Farewell

After a remarkable ten-year journey, we are bidding adieu to our beloved newsletter, which has been faithfully delivered to your inboxes since 2014. Since its inception, newsletter has undergone various transformations...

Leaking Water Infrastructure in the U.S.

Water is a precious resource, essential for sustaining life and economic growth. However, the United States is facing a critical challenge in maintaining the integrity of its water infrastructure. Aging systems and underinvestment have resulted in...

Empowering States: Recent Court Rulings Grant Greater Power to Protect Groundwater

Groundwater serves as a vital source of drinking water and supports ecosystems, agriculture, and industrial needs. A wave of recent court rulings has bolstered the authority of states to protect invaluable groundwater resources...

Charting a Collaborative Course: California's Path to Sustainable Water Management

In 2022, California faced a stark reminder of its vulnerable water system when several miles of the Merced River were drained dry by agricultural demands, leaving officials grappling with the consequences only after the damage was done. This incident underscores...

Water affordability in Michigan

Like many states in America, water affordability is a significant concern in Michigan, affecting both rural areas and major cities. The challenges faced by Michigan's water infrastructure are multi-faceted. Rural areas often struggle...

Pajaro Valley Groundwater Fees

Regions with an agricultural-based economy are having to find ways to address water resource challenges to ensure long-term sustainability and preserve economic vitality. Pajaro Valley in California is known for its rich agricultural heritage...

Orange County Rate Hikes

In 2023, multiple cities in Orange County, California implemented water rate increases to address significant underinvestment and neglect of water infrastructure. These price increases were necessary to fund substantial maintenance...

MA Limits on Groundwater Withdrawals

The number of lawsuits over water rights and the protection of water for all is increasing, and as water becomes scarcer, water protection is gaining popularity. The recent court ruling in Springfield Water and Sewer Commission...

U.S. Water Rates Up 55% Since 2012

A press release issued in December 2023 by Bloomfield Research highlights findings from its recent report, U.S. Municipal Water & Sewer: Annual Utility Rate Index, indicating that the average U.S. household has seen rates for combined water and sewer...

Reuse on Montana Slopes

For communities economically reliant on industries that require a great deal of water, ideas previously considered unconventional are gaining traction to protect and sustain strained water resources. For example, the high demand for man-made snow at...

Decentralized On The Rise

Water management challenges continue to escalate as water scarcity intensifies and infrastructure deteriorates. In response, communities are shifting their focus toward decentralized or distributed water systems as a sustainable solution...

California Approves DPR

California recently became the third state in the nation to approve using recycled wastewater for drinking water. After ten years spent developing regulations for direct potable reuse (DPR), the California Water Resources Control Board voted...

Valuing Water in Corporate America

The health of humans, ecosystems, and economies across the globe is at risk due to threats to freshwater resources. Industries face mounting pressure to become better water stewards, protecting the watersheds in which they operate through...

Paying for Lead Removal

Much of the nation’s water infrastructure was built in the 1970s and 1980s, and nationwide, localities are grappling with how to manage increasing failures of these aging systems. Lack of funding and inconsistent attention has produced...

Disposal Disputes

The Permian Basin in Texas is the largest oil and gas-producing region in the United States. As such, hydraulic fracturing, or fracking - the extraction of natural gas or oil...

25% Rate increase in Pennsylvania

In November 2023, Pennsylvania American Water, the state’s largest investor-owned utility serving 2.3 million people, filed for rate adjustment with the Pennsylvania...

California Groundwater Limits

Across the country, water supplies are under duress. Demand of surface water often surpasses availability, compelling the use of groundwater. In California, groundwater normally accounts for 40% of the total...

Top 25 Water-stressed Regions

According to NASA, the summer of 2023 was the hottest on Earth since record-keeping began in 1880. As temperatures continue to rise, increased evaporation and changing patterns of precipitation, ranging from...

Rural Iowa Town Running Short on Water

The list of communities hard-hit by drought continues to grow, and mismanagement of water resources is exacerbating water shortfalls. While these conditions are more pervasive in the western U.S., they are...

Water Shortages Near the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes region is rich in freshwater, yet some communities combat growing water insecurity. The localities in Chicago’s southwest suburbs are searching for alternative water supplies as their...

As the Colorado River Declines, Some Upstream Look to Use it Before They Lose it

After 23 years of unprecedented drought, states along the Colorado River Basin are assessing options to preserve their way of life as water supplies diminish. Since 2000, water levels in the Colorado River have declined 20%...

Saltwater in the Mississippi Threatens Water Supply in New Orleans

Across the country, extensive and extended drought conditions threaten water supplies. Consecutive years of rain deficits in the midwest have caused water levels in the Mississippi River to plummet, decreasing the flow rate...

