Lightstone says it will still take time for that project to finish. Click here to continue reading

Buffalo Lake faces concerning decline in water levels amid heatwave

East Central Alberta Review

As Alberta endures an unrelenting heatwave and dry conditions this summer, Buffalo Lake is grappling with a concerning decline in water levels, hovering near the lower end of the normal range for this time of year, according to Jason Penner, communication advisor for Alberta Environment and Protected Areas. Click here to continue reading

Paintearth county’s farmers persevere through challenging drought

East Central Alberta Review

The farming community in the County of Paintearth is facing an unprecedented crisis as the region grapples with a severe drought that has led to substantial crop damage and threatened the livelihoods of local producers. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Waters off the coast of Florida as hot as a hot tub, and more heat news from around the world

CBC News

The water temperature off southern Florida has been about 38 C two days in a row: that’s as hot as a hot tub, as hot as the maximum recommended heat for a baby’s bath, and hotter than what’s usually recommended for a pregnant woman. It’s also, meteorologists say, possibly the hottest seawater ever measured. Click here to continue reading

Automated analysis of microplastic concentrations

Science Daily

How high are concentrations of microplastics in the environment, in our drinking water or in foods? Researchers have developed an automated analysis method for the identification and quantification of particles. Click here to continue reading

A crucial system of ocean currents is heading for a collapse that ‘would affect every person on the planet’

CTV News

A vital system of ocean currents could collapse within a few decades if the world continues to pump out planet-heating pollution, scientists are warning – an event that would be catastrophic for global weather and “affect every person on the planet.” Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Tennessee residents unable to drink or use tap water following diesel fuel spill

The Guardian

A diesel fuel spill that contaminated the water supply system of Germantown, Tennessee, has left residents unable to drink their tap water as the city’s public works crew rush to flush out the contaminated water. Click here to continue reading

Irrigators asked to drop straw, feed livestock

The Western Producer

The largest irrigation district in Saskatchewan is encouraging members to drop straw this harvest season. The South Saskatchewan River Irrigation District No. 1 said July 26 it asks all irrigators to drop straw to help feed livestock this winter. SSRID’s office will co-ordinate the process to get feed where it needs to go. Click here to continue reading

County of Stettler talks culling herds, writing off crops as drought disaster deepens

East Central Alberta Review

At their regular council meeting July 12 the County of Stettler’s assessment of the agriculture disaster facing not just the municipality but the province in general was depressing if not heartbreaking, as the topics of culling herds, shutting down operations, and writing off crops were all mentioned. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Colorado River has lost 10tn gallons of water since 2000 due to climate crisis

The Guardian

The climate crisis has caused the ailing Colorado River basin, a system relied upon by 40 million people in the US west, to lose more than 10tn gallons of water in the last two decades, new research has found. Click here to continue reading

Kahnawà:ke’s bay restoration hailed as an example of Indigenous-led conservation

CBC News

When Cody Diabo recently learned that the bay restoration project on Kateri Tekakwitha Island was near complete, he took his family for a walk there to see its transformation from a dry, rocky shore into a marsh teeming with life. Click here to continue reading

City of Calgary reducing water use due to drought conditions; we can all be water wise this summer

City of Calgary

The City of Calgary is formally moving our drought monitoring dial from Normal to Dry conditions, due to drier weather and higher temperatures. This decision is based on our ongoing monitoring of precipitation levels, reservoirs and lake levels, stream flow rates in rivers, and water demand, among others. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: City Sewers Can’t Handle Climate Change’s Intense Rains

Scientific American

A series of new reports by the Federal Emergency Management Agency says that most urban drainage systems “were not built to handle the amount of runoff from increasingly intense storms.”  In addition, most cities with urban flooding “do not regulate” development in the vulnerable areas, FEMA said, drawing a contrast with development restrictions in areas vulnerable to coastal or river flooding. Click here to continue reading

Renewable solar energy can help purify water, the environment

Science Daily

Using electrochemistry to separate different particles within a solution (also known as electrochemical separation) is an energy-efficient strategy for environmental and water remediation: the process of purifying contaminated water. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Thames Water has failed to install any smart meters yet in £70m green scheme

The Guardian

Thames Water has admitted it has failed to install a single smart water meter under a flagship £70m programme to fit hundreds of thousands of the devices to support the UK’s “green economic recovery” from Covid-19. The company has told regulators and investors that it is yet to begin installing the 204,700 smart water meters promised in the Thames Valley region, which are due to be fitted by the end of March 2025. Click here to continue reading

Investments in drinking water infrastructure for town and county of Antigonish, NS

Canadian Water

This investment will enable the expansion of the St. Joseph’s water system, with the addition of a 51,000 gallon (US) storage tank and the construction of approximately 3.6 kilometres of distribution line. This expansion will provide access to drinking water for approximately 40 additional properties, which includes over 650 acres for development. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: How well-managed dams and smart forecasting can limit flooding as extreme storms become more common in a warming world

The Conversation

The arduous task of cleaning up from catastrophic flooding is underway across the Northeast after storms stretched the region’s flood control systems nearly to the breaking point. As rising global temperatures make extreme storms more common, the nation’s dams and reservoirs – crucial to keeping communities dry – are being tested. California and states along the Mississippi River have faced similar flood control challenges in 2023. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: It’s Scorching in Iran, and There’s Less and Less Water to Help

The New York Times

As groundwater and reservoirs dry up, droughts intensify and climate change pushes temperatures higher. Iranians in rural areas are increasingly unable to afford the trucked-in or store-bought water on which they must rely. Water shortages fueled protests in the historic city of Isfahan and in Khuzestan Province in 2021, and more discontent with the government is brewing over its failure to address the blistering heat. Click here to continue reading

Drought conditions threatening B.C. salmon as river levels drop

CBC News

Under a hot sun, lifelong fishermen Travis Heathman crosses an overpass above the Chilliwack River to scope out what’s usually a popular fishing hole — but the water isn’t flowing as quickly or as deep as it usually does at this time of year. Click here to continue reading

Marine heatwave off north-east Australia sets off alarm over health of Great Barrier Reef

The Guardian

A marine heatwave has broken out along more than 2,000km of the Queensland coast, raising concerns for the health of corals on the Great Barrier Reef and other ocean life. Satellite data managed by the US National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) shows the heatwave started to emerge at the end of June. Click here to continue reading

Prairie farmers already struggling with drought now dealing with damaging grasshoppers

CBC News

Producers in some parts of southern Saskatchewan are already struggling with drought this summer. Now grasshoppers can once again be added to the list of woes. The situation is so severe south of Saskatoon that the RM of Dundurn has declared an agricultural disaster. Click here to continue reading

Summer village on Lac St. Anne plots attack plan on pervasive blue-green algae

Global News

A summer village on Lac St. Anne, 50 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, is looking for a way it can attack the lake’s blue-green algae problem. Kim Hanlan, chief administrative officer of the summer village of Yellowstone, said the blue-green algae is affecting people’s enjoyment of the lake. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Indigenous art unites Australians in a common cause: abuse of the ocean

The Guardian

Megan Cope calls it the “first mining boom”, one that drove Australia’s oyster reefs to near extinction. First, British colonists raided the enormous piles of shells and animal bones Indigenous people had gathered after feasting and ceremony, mixing these middens with water into a lime slurry for building the new colony. Click here to continue reading

Experts say ‘cocaine sharks’ may be feasting on drugs dumped off Florida

The Guardian

Move over, Cocaine Bear. Here come cocaine sharks. In what could be the plotline for the next cheesy marine-themed disaster movie, scientists think crazed and hungry sharks could be feasting on bales of hallucinatory drugs dumped off the Florida coast. Click here to continue reading

Long-term changes in waves and storm surges have not impacted global coastlines

Science Daily

Changes in ocean wave and storm conditions have not caused long-term impacts on sandy coastlines in the past 30 years, a new study has found. Published today in Scientific Reports, the study draws on data from 30 years of global satellite and model studies to investigate whether changes in ocean wave conditions will have an impact on the stability of coastal environments. Click here to continue reading

Alberta Health Services encourages people to enjoy water activities safely

Red Deer Advocate

As weather continues to stay warm, Alberta Health Services is encouraging people around the province to stay safe when participating in recreational water activities. Click here to continue reading

