The Chicago River flows backward. This engineering feat, accomplished in 1900, was designed to protect Lake Michigan, Chicago’s drinking water source, by reversing the river’s flow into the Mississippi. Today, the river has been transformed into a thriving urban centerpiece, with the $100 million Chicago Riverwalk reconnecting the city to…
Outdoor recreation and tourism are vital to the Mississippi River economy, second only to manufacturing. Colin Wellenkamp of the Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative explains how projects at Horseshoe Lake have boosted this industry, drawing more visitors and supporting East St. Louis and neighboring communities. By enhancing areas popular…
Horseshoe Lake in East St. Louis, Illinois, serves as a critical natural buffer against extreme weather, demonstrated during the thousand-year rain event of July 2022. Colin Wellenkamp of the Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative highlights how the enhancement of wetland, marsh, and forested areas, along with expanded connections between…
Climate impacts on communities along the Mississippi River are so severe and persistent that local efforts alone won’t suffice. Colin Wellenkamp of the Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative emphasizes the need for mayors to expand their focus beyond city limits, sometimes many miles away, to implement flood storage projects…
Faced with the reality that conventional infrastructure alone cannot solve municipal water system challenges, mayors along the Mississippi River began exploring alternatives 15 years ago. “We’re not going to pump and pipe our way out of these problems,” explains Colin Wellenkamp of the Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative. Instead,…
💧H2O Minute News⏰ Brenley McKenna of WateReuse California highlights groundbreaking new direct potable reuse (DPR) regulations that set a high standard for the state’s water future. These regulations ensure recycled water meets or exceeds all drinking water standards, with stringent oversight for emerging contaminants. Key provisions include a single agency…
William Moody is the Director of the Bureau of Public Water Supply for Mississippi. Bill says that over the past 27 years, the landscape of water regulation has changed dramatically. Water systems now face the complex challenge of balancing a broad spectrum of requirements to ensure safety. This shift underscores…
💧H2O INTRO 🤝 Meet Will Bulloss Will Bulloss, Chief Strategy Officer for the Western Virginia Water Authority, is passionate about leveraging water and sewer projects to build strong communities. Serving three counties, two towns, and one city in the scenic Roanoke Valley, the Authority faces the challenge of effective regional…
Antoine Walter of the Don't Waste Water podcast highlights a key challenge in the water sector: bridging the gap between innovative technology providers and cautious utilities and end users. Despite the industry's conservative nature, which values safety, Walter believes better connections between potential early adopters and technology companies could accelerate…
The Mississippi River is essential to global agriculture and trade, but it is increasingly vulnerable to climate impacts, including severe droughts and floods, resulting in significant economic and environmental challenges. Colin Wellenkamp, Executive Director of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI), discusses how the coalition is advancing nature-based…
Communities like Cairo, once thriving river towns, face tough realities due to recurring flooding and economic barriers. Many residents cannot simply leave their homes, needing support to rebuild or relocate and make themselves whole, notes Tharran Hobson of The Nature Conservancy. The challenge lies in balancing economic resilience with sustainable…
Amy Parmenter is the Chief Administrator for the Rhode Island Department of Health Center for Drinking Water Quality. With most of Rhode Island’s water systems relying on small groundwater sources, her team enforces a protective radius around drinking water wells, free from contamination, to ensure source water protection. Thanks to…
💧H2O INTRO 🤝 Meet Elvy Barton Wildfire risk poses a significant threat to communities and water supplies in Arizona, with the frequency and severity of wildfires increasing tenfold since 2000. Elvy Barton, Water and Forest Sustainability Senior Manager at Salt River Project (SRP), shares how the utility is leading efforts…
On Innovation... Pablo Calabuig of GoAigua says the water sector is finally embracing innovation, catching up to other utility sectors by rapidly adopting new technologies like AI to address complex challenges. He also notes the surge in investment in sewer and wastewater systems, a traditionally underfunded area, as a promising…
Restoration efforts at Dogtooth Bend focus on natural infrastructure to manage the Mississippi River's flow and prevent it from cutting a new channel that could disrupt 14 miles of navigation. Planting trees to slow water movement is a key strategy supported by NRCS and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,…
At Dogtooth Bend, many farmers and residents sought a way out as the Mississippi River's behavior changed over time. The Nature Conservancy, in partnership with NRCS, leveraged $24 million in easement funds, supported by private donations, to help willing landowners secure conservation easements and adapt to the shifting landscape, explains…
Large floodplain river systems, like the Mississippi, rely on their floodplains for flood storage, nutrient cycling, and habitat. Despite human efforts to control the river with levees, the river’s power often prevails. “At some point, the river is going to reclaim back what is hers,” explains Tharran Hobson of The…
The ever-changing nature of the Mississippi River poses significant challenges for those living behind the levee at Dogtooth Bend in southern Illinois, where increased flooding and infrastructure strain can impact everyday existence. A promising solution involves nature-based strategies that restore floodplains to better manage water flow and reduce flood risk.…
Greg Busch is Maryland's water supply program manager. His experience in the Peace Corps shapes his appreciation for the extensive systems that provide safe drinking water in the U.S., including source water protection, treatment plants, buried pipes, operator certification and compliance sampling. #SDWA50 a collaboration with the Association of State…
💧H2O INTRO 🤝 Meet Patrick Jensen In today’s evolving infrastructure landscape, proactive outreach is essential for water utilities to access new technologies and attract qualified bids. Patrick Jensen, Principal Civil Engineer at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, underscores the importance of engaging directly with contract vendors and…
Las Vegas faces unique challenges as a rapidly growing city with a small share of water from the Colorado River and an arid desert climate. To meet the demands of residents and 40 million annual visitors, Las Vegas implemented comprehensive approaches to sustainability that drove water usage down even as…
What should we rethink about water? "If you're walking through the desert and you have a gold bar in your pocket and you haven't had a drink of water in three days, you'll swap that for a glass of water." Alexei Levene of Desolenator says the true value of water…
💧H2O INTRO 🤝 Meet Indira Gonzales Workforce challenges in the U.S. water industry are intensifying, with one-third of skilled professionals set to retire in the next decade. Indira Gonzalez of WSSC (Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission) emphasizes the urgency of capturing their expertise. To meet this need, Indira advocates for structured…
Sarah Gaddis is director of drinking water for Kentucky. She values the impact of the Safe Drinking Water Act in her professional and personal life, and credits it with helping the state to regionalize water utilities from over 1,000 to about 430. #SDWA50 a collaboration with the Association of State…