News Briefs

News briefs and articles about water footprints, water use and availability, as well as interviews with key people in the fields of water footprints and water use.

Clean Water Act Application to Groundwater: Keeping Score

December 12, 2018

This article reviews the legal cases where courts have examined the question: If a pollutant is discharged into groundwater, and that groundwater is hydrologically connected to a “Water of the United States” (WOTUS) such that the pollutant eventually reaches the WOTUS, does the Clean Water Act (CWA) apply to that discharge? Interestingly, in some cases, the court […]

Almond Board Sets Sustainability Goals

December 5, 2018

Sometimes, one little [big] drought is all it takes… The Almond Board of California – an industry trade group – is trying to improve the image of ‘big almond’ with its recent announcement of the details of their initiative called “Almond Orchard Goals 2025. The industry pledged to cut water use by 20 percent, among […]

How to Sustainably Feed 10 Billion People by 2050, in 21 Charts

December 5, 2018

In order to feed the 10 billion people expected to inhabit the planet by 2050 without also completely trashing it, several issues will have to be addressed in order to close the food, land and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions gaps that prevent sustainability. A new report from the World Resources Institute (WRI) has identified 22 solutions […]

US Government’s Climate Change Report Shows Water Security Threatened—Today

November 27, 2018

Last week the US federal government released the important National Climate Assessment, which stated that human health, life and economies are endangered as reliable clean water for agriculture, urban areas, industry and ecosystems are “increasingly in jeopardy.” Mandated by Congress, the National Climate Assessment is a mammoth and comprehensive report that involves more than 300 […]

Remember Holiday Meals and Forgo Food Waste

November 20, 2018

Thanksgiving and other holidays are the perfect time to consider just how egregious food waste is in America. A new study by two Texas A&M researchers focused on how people react to wasted food at organizations like supermarkets, retail stores, cafeterias and restaurants. The study found that people who cared more about the resources needed […]

State Water Plan Monographs From 17 States

November 19, 2018

The American Water Resources Association held its third National Leadership Institute (NLI) Workshop for State Officials. The workshop resulted in the production of a report that presents state water plans. Seventeen states participated. Contributors followed a common format, providing an elevator pitch that succinctly described each plan. They provided the statutory underpinnings, the planning horizons, […]

Basra’s Poisonous Water Demands International Action

November 16, 2018

Violent protests erupted in Basra this summer in response to the deterioration of public services. At the center is a water supply crisis brought about by mismanagement and overuse of water resources for energy and water, as well as a lack of investments in water treatment systems that left water undrinkable. Basra city was famous […]