“Drinking water helps in losing weight”, “having warm water actually melts down the stubborn fat”, “the more water you drink, the quicker you will lose weight”

How many times have you heard these claims on water? Innumerable, for sure!

Water, no doubt, is a wonder and blessing for human beings. Water is vital to human existence. Our body requires water to function properly. Water helps clear the body of toxic and waste substances. Water regulates the overall functioning of the body.

But how it impacts our weight needs more observation and knowledge than what is being claimed by many.

Here are few myths and facts on water and its impact on weight loss:

Read: 5 besan recipes for weight loss

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Lucknow: Chief minister Yogi Adityanth said here on Thursday that the situation in the Bundelkhand-Vindhya region of the state was changing with the launch of the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ on August 15, 2019. The dream of supplying pure drinking water to each household was being fulfilled, he said.

Yogi was speaking in the review meeting of the various projects launched by Jal Shakti department and Swachh Bharat Mission. Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was also present in the review meeting.

Yogi Adityanath said under ‘har ghar nal-har ghar jal’, 2.64 lakh households in the state would get pure drinking water this year. The dream of pure drinking water had come true for more than 2.51 crore population in the past few years. Tap connections had been installed in 36 lakh houses. In the Vindhya-Bundelkhand region alone, 18.67 lakh households had been connected with piped drinking water. Work was going on in 57.62 lakh houses. The remaining houses would also get piped drinking water facility in a phased manner timely, he said.

The Central and state governments would jointly implement the Jal Shakti, Swachh Bharat Mission, Namami Gange projects in a time-bound manner. “Our target is to supply clean drinking water in all the households of all revenue villages by March 2024,” he said.

The Agriculture Production Commissioner would review progress of the Jal Jeevan Mission each week and submit the report to the chief minister’s office, he said.

The villages saturated with Jal Jeevan Mission would be verified by the officers and gram panchayats. Special efforts were being made under Jal Jeevan Mission to improve the quality of water affected due to arsenic, fluoride, salinity, nitrate, iron etc. The central government would provide additional financial assistance for the project, the CM said.

To maintain transparency in the project, the officers should ensure that the agencies preparing the DPR for the development projects did not participate in the tender process for the construction of the project. A target should be set to complete the work in 23,000 villages within six months.

The action plan for Jal Jeevan Mission should be prepared at the revenue village level instead of village panchayat. The work should be completed expeditiously in all 97,000 revenue villages, he said.

The plan to build at least one community toilet complex in each gram panchayat was also nearing completion. Community toilets had been built in 57,266 out of 58,289-gram panchayats in the state. Local women had been appointed as the caretakers at a payment of ₹3,000 per month. Uttar Pradesh had also become open defecation-free, he said.

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Former UCalgary student group and now a nationally registered non-profit organization, Water Movement organized and hosted the inaugural National Indigenous Water Operator Day (NIWOD) on March 21. NIWOD is recognized on March 21, a day before World Water Day, and acknowledges those who treat and bring clean water to Indigenous communities.

Water Movement, created by UCalgary students Bita Malekian, Amrita Nag, Kondwani Asefa and Anita Malekian, was awarded third place and a prize of $7,500 at Western University’s World’s Challenge Challenge (WCC) global final in 2021 after pitching their unique idea at the UCalgary WCC competition.

Water Movement is a collaborative online platform where Indigenous water treatment operators can connect and access resources to improve, optimize and sustain equipment and processes, to address Canada’s water crisis.

Operators from across the country convened at Calgary City Hall for the inaugural event where they were acknowledged, celebrated, and honoured. The event gave those responsible for keeping drinking water safe in Indigenous communities a platform to share stories, solutions and challenges.

It’s an ongoing struggle to lift communities out of water advisory status and prevent it from reccurring. Thousands of people are still living with untreated water, and yet the water operators who are keeping the waters flowing in their communities, lifting them out of advisories or preventing them from happening, continue to face a career that’s underpaid and overworked. 

“Indigenous people have been speaking for many decades on the need for safe drinking water for many communities. Water Movement is supporting Indigenous voices and contributing to Indigenous peoples and their efforts to access potable water, something that most Canadians take for granted. It is an example that understanding, respectful relationships, and commitment contributes to meaningful change for the people most impacted,” says Dr. Michael Hart, vice-provost (Indigenous engagement).

Inspirational quotes accompany artwork and portraits of Indigenous water operators.

The event featured speeches by government leaders including city councillors, MLAs, the minister of Indigenous relations, and Nathan Neudorf, parliamentary secretary to the minister of environment and parks for water stewardship, who also acknowledged National Indigenous Water Operator Day at the Provincial Assembly.

An art gallery exclusively featuring artwork with themes of water from Indigenous artists and portraits of operators from across the country accompanied by their inspirational stories was also on display.

“The portraits were taken during our visits to Indigenous communities to expand Water Movement’s video library, which was supported in funding by the WCC prize money and University of Calgary ii’ taa’poh’to’p grant,” says Malekian. “Water Movement remains committed to listening to, learning from and connecting with Indigenous water treatment operators to provide valuable resources.”

When’s the next World’s Challenge Challenge?

UCalgary has hosted the World’s Challenge Challenge since 2018, and will be accepting proposals for the 2023 UCalgary World’s Challenge Challenge competition in late fall.

“The development initiatives we support create opportunities for our students to develop effective intercultural skills and unique areas of knowledge, such as global Indigenous engagement,” say Dr. Janaka Ruwanpura, vice-provost and associate vice-president research.

“This innovative competition is an exciting way for UCalgary students to learn about the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, engage with students from around the world and address real-world challenges.”

Students interested in working with an international, interdisciplinary team of students to help solve a challenge faced by a local community organization can sign up for the next iteration of the Global Community Challenge YYC taking place this fall or next year’s World’s Challenge Challenge competition. For more information regarding either program, email [email protected].

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Preparations for the UN 2023 Water Conference, which will focus on reviewing implementation of the objectives of the 2018-2028 International Water Decade and help “create a consistent drumbeat” to raise attention to water, were central to the discussions at the 36th UN-Water Meeting. Among other issues, participants addressed ways to scale up country-level support and disseminate results from case studies in the context of the Global Acceleration Framework for SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation).

According to the UN-Water Briefing Note by the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB), the upcoming UN 2023 Water Conference, to be held at UN Headquarters in New York, US, in March 2023, will offer a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to catalyze action and build partnerships to achieve international water goals, including SDG 6 and its targets.

Addressing participants during an information session on the UN 2023 Water Conference, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General for the UN 2023 Water Conference, Liu Zhenmin, reviewed proposals for the event’s themes, noting that most of them fall into one of five clusters: 1) water, climate, and disaster risk reduction (DRR); 2) water and peace and security; 3) water for agriculture and food security; 4) nature and water quality; and 5) universal access to water and sanitation.

The Netherlands and Tajikistan – the co-hosts of the UN 2023 Water Conference – confirmed that the event’s modalities will involve:

• six plenaries during which Member States will have space to make their statements;
• five dialogues, the themes for which will be agreed later in 2022;
• three to five special events;
• side events; and
• cultural elements such as exhibitions and marathons that will lead to a global focus on water during the week of the meeting.

The co-hosts emphasized that the conference should focus on partnerships that will “work beyond the March 2023 event,” and noted that water is “both a dealbreaker for achieving the internationally agreed water-related goals and targets as well as an opportunity and dealmaker, through which a green economy can be leveraged, and a more sustainable and inclusive world achieved.”

Throughout the meeting some participants emphasized that “water is not a sector,” stressing that water as an underpinning theme should be strengthened across all sectors. At the same time, as the ENB notes, “many lamented the fragmentation of water governance across organizations, processes, and sectors.” A suggested way forward was to view fragmentation as an “opportunity to reinforce messages across sectors” and to use water as a “mode to build bridges, for instance with the climate adaptation agenda.”

The 36th UN-Water Meeting took place in person, after two years of online sessions, convening in Geneva, Switzerland, from 7-8 April 2022. [ENB UN-Water Briefing Note] [ENB Coverage of 36th UN-Water Meeting]

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On May 12, the California Coastal Commission will consider whether to approve a coastal development permit for the proposed Poseidon desalination plant in Huntington Beach. Its decision, either way, raises important questions about the future of the local water supply.