‘A tough couple months’: Flood forces 750 Halifax residents from their homes

CBC News

As flooding forces hundreds of people in the Halifax-area from their homes, some are taking refuge at a comfort centre in Dartmouth, N.S. “I was standing in the middle of my driveway, up to my knees in water. Our basement is fully flooded. Our neighbours are flooded out,” said Melanie McWhirter, who lives on Hammonds Plains Road in Bedford. Click here to continue reading

Coast guard floats new solution to widespread B.C. problem of abandoned boats

CBC News

The Canadian government’s inventory of wrecked, abandoned or hazardous boats includes a U.S. warship, a former floating McDonald’s known as the McBarge, a human-smuggling ship and an old B.C. Ferries vessel rotting on the Fraser River. But the most problematic aren’t the well-known vessels with colourful histories — it’s the fleet of mystery craft that have dogged the Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada for years. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Mexico steps up rain-making project amid intense heatwave and drought

The Guardian

Amid a historic heatwave and months of drought, Mexico’s government has launched the latest phase of a cloud seeding project it hopes will increase rainfall. The project, which began in July, involves planes flying into clouds to release silver iodide particles which then, in theory, will attract additional water droplets and increase rain or snowfall. Click here to continue reading

Funding for SRD ecosystem restoration planning

Water Canada

The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) has received $1,150,052.62 through the 2023 Disaster Risk Reduction / Climate Adaptation grant program to fund five unique ecosystem restoration initiatives. First Nations and local governments throughout the regional district will benefit from funding to help strengthen resilience against climate-related hazards, such as flooding, drought, wildfires and heat. Click here to continue reading

Showers for much of B.C., but evacuation orders, alerts grow in drought-ridden south

Sylvan Lake News

For the first time in more than a month, showers and cooler weather are reaching parched sections of British Columbia, potentially bringing some respite for crews battling hundreds of wildfires. Environment Canada says about 20 millimetres of rain should dampen Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver. Click here to continue reading

Sask. irrigation interrupted due to concerns over pump

The Western Producer

Pumping capacity from Lake Diefenbaker was restored along Saskatchewan’s main irrigation canal last week after mechanical issues at the Eastside pumping station. Irrigators agreed to not water their crops from about July 7-10, leaving at least 48,000 acres without water, so that the Water Security Agency could fix the problem. Click here to continue reading

Prairie crops in trouble

The Western Producer

Crops in southern and central Alberta and western Saskatchewan are in particularly rough shape because of drought. There are good crops in eastern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, but even in those regions yields will be down from last year and closer to the long-term average. Click here to continue reading

Have we reached peak fish?

The Guardian

Humans are eating more seafood than ever, and we are removing fish from the ocean at a far greater rate than they can replenish. What can be done? Click here to continue reading

Ontario investing $6M in local projects to protect the Great Lakes

Water Canada

The Ontario government is investing $6 million to support 30 multi-year projects to help protect, conserve and restore the Great Lakes. These investments will help reduce plastic litter, excess nutrients and road salt entering lakes, rivers and streams, advance climate resiliency, and make significant progress on restoring environmentally degraded areas of the Great Lakes. Click here to continue reading

Manitoba Government $8M investment in Winnipeg wastewater projects

Water Canada

The Manitoba government is supporting the City of Winnipeg by providing approximately $8 million for wastewater infrastructure projects to help protect Manitoba’s precious freshwater resources, Environment and Climate Minister Kevin Klein has announced. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: NOAA’s 1-in-100 year flooding can now be expected every 8 years

Smart Water Magazine

First Street Foundation released their peer-reviewed precipitation model that captures climate-driven changes in heavy rainfall events for the United States and describes the implications for flood risk across the Nation in their report, The 8th National Risk Assessment: The Precipitation Problem. Click here to continue reading

Alberta hail seeding operation protects against severe storm damage

CTV News

When massive storm clouds build, pilots at the Springbank and Red Deer airports scramble into action in their twin engine King Air C90 cloud seeding aircraft. The teams are supported by meteorologists on the ground at the Didsbury/Olds Airport who monitor the building storms on their radar. Click here to continue reading

Manitoba Government invests $40M in Rivers Dam

Water Canada

The heavy rainfall event in the summer of 2020 caused record flooding on the Little Saskatchewan River, impacting the dam at Rivers. During the rainfall, the water level at the dam reached record-high levels, affecting surrounding communities including Brandon, Riverdale and Whitehead. Approximately 83 people had to evacuate from their homes in the Rivers Dam flood zone area. Click here to continue reading

Meters will improve water conservation in Strathcona, B.C.

Water Canada

New automatic water meters will help residents in Strathcona monitor and reduce their water consumption, limit water waste and support the sustainability of local ecosystems. The Province invested $2.8 million to support the project. Click here to continue reading

City of Fredericton launches interactive flood risk map

Water Canada

With $100,000 in financial support from Intact Public Entities (IPE) and Intact Financial Corporation, the City of Fredericton has launched an interactive Neighbourhood Flood Risk Map. This will allow residents to learn more about the current flood risk to their properties, actions they can take around their home and lot to reduce the risk, and capital projects by the City to make their neighbourhood more flood resilient. Click here to continue reading

Cost of adding fluoride to Calgary’s water triples as project timeline delayed

CBC News

Resuming fluoridation in Calgary’s water supply is going to be a longer and more costly process than originally expected. The plan was set in motion after a council vote and decision to reimplement fluoridation of the drinking water system in November of 2021 and was initially expected to be complete by June of 2024. Click here to continue reading

Polynesian canoe expedition circumnavigating Pacific Ocean makes stops in B.C.

CBC News

The expedition is being operated by the Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS). The society says the traditional Polynesian canoe — which has been named Hōkūleʻa, after the guiding star also known as Arcturus — will travel an estimated 43,000 miles around the Pacific Ocean and stop at more than 300 ports, 36 countries and archipelagoes and nearly 100 Indigenous territories along the way. Click here to continue reading

Saltwater or freshwater? Difference is large for the climate when we flood low lying areas

Science Daily

Researchers find large methane emissions: ‘Do not flood low-lying areas with freshwater’. Their studies find that freshwater lakes emit much more methane than saltwater lagoons, bogs and wet meadows. Click here to continue reading

Study: Freshwater systems not immune to microplastic accumulation

Water Canada

The study looks at plastic debris in surface water samples collected across 38 lakes and reservoirs located in 23 countries, across six continents, with varying population densities and environmental conditions. One of the main findings from the study, which is published in Nature, is that microplastic concentrations are equally, if not more, prevalent in freshwater systems compared to the marine (ocean) environment. Click here to continue reading

Thames Water suffers £1.4bn drop in value after its largest investor slashes the value of its stake

This is Money

Thames Water’s owner could be worth £1.4billion less than before after its largest investor slashed the value of its stake. The Ontario Municipal Employees’ Retirement System (Omers), which owns a third of the troubled supplier through multiple funds, significantly reduced the value of its investment last year, according to The Financial Times. Click here to continue reading

Found: Giant Freshwater Deposits Hiding under the Sea

Scientific American

Back in the 1960s the U.S. Geological Survey had drilled a series of vertical boreholes off the New Jersey coast, looking for sand deposits and other resources. They unexpectedly struck fresh water, which was baffling. Years later researchers obtained water samples from the same location and analyzed the chemistry, finding to their surprise that the liquid was a mix of recent rainwater and seawater. Rainwater, 65 kilometers (40 miles) out to sea—under the seafloor? Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Wildfires rage around Athens for third day as water bombers join effort

The Guardian

The battle to douse wildfires raging for a third day around Athens has intensified as water bombers flown in from Italy and France joined the operation to extinguish flames often fanned by strong winds. Click here to continue reading

‘Scary situation’ in Alberta’s drought-stricken fields raises questions about farming’s future

CBC News

The president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) says a dire situation has emerged for various municipalities, especially in the southern and eastern parts of the province. “There’s just not enough time, if we did have the moisture required, and just too late germination. So it’s a pretty scary situation,” Paul McLauchlin said. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: One in five New Yorkers may be drinking lead-contaminated water, report finds

The Guardian

One in five New Yorkers may be drinking lead-contaminated water, a new report has found. Roughly 900,000 households – or 21% of the city’s residents – live in properties with lead or possible lead service lines, the pipes that provide city water to individual properties. Lead can leach into the water from the pipes as the water travels through them. Click here to continue reading

