News, Articles and Interviews

Water Use in the United States, 2015 Edition, Released By USGS

June 20, 2018

Water wonks rejoice! The 2015 edition of Water Use in the United States has been released by US Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS updates their water use and withdrawal data on different water-use sectors, such as thermoelectric (power plants), agricultural irrigation, public supply (“city water”), industrial and so forth. The topline stats show that nationwide […]

The “Wonderful” Empire: How Land, Nuts and Water Made America’s Biggest Farmer

May 27, 2018

Stewart Resnick, America’s biggest farmer, continues to expand. But with California’s limited water resources, nature might just push back. In the Central Valley, the sunshine is plentiful but the moisture is not. Stewart Resnick is the biggest farmer in the United States and the overwhelming majority of his crops are rooted in the fertile lands […]

“One Water” Movement: Helps the Environment While Saving Millions of Dollars

May 22, 2018

A growing movement worldwide — called “One Water” — is managing water in a more holistic manner. Instead of separately managing drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, water for farming and water for the environment, this management approach seeks out solutions with multiple benefits. As a wide variety of water crises balloon in the United States and […]

A Kansas Town Faces Tap-Water Pollution From Farming

May 1, 2018

A Kansas town called Pretty Prairie faces a drinking water crisis — and they know it. The bucolic town is surrounded by farm fields that grow corn and soy beans, yet because those crops rely on the heavy use of nitrogen-based fertilizers is causing tap water pollution. In this case, the pollutant in the town’s […]

UN Says Studying Water Scarcity Can Help Curb Migration

April 23, 2018

A recent report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization states that studying trends linked to water scarcity could help communities to adapt and release stress from migration. By sharing good water-saving practices and skills, and by using remittances for managing water resources, improvements can be made to reduce the negative impacts. Lack of access […]

Take This Quiz to Find Out Your Environmental Footprint

April 18, 2018

Even with all the sustainability efforts going on in the world, the planet still needs help. Whether or not you’re open to changing your ways, it’s eye-opening to see how we impact the Earth. What is your environmental footprint? The three quizzes in this article will show you your ecological footprint, your water consumption (Hey! That’s […]

The Water Footprint of Food

April 12, 2018

In 2008, the creator of the water footprint concept and professor at the University of Twente Water Center, Arjen Hoekstra, posited that the international trade of commodity crops constituted the international trade of water because of all the virtual water it takes to grow those crops. A decade later, his theory holds true. [Twente Water […]

Making Los Angeles Water Self-Sufficient: Not Easy or Cheap, But Worth It

April 2, 2018

The Los Angeles region may not be in severe drought, but they are “back to our water-wasting ways,” writes UCLA’s Marc Gold. A couple years ago, Californians were using 24 percent less water than in 2013, while in 2018 conservation is not really happening because it’s down to 1 percent. LA must upgrade its water […]

Jeanologia CEO Says Denim Can Be Water-Free by 2025

March 23, 2018

With the right technologies and industry-wide effort, the denim industry – big denim, as it were – could become water free by 2025. So says Enrique Silla, CEO of Jeanologia. The Spanish company uses air in place of water to treat garments in order to achieve the same aesthetics of traditional washing and finishing. As […]