The city’s Division of Water Quality will perform a smoke test to the sanitary sewer system at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, to confirm the effectiveness of recent repairs.

The test will take place in the 600 block of Bryanwood Parkway and the 1700 block of Brynell Parkway.

Residents in the two areas should run water in sinks or tubs that are not frequently used to fill the traps. The smoke is non-toxic. However, open the doors and windows to ventilate if it enters your house or business.

If you have any additional concerns, comments or need clarification of any of these services to be conducted, please contact LexCall 311 or call (859) 425-2400.

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In Pakistan, the death toll has topped 1,400 from catastrophic flooding that has left a third of the country under water and devastated key agricultural areas. Authorities now say it could take six months for the water to recede in some areas. More rain is forecast in some of the hardest-hit areas. Authorities are also racing to protect a key power plant north of Karachi that provides power to millions of people. Patients in makeshift hospitals say they are getting sick from a lack of drinkable water.
bq. Mohammad Murad: “Floods inundated our homes, and we came down here. The water which is supplied through the water tanker here is not clean. The children are falling sick by drinking this water. They suffer from cold, cough and skin problems. There are no good arrangements for drinking water here.”

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Not many people are aware that due to a recent change in the law, tap water is free in bars and restaurants in the Balearics and across Spain.

In April 2022, the government changed the laws to make all bars and restaurants offer free tap water to their customers.

It was done under the Law on Waste and Contaminated Soil for a Circular Economy, in an attempt to reduce the number of single-use plastics sold in Spain.

Local authorities must also provide ample public drinking spaces like water fountains in order to help the environment and more have sprung up in Palma, for example, over the past year.

In a recent report on the quality of tap water in popular tourist destinations, only 53 countries were deemed to have safe tap water to drink.

Places on the list include the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Canada, Chile and Singapore.

By comparison, there were 160 countries where it is not safe to drink the water as a tourist.
Some of the most surprising locations include The Bahamas, China, The Canary Islands and The Maldives.

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AUSTIN (KXAN) — Some customers in the Davenport Ranch neighborhood are under a boil water advisory after a drop in pressure was caused by a pump failure.

It’s a precautionary measure, and the pump issue has been addressed. Austin Water said they’re conducting water sampling and they’ve delivered drinking water to each affected household.

Customers under the advisory should boil water prior to consumption or use, including washing hands or face, brushing teeth, drinking, or cooking. 116 customers are affected by the advisory, Austin Water said.

Affected customers will receive a door hanger once the boil water notice is no longer in effect.

Austin Water said they’re not aware of any water outages, but if customers are experiencing outages, they should contact the emergency 24/7 emergency dispatch line at 512-972-1000.

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Regional Needs Assessment Identifies Water Issues Across Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The quality of drinking water, flooding, lack of access to adequate green space, contamination and pollutants, and trash are among the most urgent water-related concerns facing low-income and tribal populations around the nine-county Bay Area, according to the Regional Needs Assessment released today by the San Francisco Estuary Partnership. Led by members of disadvantaged and tribal communities, the report was developed through the Bay Area Integrated Regional Water Management Program’s Disadvantaged Communities and Tribal Involvement program, which is funded by the California Department of Water Resources.

Concerns about tap water quality were particularly noted across the Bay Area, a region typically known for its high-quality drinking water. Water worries from the perspective of residents in Antioch, Bay Point, Dillon Beach, East Oakland, East Palo Alto, East San Jose, Marin City, North Richmond, Petaluma, Pittsburg, Point Reyes, San Francisco’s Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood, San Rafael’s Canal District and South Vallejo are noted in the report, as are the needs of people experiencing homelessness, who have some of the least access to water, sanitation, and hygiene.

“This report sheds light on the systemic and pervasive nature of water quality and water management problems shared by disadvantaged and tribal communities throughout the Bay Area. People in these communities have identified and sought solutions to these problems for decades, but too often have been ignored or have had their problems minimized as isolated incidents,” says James Muller, manager for the Disadvantaged Communities and Tribal Involvement Program at the San Francisco Estuary Partnership.

