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Yorkshire Water Launches World’s First Poo-Powered Pub

/in , , /by /Water & Wastewater Treatment (England)by Alec Peachey

In what will be the first time a public space has been powered by electricity made from poo, The Number Two Tavern is launching for a limited time in The Light, Leeds from 7th until 9th November.

The company is holding its first ever carbon week to spread the word and share knowledge about how we can all reduce our carbon footprint.

The power for The Number Two Tavern is coming from a ground-breaking process, called “anaerobic digestion,” which converts waste into biogas that can be used to generate heat and electricity. Yorkshire Water has charged a Hybrid Power battery with the poo-power, which is being created at Yorkshire Water’s Knostrop Recycling Centre.

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The Water Is Already Low At A Florida Freshwater Spring, But Nestlé Wants More

/in , /by /NPRby Greg Allen

In Florida, Nestlé is taking heat from environmental groups and others concerned about the future of one of the state’s most endangered natural resources — its freshwater springs. Florida has more than a thousand freshwater springs, which provide drinking water, important natural habitat and places for recreation. Nestlé wants to begin taking more than a million gallons of water each day from Ginnie Springs, a popular destination in north Florida for swimming, canoeing and tubing.

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California Red-Legged Frog Delays Construction of Morro Bay Water Reclamation Facility

/in , /by /KSBY-TVby Megan Healy

Morro Bay leaders hoped construction of the new Water Reclamation Facility would begin in October, but a frog has delayed those plans. The site, located near the intersection of South Bay Boulevard and Highway 1, is habitat for the California red-legged frog, a threatened species according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS). Environmental leaders at the USFWS worry construction could impact the species, which is already on the verge of being endangered.

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As Wildfires Grow More Intense, California Water Managers Are Rewriting Emergency Playbooks

/in , , /by /Water Education Foundation (Sacramento)by Gary Pitzer and Douglas E. Beeman

It’s been a year since two devastating wildfires on opposite ends of California underscored the harsh new realities facing water districts and cities serving communities in or adjacent to the state’s fire-prone wildlands. Fire doesn’t just level homes, it can contaminate water, scorch watersheds, damage delivery systems and upend an agency’s finances.

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Supreme Court Leans Toward Expanding Clean Water Act To Protect Oceans From Wastewater

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Times by David G. Savage

Supreme Court justices, both conservative and liberal, appeared skeptical Wednesday of a Trump administration argument that the federal Clean Water Act should not apply to sewage plant wastewater that flows into the ground and eventually seeps into federally protected waters, such as rivers or oceans.

The case from Hawaii has emerged as a major test of the federal anti-pollution law’s scope even as the Environmental Protection Agency under President Trump cuts back on enforcement. If justices side with environmentalists, their ruling could extend federal regulation to water treatment plants across the country.

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Study: Switching to Solar And Wind Power Will Reduce Groundwater Use

/in , , /by /Courthouse News Service (Pasadena, Calif.)by Carson McCullough

Increasing energy output from solar and wind power could result in less groundwater usage and more drought-resistant environments, according to a study published Wednesday in Nature Communications.

Researchers found solar and wind power, often viewed as valuable tools to help reduce reliance on fossil fuels and combat air pollution, can also lead to significantly less groundwater usage in areas where water management is most crucial, such as California. These reductions in spent groundwater, according to the study, have the potential to increase resistance to severe, long-lasting droughts.

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California Wildfire Outlook Through End of 2019, Early 2020 | Need to Know

/in , /by /ABC 10 San Diego by Tracy Humphrey

Each month the National Interagency Fire Center releases a report on the likelihood of wildfire development across the continental United States. Here’s a breakdown of the most recent report released on November 1, 2019.

The Sacramento Valley and Foothills, entire Bay Area and the western slopes of the Cascade-Sierra range are projected to have above-normal significant fire potential in November, with noted emphasis on the first half of the month.

Warmer and drier than normal conditions to continue into the middle of November across the region. In fact, no rainfall is expected within the region through the first week of November.

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Opinion: The Promise of Small Hydropower and Holistic Renewable Energy Grid

/in , /by /The Roanoke Times (Roanoke, Virginia)by Tamim Younos Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

At present, solar and wind energy are highly promoted as renewable energy technologies — clean technologies in terms of their carbon footprint. However, the most prominent renewable energy source for generating electricity is hydropower. The history of hydropower for generating electricity in the U.S. goes back to late 19th century.

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California Urged to Update Water Plans for Increasingly Wild Weather

/in , , /by /Courthouse News Serviceby Nick Cahill

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) – Yo-yoing between heat waves, torrential rainfall and raging wildfires that burn through Thanksgiving, the explosive nature of California’s weather has been on full display over the last several years. The state’s worst drought, one of its wettest winters and both the largest and most destructive wildfires all occurred this decade. Unpredictability has long been a staple of the Golden State’s climate, but scientists warn that warming temperatures will likely lead to shorter, more intense rainy stretches – putting added strain on the state’s overworked water infrastructure.

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California’s Switch to Solar, Wind Energy Preserves Groundwater for Drought, Agriculture

/in , , /by /SciTechDaily

Solar and wind farms are popping up around the country to lower carbon emissions, and these renewables also have another important effect: keeping more water in the ground. A new Princeton University-led study in Nature Communications is among the first to show that solar and wind energy not only enhance drought resilience, but also aid in groundwater sustainability. Using drought-prone California as a case study, the researchers show that increased solar and wind energy can reduce the reliance on hydropower, especially during drought.

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