Wastewater
Using Public Art to Make Sense of Wastewater Infrastructure
The city of San Jose and designers from the University of California, Davis have completed a community-led design process to raise awareness about the connections between the kitchen, sewers, and the environment.
Trump Budget's Devastating Effect on the EPA and Two of America's Greatest Water Resources
President Trump's budget for 2018 has the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency take the steepest hit—31 percent. Funding for two vital programs, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Chesapeake Bay Program, will have their funds eliminated.
One of the Most Important Energy Measure on the Ballot on Tuesday
While billed as an "anti-fracking initiative," Measure Z in Monterey County, the 4th-largest oil-producing county in California, does far more. It bans new oil drilling and requires the cleaning of wastewater from current drilling operations.
St. Petersburg Struggling to Keep its Sewage out of its Bays
A writer for the Tampa Bay Times critiques the city of St. Petersburg's response to repeat storm events that have sent millions of gallons of untreated wastewater into its public waters.
Miami-Dade Reports Leaking Wastewater from Turkey Point Nuclear Plant
The bad news for Biscayne Bay is the latest in a string of bad news for the Turkey Point nuclear plant.
Oklahoma-Style Earthquakes Now Affecting California
Disposal of wastewater from fracking has long been associated with earthquakes in Oklahoma as well as Ohio and Texas. A new study shows they were likely the cause of a swarm of quakes in 2005 in the capital of oil in California, Kern County.
Legislators, Newspapers Line Up to Oppose Great Lakes Water Diversion Proposal
A controversial application by the small Wisconsin town of Waukesha would allow treated wastewater to flow the Root River and then into Lake Michigan. The proposal has provoked a far-reaching outcry of opposition.
Chinese 'Sponge Cities' Will Capture Rainwater
Existing grey infrastructure in China cannot cope with rapid urban expansion and frequent droughts and floods. Several cities, with Beijing's approval, are experimenting with rainwater capture methods as an alternative.
Fracking Wastewater Dumped into Protected California Aquifers
According to the Center for Biological Diversity, toxic wastewater from oil industry fracking operations has been illegally injected into Central Valley disposal sites, posing a threat to water supplies of nearby residents.
Drug Testing Your City's Sewer System
If you really want to know how prevalent drug use is in your community, don't ask people–just test their wastewater.
Residents Raise a Stink Over Plans to Fix London's Sewers
London's wastewater problems go at least as far back as the 19th century, before a 1,100-mile system of tunnels was built to divert the city's waste downstream. A plan to fix that system with a tunnel financed by customer fees is raising a stink.
It's Time to Revolutionize America's Water Infrastructure
America’s water infrastructure is behind the times. With over 240,000 water main breaks annually, and only 3.8% of wastewater being reused, the country’s water systems scored a D from the American Society of Civil Engineers on its 2013 report card.
The Revolution Transforming America's Strained Water Systems
In the first in a series of articles exploring 'infrastructure solutions for the next generation', Cynthia Barnett examines the creative ways that communities are solving the problems caused by old and overtaxed water systems.
Who Will Pay for America's $2.2 Trillion Infrastructure Backlog?
With the federal government unable to agree on much of anything, state and local taxpayers are bearing the burden for repairing and replacing America's aging infrastructure says a new report from Standard & Poor’s Rating Services.
NYC to Pilot New System for Monitoring Sewage Discharge
New York City is taking steps to manage the dumping of raw sewage, Mireya Navarro reports.
Solving the Wastewater Problem with Natural Solutions
The EPA estimates the U.S. has $13 billion in wastewater infrastructure. Fast Company explains how innovations in wastewater management using natural processes will change everything.
Bringing New Value to Wastewater
Much of the inefficiency surrounding our use and misuse of water derive from entrenched habits formed during previous eras of presumed inexhaustibility of water supplies. Our wastewater treatment approach has traditionally relied on an infrastructure of centralized municipal water plants where tertiary effluent is recycled. These plants consume considerable energy and cost to restore all of the water they process.
Getting Off the Water Grid in Seattle
Buildings in Seattle, including a school, are trying to remove themselves from the urban water grid. More could soon follow.
Reframing the Human Relationship with Water
Urban runoff and contaminated water are creating major ecological damage, even in the United States. One design competition has the goal of rethinking how we handle this crucial resource.
Seeking Solutions to Stormwater and Sewage Issues
In many cities, stormwater and sewage water are collected in the same sewer. As a result, good rainwater is combined with dirty sewage water. Overflows can create major problems for cities. But avoiding those problems is not exactly easy.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