Water safety demonstration in Edmonton as search for missing swimmer resumes

Global News

The City of Edmonton demonstrated proper lifejacket fittings, basic swimming skills and required safety equipment Tuesday as part of National Drowning Prevention Week. The third week of July tends to be the most common time for a drowning across Canada, according to Jonathan Kusyanto, executive director of the Lifesaving Society. Click here to continue reading

Sask. government asks feds for relief assessment to help livestock producers deal with drought

CBC News

The continued lack of rain and warm temperatures in many parts of western and southeastern Saskatchewan has the province tapping the federal government for more assistance to help livestock producers. Click here to continue reading

B.C. strengthens community preparedness for climate-related disasters

Water Canada

The Province is providing more than $44 million through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF), which will go to more than 70 projects in 63 communities under the Disaster Risk Reduction-Climate Adaptation program stream. These investments also support the Province’s Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy, which outlines a broad range of actions until 2025 to address climate impacts and build resilience across B.C. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: California ghost town disappears again as lake fills after three-year drought

The Guardian

The town had most recently re-emerged in September 2022 amid a three-year drought that brought California’s lakes and reservoirs to record low levels and fueled wildfires and megablazes. Then came California’s historically wet and cold winter that left the state with a massive snowpack. Click here to continue reading

Raw fish and rainwater: Sailor and his dog survive 3 months adrift in Pacific

CBC News

An Australian sailor who had been adrift at sea with his dog for three months has been rescued by a Mexican tuna boat in international waters, the fishing vessel’s owner said Monday. Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, 54, was aboard his incapacitated catamaran Aloha Toa in the Pacific Ocean about 1,900 kilometres from land when the crew of the boat from the Grupomar fleet spotted them, the company said in a statement. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: NSW warned of bushfire dangers as dry El Niño looms after ‘prolific’ vegetation growth

The Guardian

New South Wales residents have been urged to prepare for the impending bushfire season, with three wet years and high vegetation growth possibly giving way to a dry El Niño summer. Click here to continue reading

Province announces $6 million for Great Lakes conservation projects

The Whig Standard

The Ontario government announced a new, $6-million investment in projects to protect, conserve and restore the Great Lakes as part of its Great Lakes Program during a news conference in Napanee on Monday morning. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: The UK’s water pipe upgrade has made it harder to detect leaks – now the race is on to discover new ways to find them

The Conversation (UK)

The UK is losing a staggering 3 billion litres of water each day through leaky pipes. The issue is not limited to the UK alone. Globally, almost 90 billion litres of water are lost daily, accounting for up to half of all the water pumped around the world. Click here to continue reading

Vancouver hands out more than $71,000 in water restriction fines as drought intensifies

Vancouver Sun

The city has also issued 395 warnings or letters to residents to advise them of unnecessary water usage. Hundreds of Vancouver residents have violated water restrictions, despite a conservation warning from the B.C. government as drought conditions intensify. Click here to continue reading

Southern Alberta drought putting pressure on residential water supply

Global News

The drought in southern Alberta has triggered a water restriction for the Town of Claresholm, the Hamlet of Granum, and the entire M.D. of Willow Creek. The area is under a Stage 2 water shortage response plan. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Drought leaves millions in Uruguay without tap water fit for drinking

The Guardian

More than half of Uruguay’s 3.5 million citizens are without access to tap water fit for drinking, and experts say the situation could continue for months. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: How a Saudi firm tapped a gusher of water in drought-stricken Arizona

The Washington Post

Lax rules let the foreign-owned company pump water from state land to grow alfalfa for the kingdom’s cattle. After almost a decade, the deal is in jeopardy. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Asia floods: Death toll climbs in severe monsoon season

BBC News

More than 100 people have died across Asia this month as the vast region experiences an intense monsoon season. The past fortnight has seen extreme rain that has caused floods and landslides across several countries including India, China and Japan. Click here to continue reading

It just kind of crept up on us

The Western Producer

The use of irrigation in Alberta’s Eastern Irrigation District has had a transformational effect on the landscape since the Canadian Pacific Railway first began the project of bringing water to the parched landscape of southeastern Alberta in the early 20th century. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Climate change is increasing stress on thousands of aging dams across the US

The Conversation (US)

There are more than 91,000 dams across the U.S. The average dam age is 60 years and more than 8,000 dams are over 90 years old. The most recent American Society of Civil Engineers’ report card for the nation’s infrastructure gave U.S. dams an overall “D” grade and estimated that more than 2,300 high hazard potential dams (those whose failure could cause loss of life or serious property damage) lacked emergency action plans. Click here to continue reading

Drought conditions at highest level in parts of B.C. as province warns of tightening water restrictions

CBC News

Two-thirds of the province’s water basins are now at Level 4 or 5 drought. Leaders in British Columbia are sounding the alarm about looming water scarcity and future use restrictions as drought levels in parts of the province have been elevated to the most severe end of the scale. Click here to continue reading

Receding water levels a concern for Gull Lake, Alta.

Global News

Residents of Gull Lake, Alta., are concerned about drastically receding water levels and are trying to come up with creative solutions to refill the popular lake. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: Meltwater is hydro-fracking Greenland’s ice sheet through millions of hairline cracks – destabilizing its internal structure

The Conversation (Global)

As glacial meltwater funnels into moulins, it bores a complex network of tunnels through the ice sheet that extend many hundreds of meters down to the ice sheet bed. When it reaches the subglacial drainage system it has major consequences for the thermodynamics and flow of the overlying ice sheet. A 2022 study found that even if atmospheric warming stopped now, at least 27 centimetres of sea level rise is inevitable because of Greenland’s imbalance with its past two decades of climate. Click here to continue reading

Compare and contrast: 920 million people could face conflict over the world’s rivers by 2050: what our study found in Africa

The Conversation (Africa)

Africa has 66 transboundary river basins. Hundreds of rivers are shared between two or more countries. Sharing waters can be a source of cooperation or conflict. This depends on economic, cultural and institutional conditions. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Removing dams from the Klamath River is a step toward justice for Native Americans in Northern California

The Conversation (Canada)

Historically, the Klamath was the third-largest Pacific salmon-producing river on the West Coast. But dams and irrigation systems built before the 1960s – along with other pressures, such as logging, mining and overharvesting – have separated fish from their spawning habitats and Indigenous cultures from sacred fish. Recognizing this harm, state, federal and tribal agencies now are removing four of the Klamath’s six dams to let fish migrate farther upstream to historical habitats. Click here to continue reading

Rural municipalities declare ag disaster in Alta.

The Western Producer

More counties are expected to make the declaration as the impact of extremely dry weather continues to affect producers. A swath of Alberta continues to experience extremely dry conditions during what is traditionally the wettest time of year. Rainfall hasn’t fallen at all along an area of the southern portion of the province since the beginning of June. Click here to continue reading

Canada’s Crawford Lake chosen as ‘golden spike’ to mark proposed new epoch

CBC News

Scientists have picked the bottom of Crawford Lake in Ontario as the “golden spike” to mark the start of a new proposed geological epoch — the Anthropocene. The announcement was made at a media conference in Berlin Tuesday by a group of scientists called the Anthropocene Working Group — more on them later. Here’s why the lake was chosen and what evidence it provides that humans have made such big changes to the Earth that we may be in a new geologic time period. Click here to continue reading

Gull Lake Watershed Society hopes increasing membership will push government to address dropping water levels

Ponoka News

Members of the Gull Lake Watershed Society (GLWS) are hoping to have their concerns heard by increasing their voices along with their membership. GLWS membership director Henry Brander says the water level of Gull Lake is nearly at crisis level, and the society wants the government to consider their suggestions on how to safely pump more water into the lake. Click here to continue reading

Canada calls for halt to deep-sea mining amid fears of ecological devastation

The Guardian

Canada has joined a growing list of nations calling for a pause on deep-sea mining in international waters amid fears the nascent, untested industry could cause ecological devastation without further study and clear safeguards. Click here to continue reading

Study: Water temperature found to not impact blue-green algae blooms

Water Canada

Even if most cyanobacteria blooms in Canada’s lakes happen during the hottest periods of summer, water temperature seems to have little to no impact on the development of these potentially toxic bacteria better known as blue-green algae. Details of this discovery made by an international research team including scientists from Université Laval were published in the journal Harmful Algae. Click here to continue reading

