The U.S. Department of the Interior launched a new center in December 2015 to encourage water infrastructure investment in the dry West of the United States. The Natural Resource Investment Center (NRIC) has been set up in the hopes that new infrastructure will be developed and invested in as …
Fitting the Great Lakes Region Roads with Green Stormwater Infrastructure
In the Great Lakes regions of both the USA and Canada, infrastructure managers are considering how they could use road runoff by creating a green Stormwater infrastructure to handle the excess water that is often rapidly channeled to nearby ponds, rivers, or lakes. Often, if the water runs into …
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21st Century Innovations to Solve Water Shortages – Infrastructure Management
It has been observed by many that quite often water utilities are trying to replace aging infrastructure from the 20th century or earlier with very similar infrastructure such as central water and wastewater systems. What if this thinking was turned upside down? What if new, innovative, …
Forging Public-Private Agreement as a Water Utility Infrastructure Management Strategy
Phoenix, Arizona's EPCOR Water, and Maricopa Water District announced an innovative agreement on the 17th of November 2015 that will assist in supplying water needs in western metropolitan Phoenix as land uses changes from farming to residential. The partnership is signed for 50 years, allowing …
Assessing Future Demand, Florida Sinkholes and Groundwater Pumping
A deadly sinkhole that claimed the life of a Florida man two years ago reopened last summer. Local authorities believe that this may be due to heavy rains. Sinkholes are often the result of groundwater levels becoming too low following excessive pumping. Florida has also seen wells dry up due to …
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How Infrastructure Asset Management Can Help Tackle Sewage Problems in the USA
Municipal water treatment plants deal with the raw sewage of roughly 80 percent of America's households. Almost all of these facilities treat the waste and release the treated waste into a nearby body of water. However, often, if the plant is handling more than its capacity, untreated waste is …
Managing Severe Drought Conditions through Infrastructure Management Planning
Many U.S. states faced water shortage and drought conditions through 2015. This was partly to do with water sources (such as groundwater or snowpack levels) and partly to do with water and infrastructure management with these sources. USA Today has produced a list of the eight most severely …
Resolving Salinas Valley’s Water Source Issue thru Asset Management Plan
"America's Salad Bowl", California's Salinas Valley, is facing a slightly different problem from the rest of the drought-strike state - the problem of having water when nobody else does. This water comes from a single source — Salinas Valley groundwater. What is going to happen by way of …
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Douglas County, Colorado Embraces Renewable Water, Preserves Aquifers
Douglas County, Colorado has relied on water from shallow aquifers that lie beneath the western prairies for generations. This water has been very inexpensive and now is beginning to run dry. The county commission has set itself a new goal, which is to convince residents to stop using the ancient …
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Will I Buy a Tesla Model 3 and Why Does It Matter to Infrastructure Asset Management?
A few days ago the American electric car maker Tesla announced details of its Model 3 car, priced from USD $35,000. The Model 3 will also be available in some more countries, including New Zealand where I live. Seating 5 adults, and with a range of 215 miles (346 km) per charge the Model 3 is …
Del Puerto, California May Buy Urban Wastewater As Drought Solution
Farmers in California are struggling to keep their crops irrigated and have turned to a new solution: buying urban wastewater. The Del Puerto Water District in the Central Valley is headed by Anne Hansen, who has definitely jumped on the urban wastewater solution bandwagon. Buying water on the …
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White House Water Conservation Initiative – A Future Demand Case
In Washington D.C. The White House has launched an ambitious effort to convince the private sector that water conservation is a priority investment for the coming year. USA Today reports: "Water is a huge challenge in this country, and I think we all know that, "Interior Secretary Sally Jewell …
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