Episodes

The Colorado River has been named the most endangered river in the U.S. by American Rivers, with the organization citing the challenges it faces from the impacts of climate change, outdated water management practices, overallocation of resources,

Tremendous attention is paid to decisions, dollars, and officials at the federal and state levels, but local government is arguably the key cog in water management. Local leaders and staff are the ones ultimately spending funds, setting policy,

In many parts of the U.S., political partisanship and climate change pose challenges for environmental progress. Meanwhile, the Great Lakes have shown to be a place for rare bipartisan support for investing in clean water and healthy communities. Also,

The relationship between water and conflict has a long history. Sometimes a fight arises over water resources. Other times water is used as a weapon during war. In other cases water is collateral damage. The history is detailed in the Water and Conflic...

Water is a rather simple chemical compound, with two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Yet this seemingly basic substance is necessary for all known forms of life, comprises two-thirds of the human body, and covers 70 percent of the Earth.

Before Hurricane Katrina, the work to protect and restore Louisiana’s coast was fragmented among various government agencies with limited budgets and little coordination. The devastation of the storm and continued catastrophic loss of land and wetlands...

Utah is one of the driest states in the U.S. and the strain on water resources is growing as its population booms and climate change fuels aridification across the American West. But instead of aggressively advancing water conservation as other states ...

The water industry functions better when the workforce has a diverse blend of backgrounds and perspectives. This includes having individuals that bring experience in public administration and a mindset of service to others. In this episode, Amanda Jones,

The amount of plastic - trillions of pieces and millions of tons - in the ocean is one of the planet’s most daunting environmental challenges. But many people are undeterred and drawn to projects to address the pollution,

The water challenges are serious for Navajo Nation, including one in three families lacking running water, impacts of climate change straining the land, and legacy pollution tainting some sources. But a spirit of resilience and leadership from within a...

Five decades ago, Cleveland was infamous for major water problems, including the Cuyahoga River catching on fire and Lake Erie being proclaimed dead. But the challenges attracted attention, resources, businesses, and problem-solvers. 50 years later,

In 2014, a toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie forced the shutdown of Toledo’s drinking water system, cutting off the vital service for 400,000 people. In the years since, the City of Toledo responded by forging partnerships to monitor conditions in the lake,

Illinois is the state with the most lead service lines for drinking water in the country, estimated to be between 700,000 and 1.4 million, with a large number of those found in Chicago. But in 2021, the efforts of a diverse coalition of stakeholders le...

Wilmington, North Carolina is home to the USS North Carolina, a retired World War II battleship that is open as a museum that draws over a quarter of a million visitors each year and serves as a memorial to the North Carolinians who died in the war.

The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater ecosystem in the world, containing over 20 percent of Earth’s surface freshwater. This makes the Great Lakes an incredibly unique and critical place for water research,

Healthy and resilient coastlines depend on action by states to properly manage development and prepare for climate change. While the Surfrider Foundation’s 2021 State of the Beach report found only two-thirds of states performing at poor to adequate le...

Local government officials and staff responsible for water management often have limited resources and must avoid risk, putting them on the constant search for proven solutions that work for their peers. Enter The Atlas,

Over time many property owners in New Orleans have replaced green spaces in favor of concrete and other impervious surfaces in order to gain more parking and reduce yard maintenance. The amount of hard surfaces contributed to serious flooding problems ...

Managing water in New Orleans is a challenge because of the city’s unique hydrology, system of pipes and pumps, and intense rainfall events. Instead of relying only on traditional gray infrastructure, the city is embracing the use of green infrastructu...

Growing up and working in water in Puerto Rico, Yajaira Morphonios saw people who didn’t have access to clean drinking water and she gained a unique understanding of the essential nature of water services to the well-being of a community.

Coastal communities need accurate, reliable, and accessible information on tides, particularly as they confront rising sea levels and need to adapt to flooding events. But federal gauges are spread out on the U.S. coastline,

Resilience is one of the words frequently heard in discussions about water resources. But what does it actually mean? It’s important to have a common understanding of resilience, particularly as climate change accelerates water challenges and resilienc...

While precipitation like rain and snow get all the attention, the amount of evapotranspiration - water transferred from land and planets to the atmosphere - is also critical to water management. But there hasn’t been an effective tool for farmers,

Historically the water industry preferred to be reactive in communications, especially in dealing with the media. That approach left utilities to play defense and often end up on the losing side of public relations.