Newmarket’s pilot leak detection program works at saving water

Water Canada

Newmarket’s Water Meter Replacement Program is continuing with great success to replace and upgrade all water meters in Town. The aim is to replace or upgrade all water meters (residential and businesses) across Town to increase efficiencies and provide even better services to residents. To date, the Town and its contractor WAMCO have upgraded or replaced 30 per cent of the Town’s water meters. Click here to continue reading

Plastic pollution on coral reefs gets worse the deeper you go, study finds

The Guardian

No part of the planet is free of plastic waste, and coral reefs are no exception, but scientists have now made the discovery that the deeper the reef, the more plastic debris it is likely to have. A study published in Nature found that not only is every coral reef encumbered with plastic, but almost three-quarters of the larger items were from “ghost gear” – fishing paraphernalia such as ropes, lines and nets. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Australian trial of seaweed cow feed fails to achieve hoped-for methane cuts

The Guardian

One of the world’s longest commercial trials of a seaweed supplement that the global meat industry hopes could slash methane from beef cattle has recorded much lower reductions in the potent greenhouse gas than previous studies. Click here to continue reading

Pesticides from farming leach into world’s waterways at rate of 710 tonnes a year, UN research shows

The Guardian

Agricultural pesticides leach far from their original sources into the world’s waterways, according to new research which finds pesticides exceed safe levels in 13,000km of rivers globally. Click here to continue reading

World’s oceans changing colour due to climate breakdown, study suggests

The Guardian

Earth’s oceans are changing colour and climate breakdown is probably to blame, according to research. The deep blue sea is actually becoming steadily greener over time, according to the study, with areas in the low latitudes near the equator especially affected. Click here to continue reading

After heavy rains, floodwaters begin to recede in parts of Quebec

CBC News

Residents who left their homes amid the threat of flooding in southern Quebec are returning home on Wednesday, but the extent of the damage caused by diluvial rains is yet unclear and public officials are warning about the risk of landslides. Click here to continue reading

‘Heartless’: Edmonton’s removal of two public water fountains during heat wave harmful, says advocate

Edmonton Journal 

Two recently-installed public water stations Downtown have been quietly and suddenly disconnected, a move one advocate called a “heartless” decision by the city amid temperatures so hot it prompted a heat warning in Edmonton this past weekend. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Aerial video shows buildings swamped by deadly floods and landslides in Japan – video

The Guardian

The Japan meteorological agency warned residents of Kyushu – one of the country’s four main islands – to stay alert for more landslides, a common hazard in mountainous areas after heavy rainfall. Japan has been hit by unusually heavy rain and powerful typhoons in recent years, raising fears about its vulnerability to the climate crisis. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘It’s pillage’: thirsty Uruguayans decry Google’s plan to exploit water supply

The Guardian

A plan to build a Google data centre that will use millions of litres of water a day has sparked anger in Uruguay, which is suffering its worst drought in 74 years. Water shortages are so severe in the country that a state of emergency has been declared in Montevideo and the authorities have added salty water to the public drinking water supplies, prompting widespread protests. Click here to continue reading

Manitoba Government announces action plan for water resources

Water Canada

The Manitoba government has released its initial water strategy action plan—a focused guide to specific actions to ensure sustainability of the province’s valuable water resources for current and future generations of Manitobans, Environment and Climate Minister Kevin Klein and Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson announced today. Click here to continue reading

Ducks Unlimited Canada to deliver 40 wetland projects in Southern Ontario

Water Canada

Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is preparing to restore or enhance 40 wetlands across southern Ontario thanks to renewed investments in the Wetlands Conservation Partner Program, (WCPP). At a recent news conference, David Piccini, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks renewed the Government of Ontario’s commitment to fund wetland projects in the Great Lakes Region. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Vermont flooding leads to state of emergency declaration for entire state

CBC News

A storm that dumped up to two months of rain in two days in Vermont and other parts of the U.S. northeast brought more flooding Tuesday in communities marooned by water, where a dam just upstream was threatening to overflow. If water pours over the dam on the Winooski River that flows through the state capital Montpelier, it could surge through downtown blocks where the floods were already waist-high. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Massachusetts drinking water may contain unsafe levels of manganese

Science Daily

A new study has found that concentrations of manganese in a Massachusetts community’s drinking water often surpassed the maximum recommended levels of manganese stated in current guidelines. The findings also suggest that the observed manganese levels may be high enough to pose a risk to children and other vulnerable communities who are exposed. Click here to continue reading

Summer storms raise flood risk, force evacuations in Quebec

CBC News

Officials ordered the evacuation of some 220 homes in Ste-Brigitte-de-Laval, Que., near Quebec City, amid fears that heavy rains and rising water levels could lead to flash flooding. City manager Marc Proulx says 70 millimetres of rain fell over a few hours north of the town and that the water level of the Montmorency River is rising rapidly and the evacuation was ordered to ensure residents can leave safely. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: US faces deadly floods in north-east and longer heatwaves in south and west

The Guardian

Flash flood warnings were still in place in parts of Vermont on Tuesday morning, as the state capital Montpelier’s downtown was under water and officials fear a local dam could fail for the first time since it was built, threatening further inundation. Click here to continue reading

High beef prices a bright spot for Alberta producers coping with prolonged drought

CBC News

High prices on beef at the grocery store may be a pain for consumers, but it’s providing some relief for Alberta’s cattle farmers when they badly need it. Drought, wildfires, flooding. It’s already been a tough year for Alberta’s cattle farmers. Multiple counties in Alberta have declared agricultural disasters due to droughts, wildfires, and floods. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Some cities are digging up water mains and leaving lead pipe in the ground

Toronto Star

Around the country, utilities have been leaving lead pipe in the ground even when it is easiest to remove during water main work. Worse, they have been removing sections, disturbing the pipe and leaving the rest, which can spike lead levels, causing harm that will last a lifetime, an investigation by The Associated Press has found. Click here to continue reading

Lethbridge launches drinking water stations to help beat the heat

CTV News

Four new drinking water stations have opened as part of a pilot project by the City of Lethbridge to help keep residents hydrated. The four drinking water stations are part of a budget initiative launched by Lethbridge city councillor Nick Paladino. Click here to continue reading

Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation mandate letter

Government of Alberta

In her letter, the Premier outlines her expectations that Alberta continues to be the economic and job creation engine of Canada and asks Minister Sigurdson to deliver on a platform commitment to expand the Feeder Assistance Loan Guarantee to $3 million to support Alberta producers as they feed the country and compete in the global economy. Click here to continue reading

Many central Alberta crops have improved but more rain needed

Red Deer Advocate

However, the amount of rain has varied considerably across the county. Some land is so wet farmers are having a hard time getting in to spray, but others have seen very little moisture. The eastern part of the county appears drier than other areas. Click here to continue reading

Sask. irrigators left without water for weekend

Western Producer

Saskatchewan irrigators who use the Broderick reservoir won’t have access to water for three days because of low water flows at the Eastside pumping station on Lake Diefenbaker. The Water Security Agency confirmed July 7 that flows along the M1 canal into the reservoir were low, although lake levels were described as sufficient. Click here to continue reading

As Quebec gets wetter because of climate change, risks of landslides increase

Ponoka News

Climate change is likely to increase the frequency of weather events that cause landslides in Quebec, like the one that killed two people a week ago in the Saguenay—Lac-St-Jean region, said a researcher who studies natural risks. Click here to continue reading

Rescue in Calgary’s Confederation Park prompts concerns about flood mitigation work

Global News

The city is installing a debris screen across Confederation Creek to mitigate the flooding that had been occurring in the last several decades due to the clogging of debris at the downstream outfall. The area would be flooded for a long period of time because city crews could not safely get under the water to remove the debris. The city says this was a serious public safety issue. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: India floods: monsoon rains leave 22 dead in north as Delhi sees wettest July day in decades

The Guardian

Torrential rain across northern India has killed at least 22 people, causing landslides and flash floods in the region, with Delhi receiving the most rainfall in decades, reports and officials have said. Schools in Delhi were closed after heavy rains lashed the national capital over the weekend, and authorities in the Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand asked people not to venture out of their homes unless necessary. Click here to continue reading

Northwest Angle No. 33 First Nation completes a new water treatment plant and lifts three long-term drinking water advisories

