NEWS MARKETPLACE AQUATECH EVENTS CONTACT Home > News INDUSTRY NEWS This news is brought to you by: 29/08/2014 - Dam database launched Watchdog group International Rivers has launched an interactive online database that highlights the role of dams in reducing ecosystem services in the world’s river basins. More » 28/08/2014 - ADB approves $49 million loan and grant for aging water system ADB has approved a $49 million loan and a technical assistance grant of $900,000 to support the sustainability of Armenia’s road and water sectors, which have deteriorated due to limited investments and public management system challenges. More » 27/08/2014 - India-Pakistan dam talks end with promise of progress Talks between India and Pakistan over the Kishanganga dam and four other hydroelectric projects on the Jhelum and Chenab rivers have been reported as positive. More » 22/08/2014 - Report gives clean bill of health to fluoride A review into the health effects of water fluoridation has found ‘no adverse effects of any significance’ from adding fluoride to public water supplies. More » 21/08/2014 - Reflections from ILF China The first ever Industrial Leaders Forum (ILF) at Aquatech China on June 26, 2014 was time well spent: an excellent opportunity to gain insights and to meet with thought and business leaders working in the water sector in China. More » 21/08/2014 - Dutch position in water technology sector In the Netherlands our intuition for solving water issues on a high quality level seems to be taken for granted and we expect roughly the same from the rest of the western world. More » 21/08/2014 - Crowdsourcing tool for improved understanding of water systems Water is essential to society and nature. The climate is changing. Long periods without rain can ruin crops or affect other functions that rely on fresh water supply. Also, extreme rainfall events can cause dangerous local floods. More » 21/08/2014 - Water Footprint Assessment Tool The upgraded version of the Water Footprint Assessment Tool hosts new functions and has a more flexible navigation which makes it easier to use. More » 21/08/2014 - Detroit considers regional water and sewer authority The latest amended version of Detroit’s debt adjustment plan raises the suggestion of a regional water and sewer authority again despite earlier issues with the concept. More » 20/08/2014 - Mining group accused of lying over cause of acid wastewater spill Mexico’s environment secretary, Juan Jose Guerra Abud, has reported that a mining group responsible for a major acid spill in the country’s Sonora state at the beginning of August lied when it said unusually heavy rains caused the spill. More » 19/08/2014 - ADB report warns of economic effects from climate change A new Asian Development Bank report warns that climate change will slash 9% from the South Asian economy annually by the end of the century if the world continues on a fossil fuel-intensive path. More » 19/08/2014 - Kurdish forces retake Mosul dam, amid safety worries Kurdish forces, backed by US air strikes, have partially retaken the critical Mosul dam in Iraq. More » 18/08/2014 - Torrential floods kill over 100 in Nepal, raising the threat of waterborne disease Extensive monsoon flooding in Nepal has killed over 100 people, and has led the country to warn that there was a serious threat of an outbreak of major waterborne diseases. More » 15/08/2014 - Research finds common coagulant could corrode sewers A research team at the University of Queensland have discovered that a common coagulant used in drinking water treatment can be a prime contributor to global sewer corrosion. More » 11/08/2014 - UNEP report calls for urgent adaptation strategies UNEP has issued a new report on high mountain glaciers and climate change. More » 11/08/2014 - CH2M HILL/Thiess jv wins Perth water replenishment contract Western Australia’s Water Corporation has awarded CH2M HILL, as part of a joint venture with Thiess, a contract to design, construct, and commission a full-scale Advanced Water Replenishment Plant (AWRP) in Perth. More » 06/08/2014 - Research finds climate change and urbanisation affecting river life in Australia New research from the National Environmental Research Program’s Environmental Decisions hub warns that climate change and urbanisation in Australia are having a combined negative effect on the country’s freshwater life. More » 06/08/2014 - Drought sees Seqwater sending water back to the coast The drought in Australia has led south-east Queensland’s water authority, Seqwater, to begin sending 60MLD of water north from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast through the area’s interconnector pipeline. More » 25/07/2014 - Acciona Agua wins New Cairo O&M contract Spain’s Acciona Agua and a local partner, ICAT, have won a contract from the Construction Authority for Potable Water and Wastewater of Egypt (CAPW) to operate and maintain the water network for the New Cairo area. More » 23/07/2014 - Committee gives