August 11 ,
2006
Quote of the Week:
"Until you've lost your
reputation,
you never realize what a burden it was."
Margaret Mitchell
Born on this
Day:
Alex Haley, Carl Rowan, Mike Douglas, Jerry Falwell,
John Conlee, Steve Wozniak, Terry "Hulk Hogan" Bollea,
Joe Jackson, John Mitchell, Charlie Sexton,
Will Friedle, and Chris Kelly.
On this Day in
1934:
Alcatraz, in San Francisco Bay,
received federal prisoners for the first time.
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Arizona
News
— Water
Maricopa County
residents thirsty for action
(Arizona
Republic, 8/10) "Desert
Hills Water Co. customers, about 1,625 total, have been experiencing
frequent water outages and low water pressure for the past year. So
far, those residents in unincorporated Maricopa County are still
waiting for full water service. "
New Tucson water
reservoir in the works
(Arizona
Daily Star, 8/10) "Is
it a mirage? No — it's a new reservoir being built to serve a third of
Metro Water District's main service area, said Tom Caito, project
manager. "
Water codes vary by city
(Sierra
Vista Herald,
8/9) "Water
conservation measures in the city are less stringent than in some
municipalities and tougher than in others, according to Community
Development Director Jim Herrewig. "
Cochise County wants input from company
(Sierra Vista Herald,
8/9) "Cochise
County wants to hear from a water company before going any further
with upgrades for two water systems. "
Tougher water codes
possible in Sierra Vista
(Sierra Vista Herald,
8/8) "Residents,
businesses and developers could soon be facing more stringent water
conservation measures. "
Despite recent rains,
the drought persists
(KVOA,
8/8) "We're
going to need several more months of above-average rainfall in order
to get out of the drought situation completely. "
Quality of life at issue
on water regulations
(Sierra Vista Herald,
8/7) "Building
contractors and developers such as Castle & Cooke aren’t averse to
conservation infrastructure such as pre-plumbing homes for graywater
reuse. "
Thirsty cities press the
search for water
(AZ
Central, 8/7) "Alfalfa
grows in irrigated squares and circles across hundreds of acres of the
old JWK Ranch, an isolated slice of Yavapai County that has emerged as
the epicenter in a battle for the Verde River's survival. "
Cochise County water
conservation survey
(Sierra Vista Herald,
8/6) "This
report provides the results of a water conservation survey conducted
by the Cochise College Center for Economic Research in May and June
2006. "
Fort has made many moves
to lower water use
(Sierra Vista Herald,
8/6) "For
about a decade, Fort Huachuca has been making a concerted effort to
drastically reduce the amount of water it pumps annually. "
Water: Construction cap
possible in Payson
(Payson Roundup,
8/5) "Mayor
Bob Edwards presented a plan for Payson Thursday night
including an in-depth look at the water situation and an examination
of how it should affect future growth. "
Flagstaff pond fed with
reclaimed water
(Arizona
Daily Star, 8/5) "The
city of Flagstaff will be putting up signs at Frances Short Pond to
notify the public the pond is partially filled with reclaimed water. "
—
Rivers
Connection to nature
dying with rivers
(Arizona
Republic, 8/10) "The
Santa Cruz River roared to life last week with storm water washed down
from the mountains, a startling reminder of how Tucson owes its
existence to a waterway nearly erased from the map. "
Water wells draining
rivers at their source
(Arizona
Republic, 8/7) "Among
the major rivers that begin or end in Arizona, only the Verde flows on
its own from start to finish. But like all the state's rivers, it is
running out of water and running out of time. "
Desert's rivers can be
revived
(Arizona Daily Star,
8/6) OPINION. " Rivers
relinquish themselves to the demands of agriculture, industry and
other human enterprises. Scientists are realizing how intimately the
future water supply depends on recognizing the needs of nature itself.
But rivers cannot speak. "
Avondale joins cities'
fight for Gila River rights
(Arizona
Republic, 8/5) "The
'4-City Group' now has Avondale as an ally. Chandler, Glendale, Mesa
and Scottsdale have cooperated for years to fight for the rights to
water in the Gila River system. On Tuesday, Avondale joined the team
to protect its rights to groundwater. "
— Wastewater
— Toxic
Waste
— Everything
Else
From Around the Southwest
— Water
Supply
Nevada water plan
suffers setback
(Las
Vegas Sun,
8/10) "The
state engineer has reaffirmed his responsibility to examine
environmental issues in a decision affecting a rural ground water
export plan coming up for crucial hearings in September. "
N.M. farmers say crops
need more irrigation
(El
Paso Times,
8/10) "Despite
recent heavy rains, many frustrated Mesilla Valley farmers want to
know why they were allotted less than half the water El Paso County
farmers received this year. "
Water, waste top
Cloudcroft concerns
(Alamogordo
Daily News,
8/10) "The
Cloudcroft village board of trustees met Tuesday and reviewed a number
of aspects of its water recycling project, which will treat the
village's wastewater and mix it with existing spring water to increase
its overall supply. "
California desal project still on boards
(Monterey Herald, 8/10) "A
decision last month by the San Diego County Water Authority not to
continue with a regional desalination project in its area should have
no effect on a similar project being developed by the same company at
Moss Landing for the Pajaro-Sunny Mesa Community Services District,
according to district officials. "
Otero water associations
receive grants, loans
(Alamogordo
Daily News,
8/10) "Two
Otero County water associations have received federal grants and loans
to improve their systems. The money came from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. "
Aqua Texas to impose water-use
restrictions
(Kerrville
Daily Times,
8/8)
"About
3,500 customers of the Aqua Texas water systems will receive letters
this week informing them of new, mandatory water-use restrictions. "
Date set to
oppose New Mexico rate increase
(Clovis News Journal, 8/8) " The
New Mexico Public Regulation Commission has set the proceedings
schedule for the rate increase requested by New Mexico-American Water
Co.
."
Napa supervisors back change to water law
(Napa News, 8/8) "Fines
levied to punish small rural water agencies for violating clean water
standards could instead be used to fix their ailing infrastructures if
a bill supported by the Napa County Board of Supervisors passes the
state legislature. "
Water authority had to drop desal
(NC Times, 8/8)
COMMENTARY from James H. Bond ,
chairman of the board of directors of the SDCWA. " Please
know that this board is fully committed to seawater desalination as an
important water supply for the county, but we will no longer pursue
such a facility in Carlsbad. "
Texas f armers
using Medina Lake turn elsewhere
( San
Antonio Express-News , 8/7)
"The
drought is about to put a big squeeze on farmers who depend on the
irrigation canals of Medina Lake. "
Fremont to get new water pipe system
(Oakland Tribune, 8/7) "The
decaying pipes that deliver water to the Fremont area will be repaired
— that's an easy decision to make, given the water system's age. "
San
Jose reservoir pipelines being replaced
(Santa Cruz Sentinel, 8/7) "The
activity is part of the Lexington Pipeline Replacement Project. The
San Jose Water Company is replacing an old pipeline that brings water
to the Montevina Water Treatment Plant south of Los Gatos and adjacent
to Highway 17. "
Official says Utah safe
from Vegas water grab
(Tooele
Transcript-Bulletin,
8/5) "Water
that trickles into western Utah from eastern Nevada has been the
subject of intense negotiations this week between representatives of
the two states. The water supplies portions of four Utah counties, but
much of that water may soon head south to Las Vegas. There may be an
agreement this week. "
— Water Quality
Jurupa draws fine for nitrate in water supply
(Riverside P/E, 8/10) "State
water officials hit the Jurupa Community Services District with a
$1,000 fine this month for failing to adequately monitor levels of the
contaminant nitrate in its drinking water supply, according to a
citation issued by California's Department of Health Services. "
What's the best way to tell people to boil water?
