ch2m-hill

  1. Sunscreen For Lakes And Dams: Could A Thin Floating Layer Of Nanomaterial Shield Water From Evaporation? 9/3/2026

    Water stored in dams and reservoirs for humans to use often evaporates, especially in hot regions like southern Africa. Rising temperatures speed evaporation up, leaving less water for people, farming and industry. Daniel Kwasi Kpeglo has just completed a PhD in physics. He explains his laboratory research into a new design – a thin nanomaterial floating cover that could be placed over lakes and dams like a blanket, reducing evaporation by limiting the amount of infrared heat from the sun that reaches the water. He also outlines what hurdles need to be cleared for the design to be tested in the real world.

  2. Many Cities Buried Urban Streams. Here's How To Bring Them Back 9/1/2026

    As many cities developed, streams that once flowed on the surface were buried underground to make way for growing infrastructure. However, as heavier rainfall, extreme weather and aging infrastructure place growing pressure on cities, these buried streams could become part of the solution. Restoring streams to the surface — a practice known as stream daylighting — can help manage stormwater, restore habitats, and create greener, more walkable public spaces.

  3. Inside Zero Liquid Discharge Systems: The Technology Driving Industrial Water Reuse 8/28/2026
    Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) is evolving from a wastewater-compliance strategy into a high-recovery separation platform built around reverse osmosis (RO), high-pressure membranes, thermal concentration, membrane distillation (MD), crystallization, sensors, and process controls. Its objective is measurable: maximize water recovery while converting dissolved salts into solids rather than producing a final liquid reject.
  4. From Warning To Reality: Lessons From The Latest OT Attacks On Water Utilities 8/27/2026

    On July 10, I published an article warning that water and wastewater utilities had become prime targets for state-sponsored cyber actors, describing how attackers exploit internet-exposed PLCs, how the IT/OT divide leaves organizations vulnerable, and why the sector needed to act before an incident forced their hand. Today, that scenario is no longer hypothetical.

  5. Advanced Water Treatment Strategies Help Data Centers Manage Cooling Water At Industrial Scale 8/25/2026
    Data centers are evolving into industrial-scale thermal-management facilities as artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), cloud platforms, and accelerated computing increase rack power density. Modern AI racks can exceed 50–120 kW per rack, creating substantially higher heat-rejection requirements than conventional enterprise infrastructure. ASHRAE's (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) AI Data Center Energy Performance Framework identifies liquid cooling as an important architecture for these high-density environments.
  6. From Diagnosis To Decision: Four Pillars Of Actionable Pipeline Intelligence 8/20/2026

    Aging underground networks require actionable intelligence to prioritize maintenance. Combining flexible screening, accurate spatial positioning, and rapid data access helps utilities pinpoint critical defects, reduce operational disruptions, and optimize long-term capital improvement planning.

  7. Putting Pipelines On The Map: How Location Data Strengthens Modern Asset Management Programs 8/20/2026

    Incomplete pipeline records jeopardize modern utility management. Precise spatial mapping and elevation data protect underground infrastructure, reduce utility strikes during excavation, and enhance digital models to enable targeted, cost-effective infrastructure maintenance.

  8. How To Manage Warm-Season Biological Upsets In Wastewater Lagoons 8/20/2026

    The rate of biological activity in a treatment lagoon is largely a function of water temperature. Once the water rises above roughly 59 °F (15 °C), metabolic rates increase across the entire microbial and invertebrate community.

  9. Colorado River Water Conservation Efforts Get Only Halfway To A Solution 8/20/2026

    In August 2026 the nation’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, both on the Colorado River, hit their lowest levels since they first began to be filled in 1936 and 1963, respectively. The federal government and the seven Colorado River basin states have been unable to reach an agreement about who should reduce water usage by how much to avoid catastrophic declines in lake levels.

  10. Sample Collection And Storage: Protecting Water Quality Results From The Start 8/18/2026

    Flawless analytical procedures mean little if samples are compromised before testing. Discover how proper container selection, representative collection techniques, and rigorous preservation protocols prevent pre-analysis error to ensure defensible, accurate water quality results.