go-ahead to 15 new dams India’s water resources ministry’s advisory committee has given the go-ahead to proposals to construct 15 new dams. More » 23/07/2014 - Research finds bleak groundwater future in Dead sea area Researchers have calculated water flows around the Dead sea and concluded that water resources on the Jordanian side, to the east, could decline more severely due to climate change than on the western, Israeli and Palestinian side. More » 22/07/2014 - EPA sets out tough restrictions for smallest Pebble mine option The US EPA has issued a list of tough restrictions that it proposes in order to reduce the risks from the proposed Pebble mine in Alaska. More » 22/07/2014 - Amnesty International urges Detroit to restore services to disconnected Amnesty International has stepped into the debate about Detroit’s water disconnections, saying it is ‘imperative’ that services are restored. More » 22/07/2014 - Ecojustice report warns of flaws in Canada's drinking water standards Green pressure group Ecojustice has issued a report, titled ‘Waterproof: standards’, which claims Canada’s drinking water standards continue to lag behind international benchmarks and are at risk of falling further behind. More » 22/07/2014 - High-tech recycling plant set to open in California A new $72 million wastewater recycling plant is being opened this week in Alviso, California, with the aim of providing recycled water for irrigation, toilet flushing and power plant use. More » 09/07/2014 - Environment Agency awards flood asset upkeep contract The Environment Agency has awarded IPL and Manhattan Atrium a £9 million ($1.4 million) framework contract to implement a new system to manage the upkeep of its flood and coastal defence assets. More » 04/07/2014 - UN-Water launches strategy to 2020 This month UN-Water will launch its 2014 to 2020 strategy, entitled ‘Delivering as one’ on water related issues. More » 03/07/2014 - AfDB and Rwanda sign agreement to mobilise funds for watsan developments AfDB and Rwanda have signed an agreement to formalise the African Union-led Kigali Action Plan; which will help mobilise in excess of US$68 million to help ten countries finance water supply programmes and improve their sanitation. More » 19/06/2014 - New data integration platform set to aid range of water issues A new data integration platform for watershed management has been built by the Southern Ontario Water Consortium in collaboration with computing giant IBM to aid watershed management. More » 17/06/2014 - Small steps with innovative water technologies to meet big global goals It is a long way to sustainable water resource management, manager director Lennart Silvis of the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) frankly admits in a special interview for this Aquatech newsletter. More » 17/06/2014 - Unisense Wastewater Process N2O Sensor for Greenhouse Gas Emission Control More » 17/06/2014 - Rethinking Water Investments The environment is high on China’s political agenda. It’s all about “war on pollution” right now. In every war, opportunity arises to profit from it; so where should we direct investments? More » 17/06/2014 - Indian Prime Minister Modi invokes Mahatma Gandhi to clean Mother Ganga” One of the first public gestures that India’s new Prime Minister Narendra Modi made on his election was a visit to Varanasi along the Ganges, India’s most famous and most threatened river. More » 17/06/2014 - Report highlights pattern of previous dam release deaths A new report from the South Asia Network for Dams, Rivers and People warns that the dam water release that has drowned 25 people in Himachal Pradesh was far from unique, and identified a number of serious issues. More » 16/06/2014 - Report finds water stress could disrupt global corn industry A new Ceres report warns that water-related risks could disrupt the $65 billion US corn industry, and found that 63% of the country’s corn production is already under high water stress. More » 16/06/2014 - ADB highlights water in ranking cities' environmental livability The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has ranked 33 Chinese cities in terms of their environmental ‘livability’, with key factors including the state of their water resources, environmental management, air pollution and noise. More » 16/06/2014 - New South Wales announces new dam New South Wales deputy premier Andrew Stoner has announced funding for the first new dam built by the state in nearly 30 years as part of an AUD$1 billion ($938.4 million) regional infrastructure package to be announced in the budget this week. More » 16/06/2014 - North Carolina legislators seek to amend ten-year case deadline North Carolina legislators are proposing a bill to allow a groundwater pollution case to continue, after the Supreme Court ruled that a critical ten-year state deadline had passed. More » 16/06/2014 - SEWA inaugurates Hamriyah desalination plant Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA) has inaugurated