(SD Union Tribune, 8/8) "San
Diego officials did everything by the book last weekend when they
issued the city's first-ever order for boiling water to kill bacteria,
then lifted it a day later, state health officials said yesterday. But
the public notification system for about 120,000 people affected by
the contamination proved so hit-and-miss that Mayor Jerry Sanders has
asked his top deputies to find better ways to tell people about
similar emergencies. "
West shore doesn’t want
to pay for bad water
(Nevada Appeal,
8/8)
"Water
rates may more than triple for consumers of the Skyland-Nielsen water
system on Tahoe’s west shore, but many residents are still unsure if
the water is safe to drink. "
Award cut for Modesto dry cleaning pollution
(Associated Press, 8/5) "A
California judge has slashed a $175 million jury award to $13 million
in a water contamination case brought by the city of Modesto against
several companies, including Birmingham-based Vulcan Materials Co., a
clerk said. "
— W ater
Resources
New Mexico to
poison nonnative fish
(KRQE,
8/9) "The
state Water Quality Control Commission has approved using toxins in
more than 150 miles of northern New Mexico rivers and streams. "
Lake Tahoe clarity holds steady in 2005
(UC Davis, 8/8) "The
waters of Lake Tahoe were clear to an average depth of 72.4 feet in
2005, according to UC Davis scientists who have monitored the lake
since 1968. That keeps the clarity measurement in the range where it
has been for the past five years -- and where it was for other
multiyear periods in the 1990s. "
Not enough water in Lake Powell
(LA Daily News, 8/6) "Lake
Powell on the Arizona-Utah border continues to suffer from a multiyear
drought, and the effects of low water are everywhere from 'bathtub
rings' on canyon walls to the loss of Hite Marina, left high and dry
and shut down in 2003. "
Writer tells of effects of water grab
(Columbia Daily Tribune, 8/6) "Karen
Piper, who grew up on the fringes of the dried-up lake bed of Owens
Lake in California, has authored 'Left in the Dust,' an account of the
troubling effects left over from the massive diversion of water for
Los Angeles. "
Lake Powell report card:
D for water storage
(Salt
Lake Tribune,
8/5) "It's
fun in the sun as usual at Lake Powell, as this summer follows another
in a pattern of drought in the 21st century. But though the reservoir
has plenty of water for boating, its primary purpose is to store water
for the American Southwest. "
Clear water
being added to San Antonio River
(San Antonio Express News, 8/5) " The
Water System this week began infusing recycled, treated wastewater
into the San Antonio River at the head of the Convention Center loop.
It's adding 1 million gallons daily of highly treated, crystal-clear
water into an area where the river water tends to stagnate. "
— Hetch Hetchy
Call to expand Hetch Hetchy sparks protest
(San Jose Mercury, 8/9) "San
Francisco's top water official on Tuesday said that rather than
tearing down the reservoir and dam at Yosemite National Park's Hetch
Hetchy Valley, the city should consider building the dam higher and
flooding more of the park. "
Take down dam inside Yosemite?
(Associated Press, 8/8) "Today,
even as the Hetch Hetchy system delivers some of the country’s highest
quality drinking water to 2.4 million Bay Area residents,
environmentalists continue to argue for restoring the valley — a
debate that was intensified in July when a state review found that the
job would be 'technically feasible' for an estimated $3 billion to $10
billion. "
Push
to drain Yosemite valley renewed
(Associated Press,
8/8) "After
the great 1906 earthquake, searching for reliable power and drinking
water, San Francisco looked at the soaring granite of Yosemite's Hetch
Hetchy Valley and saw walls for a reservoir. "
Draining Hetch Hetchy falls flat with politicians
(San Jose Mercury News, 8/7)
"Similar
to Yosemite Valley, Hetch Hetchy, above, is framed by granite walls,
waterfalls and pine forests, and once had rich wildlife and the
Tuolumne River meandering through its meadows. Environmentalists have
opposed a dam there since the Sierra Club's John Muir unsuccessfully
fought to block it 95 years ago. "
Battle on to restore Hetch Hetchy
(Monterey Herald, 8/6) "For
years, environmentalists have advocated draining the Hetch Hetchy
Reservoir and returning the valley to its original splendor, while
opponents say that would cost a bundle at a time when California needs
all the water and electricity it can get. "
— Salton Sea
—
Levees and Dams
Shoreline levee repairs to start
(Oakland Tribune, 8/8) "The
past fall and winter storm season didn't bypass levees on the Hayward
Regional Shoreline. "
Levees break, floods fields
in Luis Lopez
(Carlsbad Current-Argus,
8/7) "The
weekend rains proved disastrous for hundreds of people in the Rio
Grande Valley. "
Dam on Fort Bliss spills
into community
(El Paso Times,
8/5) "About
600 people were evacuated from Central El Paso, Vinton, Socorro and
the Westway area on Friday after the region was hit by a new downpour
that caused arroyos and one dam to overflow. "
Doolittle makes case for Auburn dam
(Auburn Journal, 8/5) "U.S.
