Now Accepting 2014 U.S. Water Prize Nominations

The U.S. Water Alliance is now accepting nominations for the 2014 U.S. Water Prize. The Prize recognizes individuals and institutions that have taken the initiative, shown innovation, and contributed to greater water sustainability. Launched in 2010, the U.S. Water Prize seeks to recognize successful efforts in protecting and improving the health of our nation’s watersheds. Past winners include the Salmon Falls Watershed Collaborative, the City of Los Angeles, MillerCoors, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Milwaukee Water Council, National Great Rivers Research & Education Center, and others.

 

The U.S. Water Alliance created the U.S. Water Prize to encourage, celebrate, and honor individuals and institutions that develop projects or programs that are innovative and have a clear impact on the advancement of water sustainability. Individuals, institutions, and organizations whose project or initiative advances holistic, watershed-based approaches to water quality and quantity challenges may apply. Initiatives may be may be in one or more of the following topic areas: education, public awareness, research, technology, water resource management, or policy development as long as they address issues surrounding water as a finite, reusable and sustainable resource.

 

Three winners will be celebrated in a special ceremony held in April, 2014 in Washington, D.C. For more information about the U.S. Water Prize and sponsorship opportunities, visit the website or contact Hope Hurley at hhurley@uswateralliance.org. The deadline for nominations is October 31, 2013.

 

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New EPA Climate Ready Water Utility and WUCA Webinar Series to Begin on September 18!

Plan now to participate in the EPA and Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA) new webinar series that will start with the first of four webinars on September 18 (see all dates and topics below).  The webinars will explore planning and decision-making strategies to help water utilities understand and adapt to the impacts of climate change.  Each webinar will include presentations from utility representatives that have used these methods to plan and make critical decisions. Throughout the series, information will also be provided on available tools and resources to facilitate the planning processes. All of the webinars will be held from 1:00 – 2:00pm (eastern).  To register, visit EPA’s website and click on the “Training” tab at www.epa.gov/climatereadyutilities.

 

Who should attend?

• Drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater owners and operators
• Water sector associations, partners, and stakeholders
• Watershed planners
• Local, state, federal, and tribal government officials
• Emergency response planners

 

September 18 – Sustainability and Adaptation

An introduction to the CRWU initiative and climate change adaptation planning. The recently updated CRWU Adaptation Strategies Guide highlights strategies for pursuing both adaptation and sustainability goals, specifically those related to green infrastructure and energy management. This webinar will provide an in depth look at the new sustainability information in the Guide and utility representatives will share their experience planning and implementing sustainable strategies.

 

October 9 – Scenario Planning to Support Decision Making

Many utilities are thinking critically about how to best manage water resources and utility assets when future conditions are uncertain. This session will introduce scenario planning, a method that allows a flexible approach to strategic long-term planning and highlight examples from utility representatives that have used scenario planning.

 

December 4 – Robust Planning to Support Decision Making

This webinar will present another option for strategic long-term planning, robust decision making, which assesses the trade-offs between different approaches and helps identify the most ‘robust’ solution. Utility representatives that have used robust decision making techniques will share their insights and experiences.

 

March 19, 2014 – Threshold Analysis to Support Decision Making

This webinar will present a third option for making decisions under conditions of uncertainty: bottom-up threshold analysis. This approach emphasizes the analysis of different thresholds of risk to inform and support decisions. Those that have developed and applied this method will provide their insights and experiences conducting threshold analyses for water utilities.

New USGS Findings on Factors Affecting Public-Supply-Well Vulnerability to Contamination

The U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water–Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program has released new information from a 10 year study of factors affecting public-supply-well vulnerability to contamination.

 

The report describes why it is important to understand the sources of recharge water for a well, the geochemical conditions encountered by water drawn into a well, the mixture of waters of different ages that simultaneously enter a well, and if direct pathways exists in an aquifer that allow water and contaminants to rapidly move toward a well. The USGS tracked the movement of contaminants in public-supply wells in Modesto, CA, Woodbury, CT, near Tampa, FL, York, NE, near Carson City and Sparks, NV, Glassboro, NJ, Albuquerque, NM, Dayton, OH, San Antonio, TX, and Salt Lake City, UT.

 

Learn more about public-supply well vulnerability from USGS fact sheets and video podcast on the website at: http://oh.water.usgs.gov/tanc/NAWQATANC.htm