Reynolds Ground-Breaking

Indicators of climate change foreshadow a looming environmental crisis. Temperatures across the globe continue to rise leading to shrinking glaciers, rising sea levels, and increased prevalence of drought, wildfires...

America Is Using Up Its Groundwater Like There’s No Tomorrow

Groundwater is arguably the world’s most important natural resource. It is vital to all living things, providing drinking water – at least in part – for approximately 50% of the population worldwide. However...

New Mexico Small Water Agencies

With the approaching change of season, the nation is anxious for respite from the record-breaking temperatures of recent months. Higher temperatures mean increased water loss through evaporation which has many states...

Nebraska Water Restrictions and Rate Increase

Nebraska is overflowing with water resources, boasting 23 rivers that encompass 79,056 miles and eight underlying aquifers that afford more groundwater than any other state. Those resources have been essential to the success of...

Huntsville’s Rate Hike

Across the nation, water rates are increasing. Over the last decade, monthly water and sewage bills have increased by approximately 50%. The price hike is due to myriad reasons, including decreased government funding and increased...

Stage 2 Water Restrictions in Austin

Record high temperatures and minimal rainfall have resulted in drought conditions for much of central Texas, categorized as severe to exceptional by the U.S. Drought Monitor (Sept. 7). Lake Buchanan and Lake Travis, part of the Highland Lakes...

Washington Drought Emergency

Rising temperatures due to climate change have induced change in the Earth’s water cycle, increasing the prevalence of drought. Drought has become routine for much of the western U.S., although the winter of 2022-23 produced...

MI Vulnerable Rivers

America’s wastewater infrastructure received a grade of D+ in 2021, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. Many of the nation’s systems are approaching or are at the end of their lifespans. System failures are often responsible for the...

Chicago's Deep Tunnel

On July 2, Chicago was hit with a severe storm that dumped as much as nine inches in the western suburbs and left thousands of homes and businesses to deal with flooding. Built on a swamp, the city’s topography is low-lying and flat with a history...

Collaboration as a Tool for Future Water

Climate change, overuse and population growth are forcing western states to reevaluate their water usage. Arizona is making do with less, their Colorado River water deliveries were reduced in January of this year and another reduction is scheduled for...

Louisiana Drinking Water Report Cards

Beginning in 1998, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has released its Report Card for America’s Infrastructure every four years. Much like a school report card, letter grades are assigned to various infrastructure components based on...

How safe is America’s drinking water?

Across the globe, communities struggle with wide-scale water insecurity, leaving approximately 2 billion people without access to safe drinking water. The U.S. is fortunate to have public water systems that supply 90 percent of the population...

Pending Colorado River negotiations

In May, the Lower Basin states proposed to cut water allocations from the Colorado River by 13 percent through 2026 when current river management guidelines expire. The agreement allows the Bureau of Reclamation to shift its focus from...

AZ Groundwater Shortage

Arizona is one of the fastest-growing states in the country. Phoenix, located in Maricopa County, was the fastest-growing city in the state from 2010 – 2020, and the county led...

Value of Water

Water is vital to all living beings, but how much is it valued in the U.S.? Historically, the U.S. has not invested sufficiently in infrastructure to guarantee its resilience and availability for all; federal spending over the years has decreased while the needs have increased.

Short-sighted in Utah?

When Utah’s legislative session commenced in January, the state had a budget surplus of $1.25 billion.

New Tactics in Texas

According to the EPA, there are more than 148,000 public water systems in the U.S., charged with providing safe and reliable water to its customers.

Conservation Easements

Colorado is confronting the reality of a warming climate, and greater percentages of the state’s rain and snowmelt are being lost to evaporation.

Fed’s options to save the Colorado River

The relentless losses to the Colorado River and its reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, present a challenge to the seven states who rely on them: They must decide how to navigate those losses...

Most Endangered Rivers

The U.S. has more than 3.5 million miles of rivers and streams. Rivers are intimately tied to our freshwater needs providing drinking water, irrigating crops, producing hydroelectric power along...

Costly and Uncertain Reservoir

California is looking for ways to optimize its water supplies while confronting opposing factors of increasing demand and decreasing availability. The past winter was a boon to parts of the state when...

Building Reuse

Increasing strain on water resources is evident across a vast swath of the country, and large-scale water users are coming under heightened scrutiny. According to the U.S. Green Building Council...

Taking a Hike in Phoenix

Inflation has driven costs up for many everyday items. We see evidence of it on our grocery bill and at the gas pump. The impact has spread through many industries, including the...

Scottsdale Banking Water

When it comes to water, there are the “haves” and the “have-nots.” Much of the Western U.S. is in the “have not” category, including Scottsdale, Arizona. The city faces...