Water Canada

The new centralized water treatment plant will provide reliable access to safe and clean drinking water for 100 residents. The water treatment plant meets the community’s current needs and has the capacity to support future population growth over the next 20 years. This community-led project includes the construction of a water treatment plant, raw water intake and distribution system upgrades. Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) provided approximately $19 million for the project to ensure clean drinking water for community residents. Click here to continue reading

Water Security Agency expanding support for channel clearing and drainage project maintenance

Water Canada

The Water Security Agency (WSA) is expanding its support to help rural landowners, communities and local governments complete channel clearing and drainage project maintenance in Saskatchewan. Up to $1 million is available as part of a cost share rebate for individual landowners, rural and small urban municipalities, conservation and development area authorities (C&Ds) and watershed associations. Click here to continue reading

Regenerative agriculture and drought

Sylvan Lake News

Considering the drought challenges of the last few years in Central Alberta, it’s worth looking at strategies to improve drought resilience on farms and ranches. Regenerative agricultural practices contribute significantly to building drought resistance. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Extreme flooding hits parts of N.Y. state

CBC News

Heavy rain sparked major floods in Orange County, N.Y., and surrounding areas over the weekend. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Tomato crisis hits India as rain ravages crops and prices rise 400%

The Guardian

Listening to the chatter at Delhi’s vegetable markets, only one question is on everyone’s lips: just how much will a tomato cost today? Prices of tomatoes, a staple of Indian cooking, have soared by more than 400% in recent weeks as the country has been gripped by a nationwide shortage. Click here to continue reading

Antarctic ice levels see ‘massive decrease,’ global climate researcher says

Global News

Antarctic sea ice levels reached record lows last month, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Monday, a development climate change experts described as worrisome. WMO said that Antarctic sea ice levels last month — the hottest June ever recorded — were at their lowest since satellite observations began, at 17 per cent below average. Click here to continue reading

Microbial predators cause seasonal fluctuations in wastewater treatment

Science Daily

In wastewater treatment plants, a precisely coordinated interaction of different microorganisms takes place in order to effectively treat wastewater. However, a large part of the microorganisms involved in water treatment is still unknown. In addition to the beneficial bacteria that are responsible for purifying wastewater, many of their predators can also be found in the bioreactors. However, little is known so far about whether and to what extent these predators influence wastewater treatment. Click here to continue reading

Low water levels highlight system’s limitations

The Western Producer

Nearly $1 billion in funding for irrigation expansion in southern Alberta has been announced during the past two years with the potential to boost the region’s acres under pivot by 15 percent. However, this season’s reductions in water allocations due to low river levels, has cast doubt on what the impacts will be of potentially adding more than 200,000 acres to the irrigation system. Click here to continue reading

Asian clams’ spread in Columbia River warns of worse invaders

Science Daily

The invasive Asian clam is more common in the lower Columbia River than its native habitat of southeast Asia, according to a study of the clam’s abundance in the river. The findings don’t bode well for potential future invasions by the even more destructive quagga and zebra mussels. So far, the Columbia is one of the only major U.S. rivers to remain free of these notorious ecology-destroying, equipment-clogging bivalves. Click here to continue reading

At least 50 dead in Pakistan monsoon floods since end of June

The Guardian

At least 50 people, including eight children, have been killed by floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains that have lashed Pakistan since last month, officials have said. The summer monsoon between June and September brings 70-80% of south Asia’s annual rainfall every year. It is vital for the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security in a region of about 2 billion people – but it also triggers landslides and floods. Click here to continue reading

Chlorination and filtration is selected as the preferred water treatment option for manganese removal, Quesnel, B.C.

Water Canada

The City of Quesnel has hired drinking water engineers to create a water treatment system design to remove manganese from the drinking water. They have completed conceptual designs and are now furthering the design phase. Chlorination and filtration using pyrolusite media is selected as the preferred treatment option. Click here to continue reading

Water management program turns on taps for more B.C. farms

Water Canada

The program will support more efficient water management, including the use of leading-edge technology in water-scarce and drought-prone areas, so available water can be maximized for agricultural uses, such as irrigation and livestock watering. Support for additional water infrastructure will also be considered if there is high potential for farmland expansion or if the increase in water supply will lead to more agricultural production. Click here to continue reading

There are thousands of tonnes of methane emissions being released by melting glaciers: study

CTV News

Our current projections for fighting climate change are based on the greenhouse gas sources that we already know about — but we could be dangerously underestimating, according to a new study looking at a greenhouse gas source that has, up until this point, been hidden under ice. Click here to continue reading

Extreme weather causes flash floods, hail and power outages in Calgary

Global News

Flash floods were reported across many major roads in Calgary. Some affected roads were Stoney Trail, John Laurie Boulevard, 16th Avenue, and Crowchild Trail. Calgary police confirm that there were no injuries but officers did assist in checking on a number of people who were stuck in their vehicles waiting for help. Click here to continue reading

Seeking a safe place for one of Canada’s most endangered freshwater fish

CBC News

The effort to save one of Canada’s most endangered freshwater fish now involves electronic tracking of specimens bred in captivity and released into the Nova Scotia watershed that holds the world’s only remaining wild population. Last week, a final batch of 30 tagged Atlantic whitefish were released in the Petite Rivière system behind the town of Bridgewater on the province’s South Shore. Click here to continue reading

Plants can shed light on how best to clean wastewater

The Western Producer

Industrial and urban wastewater is often a jumbled mixture of contaminated liquid, minerals, metals and nutrients — all valuable resources. Much of Canada’s wastewater is urban effluent that has been treated and discharged into sewer systems. Industrial wastewater must be managed under federal regulations. But if the minerals, metals and nutrient resources in wastewater could be extracted in a pure form, they would be invaluable for use in other industries such as agriculture, aquaculture, battery recycling and desalination. Click here to continue reading

Ukrainian farmers prepare for desert’s arrival

The Western Producer

Until recently, Ukrainians were proud that the only desert in Europe existed here — Oleshkiv Sands in the southern Kherson region. This tiny desert was formed after the last ice age and emerged 100 years ago when vegetation was reduced due to overgrazing by sheep. It became an example of the misuse of natural resources. Unfortunately, in a few years, farmers in the area fear the entire Kherson region will turn into a desert, along with neighbouring regions. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Ofwat boss denies water industry badly regulated as he predicts higher bills

The Guardian

Water companies will be seeking big bill rises as they face huge infrastructure investment demands, the chief executive of the water regulator, Ofwat, has said. David Black denied that the water industry was badly regulated and defended Ofwat’s role in an industry saddled with debt and facing public anger over poor performance, high dividends, executive pay and sewage pollution. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: China floods: Xi Jinping urges action as rains kill 15 and displace thousands

The Guardian

Heavy rain has displaced thousands of people in the centre of China, and destroyed bridges and other property. Video captured one building in southwest Chongqing crumbling into a raging torrent, and the national broadcaster reported a railway bridge collapsed after it was weakened by flood waters in the same region. Click here to continue reading

Selkirk, Manitoba says goodbye to fossil fuels in water treatment plant

Water Canada

The City of Selkirk’s water treatment plant is now heated and cooled with a geothermal system, and it joins the wastewater treatment plant as the second utility to operate without fossil fuels. One half of the building – the original side, built in 1961 – was converted to the geothermal system first and the second half was completed this year. Click here to continue reading

Fish mercury peaks in winter and near spawning, and reduces after growing season, study suggests

Science Daily

Fish consumption has long been associated with numerous health benefits. However, it is also the main dietary source of toxic mercury in humans. A year-round study from a boreal lake shows that mercury concentration in some fishes is significantly higher in winter and near spring spawning and lowest in autumn. Click here to continue reading

The depths of Canada’s chronic Indigenous community water problems start at the top, say experts

Northern Ontario Business

Access to clean, drinkable water is a widely acknowledged basic human right. But Canada seems to be running on two different sets of standards when it comes to executing on sewer and water treatment projects in Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, according to one expert panel this week. Click here to continue reading

Alberta Health Services issues blue-green algae advisory for several lakes

Global News

Alberta Health Services (AHS) has issued blue-green algae advisories for 13 lakes across the province. Jay White, an Alberta biologist, said advisories come when algae floats to the surface and looks like a paint-coloured stain on the water. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘Watermelon snow’ cloaks mountains of US west with mysterious color

The Guardian 

High up in the mountains, amid pinyon pine and quaking aspen trees, the remaining remnants of the winter’s snow is dotted with hues of pinks, purples and oranges. Hikers, campers and church youth groups journeying by grasp it in their palms and liken it to flavored snow cones, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, pink lemonade, dissolved blood or if passersby conducted an art project using red food coloring. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: EPA begins to clean up black globs of asphalt from Yellowstone River train derailment

The Guardian

Globs of asphalt binder that spilled into Montana’s Yellowstone River during a bridge collapse and train derailment could be seen on islands and riverbanks downstream from Yellowstone National Park a week after the spill occurred, witnesses report. Click here to continue reading

‘Tar-like substance’ seeping out of ground among environmental concerns at Alberta park

CBC News

The Alberta government is trying to identify the risks and liabilities of continuing to operate an Edmonton-area park in the river valley, tender documents show. The province recently posted a request for proposals (RFP) for a Phase 2 environmental assessment of the Strathcona Science Provincial Park, just east of Edmonton. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘Stay out of the water’: what lurks below California’s zombie lake?

