Cleanwaterforum: Clean Water for Life

That Tap Water is Legal but Unhealthy

2009-12-18T22:50:00.002-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/17/us/17water.html

Gaps in the Safe Water Drinking Act mean that certain pollutants found in America's tap water have not been officially banned by federal regulators - what can the EPA and other regulators do when technically the water does not violate legal standards?

Dams along the Mekong

2009-12-18T22:37:00.002-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/18/world/asia/18mekong.html?scp=1&sq=mekong%20river&st=cse

The New York Times reports on the increasing trend in damming the Mekong River. Although in the US dam decommissioning has recently been a trend (opening up waterways for salmon in places like the Augusta on the Kennebec River in Maine, the Mekong faces more dams with the promise of hydroelectric power and short term flood control, but with the potential for damage to the environment and displacement. We've seen this elsewhere where damming for flood control is counterbalanced by the loss of natural sediment and silt distribution in flood plains making those areas flood less often, but with more devastating results.

"The most controversial aspects of the dams are their effects on migrating fish and on the rice-growing Mekong Delta in Vietnam, where half of that country’s food is grown. The delta depends on mineral-rich silt, which the Chinese dams are partly blocking. Experts say the new dams will block even more sediment and the many types of fish that travel great distances to spawn, damaging what the Mekong River Commission, an advisory body set up in 1995 by the governments of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, estimates is a $2 billion fishing industry.

Of the hundreds of fish species in the river, 87 percent are migratory, according to a 2006 study.

“The fish will have nowhere to go,” said Kaew Suanpad, a 78-year-old farmer and fisherman in the village of Nagrasang, Laos, which sits above the river’s great Khone Falls.

“The dams are a very big issue for the 60 million people in the Mekong basin,” said Milton Osborne, visiting fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy in Sydney, Australia, and the author of several books on the Mekong. “People depend in very substantial ways on the bounty of the Mekong.”

Some analysts see the seeds of international conflict in the rush to dam the river. Civic groups in Thailand say they are frustrated that China does not seem to care how its dams affect the lives of people downstream."

McKinsey Report on Water

2009-12-05T12:10:00.003-05:00

McKinsey issues report on water scarcity. The report discusses frameworks to help decision-makers focus on optimal, strategic pricing solutions to realize the actual value of water which could lead to greater conservation. Note that Reuters reported that during the press conference in Washington announcing the release, Michael Mack (CEO of Sygenta) and Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, the chairman of Nestle, who joined in the news conference by phone, both questioned whether the idea of water as a "human right" is useful way to frame the conversation.

http://www.reuters.com/article/gwmCarbonEmissions/idUS277908650320091125

From the executive summary: http://www.mckinsey.com/clientservice/water/charting_our_water_future.aspx

Charting our water future

Economic frameworks to inform decision-making

Growing competition for scarce water resources is a growing business risk, a major economic threat, and a challenge for the sustainability of communities and the ecosystems upon which they rely. It is an issue that has serious implications for the stability of countries in which businesses operate, and for industries whose value chains are exposed to water scarcity.

Charting our water future: Economic frameworks to inform decision-makingshows that while meeting competing demands for water will be a considerable challenge, it is entirely possible to close the growing gap between water supply and demand. This report provides greater clarity on the scale of the water challenge and how it can be met in an affordable and sustainable manner.

The report offers case studies from four countries with drastically different water issues, which will collectively account for 40 percent of the world’s population, 30 percent of global GDP and 42 percent of projected water demand in 2030: China, India, South Africa and Brazil. The report’s methodology identifies supply- and demand-side measures that could constitute a more cost effective approach to closing the water gap and achieve savings in each country.

CS Monitor: Water at heart of Yemen's instability

2009-12-05T11:28:00.002-05:00

At heart of Yemen's conflicts: water crisis

A recent report shows that 70 to 80 percent of rural conflicts are over water shortages in Yemen, already on the brink of becoming a failed state.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/1105/p06s13-wome.html

The World Bank considers Yemen "one of the most water-scarce countries in the world" where only 125 cubic meters of water are available yearly per capita compared to the world average of 2,500 cubic meters. Just 46 percent of Yemen's rural population has direct access to an adequate water supply and the number is only slighter better in cities, according to the German Development Service (GDS), which is working with the Yemeni government to improve water management.

NYT: Marin County Struggles Over Public vs. Private (Operational) Control Over Sewage

2009-12-05T11:07:00.002-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/us/04sfwater.html?_r=2&hpw

As the Novato Sanitary District considers contracting with French water giant Veolia, local opposition has arisen over private operational control over the sewage system. Critics claim that privatization will mean higher rates, proponents say that efficiency will improve.

The Times article suggests that the key factor for communities faced with public-versus-private options is to properly enter into, assess and enforce their interests in contracts : "In 2002, the National Research Council, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, issued a report noting that any community needed to monitor and enforce contract provisions. “No matter how well a privatization arrangement is crafted,” it said, the public agency’s interests seldom matched those of the contractor."

Look for our forthcoming article in the ABA's Natural Resources and Environment journal on corporate social responsibility and water - one goal we propose is greater transparency in reporting by the private sector operators and water users so that communities will have greater information to make more informed decisions.

Does water cause conflicts or not?

2009-09-07T20:54:00.002-04:00

British author Wendy Barnaby earlier this year wrote a piece in Nature magazine questioning whether the popular premise (discussed many places including here on this blog) that water scarcity will inevitably lead to conflict actually is right.

See: Do Nations go to War Over Water? (subscription)
Nature 458, 282-283 (19 March 2009) | doi:10.1038/458282a; Published online 18 March 2009
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v458/n7236/full/458282a.html

(for a preview, see Slate: http://www.slate.com/id/2215263/ )

We had posted an article last November citing to the International Crisis Group's findings that scarcity may actually lead to increased collaboration among nations that would otherwise compete for shared resources:

International Crisis Group recently released a report on Climate Change and Conflict which read in part:

"Importantly, climate and environmental stress may also play a role in producing collaboration instead of violence. Water is an important example. Historically, water scarcity has often – though certainly not always – worked to favour cooperation between states. Interstate dialogue prompted by diminished water supplies, particularly, can build trust, institutionalise cooperation on a broader range of issues and create common regional identities."
see: http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=4932

Despite Ms. Barnaby's analysis, conventional wisdom still sounds the alarm on "water wars" - see (or hear!) for example, a recent piece by NPR on water shortages in Iraq and potential conflict with neighboring Turkey which controls the headwaters for most of Iraq's river water.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112494850

On the reluctance of states to enshrine right to water

2009-08-17T22:35:00.002-04:00

See Professor Gabriel Eckstein's blog on water issues and his August 3rd posting entitled, "Why do so many governments oppose a human right to water?" The short answer - governments want to avoid liability and responsibilities that come with enforcement of rights. Interestingly, we note that at the same time that many companies are coming out ahead of states and advocating for the right to water. This makes sense as if states have to enforce the right to access water, then they may be forced to turn to the private sector to help them physically realize the goal of providing water to constituents.

http://internationalwaterlaw.org/blog/

2009 Failed States Index and Water

2009-08-17T22:14:00.002-04:00

In a recent issue of Foreign Policy Magazine, the Failed States Index compiled by the Fund for Peace and FP examines how climate change is predicted to increase the probability of conflict especially in already unstable or failing states. Notably, author Stephan Faris argues that water is already undermining stability in Pakistan - water shortages have led to food shortages and the deployment of troops to guard wheat supplies. The Himalayas provide water for much of southeast Asia and as glaciers melt and volume of runoff decreases, tensions with neighboring India are expected to rise as both countries compete with each other over water - Pakistan vociferously opposes damming and fears that India would dam high mountain waters could lead to conflict.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/06/22/failed_states_index_the_last_straw

Nicholas Kristof on "Clean, Sexy Water"

2009-08-17T22:09:00.001-04:00

Times Op-Ed columnist Nicholas Kristof profiles the founder of the non-profit organization "charity: water."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/opinion/12kristof.html?_r=2&em

Declaration on U.S. Policy and the Global Challenge of Water

2009-03-24T21:54:00.004-04:00

On Wednesday, March 18th, the Center for Strategic & International Studies held a release event for a Declaration on U.S. Policy and the Global Challenge of Water drafted by the Center's Global Water Futures Project. The Declaration is co-chaired by Bill Frist, former Senate Majority Leader, and Neville Isdell, Chairman of The Coca-Cola Company and, at the time of its release, had been endorsed by over 35 leaders from government, industry, and civil society.

The Declaration calls on the U.S. Government to engage more proactively in efforts to address global water concerns. It begins with the observation that "[t]he United States now has the opportunity to take global leadership position on a critical resource - water - that will become even more critical in the future. The world over, water is intricately linked to the stability and security of communities and nations, human health, education, economic prosperity, humanitarian relief, and stewardship of the physical environment. Beyond that, water is vital to other key resources essential to the human condition, most notably agriculture and energy."

In calling for increased U.S. engagement on water issues, the Declaration quotes President Obama, who, in his inaugural address, addressed "the people of poor nations" in stating that "we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds." The President also observed that "we can not longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it."

The Declaration makes the following specific recommendations:

The President should spearhead a comprehensive and sustained global campaign to address the global challenge of water.
The President should develop an integrated strategy for national action on the global water campaign.
The President should appoint a special high-level representative to lead implementation of the U.S. global water campaign.
The special representative should be directly reinforced by a core team to help guide implementation of the water campaign, in addition to expanded capacities at the Department of State at the behest of the special representative.
The proposed U.S. campaign should be commensurate with the magnitude of the challenge—which means a significant increase in the amount and duration of resources committed under the campaign.
The U.S. government should attempt to energize and catalyze international efforts.
The U.S. government should reinforce public/private-sector partnerships.

Speaking at the release of the Declaration, former Senator Frist emphasized that it was critical for the United States to develop a national strategy on water issues. Senator Frist focused many of his remarks on the tremendous public health implications of the global water crisis, noting that one child dies every 15 seconds because of a lack of clean drinking water. He observed that, while progress is being made on improving global access to water resources, insufficient progress has been made on improving sanitation facilities.

Mr. Isdell addressed his comments to the global business community. He said that companies, both large and small, must "step up" on water concerns and play a role in formulating effective strategies for ensuring the sustainability of water resources. He called on corporate leaders to address three things: their water footprint, their water handprint, and the public policy blueprint on water issues. To address their footprint, companies must understand their water usage internally, and along their supply chain. Companies should establish clear indicators and goals for water usage. Companies should also strive for water "neutrality" through efforts to improve the efficiency of their water usage, recycle the water that is used and replenish water resources. To address their handprint, companies must seek to play a leadership role in addressing water concerns through partnerships with both government and civil society. Finally, to address the water blueprint, companies should engage in public policy debates and efforts to establish long term strategies for managing global water resources.

More information on the Declaration, including video from the release, is available at
http://www.csis.org/component/option,com_csis_events/task,view/id,1928/

WORLD WATER DAY 2009!

2009-03-22T09:00:00.002-04:00

www.worldwaterday.org

www.unwater.org/worldwaterday

Is access to clean water a basic human right?

2009-03-18T22:41:00.002-04:00

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0319/p06s01-woeu.html

With the backdrop of the World Water Forum in Istanbul, this piece in the Christian Science Monitor rasies the question we've been dealing with on the cleanwaterblog - is access to clean water a basic human right?

The CSM is reporting that, " A declaration to be signed by the ministers of some 120 countries attending the forum is expected to refer to access to water as a "basic need," rather than a right."

But business seems to be ahead of the state parties with some (like the the AquaFed) espousing that there is a _right_ to water: "There is absolutely no conflict between the right to water and the private sector. Our industry supports the right to water," says Gerard Payen, president of AquaFed, an international federation of some 200 private water operators operating in over 30 countries

World Water Forum under way in Istanbul

2009-03-18T21:51:00.003-04:00

The Fifth World Water Forum is under way in Istanbul, Turkey. The six key themes of this forum are: 1) climate change; 2) Millennium Development Goals; 3) water resource management and protection; 4) financing; 5) knowledge and capacity; and 6) water governance.

www.worldwaterforum5.org

At a recent event on water at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, State Department Special Coordinator for Water Resources Aaron Salzberg stated that the US mission to the World Water forum will focus on among other topics financing - especially encouraging public-private in-country partnerships rather than from development assistance.

Another focus will be managing "hydrologic variability" - i.e. managing water in places where it may downpour for a month and go dry for another eleven; where water supply is uneven and inconsistent.

Driest place on earth - caught in the middle of a free market for water

2009-03-15T11:49:00.002-04:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/world/americas/15chile.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

The New York Times recently featured an article about Quillagua, Chile, known in some record books as the driest place on earth, in the Atacama desert. Chile, which has very liberal free market water policies where water rights are considered private property rights that can be bought, traded and sold as any other commodity.

The principle espoused was to ensure efficiency in the use and distribution of water. Water will be allocated, by the free market, for its greatest economic use, and in Chile, water intensive extractive industry like the copper mining are a major economic driving force. We've seen in California, and elesewhere in the US where water is undervalued in the market by a prior appropriation system that encourages use over conservation. In drought-stricken California, water intensive crops such as rice, cotton and alfalfa take up a large portion of irrigated land mass. But farmers may feel compelled to use use extra water to maintain their stake in their historical volume use.

What the Chilean example shows however is lack of environmental regulation involved - the water that does flow to Quillagua is heavily polluted from mining operations upstream.

Reuters on California's Agriculture and Water Woes

2009-03-15T11:36:00.003-04:00

http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN0627014620090313

California has entered one of the costliest and most severe droughts in memory, with hard-hitting effects on the agriculture sector. Reuters has presented some factoids on framing and water in California below. California's legal water regime, a hybrid of first-in-line (senior rights or prior appropriation) and riparian doctrines. The prior appropriation doctrine requires users to apply their share of water to continuing beneficial use - a severe impediment to conservation - if one uses less water this year, they may lose the difference next.

March 13 (Reuters) - California is the United States' top farming state, but its future is clouded by water shortages, forecast to worsen with climate change.

Here are some facts about California farming and water:

-- California leads all states as top farm producer measured by cash receipts of $36.6 billion in 2007, 13 percent of the U.S. total and nearly twice the output of No. 2 Texas and No. 3 Iowa.

-- The state has 75,000 farms and ranches and is home to nine of the the nation's top 10 producing counties.

-- It supplies over half of U.S. fruits, nuts and vegetables and over 90 percent of U.S. almonds, artichokes, avocados, broccoli and processing tomatoes. Grapes, lettuce and almonds are the biggest crops in cash value.

-- California produces 80 percent of the world almond crop and one-third of the world's canned tomatoes.

-- California is not technically a "breadbasket." It is not a top five U.S. producer of any grain product, but it is, surprisingly, the nation's largest dairy producer.

-- Overseas exports have risen in recent years to 25 percent of total production today from 16 percent 10 years ago. The top three destinations - the European Union, Canada and Japan - accounted for nearly 60 percent of the 48-commodity total.

-- Farming accounts for 2 percent of the state's $1.6 trillion economy, but its demand for equipment, transport, labor and other services make it a key economic sector for the world's eighth-largest economy.

-- The San Joaquin Valley accounts for 60 percent of the state's prime farmland and is the world's most productive agricultural region. It depends mostly on snowpack melt from hundreds of miles away for irrigation.

-- Farming accounts for 80 percent of the state's water usage, according to the Pacific Institute, but the farm industry and government put the number much lower at 40 percent to 60 percent.

-- California is expected to suffer its third straight year of drought in 2009. Economic losses could rise to $3 billion and 95,000 agricultural jobs will be lost. Federal water deliveries will be zero and state water allocations could be 15 percent of the amount requested.

-- Over the course of this century, climate models show California's water supply dropping 24 percent to 30 percent, most in the second half, according to studies by the University of California, Davis.

(Sources: Reuters, U.S. Department of Agriculture, California Department of Food and Agriculture, Public Policy Institute of California, Pacific Institute for Studies on Development, Environment and Security, Los Angeles Times and University of California, Davis)

Coca Cola backs water and sanitation project in Kenya

2009-03-15T11:23:00.002-04:00

http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/business/Local/Coca-Cola-in-water-projects-1775.html

Coca Cola has joined USAID and World Vision in supporting a project to improve access to clean water and sanitation in the Mara River basin in Kenya. Funding is being provided for digging a borehole, masonry tanks, shallow wells and cattle troughs. In addition, Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) latrines and hand washing facilities will also be installed.

New report calls for improved water reporting by business

2009-03-15T11:09:00.003-04:00

http://www.pacinst.org/press_center/press_releases/water_disclosure_3_11_09.html

A new report by the Pacific Institute (commissioned by the UN-established CEO Water Mandate) calls for improved usage reporting by water-intensive industries such as beverage, chip manufacturing, extractive industry, forestry products and pharmaceuticals.

Among the most significant findings of Water Disclosure 2.0 are:

Corporate reporting on water needs to be expanded to include actions and impacts outside of direct operations, including information on supply chain performance, regional or local water use, and contextual information for better understanding corporate water risks and impacts.
Less than half of the companies assessed described their materiality assessments or their efforts to utilize stakeholder input to inform their Corporate Responsibility reporting, both key measures underpinning robust reports.
Water reporting was not sufficiently comprehensive or comparable, particularly with regard to a number of the “process-oriented” elements addressed in The CEO Water Mandate, including Public Policy, Supply Chain Management, and Collective Action, which were addressed by only a small percentage of companies.

Business, Human Rights and the Right to Water

2009-03-08T21:29:00.007-04:00

A new Institute for Human Rights and Business draft report entitled "Business, Human Rights and the Right to Water: Challenges, Dilemmas and Opportunities" has been issued. That's right - the RIGHT to water.

http://www.institutehrb.org/reports.html

The draft report raises several questions:

1. What is the scope of a company‟s responsibility to respect the human right to water?

2. Does this responsibility extend to providing infrastructure – or water – to communities where it

operates?

3. If a company is a water service provider, does it extend only to its customers?

4. Does business have a role, or should business have a role, in providing water to the most

marginalised communities, who cannot or will not pay on principle?

5. Does the corporate responsibility to respect human rights change when a company operates in a

country where an overwhelmingly large proportion of the population lives below the poverty line?

6. Do the responsibilities of business change if a State is unwilling or unable to provide water?

7. What is the advocacy role of business? Can a company be expected to act as a champion of the

community, and lobby the government, encouraging it to fulfil its duty to protect, regardless of

capacity?

8. What precisely should businesses be reporting in terms of water and human rights?

9. What are the implications of reporting in a closed society, where the right to information is not

respected, and where there is limited, or no, political participation?

10. Is there a role for business in supporting citizens and communities to understand and demand their

right to water be fulfilled (by state - ultimate duty bearer)

11. Given the greater burden on women and girls in accessing water, is there special emphasis that

should be placed on gender issues (particularly for service providers)?

Notably, the draft report notes that some companies have recognized that water is a human right and the report advocates a "rights-based approach" by business to water issues.

Businesses are coming under increased scrutiny as 1) users of water (beverage industry, agriculture, water-intensive industries like chip manufacturers; 2) providers of water (bottled or utilities); and 3) enablers of water (water treatment companies, pipe manufacturers). Privatization of water resources can not be avoided in this discussion.

At a recent event at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) State Department Special Coordinator for Water Resources Dr. Aaron Salzberg noted that in terms of the privatization the US Government position is "agnostic" - in some cases it has worked, in other cases it has not.

2009-02-21T11:27:00.002-05:00

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2009/090112.htm

The US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service (ARS) is currently examining the use of remediated water for use in agriculture. Scientists hope to determine whether reclaimed waste water (sewage and runoff which is treated) would be safe to irrigate crops with. This is a potential approach to addressing water scarcity - agricultural uses account for more than 70% of water usage.

World Bank Urges China to Raise Water Prices

2009-02-21T10:56:00.003-05:00

The World Bank has urged China to raise water prices to encourage its citizens to conserve water.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Asia/Story/STIStory_325191.html:

'To provide appropriate incentives for the adoption of water saving technologies and behaviours, water prices need to be allowed to rise to reflect its full scarcity value,' the bank said in a report published on Monday.

It said that water shortages, pollution and flooding had for years constrained growth and affected public health and welfare in many parts of China, which it claimed would soon join the group of 'water stressed' nations.

For more see:

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/EXTEAPREGTOPENVIRONMENT/0,,contentMDK:21015230~pagePK:34004173~piPK:34003707~theSitePK:502886,00.html

House passes legislation on promoting water efficiency

2009-02-12T22:32:00.005-05:00

On 11 February 2009, the House of Representatives passed two bills to encourage water efficiency as the country continues to dry out. H.R. 361, introduced by Rep. Matheson (D-UT) is designed to "increase research, development, education, and technology transfer activities related to water use efficiency and conservation technologies and practices at the Environmental Protection Agency."

The Bill recognizes that betwen 1950 and 2000, the US population grew by 90% and public demand for water increased by 209% and anticipates that 36 states will face local, regional or state-wide water shortages by 2013. The bill calls for the EPA to establish a research and development program to promote water use efficiency and conservation, including

(1) technologies and processes that enable the collection, storage, treatment, and reuse of rainwater, stormwater, and greywater;

(2) water storage and distribution systems;

(3) behavioral, social, and economic barriers to achieving greater water use efficiency; and

(4) use of watershed planning directed toward water quality, conservation, and supply.

