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EPA Draft Climate Change Strategy Available

EPA's Office of Water recently released its draft National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change.

To view the draft strategy, click here.

For more information, see AMWA's bulletin on the issue here (login required).

AMWA Issues CCSP Comments

AMWA recently submitted comments on how the Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) can best meet the needs of America's drinking water systems as they prepare for the long-term implications of global climate change.

View Comments (pdf file)

EPA Releases New Document to Help Utilities Maximize Energy Efficiency

EPA's new publication, Ensuring a Sustainable Future: An Energy Management Guidebook for Wastewater and Water Utilities, features a a step-by-step workbook to help utilities use an environmental management systems (EMS) approach to reduce energy use at water and wastewater facilities.

Download Document (pdf - 1.9 MB)

View EPA's Sustainable Infrastructure for Water and Wastewater Page.


Read AMWA's Study of Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources


In December, AMWA released its white paper, Implications of Climate Change for Urban Water Utilities, which identifies likely impacts of climate change on drinking water systems in different regions of the U.S.  A condensed summary of the report is also available.






VIEW WHITE PAPER VIEW SUMMARY VIEW NEWS RELEASE

Drinking Water Systems Take Action

How will climate change affect your community's drinking water supplies?  What are AMWA member utilities doing now to prepare for the coming challenges?

FIND OUT HERE

Report Reviews California Climate Risks, Responses

A new report from the California Urban Water Agencies (CUWA), Climate Change and Urban Water Resources: Investing for Reliability, details how climate change is expected to impact the water resources of that state, and what actions California drinking water providers are already taking to secure water availability into the future.  Several CUWA member utilities are also AMWA members.

CUWA CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT [Download - 2.5 MB]

IPCC/USGS Climate Change Studies

Download reports prepared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the United States Geological Survey on the potential impacts of climate change on water resources.

USGS: Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change for the Water Resources of the United States [Download - 400 KB]

IPCC: Climate Change 2007: Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability -  Summary for Policymakers [Download - 544 KB]

IPCC: Climate Change 2007: Mitigation - Summary for Policymakers [Download - 616 KB]


An Australian Perspective on Climate Change

Below are advocacy documents prepared by the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) intended to help educate politicians and key stakeholders on climate change and its impact on Australia's urban water industry:
  • Australia’s Water, Sharing our Future Prosperity [Download - 108 KB]
  • WSAA Position Paper No 1 - Testing the Water, urban water in our growing cities: the risks, challenges, innovation and planning [Download - 440 KB]
  • WSAA Position Paper No 2 - Refilling the Glass Exploring the issues surrounding water recycling in Australia [Download - 416 KB]
  • WSAA Report Card for 2006/2007 [Download - 228 KB]
WSAA also identified a number of research areas and knowledge gaps where work was required to implement the new water paradigm they were entering:
  • Occasional Paper No 11 – Health Risk Assessment of Fire Fighting from Recycled Water Mains [Download - 384 KB]
  • Occasional Paper No 12 – Pricing for Recycled Water [Download - 596 KB]
  • Occasional Paper No 14 – Framework for Urban Water Resource Planning [Download - 264 KB]
  • Occasional Paper No 15 – Impact of Demographic Change and Urban Consolidation on Domestic Water Use [Download - 192 KB]
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In The News:

May 12: Toronto Outlines Adaptation Plans
(The Sudbury (Ontario) Star)

May 2: Melbourne Water Supplies at Risk
(The Herald Sun (Melbourne))

May 2: California Utilities Adjust to Drought Conditions
(San Francisco Chronicle)

May 1: Alberta Invests in Climate-Water Strategy
(Slave River (Alberta) Journal)

April 23: Great Lakes Could Be Subject of "Water Wars"
(The Canadian Press)

April 18: Climate Change to Threaten Irish Water Supplies
(The Irish Times)

April 18: San Francisco Considers Potential Climate Change Consequences
(San Francisco Examiner)

April 11: Scientists Predict Climate Change Impact on Great Lakes
(Detroit Free Press)

April 10: IPCC Predicts Climate-Change-Influenced Floods, Droughts
(Washington Examiner)

April 7: Southeast Drought Offers Water Management Lessons
(Environmental Health Perspectives)

April 3: Climate Change Impacts Could Raise Water Costs
(Fort Collins Coloradoan)

March 29: Denver Water Prepares for Climate Change
(Summit (CO) Daily News)

March 26: Researchers Identify Water Quality Risks of Global Warming
(FarmOnline Australia)

March 24: Study: Climate Change Could Diminish Lake Tahoe Water Quality
(San Jose Mercury News)

March 24: Population Growth Could Strain Availability of Water, Other Resources
(The Wall Street Journal)

March 21: Experts Urge Canada to Update Water Policies
(The Canadian Press)

March 20: Water Shortages Could Have Wide-Ranging Impacts
(Christian Science Monitor)

March 16: Melting Glaciers Could Endanger World Drinking Water Supplies
(Agence France-Presse)

March 13: Philippines Focus on Climate Adaptation
(Philippine Daily Inquirer)

March 12: Government Agencies Warn of Sea Level Rise Dangers
(New York Times)


Climate Change Weblinks:
www.ipcc.ch
U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

www.climatescience.gov
U.S. Climate Change Science Program

www.noaa.gov/climate.html

NOAA Climate Program

www.epa.gov/climatechange

EPA Climate Change Site

www.usgcrp.gov
U.S. National Assessment of the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change

www.awwarf.org
AwwaRF Report: Climate Change and Water Resources: A Primer for Municipal Water Providers

www.awwarf.org

AwwaRF's Climate Change Strategic Initiative

www.usatoday.com
USA Today Climate Change Resource Page

www.realclimate.org

Science Blog Focusing on Climate Change

www.aip.org/history/climate

Climate Change Information from Physicist and Historian Spencer Weart

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