Hotspots H2o

This is an excerpt of the October 26, 2020 episode of What's Up With Water. A number of water advocates and analysts say that during its first term, the Trump administration has pursued revisions to environmental rules that will harm the nation’s waters. Bob Irvin is president and chief executive of the conservation group American Rivers. He told Circle of Blue “President Trump loves to say that he wants crystal clear water. But his administration has adopted policies that will result in dirtier water across the country.”

Your "need to know" news of the world's water from Circle of Blue. This week: Stories on pollution from France's largest dairy, growing glaciers in southern Asia, and a mining proposal in Georgia. Plus, a CoB story on what the Trump administration has meant for water.

This is an excerpt of the October 19, 2020 episode of What's Up With Water. In Michigan, residents who are behind on their water bills will soon be getting some relief. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will provide over $20 million to 116 water utilities, through an intermediary. Though the number of customers with overdue water bills is rising because of the pandemic, many states have had difficulty using CARES Act funds to assist these people.

Your "need to know" news of the world's water from Circle of Blue. This week: illegal gold mining in the mountains of eastern Zimbabwe, fires in the Pantanal exemplify the threat of drought for wetlands, and women in Africa report harassment while collecting water. Plus a CoB story on Michigan using CARES Act funds for customer water debt relief.

This is an excerpt of the October 12, 2020 episode of What's Up With Water. Two Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform asked the CDC to suspend water service disconnections nationwide as a way to slow the spread of Covid-19. Representatives Harley Rouda of and Rashida Tlaib want the federal government’s top public health agency to use its authority under the Public Health Service Act. To protect public health, they want the CDC to prohibit water utilities from shutting off service to customers who are behind on their bills.

Your "need to know" news of the world's water from Circle of Blue. This week: Hurricane Delta damages Louisiana water systems, Japanese fishing industry objects to dumping radioactive water in the ocean, and teachers in Zimbabwe strike over inadequate coronovirus prevention. Plus CoB story on congressional reps asking CDC to impose a national moratorium on water shutoffs during the pandemic.

Your "need to know" news of the world's water from Circle of Blue. This week: stories on Egypt's new initiative to reduce water use for agriculture starts to bear fruit, UN human rights expert calls on Columbian government to suspend operations at one of the world's largest coal mines, a controversial natural gas pipeline gets federal permits to build across streams, and drought in New Hampshire is causing hundreds of wells to go dry.

Your "need to know" news of the world's water from Circle of Blue. This week: a land reclamation project in the Mekong River in Cambodia gets little scrutiny and researchers in Minnesota receive a federal grant to scale up production of a new grain variety that could decrease nutrient pollution in Midwest waters. The CoB feature reports on a water controversy in Michigan around another farming-related pollution source: manure from dairies and livestock operations.

This is an excerpt of the August 21, 2020 edition of What's Up With Water. This week, Circle of Blue reports on drinking water systems in Louisiana that were damaged by Hurricane Laura. Hurricane Laura made landfall in southwestern Louisiana on August 27 with wind speeds around 150 miles per hour. The Category 4 storm was one of the strongest on record to strike the state. Laura came ashore in Cameron Parish, and its wind and water took a toll on Waterworks District 7. It serves around 900 people. More than three weeks after the storm, it’s still offline. No residents have returned because the property destruction was so extensive, and it's unclear when the water will flow again.

Your "need to know" news of the world's water from Circle of Blue. This week: stories on Panama Canal Authority seeking bids for projects to safeguard the canal against drought, Mexican farmers protesting water deliveries to the U.S., water shutoffs and mental stress, and a Circle of Blue story on Louisiana water systems damaged by Hurricane Laura.

Circle of Blue reports on fires in the American West, which is ablaze in one of the region’s worst fire episodes in the last century.

Your "need to know" news of the world's water from Circle of Blue. This week, a report notes groundwater contamination in Alberta from oil sands waste pits, states and advocacy groups sue the EPA to enforce the Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan, and CoB reports on the impact of fires in the West on water infrastructure.

Your "need to know" news of the world's water from Circle of Blue. This week, stories on Iowa's water quality problems, a global groundwater assessment, German groundwater depletion, and a major global health success story.

In the fifth installment of its "Water, Texas" series, Circle of Blue looks at how water serves the length and breadth of the Texas economy.

This is an excerpt of the August 24, 2020 edition of What's Up With Water. This week, Circle of Blue continues its focus on water debt in America, examining how some cities are coming to grips with the growing burden of unpaid water bills.

Your "need to know" news of the world's water from Circle of Blue. This week, flooding in China, a preliminary settlement in a Flint water crisis case and plans for removing lead water pipes in Chicago. Plus, the second installment in an exclusive CoB series on water debt in America.

The fourth installment in the five-part "Water, Texas" series on the consequences of the mismatch between runaway development and tightening constraints on the supply and quality of fresh water in Texas.

This is an excerpt from Circle of Blue's August 17, 2020 episode of What's Up With Water. Over two decades ago, New York City and its rural partners launched a groundbreaking, multibillion-dollar watershed protection plan, and the review is in – a panel of experts says the effort sufficiently protects the city’s drinking water supply from contamination. The Catskill and Delaware watersheds are the source of most of the city’s drinking water. Since 1997, New York City has spent some $2.5 billion on ecosystem protection in those watersheds. The money has been put to good use: upgrading 42 wastewater treatment plants, buying out land to prevent development, and stabilizing stream channels to prevent erosion. The funds also replaced failing septic tanks, trapped pollutants in stormwater, and helped dairy farmers control nutrients and pathogens in manure.

Your "need to know" news of the world's water from Circle of Blue. Stories this week: North Carolina regulators cite water quality impacts as a reason for rejecting a permit for a natural gas pipeline, WHO/UNICEF report on hand washing facilities in schools, and Venezuelans finding creative ways to get water amid economic crisis and governmental failure. Plus a COB story on the success of New York City's watershed protection program.

The third in a series of stories on water in Texas, from Circle of Blue. This episode is titled "Three Thirsty Texas Cities Are Global Leaders in Water Innovation: Austin, El Paso, and San Antonio Prepared for Growth and Drought"