Cape Town, South Africa is facing a very dire situation due to a three-year-long mega-drought. By May, the city was expecting to have to turn off its water supply and hand out a meager 25 liters per day to its citizens, who will have to make their way through long and potentially dangerous crowds to one of 200 distribution points throughout the city. The shut-off day - known as "Day Zero" - … [Read more...]
The New York Water Tunnel – Building Better Resilient Infrastructure
Last year, New York City brought a long-overdue water project to completion by the activation of a new drinking water tunnel from Brooklyn to Staten Island. The $250 million-tunnel was delayed when Hurricane Sandy hit in 2012. Ironically, disasters such as Sandy are the very reason that this tunnel has been built. In a crisis, this critical backup system can deliver up to 150 million … [Read more...]
Calamitous Natural Events and the Infrastructure Resilience Questions
Harvey and Irma were the two tropical cyclones that battered the US coasts in late August 2017. Both storm systems were classified as major hurricanes. Hurricane Harvey with its 130 mph wind was classified as Category 4, while Hurricane Irma was Category 5 with her winds reaching 185 mph. As Texas was going through the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the people in the Carribean Islands and … [Read more...]
California Legislation Recognizes Watersheds as Critical Infrastructure
It is no secret that the US State of California has spent the last hundred years creating a vast system and network of pipes, pump stations, and aqueducts that reach far and wide into distant regions in order to filter water from remote rivers into hard to reach dry zones in the Southern part of the state. It's an engineering marvel, but only so long as the ecosystems they are drawing from can … [Read more...]
Integrating Climate Change into Road Asset Management
The technical report "Integrating Climate Change into Road Asset Management" is a climate adaptation resource that we recommend your reading. Prepared by Theuns Henning, Susan Tighe, and Ian Greenwood, with the overall direction of Christopher R. Bennet, this technical report provides governments, road authorities, and development partners with practical guidance on how to integrate climate … [Read more...]
Kansas City Wins Sustainable Infrastructure Award – Asset Management Planning
The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure recently awarded Kansas City Water's Middle Blue River Green Infrastructure projects its Envision Platinum award. These projects were specifically engineered to cut combined sewer overflows and improve water quality in the project region - which includes 744 acres of watershed flowing to two combined sewer outfalls. Sustainability in … [Read more...]
21st Century Approach to Water Utility Resilience
For those investing in water infrastructure and water solutions, there is a concept that must be grasped: water will always win against human control. It is possible to think outside the box and not trying to stop or change the naturally occurring patterns in waterways or geographically wet areas, instead to build resiliency and go with the changing tides. For design technology and … [Read more...]
New Investment Center Initiative to Aid Water Systems and Development in Western USA
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 well as increased conservation of existing water. Ecosystem Marketplace reports: "It is not yet … [Read more...]
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 affected states, which are: South Carolina, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, California, Washington, and … [Read more...]
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 regulation and how much longer this water is going to last is the thought that many successful farmers in … [Read more...]
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 Denver aquifer and instead hook into water districts that get their water from the … [Read more...]
Analyzing Future Demand – Water Study of Coryell County Texas
On Monday the 10th of August 2015, the Coryell County Commissioners Court approved $10,000 to begin a study that would analyze the water sources, future water needs and population growth for the area. One of the particular aims of the study is to decide whether a new off-channel reservoir between two towns on a tributary next to Cowhouse Creek will ultimately be beneficial to the County … [Read more...]