The Regional Needs Assessment includes the findings of individual needs assessments conducted in 13 communities and five tribes and tribal organizations throughout the Bay Area, as well as in several locations where people are experiencing homelessness. The findings identify similar and pervasive problems shared by communities around the Bay Area. These problems fall under five intersecting categories: drinking water quality and affordability; flooding; industrial pollution and contamination; trash; and a lack of green space. Among the report’s findings:

• Drinking water quality in disadvantaged communities was identified as a top priority concern: For instance, 75% of needs assessment participants in Marin City and East Palo Alto responded they use bottled water for cooking and drinking. In many areas, participants expressed concern that the water quality in their area is worse than in neighboring, more affluent areas.
• Native tribes’ and disadvantaged communities’ water problems intersect and overlap with public health disparities. Many participants directly linked their concerns over different water issues to their personal health and the health of their communities.

The report contains many recommendations directly from the community and tribal partners about how to address water-related challenges and to make funding opportunities more accessible and equitable. Highlighted recommendations include:

• Projects to address these problems must be community-driven. The Regional Needs Assessment advises government agencies to devote the time and resources to build relationships and trust with tribes and disadvantaged communities, and to help these communities build the capacity to implement solutions.
• Work directly with people experiencing homelessness to understand where and which recommendations from the assessment will be most helpful in different locations, and to understand how these needs differ by living situation, demographics, and other factors.
• Funding is one of the most important tools that public agencies throughout California have to assist disadvantaged communities and tribes that for generations have been underfunded, underrepresented, oppressed and/or ignored.
• The assessment recommends a majority of future Integrated Regional Water Management dollars be directed toward tribes and disadvantaged communities, which traditionally have received just 10 percent of this funding.

The Regional Needs Assessment is intended to be a first step toward understanding and elevating water-related issues from the perspective of the Bay Area’s tribes and disadvantaged communities. Next steps will include following up on specific priorities identified in the Disadvantaged Community and Tribal sections of the report. The full report can be found at: https://www.sfestuary.org/dactip-regional-needs-assessment/.

Hosted by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), the San Francisco Estuary Partnership is a collaboration of local, state and federal agencies; non-governmental organizations; and academic and business leaders working to protect and restore the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary.

Community partners who led the assessment may be contacted at the following phone numbers:

• All Positives Possible: Ladonna Williams, (707) 342-7186
• Contra Costa Resource Conservation District: Chris Lim, (925) 269-9190
• Brower Dellums Institute for Sustainable Policy Studies and Action: Robin Freeman,
  (510) 915-1452
• Friends of Sausal Creek: Anna Marie Schmidt, (510) 501-3672
• Greenaction: Bradley Angel, (415) 722-5270
• Marin City Climate Resilience and Health Justice: Ms. Terrie Green, (415) 336-6421
• Marin County Community Development Agency: Arti Kundu, (415) 473 7146
• The Multicultural Center of Marin: Marco Berger, (415) 960-5538
• Nuestra Casa: Kelly Hunt, (201) 401-5780
• Sonoma Ecology Center / Daily Acts: Brianna Schaefer, (707) 789-9664 / Tony Passantino, (707) 529-7493
• The Watershed Project: Anne Bremer, (510) 665-3430.

Tribal Partners who completed the Tribal Needs Assessment with the California Indian Environmental Alliance include:

• Amah Mutsun Tribal Band / Amah Mutsun Land Trust
• Association of Ramaytush Ohlone
• Him-r^n Ohlone, Jalquin, Saclan Tribe, Bay Miwok, Plains Miwok
• Muwékma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area
• Napa Suscol Intertribal Council.

SOURCE Association of Bay Area Governments; San Francisco Estuary Partnership

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Nationally, 91 WIFIA loans are financing over $33 billion in water infrastructure upgrades, creating 101,000 jobs

September 13, 2022

WASHINGTON – Today, at an event in Southern California, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an $18 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to Helix Water District in San Diego County, California to support the Drinking Water Reliability Project. With EPA’s WIFIA loan, Helix Water District will increase the region’s drinking water resiliency by expanding water reuse opportunities and reducing reliance on imported water.