One controversial aspect of the project is it proposes to use open ocean intake pipes to draw seawater into the plant, utilizing existing cooling intakes of an adjacent power plant that are soon to be put out of commission. As proposed, the project would draw up to 106.7 million gallons per day (mgd) of seawater into the plant, producing up to 50 mgd of freshwater and another 57 mgd of salty brine that would be disposed of through an outfall pipe about 1,500 feet offshore.

The Coastal Commission’s staff recommends commissioners deny the permit, in part because of its impact on marine life, both through its intake and outfall.

In order to comply with the state policy in this respect – minimizing mortality to marine life – Cal Am pursued a desalination project using subsurface slant wells under the beach in Marina, proposing to draw brackish water through the sand. It’s a process far more energy-intensive and expensive than open ocean intake, and which could potentially exacerbate seawater intrusion.

The California Public Utilities Commission approved the environmental impact report for Cal Am’s project in 2018, but when it came to the Coastal Commission, its staff twice recommended denying a permit—both in 2019 and 2020—in part because of the potential harm it could cause to local aquifers, and for social justice concerns regarding the water’s cost. (Cal Am withdrew its application before the commissioners voted on it.)

And therein lies a paradox: On one hand, the state is putting a premium on marine life, yet subsurface intake wells – which state policy prefers – are too expensive.

Instead, a cheaper, less energy-intensive project – the recycled water project Pure Water Monterey – is where the money and water ultimately flowed.

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Yet the widespread consensus among local water professionals is that, at some point in the coming years, the region will require a desal project to meet future demand. But given the permitting hurdles, how will that happen? Poseidon’s project was first proposed in 1998 and just now stands on the precipice, 24 years later.

It’s past time to restart the conversation for a regional desal project, looking at all options, including open ocean intake. (During the latter part of the 20th century, hundreds of millions of gallons of seawater were pumped daily into the Moss Landing power plant for cooling purposes through an open intake, concurrent to the ecological resurgence of Monterey Bay.)

We also need to reset our expectations about what we can and cannot save. As climate change bears down, the future will be one of ever-intensifying water scarcity in the West and environmental calamity worldwide, including mass die-offs of marine life.

It’s time to start seeing the forest, not just the trees – or in this case, the larvae and plankton.

—

Correction 5/11/22: The print version of this story inaccurately stated the Coastal Commission denied a permit for Cal Am’s proposed desalination project in 2019; Cal Am ultimately withdrew its application before the commissioners voted on it. 

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Councillor Rachel Soobiah.

Long-standing issues of water leaks and water outages in ward 30, have angered the community. The communities of Raisethorpe, Allandale and Orient Heights have accused Msunduzi Municipality’s water department of dragging its feet in addressing the problems there.

According to the residents, kilolitres of clean drinking water gush out of burst pipes over long periods unattended, due to ongoing water leaks.

Local ward councillor Rachel Soobiah said there are references to water leaks which were reported last November and have still not been addressed. She said she has been getting complaints regularly from residents about water leaks.

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The buoys guard against algal blooms and monitor our drinking water before it gets processed.

CLEVELAND — On Wednesday, the Cleveland Water Alliance launched smart buoys into Lake Erie for the season. 

The buoys guard against algal blooms and other problems, as well as monitor our drinking water before it gets processed. 

Basically, they are floating laboratories collecting water temperature, wave height and what’s detecting what in the water. The four buoys protect the Lake Erie drinking water of 1.4 million Ohioans served by Cleveland Water. The buoys were originally designed to warn about harmful algal blooms, or HABs.

“We have never had a harmful algal bloom toxin detection in our raw water. Ever. At any of our 4 plants,” says Scott Moegling, water quality manager at Cleveland Water. 

But algal blooms are not the only threat. Last year, the Cleveland Water Alliance was able to pilot a hypoxia warning system using the buoys.

“That is when the water becomes oxygen starved. It a big headache for our water utilities,” explains Brian Stubbs, president and executive director of Cleveland Water Alliance

Lake Erie is now a smart lake, because all the buoys are connected to the internet, making the information is available to everyone.