Rep. John Doolittle, R-Roseville, delivered a buoyant pep talk Friday
to the Auburn Dam Council on the latest prospects in Washington, D.C.
for a multipurpose dam on the American River at Auburn. "
—
Wastewater
Kerr County OKs talks on sewer system
(Kerrville Daily Times, 8/10) "Preliminary
engineering is expected to begin in September for a wastewater system
in Center Point. "
Proposal bans septic tanks in Quail Valley
(Riverside Press-Enterprise, 8/9) "Installation
of new septic tanks could be forbidden throughout Quail Valley and
residents with tanks could be required to have them pumped to remove
waste rather than discharge it into the ground under a new regional
water-control board proposal. "
Butte supervisors to review sewage plan
(Chico ER, 8/8) "Supervisors
went on to schedule further review and study of a proposed ordinance
and policy revisions related to privately operated on-site sewage
disposal. "
New Los Osos sewer plan put at $100 million
(SLO Tribune, 8/6) " As
part of a sewer project proposed by an engineering firm hired by the
Los Osos services district, the majority of the community's septic
tanks would have to be replaced, but residents would pay $79 million
less for a sewer, compared with an earlier, scrapped project. "
S ewer
service may be cutoff in Silver Springs
(Nevada Appeal,
8/5)
"Thirty-two
Silver Springs General Improvement District customers who are behind
on their sewage bills could face the prospect of having their service
disconnected. "
Wastewater issue salt in Tracy's wounds
(Stockton Record, 8/5) "Upgrading
the treatment plant on Holly Drive to enable that amount of
desalinization could cost $100 million. But if Tracy fails to reduce
the salt content, it could face fines of $32,500 per day. "
—
The Nukes
—
Everything Else
USDA awards millions to
N.M. counties
(New Mexico Business Weekly,
8/8)
" Nine
rural communities and water associations in New Mexico will gain
millions of dollars in federal funding to improve water delivery and
wastewater treatment services. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's
Rural Development program has approved awards for Lea, Otero, Doña
Ana, Catron and Grant counties, according to a news release. "
Report on S.D. mismanagement emerges
(SD Union Tribune, 8/9) "Consultants
investigating the city's finances issued a detailed and critical
report Tuesday documenting misconduct by city officials, including
former and current City Council members and former top city
administrators. "
Delta is at the core of safeguard strategy plan
(SD Union Tribune, 8/5) "For
the first time, California has started to map an all-in-one strategy
to safeguard an economically vital network of highways, railroads and
energy supply lines crisscrossing the heart of the state. "
International
and National
News
— Security
—
Water
Water attracts investors
as potential liquid gold
(NY Times,
8/10)
"Everyone
knows that there is a lot of money to be made in oil. But a group of
big businesses is discovering that there may be even greater profit in
a more prosaic liquid: water. "
National water grid in Britain 'not viable'
(BBC, 8/9) "The
water company responsible for Europe's biggest man-made lake has
described a possible national water grid as 'not a viable idea. '"
Rebels in Sri Lanka release disputed water
(Associated Press, 8/9) "On
July 20, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels blocked water
supplies to 60,000 people in government-controlled villages in
northeastern Trincomalee district, 135 miles northeast of Colombo. "
Gov. Bush won't attend tri-state water meeting
(Associated
Press, 8/9) "Florida
Gov. Jeb bush won't attend a meeting next week with the governors of
Georgia and Alabama. "
No water at Libyan embassy in D.C.
