Water Supply
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…
The land of 10,000 lakes — and a lot of pollutants, too
June 25, 2015Apparently not even the far reaches of Minnesota — known as “the land of 10,000 lakes” — can escape source water pollution. A story from Pollution Online states that scientists have found a host of drugs in 11 lakes and four rivers, even in remote areas. Among the drugs found were those used in certain X-rays,…
Help us celebrate National Drinking Water Week!
May 6, 2015Join us as we celebrate our most important natural resource: clean drinking water. “Drinking Water Week is an important time to understand our drinking water – from source to tap,” says American Water Works Association Chief Executive Officer David LaFrance. “To understand the process is to truly appreciate the hard work and dedication that…
Snow no! Winter multiplied Central New York’s water line woes
March 26, 2015Parts of the northeast were hit with one of the coldest, snowiest winters on record this year, and in Central New York, it’s taken a serious toll on the water infrastructure — so much so that many residents had to resort to using melted snow to flush toilets. It’s been so tough on pipes that…
U.S. could be headed for far-reaching megadrought
February 23, 2015A Washington Post story reports that the drought that’s been gripping the southwest is relatively minor compared with what could be coming down the pike. According to the article, a study by researchers from NASA, Cornell and Columbia universities states that “there is an 80 percent chance” that an extended drought called a megadrought “will strike…
LCA’s Chief Executive Officer takes a stand on nutrient pollution
February 6, 2015Last August, the City of Toledo issued a city-wide “do not drink” water advisory due to their detection on cyanotoxin microcystin in the drinking water. This contamination event occurred due to a large algal bloom in Lake Erie. What causes such an event? Nutrient pollution. This term is used to describe the influx of nitrogen, phosphorus…
That pesky snowfall is actually good for the water supply
January 25, 2015As we find ourselves in the middle of a second snowstorm in just a few days, it’s as good a time as any to think about how much of that snow ends up in our drinking water. Although snow can pile up quickly, an inch of snow and an inch of rain are very different…
Put those dirty butts where they belong
December 15, 2014Can you name the most common piece of litter found on roads, parking lots, storm drains and beaches? If you said cigarettes and cigarette butts, you just answered the $16 million question (that’s the high-end estimate of the cost for major cities and municipalities to clean them up). In 2010, the Ocean Conservancy says, more…
Scientists: California drought is worst in 1,200 years
December 8, 2014If there were any doubts about the severity of this year’s drought in California, it appears two climate scientists just put them to rest. According to an article from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Daniel Griffin of the University of Minnesota and Kevin Anchukaitis of Woods Hole say their research shows it’s the state’s worst drought…
World Water Week 2014 begins Sunday
August 28, 2014As August ends and summer draws to a close, World Water Week 2014 kicks off in Stockholm, Sweden. Presented by the Stockholm International Water Institute since 1991, World Water Week serves as a platform for discussions about anything and everything that have an impact on our Earth’s water supply. The SIWS website says the annual…