Ed Verhamme, Principal and Senior Engineer, LimnoTech

“So, Cleveland Water can use it to look below the lake and the boaters can understand what is happening above the lake,” adds Ed Verhamme, principal and senior engineer at LimnoTech

The network of buoys is growing. Soon every county along the Lake Erie coastline will have this information. Verhamme says they plan to put 10 new buoys across the lake later this summer. 

These advancements make our lake one of the most studied bodies of fresh water on the planet. Something unthinkable years ago.

You can see where the buoys have been deployed in Lake Erie and the data they provide by clicking here.

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Organisations including CITU, AIDWA, DYFI, and PATNAM have conducted a demonstration outside the headquarters of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board demanding clean drinking water supply.

The organisations alleged that several slums in the city are receiving drinking water with low pressure. Even that water is polluted with sewage, and ridden with insects and larvae. Borewells are non functional at several locations, and drinking water is being supplied once in four or five days, a statement from them alleged.

The organisations have taken up a survey in 70 slums about the drinking water quality, and located the issues in Musheerabad, Bagh Amberpet, Golnaka, Chaderghat, Ramantapur, Rahmat Nagar, Borabanda, Cantonment, Bansilalpet, Gudimalkapur, and Mehdipatnam areas.

A memorandum was submitted to the MD, HMWS&SB M. Dana Kishore with demands for supply of clean drinking water with good pressure, repair of sewerage lines in slums, installation of public taps, repair of borewells, and supply every alternate day for all the areas.

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Union Home Minister, Amit Shah expresses gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring supply of pure drinking water in all schools and Anganwadi Centres of Jammu & Kashmir before scheduled date – Odisha Diary

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• Union Home Minister, Amit Shah expresses gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring supply of pure drinking water in all schools and Anganwadi Centres of Jammu & Kashmir before scheduled date

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Watergen, the innovative Israeli water tech company, has provided one of its water-from-air generators to a medical facility in the Syrian city of Raqqa.

The delivery was made possible through a partnership with the Multifaith Alliance for Syrian refugees (MFA), a humanitarian aid organization that delivers items to Syrians in need with the help of faith-based and secular partners.

To harness the collective power of faith-based and secular partners to build on the strength and resilience of the Syrian people, help them restore their lives, and plant the seeds for a more stable region.

More than 10 years of conflict in Syria has resulted in widespread destruction of water facilities across the country. Lack of access to safe drinking water is affecting millions of people across Syria, which now has up to 40 percent less drinking water than a decade ago, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross

Founded in 2009, Watergen develops and manufactures a number of water generators including the Gen-M, the Gen-L model, a large atmospheric water generator that can produce up to 5,000 liters (1,320 gallons) of clean water per day, and the Gen-M Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV), which transports Watergen units in emergency situations and natural disasters. In 2020, Watergen also rolled out the “Genny,” an at-home water generator capable of producing between 25-30 liters (6.6-7.9 gallons) of water per day as well as the Solar Genny, a generator powered by solar panels. 

The company is headed by Michael Mirilashvili, a Russian-Israeli billionaire who is the current CEO and president of Watergen.

“We are proud to participate in this life-saving initiative to improve the safety, health, and welfare of the region,” said Mirilashvili, “In doing so, we continue to fulfill Watergen’s mission to guarantee clean drinking water to all who need it, something we believe is a basic human right. Scarcity crisis is one of the most dangerous global challenges and Watergen in here to confront it and ensure that every human has access to clear drinking water no matter where he lives. Throughout history, conflicts have often been centered around controlling water sources. Today we are doing the opposite: building peace and a common future around a groundbreaking Israeli technology”.

 “The Watergen generator, powered by solar energy, converts droplets of moisture from the air into clean drinking water,” said MFA’s Executive Director, Shafi Martini. “The first unit, installed last month in a local medical facility, has been providing fresh drinking water to 500 internally displaced people per day. A second Watergen generator will soon be installed in another area medical facility, and MFA plans to set up additional units in hospitals and schools throughout northern Syria”.

Watergen made headlines last year when it provided its water generators to the children hospitals in the Gaza Strip.  According to the United Nations Trade and Development Commission, 95% of Gaza’s ground water supply is unfit for consumption, and if urgent measures are not taken soon enough it risks being left with no drinking water at all. Gaza suffers from water shortage, in general, and drinking water shortage, in particular.

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