RESILIENCY RESOURCES

• How Water Suppliers Can Improve Resilience Throughout Hurricane Season

  Exactly 16 years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans on its way toward becoming the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history, Hurricane Ida slammed into the Gulf Coast with great force. The storm would eventually move north, leaving a trail of destruction across much of the Eastern Seaboard. Nearly a month later, many who were in its path are still feeling the effects.

• Ancient Groundwater: Why The Water You’re Drinking May Be Thousands Of Years Old

  Groundwater resources currently supply drinking water to nearly half the world’s population and roughly 40 percent of water used for irrigation globally. What many people don’t realize is how old — and how vulnerable — much of that water is.

• Denver Water A Two-Time Winner Of National Sustainability Award

  Peer utilities across the United States highlight utility’s work to protect ecosystems, communities and climate.

• Post-COVID Emergency Contingency Planning Is More Important Than Ever

  Many utility managers, consulting engineers, and contractors have more than a little anxiety with emergency repairs of large-diameter pipe under the best of circumstances. Unfortunately, supply chain fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has made emergency repairs more challenging for large and small piping alike. Here are some considerations that can better prepare water and wastewater utilities to cope with their emergency repair surprises.

• Avoiding Water Bankruptcy In The Drought-Troubled Southwest: What The U.S. And Iran Can Learn From Each Other

  The 2021 water year ends on Sept. 30, and it was another hot, dry year in the western U.S., with almost the entire region in drought. Reservoirs vital for farms, communities and hydropower have fallen to dangerous lows. The biggest blow came in August, when the U.S. government issued its first ever water shortage declaration for the Colorado River, triggering water use restrictions. In response, farmers and cities across the Southwest are now finding new, often unsustainable ways to meet their future water needs.

• Achieving Better Balance In The Water-Energy-Climate Nexus

  Trying to balance urban population growth against water scarcity, energy consumption, and greenhouse gases (GHGs) can feel like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Fortunately, a recent report quantifying that delicate balance offers new perspective on solutions for water professionals.

• 'All Of The Above' May Include Underneath Our Feet

  As Denver Water looks to increase water security, a slice of its supply could be stored deep below the city.

• Water Network Tool For Resilience Helps Prepare Drinking Water Utilities For Natural Disasters

  Natural disasters such as floods, drought, hurricanes, winter storms, and earthquakes can interrupt access to clean drinking water. To improve their resilience, communities, and the utilities that provide drinking water to these communities, are building their capacity to return to service as quickly as possible, planning for and understanding any potential vulnerabilities in their system, and practicing response to adverse events in real-time as they happen.

• Shifting To Cellular Solutions Underpins Long-Term Resiliency And Stability

  System longevity is a growing concern for water utilities of all sizes and locations. One of the biggest obstacles in achieving this goal is the use of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) that leverages fixed network communications. Not only do fixed networks require significant expertise to build and manage, but a shrinking workforce is also making it difficult to replace institutional knowledge when those experts retire. Additionally, emerging cybersecurity threats are making fixed networks a heavy load for utilities to bear.

• House Committee Makes Down Payment On Clean Water Needs

  The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee is moving forward with a measure that would invest $3.7 billion in critical wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. These resources will help communities across the country struggling with sewage spills, inadequate sanitation, and destructive urban flooding.