When the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the consolidated cases of Rapanos v. United States and Carabell v. United States in 2006, observers hoped the Court would supply much-needed clarification to the federal Clean Water Act’s (CWA) dominion over wetlands. Instead, the Court could not reach a consensus, and regulation and enforcement of the law has been mired in confusion ever since.
This article originally appeared in the 08/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.
Situated in one of the world’s most arid regions, Israel has been overcoming water shortages and desertification since its inception in 1948. Its diverse topography, which includes plains, mountains, deserts, and coastlines, makes for many water challenges. A small country at 8,019 square miles (about the size of New Jersey), Israel sustains a population of 6.35 million people.
This article originally appeared in the 08/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.
This article originally appeared in the 08/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.
Despite the roar from the municipal water and wastewater industry about the lack of funds for infrastructure, Water & Wastewater News’ roundtable participants seemed to agree that the money is “out there,” it is just a matter of finding the right source.
- By Water & Wastewater News Staff
This article originally appeared in the 06/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.
A new generation of biological water treatment recycle systems
Hurricane Katrina left a wake of devastation in its path -- thousands dead, New Orleans flooded, a whole population displaced, and billions of dollars in destruction all along the Gulf Coast. A true national disaster, Katrina revealed the coast's vulnerability.
This article originally appeared in the 10/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
Construction is risky. Few projects move from start to finish without problems, and -- more often than not -- problems leads to unanticipated costs, unacceptable delays, finger-pointing, disputes, frustration, aggravation, and -- nightmare of nightmares -- litigation.
This article originally appeared in the 07/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
Near-shore construction projects can take forever. Design, environmental studies, permitting, building, and unforeseen circumstances, create a labyrinth worthy of any Minotaur.
- By Heida Diefenderfer, Shelly Randall
This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
Aug. 25, 2005: Hurricane Katrina, the 11th named tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and first Category 5 hurricane of the season, makes landfall north of Miami, Fla., killing dozens. Four days later, the slightly weakened system touches down on the Central Gulf Coast of Louisiana.
This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
Stormwater managers around the country are challenged by growing regulatory requirements in the face of increasingly urbanized land uses. As cities continue to grow, more and more areas are covered with roads, buildings, parking lots, and other impervious surfaces.
This article originally appeared in the 04/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.
Water quality is intimately connected to quality of life. Although this fact of life has been understated for many years, water professionals have long known that clean water is an increasingly scarce and valuable commodity that cannot be taken for granted. The Clean Water Act brought about increased regulatory oversight, resulting in recent criminal charges and fines against violators, and environmental organizations are succeeding in bringing about public awareness of the need to protect water resources by encouraging businesses to include water stewardship and utilization in corporate sustainability reporting.
This article originally appeared in the 09/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
Water is Australia's most pressing problem, a century after the bunch of British colonies became a nation that was a magnet for settlers from less fortunate parts of London's empire.
This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
The City of Orlando in Florida treats up to 40 million gallons a day (mgd) of wastewater at its Iron Bridge Regional Water Reclamation Facility. The city bills one major upstream source based on the amount of wastewater treated. Both parties want accurate flow measurements to ensure a fair assessment of costs. A few percentage points of error can quickly add up to thousands of dollars in questionable billings.
This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
Facilities in the United States and Puerto Rico that consistently achieve outstanding environmental results may be eligible for recognition and regulatory incentives through a voluntary program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The National Environmental Performance Track, launched by EPA in June, 2000, recognizes and rewards top environmental performers and is designed to encourage continual improvement.
This article originally appeared in the 01/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
For more than 30 years the Clean Water Act (CWA) has established programs and requirements to protect the quality of U.S. rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. In that time, this regulatory framework has succeeded in doubling the number of water bodies in the United State that are considered swimmable and fishable. Today, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) more than two thirds of water bodies are regarded as healthy compared to only one third in 1972 when the CWA was first created by Congress.
This article originally appeared in the 12/01/2004 issue of Environmental Protection.
In-situ biological treatment (bioremediation) systems have now gained widespread acceptance for dealing with sites impacted by petroleum hydrocarbons. However, at many remediation sites, the need to pump groundwater to maintain gradient control still generates a stream of contaminated water requiring treatment, even if in-situ technologies are being employed.
This article originally appeared in the 06/01/2004 issue of Environmental Protection.
A nine-year, $5.29 million road improvement project in Washington County, Ore., is finally coming to a close in June 2004. With its completion, a community and wetland will begin to enjoy its benefits, including improved pedestrian safety and traffic flow, and protection from erosion and flooding for nearby Johnson Creek.
This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2004 issue of Environmental Protection.
Imagine that you are in the final stages of constructing a 10-filter water-treatment plant. Startup for the filter control system alone requires the contractor to coordinate with representatives from the valve supplier, actuator supplier, instrument supplier, filter console supplier, the electrician and the integrator to put together a system that is supposed to work as one complete unit.
This article originally appeared in the 01/01/2004 issue of Environmental Protection.