Las Vegas Water Limits

As the Bureau of Reclamation considers imposing further water reductions of the Colorado River on the basin states, the Nevada legislature is proactively taking measures to reduce...

Call to Collective Action

In 1992, the UN adopted a resolution to declare March 22 World Water Day to raise awareness and inspire action to address global water and sanitation needs in support of the...

Texas House Water Caucus

In a time when many issues prompt divisiveness, one issue that supersedes many of those divides, bringing together people of different cultures, geography, and socioeconomic backgrounds, is...

States poised to invest in water

This year, all 50 state legislatures convene; most are already in session and nearly all are celebrating being in the black. According to the National Association of State Budget Officers...

Lake Powell drops to a new record low as feds scramble to prop it up

Since 2000, the west has been under siege from climate change and drought with increased temperatures and decreased precipitation. The impacts are significant on the region’s...

Billions for clean water on Cape Cod

Cape Cod evokes images of quaint villages, lighthouses, and the seaside. While much of the Western U.S. faces water vulnerability, it is favored with ample water resources, both salt and...

California Water Management

In late December, California was swamped by atmospheric rivers, columns of water vapor that come from the tropics. The ten storms that resulted brought a reported 24 trillion gallons of water...

The Best and Worst in Water

Water is essential for all living beings, yet its availability is often taken for granted. Now, as water vulnerabilities stemming from climate change and failing infrastructure are commonplace...

A Reality Check on Development in AZ

According to the U.S. Census annual state population report for July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022, Arizona was the fifth fastest growing state; however, the state faces a confluence of water issues stemming from...

5 Billion People Will Face Water Shortages by 2050, U.N. Says

Currently, 3.6 billion people around the world experience water shortages lasting at least one month each year. The State of Global Water Resources report published in November 2022 by the World...

Water Rate Hikes - A Tale of Two Cities

Aging water infrastructure is a huge challenge facing the U.S. The average system age is 45 years, and some systems have pipes dating back a century. As systems continue to age more issues arise, jeopardizing...

MA Wastewater Discharge Settlement

Wastewater systems are a critical component of the health and safety of a community. The U.S. has more than 16,000 wastewater treatment plants, and according to American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)...

Household Water Wells Drying Up In CA

Confronting the fourth consecutive year of drought, California faces extensive water shortfalls, and the visible impacts are everywhere, from dry vegetation and stream beds to dwindling reservoir levels and river...

Rescuing an aquifer

Leonardo da Vinci is noted for saying, “Water is the driving force of all nature.” It is so important and blankets most of the Earth but only a small percentage is available for our use. Groundwater, water that is...

Grass Gets the Cut

As water in the Colorado River continues to dwindle, the region dependent upon it is scrambling to find ways to curtail its decline. Seven states rely on water from the river, the amounts governed by the...

Desal Scores Again

As California searches for ways to mitigate its growing water vulnerability, the state has turned to desalination as a means of increasing its water supply with four currently in operation that produce...

1 in 10 unable to pay for water in CA

When prices of commonly used items go up, consumers must make decisions as to the value of those items and whether they are affordable; but what if water is the item in question? Water is arguably...

Desalination to help fight Drought in Orange County

All living things need water to survive, and as drought conditions grip more of the world, it becomes vitally important to find ways to extend resources. Earth is comprised of 70% water which should be...

Nonprofits Incentivizing Conservation

Climate change creates a vicious cycle for water: Increased temperatures and prolonged drought lead to less precipitation and increased reliance on groundwater; reliance on groundwater leads to over-pumping...

Waiting for Deadpool?

One of the greatest challenges facing our country is the growing water crisis in the western states. Years of drought and overuse have created vulnerability in the water systems throughout the...

Baltimore Water Contamination

Stories of cities reeling from catastrophes stemming from aging and underinvested water infrastructure have riddled the news: Contamination from lead pipes in Flint and Benton Harbor, Michigan...

Texas Water Crisis

Climate change impacts are posing escalating threats to rivers throughout the western U.S., endangering their existence along with that of the communities they serve. The crisis facing...

Jackson, MS Water Crisis

Approximately 90 percent of Americans receive their water from public drinking water systems; however, the country’s water systems are aging and failing, showing the consequence of...

Climate Change Impacts

Water infrastructure is vital to everyone, yet nationwide it has not been given proper care. Hidden underground, these systems have gone largely unattended and have been allowed to deteriorate...

California’s Quest for Water

California is leaving no stone unturned in its quest to generate water; the Golden State has considered ways to conserve, store, reuse, and desalinate water. As it continues to experience...

California’s Water Supply Strategy

The Western U.S. keeps getting hotter and drier.  According to the EPA, since 2000 the Southwest has experienced an increase in average temperatures by as much as...