a new 20MGD (75.7MLD) desalination plant in Hamriyah. More » 16/06/2014 - Texas starts desalination cost-benefit hearings A joint committee of the Texas legislature have begun a series of public hearings around the state on the costs and benefits of desalination. More » 16/06/2014 - Aqualia wins tourist resort desalination contract FCC Aqualia, the water management subsidiary of Spanish group FCC, has been awarded the contract to build a desalination plant in Djerba, off the coast of Tunisia, one of the country’s main tourist enclaves. More » 11/06/2014 - US Supreme Court dashes hopes of suing in older contamination cases The US Supreme Court ruled on Monday that a group of householders in North Carolina cannot sue a company that contaminated their drinking water some decades ago because a state deadline has passed. More » 11/06/2014 - World Bank provides extra finance for water upgrades in Tunisia The World Bank has announced $26.2 million in extra financing for upgrades to water supplies and services in the Greater Tunis area and other cities in Tunisia, as well as for improving the financial situation of the national water utility. More » 11/06/2014 - Academy report backs Bohai sea canal transfer plan A government think-tank, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, has issued a report supporting the long-proposed plan for a canal from the polluted Bohai Sea near Tianjin to Beijing, to help ease the capital’s water shortage. More » 09/06/2014 - Students drowned and missing in sudden dam water release Five engineering students have drowned and 20 more, as well as their professor, are missing after an unexpected major release of water from the 126MW Larji hydropower project on Sunday evening. More » 09/06/2014 - Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission commits to major upgrade The Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission is to undertake a $100 million project to increase the capacity of its Newark treatment plant to reduce frequent stormwater overflows into rivers. More » 06/06/2014 - Russia considers desalination to solve supply issues Russia is reported to be considering the construction of desalination plants in Crimea to solve the peninsula’s water supply problems. More » 06/06/2014 - Veolia wins new power plant contract Veolia Water Technologies has been chosen to provide water solutions for the Trust International Paper Corporation’s (TIPCO) new ANDA power plant in the Philippines. More » 06/06/2014 - Penang agrees action plan to restore key polluted rivers The Penang government has developed an action plan to resolve pollution issues in eight of the state’s main rivers, according to state flood mitigation committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow. More » 06/06/2014 - National Water Company promises sewerage for Jeddah The National Water Company has promised to provide densely-populated areas of Jeddah a sewerage network by the end of 2018. More » 03/06/2014 - Tanzania reveals plans for new desal plant Tanzania’s water minister, Professor Jumanne Maghembe, has outlined plans for a desalination plant in the Indian ocean to provide water for both industrial and domestic use. More » 03/06/2014 - San Diego gives green light to large-scale potable reuse The directors of the San Diego County Water Authority have given their support to a proposed large-scale potable reuse project under the Pure Water San Diego programme, a 20-year template for a safe, secure and sustainable water supply. More » 03/06/2014 - Veolia wins contract to implement Washington Aqueduct improvements The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) has announced that it plans to contract Veolia Water to implement operational and process improvements for the Washington Aqueduct. More » 28/05/2014 - New Zealand Anti-fluoride campaigners step up campaign Anti-fluoride campaigners have stepped up their efforts to end fluoridation across New Zealand, with reports of arguments between protestors and health officials and a delay to a key court decision. More » 28/05/2014 - EU introduces Environmental Impact Assessment directive The EU has introduced an Environmental Impact Assessment directive, which aims at simplifying environmental assessment procedures while improving environmental protection. More » 28/05/2014 - Experts call for shared management of Africa water resources A top African Development Bank (AfDB) official has urged governments in Africa to partner with the private sector in managing water resources in order to create capacity to mitigate declining rainfall and an unpredictable climate. More » 28/05/2014 - AfDB meeting warns population explosion could risk water and sanitation One of the concluding sessions at the AfDB annual meeting warned that unless megacity growth matches the predicted population explosion, urbanisation could suffocate infrastructure and bring challenges including inadequate clean water and sanitation. More » 21/05/2014 - Meeting hears of