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, communities, and other water stakeholders to track evapotranspiration. Enter OpenET,…
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. Now the winning strategy is to embrace proactive communications, build productive relationships with the media, and…
An estimated 9 to 12 million lead service lines remain in the ground in the U.S., with water flowing through them into people’s homes. While funding is critical to winning the fight against lead pipes, the challenge is much more complex. Solutions are needed for locating lead lines, creating informative…
An estimated 2.2 million people in America lack clean water and proper sanitation. These individuals are found all across the country - in indigenous communities, California’s Central Valley, the U.S.-Mexico border, Appalachia, the Deep South, and in urban neighborhoods. In this episode George McGraw, Founder and CEO of DigDeep, says…
For decades, advocates and activists have worked relentlessly to elevate water issues and drive policy changes and government funding. Now it seems water has risen to be a top priority, in large part because of those years of advocacy, crumbling water infrastructure, high-profile crises such as Flint, and the impacts…
Polling shows that large majorities of Latinos feel that outdoor activities involving water are a way of life, that protecting water is vital to their culture and the economy, and that the government should combat water pollution. Historically large environmental organizations haven’t represented the Latino community and that has led…
The scope of waters covered by the federal Clean Water Act - called Waters of the U.S. - is one of the most complex, controversial, and contentious issues in environmental policy. Waters of the U.S. has been the focus of Supreme Court rulings, lobbying and litigation by stakeholders, and rulemakings…
Brewers are seeing the impacts of climate change on essential ingredients for beer. Unusual temperatures and precipitation are damaging crops like barley and hops while water resources are stressed by drought or polluted by algae blooms and wildfires, as explained in this episode with Katie Wallace, Director of Social and…
As the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem, the Great Lakes benefit from massive financial investment in restoration and protection activities each year. Yet one unique entity acts as a force multiplier, not by contributing the most dollars, but by targeting funds to emerging and innovative ideas that can yield exponential returns…
Water management has long been an essential part of operations for beverage companies, but in an increasingly water-stressed world the industry is focused on finding ways to reduce risk, help at the community level, and benefit the bottom line. This includes a constant drive to improve water efficiency at facilities…
Intense rainfall driven by climate change, impervious surfaces like concrete and asphalt, and aging water infrastructure are part of the formula causing communities across the country to face increased flooding and stormwater runoff. Many municipalities need assistance with planning, management, and funding. Navigate the Flood is a new step-by-step guide…
There have been lofty expectations for how sensors, remote monitoring, data, and the Internet of Things would impact the operation of water infrastructure. In many ways the digital tools are beginning to live up to the hype and allowing water managers to have unprecedented and important control of systems, as…
As farms in California face another extreme drought this summer, the hope is that lessons learned and policies and tools developed from the last drought can help with water management this time. During drought farms significantly increase use of groundwater and now California is focusing on monitoring, management, and recharge…
Philadelphia has embraced the use of arts and culture - from murals and music to superheroes - as a way to communicate with the community about water. The effort has especially focused on educating African-American, Latino, and low-income neighborhoods about the safety of drinking tap water. The use of art…
With climate change drying up the West and water levels in Lake Mead dropping to the lowest levels since Hoover Dam was built in the 1930s, the time is right for the oasis in the desert known as Las Vegas to take a big step toward reducing water consumption. Recently…
Advancements in technology and computers have allowed scientists to develop a detailed look at the coastal land margin, the dynamic area where the land and ocean interface. The high resolution models are used to better understand the coastal environment and predict where the water goes during storm surge and floods.…
When water quality is tested at the beach to determine safety for swimming it typically takes 24 hours for results, which isn’t useful for protecting public health in real-time. But a rapid method of testing can provide information about bacteria levels at the beach in just an hour or two,…
Many environmental problems stem from behavior problems. So over the past decade the environmental field has intensified its use of psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral science to understand how people’s brains operate and how to design programs to change behavior. The trend is explored in this episode with Katie Williamson, Senior…
During the past year of challenges and upheaval in society, many people turned to nature and water in particular for exercise, adventure, escape, and healing. The unique ability for water to elevate well-being - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually - is discussed in this episode with Wallace J Nichols, author…
With the ocean and coastal waters under a variety of stressors including pollution and climate change it is vital to gather more scientific data. Rapid advancements in technology have led to a proliferation of sensors for studying the coast and made these tools operable and affordable for a wider group.…
Historically the relationship between the agriculture sector and conservation community could be described as unproductive, tense, and even adversarial. But a significant shift toward cooperation during the last 20 years was driven by mutual concerns such as drought, urbanization, and sustainability. Forging personal connections and building trust made it possible,…
Religion is a very prevalent part of life in New Orleans and southern Louisiana, leading conservation organizations to build relationships with local faith leaders and to engage them on environmental issues. Faith leaders often believe that as God’s creation it is important to be stewards of nature and they carry…
A plan to route an oil pipeline through predominantly black neighborhoods in Memphis is an example of how minority communities across the country are overburdened by pollution and subjected to environmental racism, say Chandra Taylor, Senior Attorney and Leader of the Environmental Justice Initiative at the Southern Environmental Law Center,…
In the Chesapeake Bay watershed, cutting-edge technology is powering the practice of precision conservation, the use of advanced data and imagery for efficient decision making in environmental management. Tools like aerial imagery, LiDAR elevation data, spatial analysis, geomorphology, and machine learning are helping projects to achieve greater impact on the…