“Helix Water District’s project represents the future of water in the West,” said EPA Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott. “EPA is proud to help finance these infrastructure upgrades that will increase water reuse and help secure reliable safe drinking water for generations to come.”

Helix Water District will modernize existing pump stations, conveyance infrastructure, and distribution pipelines as well as install an aeration system in Lake Jennings to meet state surface water requirements. By completing this project, Helix Water District will replace 30% of its water needs that are currently met by strained regional sources with an alternative source of purified water conveyed from the East County Advanced Water Purification project, which received a separate WIFIA loan. This project also supports California’s Title 22 “Pure Water” objective to increase use of recycled water by at least 2 million-acre-feet per year by 2030.

“In California, we are purifying recycled water and ocean water to replace the water that nature used to provide,” said Helix Water District Board President Kathleen Coates Hedberg. “The only way we can afford to keep rates as low as we can and develop these new projects is through collaboration – multiple agencies working together and securing capital from multiple funding sources. We are partnering with neighboring agencies to develop a new, drought-proof water supply and we are so pleased that the EPA selected our project for funding.”

As a result of the WIFIA program’s flexibility and competitive rates, Helix Water District will save approximately $3.2 million by financing with a WIFIA loan. Construction is expected to be completed in 2027 and construction and operation are estimated to create nearly 400 jobs.

For more information about the WIFIA program, visit: https://www.epa.gov/wifia.

Background

 Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a federal loan and guarantee program administered by EPA. The WIFIA program’s aim is to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental credit assistance for regionally and nationally significant projects.  

The WIFIA program has an active pipeline of pending applications for projects that will result in billions of dollars in water infrastructure investment and thousands of jobs. With this WIFIA loan closing, EPA has announced 91 WIFIA loans that are providing over $15 billion in credit assistance to help finance over $33 billion for water infrastructure while creating approximately 101,000 jobs and saving ratepayers over $5 billion. 

Earlier this spring, EPA announced the availability of $5.5 billion under the 2022 WIFIA Notice of Funding Availability and an additional $1 billion under the State Infrastructure Financing Authority WIFIA (SWIFIA) program. Together, this newly available funding will support more than $13 billion in water infrastructure projects while creating more than 40,000 jobs. Visit the NOFA webpage for more information.

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The Slidell Water Department found E. coli in one street’s drinking water supply last week. A news release issued by the city of Slidell reported that E. coli was found in a single sample of the drinking water supply on Grafton Drive. A boil water advisory was issued for the area on Sept. 9. The boil water advisory was lifted on Monday and all testing since has returned a negative result, according to the city. The city said no other water supplies across the city have tested positive for E. coli. According to a news release issued by the city, E. coli contamination can be caused by runoff water entering the water source, such as rain, or a break in the distribution system such as broken pipes. Contamination can also happen when a failure occurs in the water treatment process.

SLIDELL, La. —

The Slidell Water Department found E. coli in one street’s drinking water supply last week.

A news release issued by the city of Slidell reported that E. coli was found in a single sample of the drinking water supply on Grafton Drive.

A boil water advisory was issued for the area on Sept. 9. The boil water advisory was lifted on Monday and all testing since has returned a negative result, according to the city.

The city said no other water supplies across the city have tested positive for E. coli.

According to a news release issued by the city, E. coli contamination can be caused by runoff water entering the water source, such as rain, or a break in the distribution system such as broken pipes.

Contamination can also happen when a failure occurs in the water treatment process.

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Until around 6 months, babies get all the hydration they need from breast milk or infant formula. After 6 months, babies can drink water alongside their regular milk feeds.

For the first 6 months of life, babies need only breast milk or infant formula, which provides all the nutrition and hydration they require.

At around 6 months, babies can have small amounts of water, but this should not replace milk feeds. Up to 1 year of age, babies’ primary nutrition should be from breast milk or formula.

This article explains what age babies can drink water and how to introduce it. It also discusses other drinks for babies.

When a baby is 6 months, caregivers can begin offering 4–8 ounces (oz) of water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This is also the time that babies can start eating solid foods. Many babies at this age can learn to grasp a sippy cup and bring it to their mouths. They also learn to sit up with support around this time.

Why wait until 6 months?

