Detroit, Michigan has had a history of sewage overflow problems. Last August it was hit by a mega-rainstorm that caused extreme flooding and released approximately ten billion gallons of raw sewage into the region's waterways. This and other factors have led to some experimentation in the …
Funding Water Infrastructure Repair through Asset Management Planning
Using land sales to fund water infrastructure repair is not a new idea. Officials from Paris to New York City have used this strategy - mostly in the 19th century when cities were growing most quickly. It will be interesting to see whether or not funding through land sales will make a comeback …
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EPA Study Declares Fracking in U.S. Not Harmful to Drinking Water
A new EPA draft assessment finally gives an evaluation that will make oil and gas companies leap with enthusiastic applause: hydraulic fracturing or "fracking", when done properly, has no negative impact on drinking water sources. This much anticipated, Congress-initiated study, released this …
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Carlsbad Wants to Prove Desalination is Worthwhile in California
The largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere is under construction in Carlsbad, California. Not everybody is happy about it, but Poseidon Water, the company building the plant and for desalination across the globe, the opening of the plant later this year is an opportunity to try and …
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Chicago is Taking the Waste out of Wastewater for Eco-friendly Use
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago built the largest phosphorus recovery facility in the world at Stickney Water Reclamation Plant, which opened in 2016. Phosphorus and other nutrients are usually lost during wastewater treatment, but executive director David St. …
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Should Investors Put Their Money In Infrastructure?
Infrastructure is fast becoming a very popular investment choice. However, some individuals believe that the market is not as secure as it could be, mostly due to the competition that occurs between infrastructure companies. This competition causes perfectly sound infrastructure like toll …
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Is it Time to Stop Growing Cotton in the Arizona Desert?
In the middle of the dry, Sonoran Desert of Arizona, the Wuertz family (and several others) have been farming cotton for generations. This was once considered an exciting accomplishment, but now it weighs on their consciences, as this now unneeded crop siphons so much of Arizona's limited water …
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Best Infrastructure Asset Management – NE Fixes South Platte River Issue
The South Platte River that flows into Nebraska has been recently high but flooding impact has been limited. Central Platte Natural Resources District (CPNRD) board spent almost $17 million over the last few years to rehabilitate three Dawson County irrigation canals to deal with the excess water …
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San Angelo TX Mulls Potable Reuse – Infrastructure Asset Management View
According to a study that began last year, San Angelo, Texas, has less than 15 months of water before it is all dried up. In light of this knowledge, the city is very seriously considering turning to potable reuse as a source of drinking water. The city's water utility director, Bill Riley, …
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Infrastructure Management Planning Builds Water Infrastructure Resilience
Water expert, Sharlene Leurig, director of Ceres (a Boston based non-profit organization) sustainable water infrastructure program, recently stated that Austin's dependence on the Colorado River as its only source of water is a "critical vulnerability". She then went on to claim that Austin was …
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Infrastructure Asset Management – Hawaii Engineers’ Path to Resiliency
A dedicated group of local engineers from Honolulu, Hawaii have recently been exploring how possible climate change, particularly sea-level rise, could adversely affect their wastewater infrastructure. Timothy Steinberger, the former director of Honolulu's Department of Environmental Services, …
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Environment-friendly Infrastructure Management thru Low Impact Development Planning
Low Impact Development Planning (LID) is an innovative urban planning method that aims to imitate the natural infusion of water into the ground. It involves creating an infrastructure that facilitates water to infiltrate, evaporate, and transpire while limiting runoff. Basically, LID involves …