Feds cut Colorado River allocation again

In 1922, as part of the Colorado River Compact, the Colorado River was divided into two basins:  The Upper Basin comprised of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming and the Lower Basin...

Decades of Disinvestment in Michigan

We all rely on water and on the infrastructure that transports it to satisfy countless daily needs - drinking, cooking, bathing, agriculture, manufacturing, waste transport, and fire...

Piping Mississippi River water to the west

The ominous water circumstances facing the Western U.S. are prompting many to look for other means to accommodate the water needs of the region’s population. As the Colorado River continues to...

Cities activate water management plans

For much of the country, summer means higher temperatures and decreased precipitation.  According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than 122 million people across the U.S. and Puerto Rico are facing abnormal dryness ...

Interstate Water Battles

The value of water is indisputable, and that point is demonstrated worldwide in countries that struggle to maintain adequate and clean water supplies.  In the U.S., there are ...

Fire and Water

Climate change spawns evident consequences to the environment:  glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, seasonal and precipitation patterns are changing, and temperatures are climbing.  As less rain falls and droughts amplify ...

Water security is now a key US foreign policy priority

The U.S. faces a myriad of water challenges, many of which are related to climate change; others are the result of inaction over the course of decades to appropriate funding toward infrastructure maintenance and upgrades. ...

CA Desalination Plant Rejected

Water scarcity, a growing global phenomenon, has compelled mankind to seek additional water sources, and many are turning to the most abundant water source on the planet—the ocean ...

Aquifer depletion in the high plains

America’s high plains often evoke images of fields of crops that stretch as far as the eye can see, but that was not always the case. Having a semi-arid climate, the region was initially brown grasslands, only becoming the breadbasket of the world after World War II when technologies such as diesel-powered pumps were developed that vastly increased water extraction capabilities from deep within the ground ...

MRI for California Groundwater/Electromagnetic surveying

California is thirsty and needs all the help it can get toward saving and extending water supplies ...

So Cal Water Restrictions

The coming months will pose challenging water conditions for California. The Drought Monitor data dated June 7 puts 98 percent of the state in severe drought. Drought has become commonplace for the state in the past 22 years, earning the moniker “megadrought,” which signifies dry conditions lasting two decades or more....

Arizona’s Uncertain Water Future

The Colorado River Tier 1 water shortage declaration in August of 2021 and the recent actions by the Bureau of Reclamation to protect Lake Powell’s water level are stark reminders that water isn’t guaranteed, especially in the desert ...

Minnesota Water Supply Legislation

White Bear Lake, Minnesota suffers the same predicament as many other communities across the country: growth that challenges resource availability, specifically water ...

Lake Powell Emergency Actions

The Colorado River often headlines the news with stories related to declining water levels, climate change, and megadrought. Those levels have reached 1200-year historic lows, prompting American Rivers, a conservation group, to rank it as the most endangered river in the U.S. ...

Well Water Fees for California

The importance of groundwater cannot be overstated. Globally, as much as 50 percent of the population gets a portion of its drinking water from groundwater. As the world population continues to swell and these water sources become increasingly vulnerable, sustainable water management has become key to securing long-term availability ...

Municipal Investments

The nation’s water and wastewater infrastructure systems are in trouble. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the country’s drinking water infrastructure system is comprised of 2.2 million miles of pipes; the wastewater infrastructure has over 1 million miles of public and private sewers ...

New Direction for Farms

The world population is growing by approximately one percent each year, and feeding the swelling numbers is problematic and will become more so in the future with climate change and water scarcity driving the dilemma ...

Hope is Drying up in California

After a series of storms in December, Californians were hopeful that the drought beleaguering the state would be alleviated. Unfortunately, that hope dried up when precipitation slowed, and January and February were the driest in over 100 years ...

Introducing NextEra Distributed Water

In 2020, Sustainable Water proudly became a part of NextEra Energy Resources, a clean energy leader and one of the largest wholesale generators of electric power in the U.S. We’re pleased to announce the next step in our journey: Sustainable Water is now NextEra Distributed Water. “NextEra Distributed Water...

Water Problems in Pittsburgh

Throughout the country, states are beset with issues related to water, stemming not only from drought but also from failing water systems, for both drinking and sewage.  Lack of funding and mismanagement are often at the heart of these issues resulting in a national grade of C- from the American Society of Civil Engineers ...

Utah City Looks for Water

Utah is the second driest state in the country based on state-wide average participation, and according to U.S. census data Utah is tied for second for the fastest growing population.  In times of climate change and extended drought, the combination of these characteristics is unsettling...

Data-challenged in New Mexico?

Living with water insecurity is a reality to which much of the country is adjusting.  Climate change and extended periods of drought lead many to turn to conservation and water projects to provide solutions to the problem...