It is important to wait until a baby is 6 months before introducing water as they need all the nutrients in breast milk and formula. These sources also provide adequate hydration.

Providing water before 6 months may mean a baby drinks less breast milk or formula and misses out on important nutrients.

Learn about a 6-month-old feeding schedule.

In hot weather, a caregiver should offer more regular breast milk or formula feeds rather than water unless a doctor recommends it.

If the person producing breast milk drinks enough and stays hydrated, their milk will be more watery and hydrating for the baby.

If a baby produces 6–8 wet nappies in 24 hours, and their urine is pale, they are getting enough water.

For babies under 6 months, more frequent breast milk or formula feeds may help prevent dehydration during a fever.

The baby can have additional water if they are older than 6 months.

Caregivers should monitor how much fluid the baby is taking in and look out for symptoms of dehydration, which include:

• dry mouth and tongue
• crying without tears
• no wet diapers for 3 hours or more
• unusual sleepiness or drowsiness
• irritability
• sunken eyes

Do not introduce water without talking with a doctor first.

Learn more about fever in babies.

Caregivers can introduce water into the baby’s diet with meals at about 6 months of age.

People may choose to boil and cool the water if they are concerned about the safety of the tap water, but this is not usually necessary. Caregivers can check with their public health department or pediatrician if they have questions about giving tap water to a baby.

At first, babies can try using a free-flowing cup or lidded beaker without a sip valve. This will help them learn to sip rather than suck. It is also better for their teeth. When the baby is ready, they can try using a cup with handles but no lid.

It may be difficult and messy initially, but it should get easier with practice.

Caregivers should only put water or milk in a cup without adding anything else, such as sugar, cereals, rice, or chocolate powder.

The CDC recommends that babies of 6–12 months drink only breast milk or formula and water. After 12 months, babies can drink whole cow’s milk or fortified soy drinks.

The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) recommends giving whole milk to children until they are at least 2 years as it contains important nutrients.

Other drinks caregivers can give children over 12 months include:

Drinks to avoid

The CDC and NHS recommend avoiding the following drinks:

• unpasteurized drinks
• sugar-sweetened drinks
• caffeinated drinks
• rice milk
• fruit juice and smoothies

Despite containing nutrients, fruit juices and smoothies contain naturally-occurring sugars and acids that can cause dental decay. From 5 years old, children can have about 150 milliliters of undiluted fruit juice or smoothie daily.

For the first 6 months of life, babies’ nutrition should come solely from breast milk or infant formula. They get all the hydration they need from these sources.

During hot weather or when a baby has a fever, caregivers can offer more regular milk feeds, but water is unnecessary.

After 6 months, when a baby starts eating solid foods, caregivers can offer 4–8 oz tap water in a free-flowing cup alongside regular breast milk or formula feeds.

After 12 months, babies can drink whole cow’s milk or unsweetened, fortified milk alternatives alongside water. Unpasteurized or sugary drinks are not necessary for babies and young children. Sugary drinks contribute to tooth decay, and unpasteurized drinks may contain bacteria that can be harmful.

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Florida researchers are tasked with identifying the benefits of stormwater ponds, and how homeowners are interacting with them.

More than 70,000 of these waterbodies exist across Florida. They capture stormwater runoff, which brings in a lot of street debris and pollution. Plus, they prevent flooding and erosion.

They’re engineered to overflow into a chain of consecutive ponds, theoretically cleaning the water more and more before ending up in a preserve or the Gulf of Mexico.

But residents have a complicated relationship with stormwater ponds. Some purchase what are labeled as “waterfront properties” and have the misguided expectation of seeing perfectly manicured green lawns surrounding a body of water clear enough to view the sky in it. However, those qualities are actually a sign that the ponds are being mistreated.

Michelle Atkinson, an extension agent in Manatee County for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, said homeowners want these ponds to look clean by removing necessary plants, which is actually having the opposite effect and forming algae. There should be plants surrounding the ponds to protect their structure, and plants in the water to help intake some of the nutrients.

“Homeowners are now impacting the management and the care of the stormwater ponds. They originally were built with planted areas, and … folks just sometimes don’t understand the plants and feel like that they’re weeds, and they want them removed,” Atkinson said.

