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Coalition of major city water utilities partner to respond to water emergency
 | 02.28.2008 | 08:33:57 | Views: 5474 | ID:

February 28 '08: Reuters has reported the formation of a new coalition of several major US city water utilities who are working "to improve research into the impacts of climate change on water utilities, develop strategies for adapting to climate change," and to help conserve water consumption, the coalition's press release said. The Water Utility Climate Alliance was formed by the Cities of New York, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, San Francisco, Denver, the San Diego County Water Authority, Southern Nevada Water Authority, and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California which combined serve more than 36 million people.

Susan Leal, the general manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission said in the press release, "Water utilities are among the first responders to the effects of climate change. ... Our systems are facing risk due to diminishing snowpack, bigger storms, more frequent drought and rising sea levels. We need to be organized to respond to these risks - that's why we've formed this alliance."

The WUCA has identified five key areas for study to help improve the reliability of drinking water: enhancing regional and local climate weather projections; increasing the reliability of the collection, maintenance, accessibility and usefulness of information for decision-makers; to "ensure" consistent climate data for water providers worldwide; help develop planning, decision-making, and policy-making to prepare for and to help respond to sudden changes in the climate; and to coordinate international research efforts to study the effects of climate change - notably in Australia.

The WUCA's first official act will be to "provide comment today on the 'Summary of Revised Research Plan' prepared by the US Climate Change Science Program.

Reuters reported, "Last month, scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography said a water supply crisis was looming in the western United States ... Changes over the past half century have meant less snow pack and more rain in the mountains, rivers with greatly reduced flows by summer and the overall drier summers in the region, they noted."

National Blueprint Tags: Response & Containment, Economic & Infrastructure.

 

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