The Guardian

There are portions of California’s Tulare Lake, with its blue water that stretches for miles and birds bobbing around the shoreline, where it can be easy to forget that a few months ago, none of this was here at all. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Taps run dry on Thai island as tourism boom worsens water shortage

The Guardian

Authorities on Koh Samui are working to tackle a water shortage that has left taps running dry often for months, saying they do not want the Thai island to become a “disaster zone”. A lack of rain and a resurgence in tourism has put intense pressure on supplies, prompting Sutham Samthong, a deputy mayor of Koh Samui, to urge the public to use supplies sparingly. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: UK holds crisis talks as top water supplier seeks cash

Reuters

The British government has held emergency talks over the fate of the country’s biggest water supplier, Thames Water, and said it is ready for any outcome, including temporary state ownership, as the company buckles under huge debts. Click here to continue reading

Rain helps but much of the Prairies remain dry

The Western Producer

Spring rain that usually hits the Prairies in May came about a month later, and while the situation improved, southern Alberta producers continue to experience dry conditions. “It’s been wild,” Laura Richard, Agriculture Canada agroclimate analyst, said of this spring. Leading into the last week of spring, Richard said several record 24-hour rainfall events hit Alberta. But the volume and speed in which the precipitation fell may have not allowed for soil infiltration. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Agriculture moves through the eras on the Mississippi

The Western Producer

The canal today is a silted-in wetland, home to a community of songbirds, bugs, marsh plants and hardy riparian weeds that have found a home along the stone and brickwork of the broken wharf. Rising above it are the ruins of Minneapolis mills, the broken walls, rusting iron and half-hidden arches providing mute testimony to the time when the city was known as the “Flour Milling Capital of the World.” Click here to continue reading

Alta. irrigation taps turned back on, but questions remain over the issue

The Western Producer

The water is flowing again through the canals of the Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District, but questions percolate over why one of Alberta’s major irrigation systems has been unable to provide early season water to its stakeholders for the second straight year. Click here to continue reading

Foothills County latest to declare agricultural disaster as drought grips areas of Alberta

CBC News

A lack of early season moisture, unseasonably high temperatures and varying winter snowpack have led to poor growing conditions throughout Foothills County, south of Calgary, prompting the municipal district on Wednesday to declare a municipal agricultural disaster. Click here to continue reading

A failed sewer installation has left this Alberta village millions of dollars in debt

CTV News

The summer village of Ma-Me-O Beach on Pigeon Lake is facing a bill for millions of dollars as a result of a failed attempt to install a sewage system in the community. “In many ways it has divided our community,” Mayor Christine Holmes told CTV News Edmonton. “It has been a very big topic for a number of years. Going into our hundredth anniversary this year it’s tough to see that we’re not concluded yet.” Click here to continue reading

Blue-green algae advisory issued for Isle Lake west of Edmonton

Edmonton Journal

Keep an eye out for the blue-green stuff if you have plans at Isle Lake this Canada Day long weekend. Alberta Health Services says Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, has been seen in the waters of the lake about 80 kilometres west of Edmonton. Click here to continue reading

Flooded streets, power outages reported in Calgary after storm passes through

Global News

A summer storm passed through Calgary on Thursday evening resulting in some streets and underpasses being flooded while downed power lines were seen in other areas. Environment Canada issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the city at 6:43 p.m. and said its meteorologists were tracking “a severe thunderstorm capable of producing very strong wind gusts, up to nickel-sized hail and heavy rain.” Click here to continue reading

Study: Recycling phosphorus from wastewater to grow better crops

Water Canada

Researchers are helping close the loop on the sustainability cycle with research into nutrient-enhanced biochar — a charcoal-like material made by heating recycled biomass in the absence of oxygen (a process called pyrolysis). Biomass is any living or once-living material – including plants, trees, and animal waste – that can be used as a source of energy. Click here to continue reading

Sinkholes close road in northwest Calgary

CTV News

A massive storm in Calgary on Thursday evening brought intense hail, strong winds and also enough rain to flood plenty of roads. Several small sinkholes opened up in the road at 10 Street and 13 Avenue N.W. in the wake of the storm, prompting city crews to block off the road for repairs. No one appears to have been hurt and no vehicles were damaged when the sinkhole opened up. Click here to continue reading

Mountains vulnerable to extreme rain from climate change

Science Daily

As the world warms, extreme weather events grow — and they also change. Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) found that climate change is shifting snowfall to rainfall on mountains across the Northern Hemisphere. Those surges of liquid water bring a distinct set of dangers, including floods, landslides, and soil erosion. Click here to continue reading

Pace of blue-green algae blooms in Alberta lakes so far ‘a little bit concerning,’ researcher says

CBC News

Edmonton resident Jill Hunter was surprised to find visible blooms of blue-green algae along the shore when she arrived at Astotin Lake in Elk Island National Park on Wednesday. “This seems really early,” Hunter said, after canoeing at the popular swimming and recreation area 60 kilometres northeast of Edmonton. Rolf Vinebrooke, a professor of fresh water ecology at the University of Alberta, agrees. Click here to continue reading

Manitoba Government working with municipalities to streamline legacy drainage compliance

Water Canada

The Manitoba government is responding to feedback from municipalities to help take a co-ordinated approach on bringing unlicensed drainage works into compliance and achieve best value from the licensing system, Environment and Climate Minister Kevin Klein announced today. Click here to continue reading

Proactive monitoring ensures high quality drinking water, Coquitlam

Water Canada

Thirsty in Coquitlam? Skip the bottled water and filters and enjoy top quality drinking water right from the tap. According to an annual report on the City’s drinking water, Coquitlam’s diligent and proactive monitoring and maintenance of its water system is continuing to produce safe, clean and excellent quality drinking water. Click here to continue reading

Big Lake water quality advisory ended after 5 months

Global News

Alberta Health Services announced Wednesday that it has lifted the water quality advisory issued Jan. 19 for the water of Big Lake in the Edmonton area. The lake is connected to the Sturgeon River northwest of Edmonton and west of St. Albert, bordering Parkland and Sturgeon County. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Saved by seaweed: nuns and Native women heal polluted New York waters using kelp

The Guardian

The sisters are a part of a unique collaboration: situated on the edge of a bay, they have helped a group of women from the Shinnecock, a local Indigenous tribe, start a kelp farm in the hopes of cleaning up the pollution in their shared backyard. Click here to continue reading

Don’t wait, desalinate: A new approach to water purification

Science Daily

A water purification system separates out salt and other unnecessary particles with an electrified version of dialysis. Successfully applied to wastewater with planned expansion into rivers and seas, the method saves money and saps 90% less energy than its counterparts. Click here to continue reading

Fast transition could indicate a strong El Nino

The Western Producer

It could evolve into a strong and persistent El Niño weather pattern or it might be moderate and short lived — It’s too early to tell. However, some forecasters think it could become a powerful El Niño. In the simplest terms, El Niño is when “surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific… become warmer than average,” says the Environment Canada website. Click here to continue reading

Woodlands County assessing flood damage as all evacuation orders end

CTV News

All Woodland County evacuation orders caused by flooding are over as of Tuesday. Parts of the county northwest of Edmonton were evacuated last week after days of rain, and the damage from it is now being assessed. Click here to continue reading

Study of deep-sea corals reveals ocean currents have not fueled rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide

Science Daily

Pioneering analysis of deep-sea corals has overturned the idea that ocean currents contributed to increasing global levels of carbon dioxide in the air over the past 11,000 years. The study, led by the University of Bristol in the UK and Nanjing University in China, examined historic deep-sea corals to shed intriguing new light on the history of ocean chemistry. Click here to continue reading

Nose Creek Watershed Partnership wins Alberta Emerald Award for Environmental Leadership Governance

Water Canada

The Nose Creek Watershed Partnership, comprised of the City of Airdrie, City of Calgary, Rocky View County, Town of Crossfield, Calgary Airport Authority and the Bow River Basin Council, has been honoured with an Alberta Emerald Award in the Government category. This award showcases organizations that demonstrate exemplary commitment to addressing environmental and climate change issues and highlights the efforts undertaken by the Partnership to support healthy and resilient watersheds. Click here to continue reading

Emulating how krill swim to build a robotic platform for ocean navigation

Science Daily

Picture a network of interconnected, autonomous robots working together in a coordinated dance to navigate the pitch-black surroundings of the ocean while carrying out scientific surveys or search-and-rescue missions. Click here to continue reading

Orca calf spotted near Tofino, B.C., an apparent new addition to an endangered pod

CTV News

A baby orca has apparently been born to an endangered killer whale population in the Pacific Northwest, scientists reported. The Center for Whale Research announced the baby orca Friday on Facebook, saying the organization received photos showing what appears to be a new calf in L pod, part of the population known as the southern resident orcas, near Tofino, British Columbia. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Call for Thames Water inquiry after children fell ill after swimming in river

The Guardian

Thames Water customers have called for an urgent inquiry into the company’s finances after children became seriously unwell from swimming in the river and homes were left without water during a drought. Campaigners have expressed astonishment that the company may be bailed out by the taxpayer after it failed to invest appropriately in infrastructure to stop sewage spills and leaks. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘It gets worse every day’: why are sea lions and dolphins dying along California’s coast?

The Guardian

The culprit is an algae named pseudo-nitzschia, which produces an amino acid that can act as a neurotoxin. A similar outbreak last year sickened dozens of sea lions and other marine life, but many think this year’s outbreak is even worse. Sam Dover, a co-founder of CIMWI and its director of veterinary medicine, notes that “in 35 years of doing this work, the current crisis is just unprecedented”. Click here to continue reading

City of Red Deer loses appeal to get provincial disaster relief for residents

Red Deer Advocate

Provincial disaster relief funding for private property owners in Red Deer, who were impacted by flooding last June, has been denied on appeal. Last fall the city submitted an application to the province for an estimated $4.5 to $6 million on behalf of about 300 residents and property owners. Click here to continue reading

Lacombe County fishing for boat launch funding

Red Deer Advocate

Lacombe County is testing the waters to see if there is any provincial or federal funding available to build new boat launches on Sylvan or Gull Lakes. Boat launches have been on the county’s radar screen for well over two decades. A number of studies have been done over the years to narrow down the best locations. Click here to continue reading

Alberta regulator issues clean-up order to Cenovus after diesel spill in northern Alberta lake

CBC News

Cenovus Energy Inc. has been issued a clean-up order by the Alberta Energy Regulator after more than 1,000 litres of diesel spilled into a northern Alberta lake. The non-compliance order issued by the regulator last week says Cenovus was operating a temporary diesel generator earlier this month near Rainbow Lake as a result of the loss of electricity infrastructure due to wildfire. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: ‘We could lose our status as a state’: what happens to a people when their land disappears

The Guardian

Small island nations would rather fight than flee, but rising sea levels have prompted apocalyptic legal discussions about whether a state is still a state if its land disappears below the waves. Click here to continue reading

Making waves: SAIT students dive into real-world water solutions

Water Canada

Water, water everywhere! It’s a compound we can’t live without. Yet, as much as we rely on water for our survival, it can also be a source of damage — with flooding wreaking havoc on crops and communities, and scarcity impacting health and survival. Southern Alberta Institute of Technology’s (SAIT) Integrated Water Management students are starting local with solutions to tackle the threat of flooding damage as well as increasing conservation in landscape use. Click here to continue reading

CBRM advancing plans to establish a UARB-regulated water/wastewater commission

Water Canada

Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) Council has moved a step forward in the establishment of a new governance and operational structure for water and wastewater in CBRM. The CBRM Water Utility and CBRM Wastewater Department are in process of becoming a Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (UARB)-regulated commission named the CBRM Water and Wastewater Commission. Click here to continue reading

Wastewater surveillance continues to show persistent levels of SARS-CoV-2 as society reopens, February to December 2022

Water Canada

Statistics Canada, in partnership with the National Microbiology Laboratory from the Public Health Agency of Canada, continues to collect the Canadian Wastewater Survey (CWS) to better understand the levels of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in the wastewater of five Canadian municipalities (Metro Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Montréal, and Halifax). Click here to continue reading

After the flood: Alberta communities assessing damage as water levels recede

CBC News

West-central Alberta communities are assessing damage and making repairs as flood waters recede. In the town of Edson, 100 kilometres west of Edmonton, a state of local emergency ended Monday after a tumultuous two weeks of fire and flood. Flooding prompted the emergency declaration on June 19, just days after town residents had been given the green light to go home after six days under wildfire evacuation orders. Click here to continue reading

‘It’s absolutely guaranteed’: the best and worst case scenarios for sea level rise

The Guardian

Not only is dangerous sea level rise “absolutely guaranteed”, but it will keep rising for centuries or millennia even if the world stopped emitting greenhouse gases tomorrow, experts say. Rising seas are one of the most severe consequences of a heating climate that are already being felt. Since the 1880s, mean sea level globally has already risen by 16cm to 21cm (6-8in). Half of that rise has happened over the past three decades. Click here to continue reading

Rain gardens could save salmon from toxic tire chemicals

Science Daily

Specially designed gardens could reduce the amount of a toxic chemical associated with tires entering our waterways by more than 90 per cent, new research shows. The chemical 6PPD-quinone can form when car tires interact with the atmosphere. It enters rivers and streams when rain runs off roads into waterways. It is toxic to coho salmon, rainbow trout and some other fish. Click here to continue reading

Potentially harmful blue-green algae found at Twin Valley Reservoir north of Claresholm

CTV News

Alberta Health Services (AHS) is warning people to avoid the water at the Twin Valley Reservoir, north of Claresholm, Alta., due to the presence of blue-green algae. Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, is naturally occurring but can potentially produce toxins that are harmful to people and pets. Click here to continue reading

‘Scary moment’ as orcas disrupt ocean boat race in latest display of puzzling behaviour

CBC News

A pod of killer whales bumped one of the boats in an endurance sailing race as it approached the Strait of Gibraltar, the latest encounter in what researchers say is a growing trend of aggressive interactions with Iberian orcas. Click here to continue reading

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

Mississauga council approves new stormwater master plan

Water Canada

Mississauga council has approved the City’s first Stormwater Master Plan, Build Beautiful. The long-term plan will be used to refine the City’s stormwater program, stormwater management systems and infrastructure. Click here to continue reading

City of Winnipeg and Downtown Winnipeg BIZ unveil tribute to Shoal Lake 40 First Nation and source of Winnipeg’s drinking water

Water Canada

The City of Winnipeg and Downtown Winnipeg BIZ unveiled a tribute to the community of Shoal Lake 40 First Nation during a ceremony at the newly refurbished Broadway Centennial Fountain, located on the boulevard along Broadway at Donald Street. Mayor Scott Gillingham, Councillor Sherri Rollins, and Kate Fenske, CEO of Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, were joined by Chief Kevin Redsky and members of Shoal Lake 40 First Nation in honouring the community’s contributions to the City of Winnipeg. Click here to continue reading

Nunavut Planning Commission submits territory-wide land use plan for approval

CBC News

After 16 years and four drafts, Nunavut is one step closer to having a territory-wide land use plan. The 129-page document, released late on Tuesday, is the largest plan of its kind in the world, covering one fifth of Canada’s land mass. The latest draft, in 2021, was the subject of hearings across the territory last year. Work on the plan started in 2007. Click here to continue reading

‘Water comes crashing in’: The science behind the ‘catastrophic implosion’ that killed 5 on the Titan