“We’re getting smaller and smaller lot lines. There used to be a pond up next to a preserve area. Now there’s homes entirely around the edge of the pond. So, there’s more things impacting these ponds.”

The top is an image before stormwater pond plantings and the bottom is after. Without plants, the pond is more likely to experience soil erosion and intake nutrient-rich grass clippings, both of which can degrade water quality by increasing nutrient levels. (Basil Iannone And Michelle Atkinson/UF/IFAS)

A team of scientists with the University of Florida, including Atkinson, have been granted $1.6 million from the National Science Foundation to study stormwater ponds and the people living around them for the next four years or so across the state. They’ll document environmental, social and economic benefits, collectively called ecosystem services.

“We want to have an ecosystem in there that can function and … reduce that nitrogen and phosphorus from heading out into these natural bodies of water,” Atkinson said. “Are aesthetic preferences impacting those environmental functions? That’s what we don’t know for sure. We have suspicions. We have our hypothesis, but we want to prove it.”

According to the UF press release, the researchers will conduct field work, focus groups, surveys and data collection both at the state level and in two communities in Manatee and St. Lucie counties that have a large number of stormwater ponds and where algae blooms have been a recent problem. The results could apply to other parts of the country.

Atkinson said she wants people to view these ponds as amenities and put some value to them.

“That’s what we’re going to try to do is quantify some of those ecosystem services that our ponds do. By adding plants or managing a different way, can we put a value on those services, something that homeowners will feel important enough to want to protect? And say, ‘yes, let’s do this in our community, because it’s the right thing to do.’”

She said she hopes management changes come as a result of this study —whether it’s voluntary from homeowners, or enforced by government.

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DLNR News Release-Waimea Getting Essential New Tool to Monitor Sustainable Drinking Water Supplies

Posted on Sep 12, 2022 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

(HONOLULU) – With $2 million in State Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) funding approved, a project to drill a new Deep Monitor Well (DMW) in Waimea, on Hawai‘i Island is getting underway.

This is part of a Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM) ongoing effort to monitor the health of aquifers statewide. Data collected from DMWs allows for essential observation of long-term changes in the thickness of an aquifer’s freshwater lens. This provides an indicator of drought conditions and expected impacts on groundwater supplies. Aquifers provide most of the clean drinking water in Hawai‘i.

CWRM Deputy Director Kaleo Manuel said, “Climate change will impact water security in this region and the other areas throughout the state that are severely impacted by drought and susceptible to wildfires. This monitoring well will help add another data set to inform both current and long-term management of water resources.”

The current CWRM Deep Monitor Well network has limited geographic coverage with only 13 wells around the state. There isn’t a DMW in the Waimea Hydrologic Unit and the new well is expected to help water managers ensure sustainable drinking water supplies.

Katie Roth, the CWRM Hydrologic Planning Program Manager, explained, “Given concerns about development, the loss of native forests, and other impacts to the sustainable yield in the Waimea area, a DMW is needed to help us observe and assess current and long-term aquifer conditions and changes in water availability. This is critical to ensuring sustainability of groundwater resources.”

Sen. Lorraine Inouye commented, “Waimea, the Māhukona aquifer system area, has needed a new deep monitor well for quite some time. Improving the State’s groundwater resource monitoring capability is crucial to ensure that we can reliably track the health of our aquifers. Projects, such as the Waimea DMW will go a long way in tracking and protecting Waimea’s groundwater resources.”  

“By establishing this deep monitoring well in the Waimea aquifer, we are filling a significant data gap,” said State Representative David Tarnas. “With this new deep monitoring well, the water managers at DLNR’s Commission on Water Resource Management can gather the necessary information to be able to manage the use of this aquifer and ensure a sustainable drinking water supply. This is a very positive development for all residents in our region.”

The project is scheduled to start in March 2023, with engineers working on planning and permitting. Design of the Waimea DMW is expected to be completed by June of next year, with construction targeted for completion in June 2024.  

# # #

 

Media Contact: 

Dan Dennison

Senior Communications Manager

Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

(808) 587-0396

[email protected]

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