Many of the one million people in California who lack access to safe and reliable drinking water are Latino agricultural workers living in small communities throughout the state’s Central Valley. Despite agriculture’s reliance on them as a workforce, the industry uses vast quantities of water and often pollutes resources. Change…
Some coastal communities experience flooding of low-lying areas on sunny days due to exceptional high tides. The frequency and severity of these events, also called blue sky flooding or nuisance flooding, are increasing due to sea level rise and are projected to triple in the U.S. by the year 2050.…
As climate change and other crises strain water supplies, more attention is being paid to the water footprint, the amount of water used by an individual or household over a certain period of time. A water footprint includes the water that is directly used by taps, showers, toilets, and household…
As an historic flood devastated Yellowstone National Park and downstream communities in Montana, the U.S. Geological Survey was busy measuring streamflows, monitoring equipment, sharing data, and even making repairs in the field. Early data shows the flood could be a one in 500-year event and the gauge just outside the…
A new report finds that the 1.5 million people in America who live without running water or a toilet at home is costing the U.S. economy over $8.5 billion a year. The biggest impacts to the GDP come from lost productivity, time lost at work or school to access water,…
In Baltimore, there are vast, disturbing differences from neighborhood to neighborhood in factors such as employment, education, crime, and life expectancy. While it will take a wide variety of efforts to address the root causes, an effort is underway to evaluate how green stormwater infrastructure could provide benefits for residents…
It took thousands of years for the Mississippi River to build the coastline of southern Louisiana and its vast network of wetlands and bayous. It only took several generations of people to disrupt the natural, land-building flow by controlling the river with concrete and levees. Now a state-of-the-art, 10,000 square…
The water industry is often described as conservative, risk-averse, and slow to change. That behavior and accompanying acceptance of the status quo frustrate Will Sarni, Founder and CEO of the Water Foundry, who believes the industry needs disruption, particularly to tackle “wicked problems.” In this episode, Will explains how the…
Plans are underway for a binational park on the Rio Grande River that would be shared by the U.S. and Mexico. This video provides a look at the artist's rendering.
Note: This episode is in Spanish with English subtitles. Find an English transcript at https://bit.ly/TwoNationPark The Rio Grande River serves as the border between the United States and Mexico and in many ways keeps people apart. A historic project is underway to create a binational park along the river in…
Hundreds of millions of people around the world that lack water and sanitation spend money and valuable time to get access. The market-based model of Water.org has helped 43 million people to use microloans to gain proper access to water and sanitation and then use the saved money and time…
The Colorado River has been named the most endangered river in the U.S. by American Rivers, with the organization citing the challenges it faces from the impacts of climate change, outdated water management practices, overallocation of resources, and a failure to manage the river equitably. These problems and the overall…
Tremendous attention is paid to decisions, dollars, and officials at the federal and state levels, but local government is arguably the key cog in water management. Local leaders and staff are the ones ultimately spending funds, setting policy, and implementing programs that directly impact water resources and people’s daily lives.…
In many parts of the U.S., political partisanship and climate change pose challenges for environmental progress. Meanwhile, the Great Lakes have shown to be a place for rare bipartisan support for investing in clean water and healthy communities. Also, climate change could offer silver linings for the region, such as…
The relationship between water and conflict has a long history. Sometimes a fight arises over water resources. Other times water is used as a weapon during war. In other cases water is collateral damage. The history is detailed in the Water and Conflict Chronology and discussed in this episode with…
Water is a simple chemical compound, with two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Yet this seemingly basic substance is necessary for all known forms of life, comprises two-thirds of the human body, and covers 70 percent of the Earth. Water also displays a wide range of unique behaviors, such…
Before Hurricane Katrina, the work to protect and restore Louisiana’s coast was fragmented among various government agencies with limited budgets and little coordination. The devastation of the storm and continued catastrophic loss of land and wetlands spurred the formation of a central agency to coordinate all activities and funds as…
Utah is one of the driest states in the U.S. and the strain on water resources is growing as its population booms and climate change fuels aridification across the American West. But instead of aggressively advancing water conservation as other states are doing, Utah is brazenly rejecting that approach and…
The water industry functions better when the workforce has a diverse blend of backgrounds and perspectives. This includes having individuals that bring experience in public administration and a mindset of service to others. In this episode, Amanda Jones, Founder of Womxn in Water, discusses how her journey in government and…
The amount of plastic - trillions of pieces and millions of tons - in the ocean is one of the planet’s most daunting environmental challenges. But many people are undeterred and drawn to projects to address the po\ llution, some even traveling thousands of miles across the ocean to study…
The water challenges are serious for Navajo Nation, including one in three families lacking running water, impacts of climate change straining the land, and legacy pollution tainting some sources. But a spirit of resilience and leadership from within are steadily leading Navajo Nation toward a more sustainable water future. A…
Five decades ago, Cleveland was infamous for major water problems, including the Cuyahoga River catching on fire and Lake Erie being proclaimed dead. But the challenges attracted attention, resources, businesses, and problem-solvers. 50 years later, the city is an epicenter for water innovation and technology, as discussed in this episode…
In 2014, a toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie forced the shutdown of Toledo’s drinking water system, cutting off the vital service for 400,000 people. In the years since, the City of Toledo responded by forging partnerships to monitor conditions in the lake, investing in upgrades to infrastructure and water…
