water matters46
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Reclaimed Water: Safe to Drink?
People often cringe at the thought of water that was once wastewater being treated and used as drinking water. However, in Tampa, Florida, voters will be deciding next year on whether to use reclaimed water as part of the city’s drinking water. Reclaimed water, also known as recycled water, is highly treated wastewater that is…
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U.S., Canada, re-opening negotiations on Great Lakes water quality
On Saturday, June 13, 2009, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with her Canadian counterpart, Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon, in Niagara Falls to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the Boundary Waters Treaty. While the Treaty governs all international waters shared by Canada and the USA, its primary application is to Great Lakes’ policy. As part of the…
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No reason to care about water
Don’t get upset–it is merely an instance of irony. Irony works in getting people’s attention and emphasizing the real meaning behind it. The video is more for the general public who are not familiar with water issues, but it can also be motivating to professionals and people who are active concerning water issues. The message…
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Water-Energy Dependency May Put a Damper on Water Banking in California
We’ve been following some of the issues related to the drought in California. In response to water shortages, a “water bank” has been implemented to allow users who do not use all of their water to sell it to other users. In theory, such a system allows water to be used in an efficient manner,…
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What is “it” about bottled water?
Recently, in a discussion about bottled water, my colleague stated, “I’ve heard this argument before – it’s the bottle, not the water, that’s the problem. Would these people be happier if the bottle was made from recycled glass?” As one of “these people” who are troubled by bottled water (and in spite of the disparaging remark,…
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CWC’s new Great Lakes Column
The Columbia Water Center is leading intellectual inquiry into the assessment, prediction and solution of the growing scarcity of fresh water. Although the CWC is looking at water issues across the globe, up until now, little attention at the Center has been focused on the Great Lakes. Some past student projects have explored in-depth…
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Seawater desalination: the solution?
Water is an increasingly scarce commodity in many parts of the world, and it seems seawater desalination is one of very attractive solutions available to these regions. Of all the Earth’s water, 94 percent is saltwater from the oceans and only 6% is fresh. If plenty and easily accessible seawater could turn into fresh drinking…
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Dam Break in Northeast Brazil: Can We Blame Global Warming?
Nordeste, the driest region in Brazil, has been castigated by heavy rainfall in the last two months. Yesterday a dam broke in the state of Piaui killing at least four people. The video below shows a partial bridge that collapsed after the dam break. The media shows every day more and more news about natural…
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A Cistern in NYC – Yes!
A cistern is not what you would expect to find in a NYC house; however, a brownstone in our backyard has its own rainwater collection cistern. The brownstone, billed as the “Greenest House in NYC” and the first residential property in Manhattan to receive the coveted LEED certification, was recently highlighted in Good Housekeeping Magazine.…