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"Whisky is for drinking. Water is for fighting over," Mark Twain said. This is especially true in the western US where #resourcescarcity, an expanding population, & #climatechange have made #water an increasingly precious commodity. More on the blog:

What do you want to know?.

"70% of respondents reported that aging and inadequate drainage systems were their main problems when it comes to flooding.". Major floods draw news, but urban-flooding is a problem across the US. Read more at @CityLab:

"The problem is not water but the city’s paradigm for it. Mexico City was once a flourishing mountain lake with rich, diverse crops. 'We live in a place of abundance but we have a paradigm of scarcity. We design scarcity.'". Read more ,from @CityLab:

A recent study estimates that should an #earthquake hit Seattle, WA, the municipal #water system would lose pressure within 24 hours of a seismic event and would require two months to restore service. But it doesn't have to be this way. More on the blog:

"Just as archaeologists sift through dusty middens to discover the secrets of our ancestors, today anthropologists analyze greasy pipeline deposits beneath urban areas to uncover the truths of modern society.". On the blog, what #fatbergs can tell us:

“The StormCon call for speakers ends in just about two weeks, on Wednesday, December 5. If you’ve been thinking about submitting an idea for a presentation, this is an excellent time to do it.”

Medicines ingested by humans and discharged through effluent can affect animals throughout an ecosystem. A report reveals this exposure in some cases can subject them to high doses. Check out the blog for more, plus treating water to combat this problem:

No more face scrubs & straws, but what about sweaters? The synthetic fabrics in our clothes are shedding #microfibers every time we wash them. Like other #microplastics, municipal treatment plants can't stop them. From @walrusmagazine:

November/December Water Efficiency Magazine has arrived! . This issue is all about #data & how data can be used to optimize water conveyance systems, plant operations, #water #conservation efforts, & #EnergyEfficiency. Read more in the online edition:

Join over 25,000 professionals responsible for minimizing water loss in municipal, industrial, commercial, residential, and agricultural settings. If involved with water efficiency, this weekly newsletter is for you. Subscribe here:

"The factors contributing to Angkor’s water network failure may parallel challenges faced by modern urban communities struggling with complex critical #infrastructure.". What warnings can modern #water systems take from the collapse of Angkor, Cambodia?

After heavy rains and #flooding, Austin, TX, has issued a city-wide boil water advisory as #water treatment plants struggle to deal with silt, soil, and other debris washed into the river system. More from @NPR: #AustinWaterCrisis

"Growers aren’t required to test their irrigation #water for pathogens such as E. coli. As a result, contaminated water can end up on fruits & vegetables.". @WIRED on balancing possible #irrigation contamination & the burden of testing on small farmers:

“The water that we are using and then reprocessing is able to return into the environment less than half a mile from where we took it out of the ground.”. From @raconteur, how UK breweries are improving #waterefficiency in #beer production:

From @njdotcom: lead was found in the drinking water of Newark, NJ. Initial concerns were for those residents connected to lead service lines, but representatives from the @NRDC say lead could affect those without lead service lines as well. Read more:

Just because water is "legal" doesn't make it "safe." This week on the blog, our guest expert discusses the limits of water quality testing. #waterquality #cleanwater . Click through for more:

How can we balance our urban, #agricultural, and #environmental water needs in an era of #climatechange, #drought, and growing populations? How do we feed more people with less #water (and less land)? . This week on the blog:

"Either ourselves or our neighbors have had their basements #flood during a major rainfall. To make matters worse, a lightning strike has taken out the neighborhood power grid, rendering the basement sump #pump inoperable.". More on backup power for pumps:

“Everyone is watching what is happening with the groundwater management development process in California. Everybody learns. And for communities relying on natural resources, this is a good thing.”. California is recharging groundwater in the latest issue: