Category Archives: Urban & Suburban

Climate Issues, Education, Integrated Water Resources, Sustainable Water Management, Urban & Suburban, Water Conservation

What to Plant | WaterSense | US EPA

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What to Plant | WaterSense | US EPA.

The United States has many different climate zones and topographic and geographic features. Each state and even areas within states differ in their ability to support different plant species without the need for supplemental water and fertilizers. The following plant lists will help you identify plants appropriate for your location. When designing your landscape for water-efficiency, be sure to choose plants that are defined as low water use or drought tolerant for your area. These plant species will be able to survive in your climate with minimal, if any, need for supplemental watering. See these simple tips for water-efficient landscaping for more ideas on lowering water use in your yard.

Clean Water Act, Education, Environmental Health, Innovation In Sanitation, Urban & Suburban, Water

Common Cup Countdown | safedrinkingwaterdotcom

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Common Cup Countdown | safedrinkingwaterdotcom.

Common Cup Countdown

 

Posted on October 24, 2012

 

Samuel J. Crumbine

 

October 24, 2012:  Common Cup Countdown-6 days to the 100th anniversary of 1st U.S. drinking water regulation–excerpt from Kansas history.

“Homes. schools, trains, and public buildings all provided common drinking cups as had been the tradition for centuries in Europe and America. This custom especially aroused Dr. Crumbine’s ire [Samuel J. Crumbine was a public health advocate and member of the Kansas State Board of Health].

Decentralized Systems, Innovation In Sanitation, Sustainable Water Management, Urban & Suburban

EPA Decentralized MOU Partnership Releases Papers Highlighting the Benefits of Decentralized

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EPA Decentralized MOU Partnership Releases Papers Highlighting the Benefits of Decentralized.

WERF

EPA Decentralized MOU Partnership Releases Papers Highlighting the Benefits of Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Decentralized Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Partnership has developed a series of four papers that highlight how decentralized wastewater treatment systems can be sustainable and appropriate options for communities and homeowners. The papers are intended to provide information to the public and to state, local, and industry officials on the benefits and types of decentralized wastewater treatment systems. Decentralized wastewater treatment consists of a variety of onsite approaches for collection, treatment, dispersal, and reuse of wastewater.

The MOU Partnership is an agreement between the EPA and 16 partner organizations including WERF to work collaboratively at the national level to improve decentralized performance and our nation’s public health and water resources. Since 2005, the MOU has reflected the commitment of EPA and its partner organizations to work together to encourage proper management of decentralized systems and increase collaboration among EPA, state and local governments, and decentralized system practitioners and providers. WERF’s extensive research program on decentralized systems as part of the Decentralized Water Resources Collaborative (www.decentralizedwater.org and www.werf.org/decentralized) has helped inform the Partnership’s efforts.

In 2011, the MOU Partnership convened working groups to develop papers around each of four topic areas. MOU partners were selected to participate according to their area of expertise. Each paper focuses on one of four topic areas of decentralized wastewater treatment, demonstrating how decentralized wastewater treatment can be: (1) a sensible solution; (2) cost‐effective and economical; (3) green and sustainable; and (4) protective of the environment, public health, and water quality. For additional information on the EPA Decentralized MOU Partnership and to view copies of the papers, please visit the Decentralized MOU Partnership products page.

Integrated Water Resources, Sustainable Water Management, Urban & Suburban

Olympic Park | Blogs | Stormwater

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Olympic Park | Blogs | Stormwater.

Two groves of rare wet woodlands are kept moist by low earthen embankments that overtop during high tide.

If, like many of us, you’ve been watching the Olympics, you’ve been hearing the stories and profiles of many of the athletes. Here’s a back story you might not be familiar with, although in the last few days you’ve probably seen plenty of photos of the star: Olympic Park.

Four years ago the one-square-mile park, which now houses Olympic Stadium, the Aquatic Center, the Basketball and Water Polo Arenas, and other venues, as well as Olympic Village where the athletes are housed, was a contaminated brownfield site.

Integrated Water Resources, Sustainable Water Management, Urban & Suburban, Water~Energy Nexus

With Funding Tight, Cities are Turning to Green Infrastructure by Jim Robbins: Yale Environment 360

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With Funding Tight, Cities are Turning to Green Infrastructure by Jim Robbins: Yale Environment 360.

A 2012 studyby American Rivers, ECONorthwest, and other groups examined 479 projects around the country. About a quarter of the projects were more expensive, they concluded, and 31 percent cost the same; more than 44 percent brought the costs down, in some cases substantially. New York City, for example, expects to save $1.5 billion over the next 20 years by using green infrastructure.

At 10.4-acres, the roof atop the Ford Dearborn Truck Assembly Plant in Michigan is the world's largest green roof.

Integrated Water Resources, Sustainable Water Management, Urban & Suburban

Singapore Gardens an Environmental Sustainability Showcase | Water & Wastes Digest magazine – Water and Wastewater Treatment

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Singapore Gardens an Environmental Sustainability Showcase | Water & Wastes Digest magazine – Water and Wastewater Treatment.

Opened in spring 2012, Gardens by the Bay features an aquatic ecosystem with sustainable water cycles

Singapore government officials’ vision to become a “city in a garden” came to fruition by redeveloping Marina Bay and boldly allocating prime land and a hefty budget for that purpose. Years of construction later, the Gardens by the Bay officially opened in the spring of 2012, incorporating an environmentally sustainable system that encompasses a lake system in which aeration assists in the ecological process.

Decentralized Systems, Urban & Suburban

Students Create New Guidance Document on Decentralized Systems

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Students Create New Guidance Document on Decentralized Systems.
Inspired by WERF’s project on When to Consider Distributed Systems in an Urban and Suburban Context, students at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, created a new guidance document on decentralized systems as part of their Master’s Thesis Project.