CH2M Hill

Yesterday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) convened a roundtable on water workforce to discuss how to help recruit and retain individuals into meaningful careers in water and to identify opportunities where EPA can help reduce barriers and improve interstate coordination.

NOAA-supported scientists announced today that this year’s Gulf of America hypoxic zone is approximately 1,332 square miles, making it the 2nd smallest zone on record in 40 years of measurement. Hypoxic areas, also called “dead zones,” are areas with little to no oxygen in the water, which can negatively impact fish, shellfish, corals and aquatic plants by making critical habitat unavailable to bottom species.

Sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting captures water vapor from the air using specialized materials, or sorbents, and thermal energy to produce freshwater. In research published in Advanced Functional Materials, investigators developed a wind-driven strategy that they showed provides a cost-effective and sustainable approach to freshwater production.

Water treatment plants are under growing pressure to deliver uninterrupted, high-quality water while operating with aging infrastructure, tighter regulatory standards, and rising energy costs. A single unexpected failure of a high-capacity pump, blower, membrane system, or chemical dosing unit can interrupt treatment processes, increase operating costs, and risk environmental compliance.

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced the completion of a $155 million modernization of the Coney Island Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility in southern Brooklyn. The project replaced the main sewage pumping system, which moves up to 220 million gallons of wastewater through the treatment process each day.

Garney, a national leader in water and wastewater infrastructure contracting, has named Anastasia Austin its Vice President of Financial Planning, Analysis, and Treasury. Bringing more than two decades of progressive leadership experience in finance, Austin will continue growing Garney’s core functions in forecasting, corporate budgeting, and cash flow planning, reporting directly to Garney’s CFO.