need for more commitment to conserve water The African Development Bank’s (AfDB) annual meetings in Kigali, Rwanda, have heard that African governments must show more commitment to conserving their water resources in order to protect and preserve their contribution to future generations. More » 21/05/2014 - Contaminated tap water blamed for 328 deaths Contaminated tap water has been blamed for the deaths of at least 328 Zimbabweans across the country so far in 2014, a report has warned. More » 21/05/2014 - EPA finalises cooling water system standards The US EPA has finalised standards to protect the billions of fish and other aquatic species drawn into cooling water systems at large power plants and factories each year. More » 21/05/2014 - Ministers renew support for climate and water initiatives Ministers at the Union for the Mediterranean meeting in Athens last week issued a declaration of their commitment to tackling the region’s growing climate and environmental challenges. More » 21/05/2014 - Suez Environnement and Azersu agree knowledge transfer Suez Environnement and the Azerbaijani national public operator for water and sanitation services have signed a training and knowledge transfer agreement. More » 12/05/2014 - Zambia calls for help in rehabilitating Kariba dam Zambia, one of the four countries threatened by the possibility of the collapse of the 54-year-old Kariba dam on the Zambezi river, has sent an urgent appeal to international lenders to help fund the rehabilitation of the weakening 128-metre dam wall. More » 12/05/2014 - Summit exposes tensions over Laos dam plans The recent Second Mekong River Commission summit is reported to have laid bare tensions about plans by Laos to construct a new dam on the Mekong in southern Laos, just over a mile from its border with Cambodia. More » 12/05/2014 - WHO and UNICEF report reveals stark divide in watsan provision A new joint report from the WHO and UNICEF reveals significant global successes for water and sanitation, including a narrowing difference between urban and rural areas, but also inequalities that are persisting and sometimes getting worse. More » 12/05/2014 - Canada consults on stricter plane, train and ship water rules Canada has put out for consultation updated, more stringent rules on water supplies aboard planes, trains and ships. More » 09/05/2014 - EEA report highlights major variations in unaccounted-for water The European Environment Agency (EEA) has produced a new report on water utilities that shows unaccounted-for water levels vary hugely across Europe, and that big is better when it comes to wastewater treatment. More » 09/05/2014 - Veolia Environnement wins produced water treatment contract Veolia Environnement has won a contract from a subsidiary of Colombia’s national oil company, the US unit of Ecopetrol, to treat produced water from the remote Castilla oilfield site in the Llanos basin, southeast of the capital, Bogota. More » 07/05/2014 - Supreme Court quashes Kerala state's Mullaperiyar water level law India’s Supreme Court has quashed a law enacted by the state of Kerala to restrict water levels in the Mullaperiyar dam, in what is being seen as a major victory for the upstream state of Tamil Nadu. More » 07/05/2014 - Climate assessment warns that climate change requires fast action The US has released its third National Climate Assessment, which reveals the past decade has been the hottest on record in the country. More » 07/05/2014 - GE launches new industrial membrane bioreactor GE has introduced a new membrane bioreactor (MBR) with a membrane accommodating carrier, the MACarrier, designed to help industrial companies meet stringent water discharge requirements. More » 07/05/2014 - GE wins contract for advanced recycling technology The crude oil production site at the Tempa Rossa oil field in Corleto Perticara, in the Basilicata region of southern Italy, has opted to use GE’s advanced evaporator and zero liquid discharge (ZLD) technology to recycle up to 98% of its produced water. More » 06/05/2014 - Masdar and partners announce desalination pilot Masdar and its partners have announced that four international companies have been awarded contracts for a clean energy desalination pilot project. More » 01/05/2014 - Report identifies cities at risk from abstraction-related subsidence A new paper from the Netherlands-based Deltares Research Institute has identified several major cities where ground levels are sinking faster than water levels are rising, often due to human activities. More » 01/05/2014 - Milwaukee proposes major stormwater storage and flood prevention plan The city of Milwaukee’s Metropolitan Sewerage District is proposing a $139.3 million plan to build flood storage basins and create a stormwater drainage channel to help reduce street and basement flooding. More » 30/04/2014 - Water sector expenditure set to rise Kenya’s water sector capital expenditure budget is set to rise to $511 million in the current financial year. More » 30/04/2014 - Report reveals high cost of inadequate WASH efforts A new report from the Asian Development Bank warns that inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene in Kiribati’s main urban centre, South Tarawa, have serious economic implications. More » 29/04/2014 - Fitch views operating efficiency and operational cashflow as key Fitch Ratings has published a new report on Brazil’s water and wastewater sector. More » 29/04/2014 - EPA agrees oil spill prevention plan with air base The US EPA has reached an agreement with the Andersen air force base on Guam that requires the base to update its oil spill prevention plan and address deficiencies in other spill prevention systems. More » 29/04/2014 - Report identifies Italy as top meter market StatPlan Energy has released a new report on the European meter market, forecast and trends to 2018, highlighting the drivers that determine the number and type of meters that will be installed during this period. More » 28/04/2014 - American Water and Abengoa sign licensing agreement American Water and Spanish multi-utility Abengoa have signed a worldwide licensing agreement for the former’s NPXpress nitrogen and phosphorus removal technology. More » 28/04/2014 - Mugabe announces committee on potable water pollution At a meeting last week Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe revealed that an emergency cabinet committee has been established to look at the problem of wastewater contamination of potable water sources, as well as other service delivery issues. More » 28/04/2014 - Proinversion extends tender deadline for Lima studies Peru’s private investment promotions agency Proinversión has extended the deadline for a $1.54 million tender to complete technical studies on the $400 million potable water concession for the country’s capital, Lima. More » 25/04/2014 - Bill proposes major changes to water ownership A new bill proposes a reform to Chile's constitution that would assert state ownership of water resources and create authorities to undertake potable water and sanitation service provision. More » 24/04/2014 - Ban calls for curbs on humanity's impact on the environment UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon used his Earth Day message to call for greater efforts to promote sustainable development and the use of renewable energy. More » 24/04/2014 - Ministry commissions first phase of Ras Al-Khair Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Water and Electricity has announced the commissioning of the first phase of the Ras Al-Khair desalination plant, which will ultimately be the world’s largest at 1.025M.m3/day of water. More » 24/04/2014 - EPA improves 'How's my Waterway' app The US EPA has announced an enhanced version of its ‘How’s my Waterway’ app and website, which aim to help people find information on the condition of rivers, lakes and streams across the US. More » 24/04/2014 - EPA announces Campus RainWorks Challenge winners The US EPA has announced the winners of its second annual Campus RainWorks Challenge. More » 24/04/2014 - Government mulls designation of Thames Tideway project The UK government is considering whether the Thames Tideway tunnel is to be a Specified Infrastructure project, following two consultations on the subject that highlighted a range of opposition to the tunnel and the financing proposals. More » 24/04/2014 - CH2M HILL wins two awards for wastewater projects CH2M HILL has won two Global Water Awards for wastewater treatment project. More » 22/04/2014 - Vitens-HumVi-Liquid At the Aquatech Amsterdam last year Vitens won the overall Aquatech innovation award with HumVi liquid. By means of a market-driven demand for raw materials, it is possible to find innovative solutions. More » 22/04/2014 - Ministers call for quick action to save lake Tanganyika Water ministers from Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have called for measures to reverse the fast-falling levels of lake Tanganyika. More » 22/04/2014 - Supreme Court rules against Exxon Mobil in MTBE appeal The US Supreme Court has refused to review a ruling against Exxon Mobil Corp that ordered it to pay $105 million in damages for polluting New York city’s groundwater with MTBE. More » 22/04/2014 - Summit to hear of need for concerted action on oceans An international summit in The Hague this week will hear that urgent coordinated action is needed to restore the health of the world’s oceans and secure the long-term wellbeing and food security of the growing global population. More » 17/04/2014 - ACWA puts forward proposals for better groundwater management ACWA yesterday presented far-reaching recommendations for improved groundwater management to a workshop held by the California EPA, Natural Resources Agency, Department of Food and Agriculture and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. More » 17/04/2014 - EC takes Austria to court for failing to protect Schwarze Sulm river The European Commission is taking Austria to court for failing to ensure adequate protection for the Schwarze Sulm river in Steiermark. More » 17/04/2014 - Parliament hears 99% of Balochistan do not receive clean water A parliamentary panel in Pakistan’s lower house has been told that 99% of the state of Balochistan’s population do not receive clean drinking water. More » 17/04/2014 - MPs call for improved framework to control invasive species MPs in the Environmental Audit Committee have called for changes in law to control invasive species. More » 16/04/2014 - IPCC warns of need for major efforts to keep climate change in check A new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group III warns that only major institutional and technological change will give a better than even chance that global warming will not exceed 2ºC above pre-industrial levels. More » 16/04/2014 - World Bank president urges action on access to sanitation World Bank Group president Jim Yong Kim last week urged a meeting of global ministers of finance, water and sanitation to take urgent action to provide access to basic sanitation services for their citizens as a way to fight poverty. More » 16/04/2014 - Green party condemns E. coli levels in drinking water report The Ministry of Health’s 2012-2013 annual report on drinking water shows that 48,000 people across the country were drinking water contaminated with E. coli, a fact swiftly condemned by the country’s Green party. More » 16/04/2014 - Oil leak contaminates Lanzhou water supply A subsidiary of China’s largest oil company, CNPC, is being blamed for a leak that has contaminated potable water in the city of Lanzhou, affecting 2.4 million people and causing a rush for bottled water. More » 15/04/2014 - Water Footprint Network project breaks new ground on Water Footprint Assessment The Water Footprint Network joined the International Finance Corporation and Tata Quality Management Services to complete a Water Footprint Assessment for 11 Tata plants across India. More » 15/04/2014 - High Voltage Water financially boosted High Voltage Water announced that ICOS Capital has invested in its company, enabling the scale up of its electrospray desalination technology and to commercially develop its business through launching customer implementation. More » 15/04/2014 - The Water Sector is Facing Unprecedented Global Challenges The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s most recent report is a call to action. IWA’s Executive Director, Ger Bergkamp, argues that water management is central to creating a sustainable future. More » 14/04/2014 - UN OCHA head warns of need to prepare for Kariba dam collapse The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ news service IRIN reports that the head of its Zimbabwe office, Modibo Traore, has called for urgent action on warnings that the 50-year-old Kariba dam on the Zambezi river could fail. More » 14/04/2014 - Report warns of huge variations in access to services A new report published in PLoS Medicine warns that access to improved potable water and sanitation is extremely uneven within individual sub-Saharan African countries. More » 14/04/2014 - Court recommends tighter conditions for coal project The Queensland Land Court has recommended that the proposed AUD$6.4 billion (US$6 billion) Alpha Coal project should either be rejected by the state government or only allowed to proceed with extra conditions to protect groundwater. More » 14/04/2014 - Utility calls for mines to reuse drainage water South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs and Water minister Edna Molewa has said that legal advice suggests it will be difficult to hold the country’s mining concerns liable for acid mine drainage. More » 04/04/2014 - World Bank negotiates with US to support hydro project The World Bank has launched negotiations with the US on the possibility of President Barack Obama’s government supporting the $12 billion Inga 3 hydropower project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. More » 04/04/2014 - WHO and ADB warn of need to act on vector-borne disease The WHO and key partners including the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are observing World Health Day on 7 April with a call for greater vigilance and action in tackling a spread of vector-borne diseases. More » 02/04/2014 - Research identifies massive 'dead zone' growth An international team of scientists has warned that the dead zone in the Baltic sea has grown to ten times its original size over the past 115 years, mainly due to nutrient inputs. More » 02/04/2014 - Umgeni Water plans desalination solution Umgeni Water has announced plans to build two desalination plants in the city of Durban to address the issue of KwaZulu Natal’s scarce water resources. More » 02/04/2014 - Report predicts growing market for smart and non-smart meters A new report from StatPlan Energy estimates that the global installed base of water meters presents opportunities for the non-smart replacement market. More » 02/04/2014 - CRI Pumps buys shares of Italian competitor India’s CRI Pumps has entered into a share purchase agreement with Fabbrica Italiana Pompe Sommergibili shareholders to acquire the full share capital of the company. More » 02/04/2014 - World Bank agrees additional funds for water and sanitation The World Bank has approved a $90 million loan to Belarus for additional financing to an ongoing water supply and sanitation project. More » 02/04/2014 - Hong Kong mulls details of desalination Hong Kong’s financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah has announced that a technical assessment for a new desalination plant in Tseung Kwan O will be undertaken early next year. More » 31/03/2014 - New task force established to consider Australia's future water supplies Australia’s federal government has established a task force to consider the country’s future water supply needs. More » 31/03/2014 - IPCC report warns of worse to come from climate change Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group II has released a report that warns severe climate change effects are already occurring, with many of the worst effects relating to water. More » 31/03/2014 - IIASA warns coal-fired power plants face future problems IIASA has warned that limiting climate change to 2ºC will mean shutting down coal-fired power plants, and that stringent climate policies could make the cost of emission so high that coal power generation is no longer competitive. More » 27/03/2014 - Zambia and Zimbabwe move to reassure on Kariba dam safety Zambia and Zimbabwe have announced that the 50-year-old Kariba hydroelectricity dam is safe, allaying reported concerns that it could collapse within three years if remedial work is not undertaken. More » 26/03/2014 - EPA and Army Corps of Engineers join to produce stream and wetland rule The US EPA and US Army Corps of Engineers have released a proposal for a joint rule to clarify protection under the Clean Water Act for streams and wetlands. More » 25/03/2014 - Oxfam reveals link between flooding and deprivation The poorest English neighbourhoods have been 3.5 times more vulnerable to flooding than the most well-off over the past 25 years, Oxfam has revealed. More » 25/03/2014 - CAF approves water and sanitation loan Latin American development bank CAF has approved a $100 million loan to Panama for its Program of Aqueducts and National Sewage Systems (PAYSAN). The executing agency will be the National Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers. More » 25/03/2014 - Study underlines lack of data on fracking A new study led by Durham University has warned that the lack of publicly-available data on the UK’s onshore oil and gas drilling means there are significant ‘unknowns’ about the safety of future fracking wells. More » 24/03/2014 - World Bank approves water and sanitation credit The World Bank has approved a $205 million IDA credit to Ethiopia to increase access to clean drinking water and improve sanitation services for the poorest in the country. More » 24/03/2014 - WWF unveils its updated Water Risk Filter WWF has unveiled a free online tool that allows users to map production facilities, supply chains and commodities. More » 24/03/2014 - UN warns of energy crisis on World Water Day The new UN World Water Development report, released ahead of World Water Day, warns that rising demand for energy is threatening global freshwater supplies. More » 21/03/2014 - World Bank approves grant for Inga hydro project The World Bank has approved $73.1 million grant to finance Inga 3 Basse Chute (BC) and mid-size hydropower development technical assistance project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). More » 21/03/2014 - Stakeholders emphasise water-energy nexus for World Water Day The UN has warned in its World Water Development report, released for World Water Day, that demand for fresh water and energy will continue to increase significantly over the coming decades. More » 20/03/2014 - Hilton Foundation provides funding for rural water services The Conrad N Hilton Foundation has given $3 million to IRC, a ‘think and do tank’ that champions universal access to safe water services. More » 19/03/2014 - Bangalore set to get new SCADA system for water and wastewater The city of Bangalore is to get a new SCADA system from Yokogawa India for its centralised SCADA monitoring system, which will supervise the city’s water distribution network and wastewater facilities. More » 17/03/2014 - EPA report reveals untreated wastewater issue The Environmental Protection Agency’s latest ‘Urban waste water’ report has revealed that wastewaters from towns and villages in several counties are being discharged either untreated or with minimal treatment into seas and rivers. More » 10/03/2014 - UN and WSSCC partner on women's health, hygiene and sanitation The UN Entity for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (UN Women) and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) have