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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Dealing with Montreal’s Sewage – Infrastructure Management Thoughts
The city of Montreal, Quebec had planned to dump 7.5 billion liters of wastewater into the nearby St. Lawrence River on the 25th of October 2015, but the government, just one week away from the election, intervened and ordered them not to. The sewage dump was part of a plan to move a snow …
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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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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 …
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On-Site Water Systems – Its Impact on Water and Infrastructure Asset Management
Many cities are searching for ways to develop and manage local resources. The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF), through its sustainable integrated water challenge, is seeking to help cities and towns change the way that they manage their water by gearing them towards the integration …
South Carolina Floods Devastate Water Infrastructure
On Monday the 5th of October, South Carolina was hit with a deluge that occurs on average once per millennia, receiving six months of rain in two days. Columbia, SC with its many waterways was a prime target for flooding and is one of the worst affected areas. To make things more complicated, …
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Infrastructure Management Planning – Addressing Drought in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is facing one of the worst droughts in its history. On the eastern side of the island, the government has been forced to start extreme water rationing - something that hasn't happened in 20 years. Residents are caught up in a rationing cycle that leaves them without water for 24 hours …
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Utility Infrastructure Management – Why Colorado Springs Utilities Doesn’t Always Appreciate Rain
What seems a good thing - water levels at the highest capacity they've been in years - is actually not so great for Colorado Springs Utilities. The one drawback of so much rain is that customers use less water, which means the utility loses revenue. Fifty percent of the money made by the water …