Water Supply
Dumpster pools and hydrants are not the way to chill out
August 8, 2016Philadelphia’s Dumpster pools have been all over the news, so it seems a good time to remind everyone (especially with a wave of 90-degree-plus weather predicted for later this week) that it is NOT cool to use hydrants — or Dumpsters — to beat the heat. While the idea of using a trash receptacle for a pool is pretty…
From deep underground to deep trouble
August 1, 2016Can you name the next big thing in the mining industry? A newfound vein of gold or silver, perhaps? Rare earths that are used in cell phones? Previously untapped supplies of coal? Nope. It’s water. In India and other countries all over the globe, people have given up traditional farming and instead are selling water…
Every drop really does matter
July 25, 2016As you probably know, part of LCA’s motto is “every drop matters,” but have you ever thought about what that really means? As Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, Administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently pointed out, “You may think every drop of rain falling from the sky, or each glass of water you drink, is…
Some relief for Flint residents
February 7, 2016There’s some good news out of Flint, Mich.: members of a plumbers and pipefitters union have been installing new faucets and state-provided water filters, for free, in homes affected by the city’s water crisis. The new faucets were needed in some homes because the existing fixtures were too old to accommodate the filters. The filters…
Flint, Mich. water disaster highlights nation’s infrastructure problems
January 22, 2016If you’ve been following the news, you know that Flint, Mich., is in the middle of a water crisis. It’s a disturbing event that really drives home the importance of fresh, clean, drinkable water. It’s something we take for granted — until we don’t have it. One troubling aspect of this disaster is that it may have…
Hey, hey, hay — and a dwindling water supply
November 3, 2015If you look at a drought map for the western United States, you’ll see that conditions there are, in a word, grim. In Arizona, much of the state has been experiencing a moderate drought, with some sections suffering under extreme drought, severe drought or abnormally dry conditions. And now the region is facing a new…
Unchecked algal blooms are a green menace
September 21, 2015The Lehigh Valley region is blessed with an abundance of water, and for many residents, the summer involves relaxing at a lake, river, pond or creek — be it fishing, boating, swimming, or just sitting next to the water. If you’ve spent any of that time in mid-July and August, you’ve likely seen a fair amount…
Where does groundwater come from?
September 9, 2015We talk a lot about groundwater, but it’s been a while since we’ve explained what, exactly, it is. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there’s ground water pretty much everywhere on earth. It varies in amount and in distance from the surface. “The water table may be deep, such as under a hillside, or shallow…
Dumpster pools and hydrants are not the way to chill out
August 4, 2015Philadelphia’s Dumpster pools have been all over the news, so it seems a good time to remind everyone (especially with a wave of 90-degree-plus weather predicted for later this week) that it is NOT cool to use hydrants — or Dumpsters — to beat the heat. While the idea of using a trash receptacle for a pool is…
Tired of the rain? Save some before it goes away
July 8, 2015With all the rain we’ve had recently, saving some water for a (non-) rainy day is probably the last thing on your mind. Yet it’s actually the perfect time to think about it, because waiting until your garden is dry and the plants are wilted and brown is too late. A rain barrel is the…