CTV News

Parts of the Titan submersible, the subject of a massive search this past week, were found scattered across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. Officials from the U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday the “debris field” was discovered 500 metres from the wreckage of the Titanic, and is likely due to an implosion. Click here to continue reading

4 river valley trails closed due to high water levels

CTV News

A number of North Saskatchewan River valley trails were closed on Wednesday after water levels grew. Click here to continue reading

Alberta floods: Part of Whitecourt evacuation order lifts Wednesday

Global News

Some residents of Whitecourt, Alta., were allowed to return home Wednesday as a flood evacuation order lifted in the afternoon. Both the Athabasca and McLeod rivers overflowed their banks Tuesday, prompting the evacuation orders and the town to declare a state of local emergency. Click here to continue reading

Flash floods prompt evacuations northwest of Edmonton

CTV News

Areas northwest of Edmonton were evacuated late Wednesday afternoon due to flash floods. Woodlands County issued several evacuations order throughout the afternoon and evening. Click here to continue reading

First Nation on Vancouver Island declares marine protected area

CBC News

The Tsawout First Nation, located 20 kilometres north of Victoria, B.C., has declared an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) for 155 kilometres of ocean in its traditional waters. The area will be called QEN’T Marine Protected Area. QEN’T — pronounced “qwant” — means “to be looking after,” “caring for,” or “protecting something or someone” in SENĆOŦEN. Click here to continue reading

Elnora resident appeals to council for water access

East Central Alberta Review

An Elnora resident spoke to council during their regular June 13 meeting regarding getting water to his property. Doug Mose is trying to get water to his property to ensure that there is water for the horses on his acreage. There is currently no water line going to Mose’s property. He said he does not need a lot of water on the property but it would be something he would like to have. Click here to continue reading

Manitoba Government highlights positive results from first meeting of City of Winnipeg wastewater infrastructure task force

Water Canada

Representatives from the Manitoba government and the City of Winnipeg held the first meeting of the City of Winnipeg Wastewater Infrastructure Task Force on June 1 to lay the groundwork for a collaborative approach to addressing Winnipeg’s wastewater infrastructure needs, Environment and Climate Minister Kevin Klein said today. Click here to continue reading

Agreements address Columbia River Treaty impacts on Indigenous Nations

Water Canada

The Ktunaxa, Secwépemc and Syilx Okanagan Nations and their members will benefit from new interim agreements that share revenue generated from the Columbia River Treaty. Through the three separate interim agreements, the Ktunaxa Nation, Secwépemc Nation and Syilx Okanagan Nation will each receive 5% of the revenue generated through the sale of Canada’s share of downstream power benefits under the treaty, otherwise known as the Canadian Entitlement. The proposed interim agreements will share this revenue over four years. Click here to continue reading

How will Lake Huron’s shoreline look in 100 years? Here’s the map

CBC News

Shoreline change is a problem plaguing many communities on the Great Lakes, as locals watch sections of it slip into the water. Now, the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority in southwestern Ontario has created urgently needed maps showing the huge impact of these shifts in temperatures and weather — large swaths of Lake Huron’s shoreline could be under water in 100 years, including cottages, waterfronts and a marina. Click here to continue reading

Water flow in Alberta is ‘exceptionally low’ this year and could pose challenges for fish

CBC News

Lorne Fitch, a longtime fisheries biologist and former adjunct professor at the University of Calgary, is often out on a boat, checking out the headwaters of the Oldman River. “It’s been an interesting view of a year that doesn’t seem to follow anything that resembles a normal pattern,” Fitch said. In Alberta, June typically brings high levels of rain, which hasn’t been the case this year. Click here to continue reading

Flash droughts can pose risk to crop production

The Western Producer

David Phillips, Canada’s best known weatherman, says flash droughts are becoming more common in Canada and around the world. It’s not an everyday term; most people are likely more familiar with flash floods. However, parts of the eastern Prairies may have endured a flash drought this spring. From May 25 until June 6, Brandon recorded seven days with temperatures above 30 C. Click here to continue reading

Water crisis deepens for southern Alta. irrigators

The Western Producer

Liner repairs to the Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District’s canal system continue, but shortage becoming desperate. The situation for those using water supplied by the Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District in southern Alberta is becoming desperate. The latest information from LNID does not bode well for irrigation farmers, as emergency repairs continue on a liner that feeds the canal system. It runs from west of Fort Macleod to east of Picture Butte. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: U.S. corn crop hits headwinds as dry conditions persist

The Western Producer

There are some early-season concerns about the U.S. corn crop. An estimated 45 percent of the crop was in the D1 to D4 drought categories as of June 6. As well, 61 percent was rated good to excellent as of June 11, which is unusually low. Click here to continue reading

Ukraine dam: Satellite images reveal Kakhovka canals drying up

BBC News

One of Europe’s largest reservoirs is drying up after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in southern Ukraine. Satellite images, analysed by BBC Verify, show four canal networks have become disconnected from the reservoir. The UN says drinking water supplies could be affected for more than 700,000 people, mostly in Russian-occupied areas. Click here to continue reading

Alberta floods: Whitecourt area rivers peak, evacuation orders expand

Global News

Two rivers in the area of Whitecourt, Alta., about 150 kilometers northwest of Edmonton, are experiencing high water levels and causing overland flooding, prompting evacuation orders for several areas along the rivers. Click here to continue reading

Dryness gets serious in cattle country

The Western Producer

The Canadian Cattle Association is monitoring dry conditions that have affected beef producers across the country, which might hasten shrinkage in the national herd that is already at its lowest since 1990. “When you’re looking at food security and you’re looking at the lowest number since 1990, and the economic side of things and potential trade and where everything lies, we really need to emphasize on getting this situation corrected,” said CCA president Nathan Phinney. Click here to continue reading

New study reveals irrigation’s mixed effects around the world

Science Daily

Trajectory of irrigation water use in many regions is unsustainable, but practice is vital in managing climate change and future agricultural development, researchers conclude. The analysis, which appears in the journal Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, also points to ways to improve assessments in order to achieve sustainable water use and food production in the future. Click here to continue reading

Rainy weather necessitates more mosquito control measures in Red Deer and area

Red Deer Advocate

Rainy weather is welcome in Central Alberta after an unusually hot and dry spring. But several days of non-stop precipitation will likely produce a “significant uptick” of nuisance mosquitoes this summer, said Ken Lehman, ecological services operations coordinator for the City of Red Deer. Click here to continue reading

‘It was devastating’: Medicine Hat reflects on 2013 flood

CTV News

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the 2013 floods that devastated Calgary. However, Calgary wasn’t the only city affected by what’s been called the worst flood in Alberta’s history. Click here to continue reading

‘We were actually shocked’: How a June snowfall impacted Jasper and its tourists

CTV News

Tour buses got stuck in snow and some campers were stranded, the park’s resource conservation manager told CTV News Edmonton. Six people were removed from Fisherman’s Bay by boat, and a helicopter rescued a group of hikers from Skyline Trail after their tent collapsed. Click here to continue reading

North Saskatchewan River rising rapidly, some Edmonton trails closed

Global News

The North Saskatchewan River has risen several metres in a matter of days, prompting the City of Edmonton to close river valley trails near the water Wednesday. On average, the city said the river level generally sits between three to four metres. Click here to continue reading

‘How dangerous the ocean can be’: Canadian city rallies for Titan rescue

The Guardian

Shortly after sunrise on Friday, a hulking icebreaker departed the protected waters of St John’s, Newfoundland, and ventured into the unpredictable vastness of the north Atlantic Ocean. Onboard the ship was an array of scientific monitoring equipment, cameras and a sleek, 22ft-long submersible named Titan. Click here to continue reading

Calgary more flood-resilient than in 2013, but remains vulnerable on Bow River

Global News

Ten years after the Bow and Elbow rivers spilled their banks, causing devastating impacts to Calgary, the city is halfway to being fully protected against a flood of similar scale. However, questions remain over protections on the Bow River. Click here to continue reading

Compare and Contrast: Orca rams into yacht off Shetland in first such incident in northern waters

The Guardian

An orca repeatedly rammed a yacht in the North Sea off Shetland on Monday, in a concerning development following previous interactions between the cetaceans and vessels in the strait of Gibraltar and Portugal. Click here to continue reading

Atlantic students help Canada’s first Indigenous Water and Wastewater Utility get off to a successful start