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h631ih.txt.pdf

"H.R. 469, The Produced Water Utilization Act was introduced by Committee Ranking Member Ralph Hall (R-TX). This bill creates a research, development, and demonstration program to promote the beneficial reuse of water produced in connection with oil and gas extraction. In the United States, up to 2.3 billion gallons per day of produced water is generated. Unfortunately, this water is not of sufficient quality to be used. This legislation will provide innovative treatment technologies that will enable the reuse of this water in an environmentally responsible way."

http://ww.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=41&ARTICLE_ID=353189&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

NYT : A Company Prospers by Saving Poor People’s Lives

2009-02-05T21:03:00.002-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/health/research/03prof.html?pagewanted=1&em
The New York Times reports on prosperity by companies making goods for the aid industry - one company described makes the "life straw" a 10-inch plastic cylinder that filters out or kills bacteria, parasites and some viruses and can be made for less than $3.

"Early versions used iodine beads and a charcoal filter to lessen the iodine taste. New ones use hollow-fiber technology. To promote the straws, Torben has let television crews film him drinking out of Copenhagen’s canals and even a toilet. “That was awful,” he admitted. “It was a ladies’ toilet, and they put in some odor chemical to make it smell better, and LifeStraw doesn’t take out chemicals. And the canals have salt from the seawater. It can’t filter that, so I drank a lot of salt.” Aid agencies have bought tens of thousands for use after the Myanmar cyclone and earthquakes in Asia. The company now makes a bigger version that filters five gallons an hour with no iodine aftertaste and will last a typical family three years."

Equitable water distribution nightmare in Dar es Salaam

2009-02-03T22:41:00.002-05:00

http://dailynews.habarileo.co.tz/analysis/index.php?id=9420

We recently discussed the ICSID decision concerning the dispute between Tanzania and Biwater. Here now comes a direct account of what it is like to actually lilve in Dar es Salaam and the struggle to obtain water - not due to actual water scarcity, but inadequate water delivery. According to this article, a great majority of residents depend on informal water suppliers. Of the approximately 300 million litres pumped into the urban water system daily, much of it is lost to leakage (from poor infrastructure) or illegal connetions:

"Of the 300 million litres that are pumped as little as 16 per cent is delivered to paying customers, the rest is lost to illegal connections and leakages. Imagine the problem to a city of around four million people. However, there is a lack of adequate water sources and resources to develop water points in the country according to UN Habitat.

Overall metering by the utilities is below 30 per cent, thus giving more customers room to waste or misuse water. Reports by this UN settlement agency show that there are high water losses which have a substantial effect on revenue collection and economies of water supply. The agency says with a proper water-demand management programme, aimed at reducing leakage, wastage and illegal connections, coverage could be increased without large capital investments."

Water infrastructure in US rated "D"eplorable by American Society of Civil Engineers

2009-02-03T20:27:00.003-05:00

The American Society of Civil Engineers gives US infrastructure a "D" rating. Water infrastructure, including dams and drinking water are in serious trouble. See also, Bob Herbert's oped piece in today's New York Times which cites the report card.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/opinion/03herbert.html?_r=1

http://www.asce.org/reportcard/2009/grades.cfm

DAMS D

As dams age and downstream development increases, the number of deficient dams has risen to more than 4,000, including 1,819 high hazard potential dams. Over the past six years, for every deficient, high hazard potential dam repaired, nearly two more were declared deficient. There are more than 85,000 dams in the U.S., and the average age is just over 51 years old.

DRINKING WATER D-

America's drinking water systems face an annual shortfall of at least $11 billion to replace aging facilities that are near the end of their useful life and to comply with existing and future federal water regulations. This does not account for growth in the demand for drinking water over the next 20 years. Leaking pipes lose an estimated seven billion gallons of clean drinking water a day.

Water - food or golf?

2009-01-31T14:49:00.002-05:00

Two interesting articles about water stress that underscore the omnipresence of water in aspects of our lives from fundamental to recreational - although I know that golf is very fundamental to many of my friends!

The first, BBC article discusses food production and mentions water stress.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7795652.stm

UK food experts are claling for food audits by water. The UK imports half of its vegetables and many come from water-stressed nations. This will need to change to accomodate an exploding global population and water scarcity.

The second describes the challenges golf courses face, especially in water-stressed areas like the the American southwest. In Las Vegas, its 57 courses use 7.6 percent of water expended. But according to the Aguanomics blog, "the $7 billion golf industry uses one percent of California's water while the $32 billion agricultural industry uses 75 percent of the State's water."

http://www.golfweek.com/protours/other/story/water-worries-special-report-122908

Water districts throughout Nevada and California are paying golf courses as much as $3 per square foot to replace turf acreage with water-efficient landscaping, and have begun imposing financial penalties for any water used over budgeted amounts. The result may be fewer golf courses in the future, and those that are left may look radically different from the ones that exist today.