(Associated Press, 8/8) "Libya
wants to reopen an embassy in the United States, but it can't get the
District of Columbia to turn on the water. "
Corps takes heat for Lake Lanier drop
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 8/8)
"At
a U.S. Senate hearing held near Lake Lanier today, where residents and
business owners
are watching the lake drop daily, Georgia's senators and a congressman
took the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to task for a mistake that cost
Lanier 22 billion gallons of water, and for sending water downstream
to Florida to protect a rare prehistoric fish and two freshwater
mussel species. "
LCR guidance on faucet aerators in the works
(WaterWeek, 8/7) "USEPA
is expected to issue guidance in the next month advising utilities not
to ask homeowners who collect tap-water samples for Lead and Copper
Rule (LCR) compliance purposes to remove faucet aerators prior to
doing so. "
Aging sewage pipes pollute nation
(Whittier Daily News, 8/6)
OPINION.
"It's
the pipes, stupid! The UCLA and Stanford professors got part of it
right: Many of the more popular beaches in Southern California are
polluted with sewage as often as one out of every three days. Much of
it from storm drains full of untreated runoff. "
Warning on
risks as Brisbane drills for water
(The Australian, 8/5) " Drilling
rigs have been brought in to tap aquifers around Brisbane as the
desperate search for water continues in southeast Queensland. "
Excrement in drinking water
(Aftenposten, 8/5) "Nearly
ten percent of Norway's 1234 waterworks facilities -representing
200,000 customers - failed to pass the E. coli test in the sampling
taken by the Waterworks Register. "
—
Surface Water
The
Klamath River dispute
(Stanford Progressive, 8/7) "The
Klamath River story of Northwestern California and Southern Oregon is
as tragic as it is convoluted, and the legal battles and controversy
surrounding it are as dirty and as overheated as the river itself. "
EPA sued over pollution at beaches
(MSNBC, 8/5) "An
environmental group has sued federal regulators, charging that they
failed to protect beaches and the Great Lakes from pollution and that
negligence by the Bush administration exposed swimmers and surfers to
potential illnesses. "
Healthcare for the Oceans
(LA Times, 8/5)
OPINION.
" Most
of us surf, swim and fish without concern for the health of our
oceans. But as the Los Angeles Times series 'Altered Oceans' made
clear, all of that is at risk. The oceans are now afflicted with
chronic problems caused by human activities. Like our own bodies, the
seas suffer when we put too much into them and expect too much out of
them. " See the L.A. Times
series 'Altered
Oceans .'
Project's runoff has Lake
Zurich wary
(Chicago Tribune, 8/4) "With
heavy rains falling again this week in Lake Zurich, a storm of a
different sort continues to brew over a highway construction project
accused of polluting the very body of water the village stakes its
name on. "
Report: Some Chicago beaches
contaminated
(Munster Times, 8/4) "Chicago
beaches are suffering from serious bacterial contamination — and
they're getting worse, according to a report released Thursday by the
Natural Resources Defense Council. "
—
Wastewater
—
Warming
—
Toxic Cleanups
—
Meetings/Conferences
—
Everything Else
WEF debuts wet-weather guide
(Water Tech Online, 8/9)
"The
Water Environment Federation (WEF) has released an electronic document
designed to help owners, planners, designers, and operators of
wastewater collection and treatment systems improve and maximize
performance during peak wet weather events, according to an August 8
WEF press release. "
Environmental 'crisis' in Lebanon
(BBC, 8/9) "The
United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) has expressed its 'grave
concern' about oil pollution in Lebanese coastal waters. "
AWWA and AWWRF report: Development and Standardization of a
Cryptosporidium Genotyping Tool for Water Samples
(AWWA, 8/9) "Waterborne
cryptosporidiosis presents a serious threat to human health due to the
ubiquitous distribution of Cryptosporidium spp. in humans, animals and
water, and resistance of the oocysts to harsh environmental condition,
various disinfectants and many treatment practices. This report
discusses the use of genotyping tools in the analysis of
Cryptosporidium oocysts in water samples, including the interpretation
of molecular data generated, and the development of quality control
and quality assurance procedures. "
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