Back to Spring 2013 Newsletter
New “Never Waste” Water Campaign Raises Awareness
To build awareness about the impact of water waste, the Alliance for Water Efficiency has launched a campaign called Never Waste. Central to the campaign is a water bottle imprinted with measures of water waste in numbers of bottles. By comparing the amount of water wasted in our daily lives to something familiar and measurable, the campaign hopes to encourage consumers to waste less. The website, www.NeverWaste.org, provides tips on how to reduce water waste, and a household water calculator that allows consumers to compare their household water use with average and water efficient households. The site also provides an option to purchase a Never Waste water bottle to support the work of the Alliance and its partners helping communities and businesses conserve water.
USGS Pushes Gauge Data on Request
The U.S. Geological Survey has made it even easier to find out about current conditions on thousands of rivers and streams across the country with its WaterNow system. Those who sign up for the service can receive texts or emails about streamflow, groundwater levels, springs, water quality and lake levels in the specific water body of their choice. Conditions are monitored by more than 16,000 stream gauges. The information from these gauges can be useful for a variety of purposes, including disaster preparation, recreation planning or water resource management. A message to WaterNow@usgs.gov containing the USGS site gauge number is all that is needed to start receiving updates. Complete instructions, including how to find the gauge number, are available on the website http://water.usgs.gov/waternow/.
Water and Energy R&D Center Established
A major agreement between the University of Arizona and Pima County has established a new center for the study and development of water and energy technology. Construction on the new Water and Energy Sustainable Technology—or WEST— Laboratories will begin this summer. The facility will be located at Pima County’s new ROMP Central Regional Laboratory Complex. ROMP, which stands for Regional Optimization Master Plan, is Pima County’s billion-dollar investment in meeting regulatory requirements for wastewater while protecting the county’s environment and water supplies. The ROMP includes plans to upgrade and expand the Ina Road facility and replace the Roger Road plant with a new reclamation facility. The WEST laboratory complex will be housed in a new 23,000-square-foot building. U of A’s Environmental Research Laboratory and some water and energy related research programs in the College of Engineering will relocate to the facility. The Laboratories will target the waterenergy nexus and focus research attention on reuse of wastewater. Research and development at the WEST Center will include water treatment technologies, contaminant monitoring tools, and energy minimization and production.
American Rivers Releases Guide to Green Stormwater Permits
American Rivers, an organization that advocates on behalf of America’s rivers, has released a guide to aid municipalities in developing stormwater permits that incorporate green infrastructure. Green infrastructure uses natural systems to capture and infiltrate rainwater as close as possible to where it falls. As an approach to stormwater management in urban areas, green infrastructure reduces pollution and flooding from storm runoff. The American Rivers’ guide, Permitting Green Infrastructure: A Guide to Improving Municipal Stormwater Permits and Protecting Water Quality, is intended as a resource for community and watershed advocates. In addition to description and explanation of permit types, the guide contains model permit language and examples of stormwater permits from municipalities that have successfully incorporated green infrastructure principles. Municipalities can use the guide as a resource in rethinking their own stormwater management plans.
Dust Storm App Launched
As spring and summer approach, so does the dust storm season in Arizona. These dust storms can lead to poor visibility and potentially dangerous driving conditions. A new application developed at the University of Arizona uses GPS and the WeatherBug service to provide drivers with warnings about storms on the road around their location. The app also offers safety tips on what to do if a dust storm hits, as well as a list of items people should keep in their cars, such as a flashlight, dust mask, and whistle or pocket siren. The app is available on iTunes as a free download for iPhones, and the Android version is expected to be released soon.
Wet-Dry Mapping Event
Friends of Agua Fria National Monument and the Upper Agua Fria Watershed Partnership have announced their 6th Annual Wet/Dry Mapping event. Wet/Dry Mapping will take place on Saturday, June 22, 2013. Anyone interested in participating should contact Friends of the Agua Fria National Monument: info@aguafriafriends.org.
Annual AHS Symposium
The 26th Annual Arizona Hydrological Society Symposium will be held September 18-21, 2013, at the Doubletree by Hilton in Tucson. The symposium, “Shifting Boundaries – Recalibrating the Hydrologic Approach,” will include a meet-and-greet, two days of plenary sessions, technical workshops, and field trips. For more information go to http://ahssymposium.org/2013/.