A water expert from Genesee County, Michigan, testified recently that he warned city officials in 2014 the water treatment plant in Flint wasn’t ready to produce clean water and had inexperienced employees, recommending the plant remain closed.
Two weeks before switching to the Flint River, the plant couldn’t produce clean water, testified John O’Brien, water director of Genesee County.
The facility’s chlorine room was under construction at the time, and O’Brien said its employees were trainees from Flint’s solid waste division who had previously been “riding shotgun” on garbage trucks.
Source: The Detroit News
Millions Will Lose Access to Tap Water in Cape Town by May
Without a miracle, the city of Cape Town, South Africa, will be the first major city in the world to run out of water. City officials are projecting Day Zero — the day the city’s reservoir runs dry — to occur sometime between mid-April and mid-May.
Emergency water restrictions are limiting the city’s 4 million residents to about 13 gallons of water per day. Once Day Zero happens, it’s unclear how much bottled water will be provided to citizens. And with the countdown approaching, many Cape Town residents are stockpiling water and waiting in long lines for access to local springs.
Source: CNN
Charlotte-Area Residents Have Gone 1,000 Days Without Tap Water
Meanwhile, some residents in the area of Charlotte, North Carolina, recently hit a milestone of 1,000 days without tap water due to contamination in local wells that may be related to power plants.
More than 500 residents near Duke Energy power plants in Lake Norman, Lake Wylie and Rowan counties are waiting for the company to install water lines to connect them to municipal water.
In 2016, lawmakers ordered the company install the waterlines or filtration systems near its plants statewide.
Source: Charlotte Observer
Niagara Water Board Kicks Off Educational Wastewater Campaign
The Niagara Falls Water Board kicked off a campaign to educate people about the condition of the city’s wastewater system.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo asked for $20 million in state funding for the first phase of an infrastructure upgrade.
“The July 29 dark water discharge and subsequent overflow incidents involving the Niagara River have clearly demonstrated a need to increase public awareness and engagement regarding wastewater management, technology and the many outdated treatment facilities that exist across the Great Lakes,” Executive Director Rolfe Porter told Buffalo News.
The publicity campaign will offer members of the media tours of the city’s wastewater treatment plant, publish public announcements and schedule a forum with environmental experts.
Source: Buffalo News