formed an official partnership, to take action and to strengthen policies in health, hygiene and sanitation. More » 10/03/2014 - Coal seam gas company fined for groundwater contamination Australian coal seam gas company Santos is at the centre of a row about contamination of an aquifer by water leaking from a pond at its Bibblewindi water treatment plant close to the Pilliga state forest, near Narrabri in north west New South Wales. More » 07/03/2014 - Alpha agrees major spend on wastewater treatment Alpha Natural Resources, one of the US’s largest coal companies, Alpha Appalachian Holdings and 66 subsidiaries have agreed to spend some $200 million to install and operate wastewater treatment systems. More » 07/03/2014 - UN OCHA reports significant disaster impacts The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) has revealed that in 2013 the largest natural disasters were heavily concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region. More » 04/03/2014 - Government lines up plants to increase desal capacity The government of Oman has announced that it plans to substantially increase the country’s desalination capacity to meet projected demand within the next six years. More » 04/03/2014 - ADB agrees grant for water and sanitation improvements A $4 million grant funded by the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction and administered by the ADB will help bring vital water and sanitation improvements to underserved townships in Yangon and Mandalay. More » 03/03/2014 - 3D maps reveal legacy of ocean lead pollution 3D maps released last week at the 2014 Ocean Sciences Meeting in Hawaii have revealed a considerable mass of sub-surface seawater in the mid-Atlantic that contains lead levels higher than the waters around it. More » 03/03/2014 - EPA refuses permit for massive mine and starts further consultations The US EPA has refused to grant a permit to one of the world’s largest open pit copper mines until it has undertaken a review to see if it is possible to protect the Bristol Bay sockeye salmon fishery from potential impacts. More » 27/02/2014 - NRDC poll finds Californian voters favour local supply strategies A new NRDC poll shows that Californian voters are more concerned about the drought than any other major issue. More » 27/02/2014 - Sampling finds pathogens in rainwater tanks Sampling undertaken by researchers at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa has found pathogens in rainwater harvesting tanks in low-income informal settlements and rural areas, across five of the country’s nine provinces. More » 27/02/2014 - Haya Water to be granted major extension to remit Oman’s wastewater services company Haya Water has been given the go-ahead to operate and manage the sultanate’s wastewater treatment infrastructure in a major extension to its remit. More » 25/02/2014 - EEA indicators show water pollution reducing as economies grow A new European Environment Agency (EEA) series of indicators shows that European households are generating lower levels of nutrient pollution in water, despite a growing population. More » 24/02/2014 - Water scarcity still a threat in North Africa North Africa has been singled out by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as one of two regions where fresh water availability is expected to drop by 50 percent by 2050. More » 24/02/2014 - Maynilad announces water and wastewater expansion Maynilad Water Services has announced that it will spend some P7.2 billion ($2.2 billion) to improve and expand its water and wastewater services in parts of southern Metro Manila, particularly Parañaque, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas and parts of Cavite. More » 24/02/2014 - Shanghai searches for salinisation solutions Shanghai is being forced to take measures to ensure potable water safety as the city, at the mouth of the Yangtze river, suffers a succession of ‘salt tides’, which are salinizing its waters. More » 21/02/2014 - EEA briefing warns of need to avoid irreversible damage to seas The new European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing on Europe’s marine ecosystems argues that the cumulative impact of human activity needs to be better managed to avoid irreversible damage to ecosystems. More » 21/02/2014 - Report warns that the marine environment is in bad shape A new report from the European Commission (EC) warns that the marine environment will require urgent efforts to reach good status by 2020. More » 19/02/2014 - Researchers find organic farming causes groundwater pollution Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel have used specialist monitoring technology to determine that intensive organic agriculture in greenhouses can cause significant pollution due to nitrate leaching into groundwater. More » 18/02/2014 - President pledges $1 billion climate resilience fund Visiting California last Friday, President Obama warned that climate change means drought, firestorms and floods will be ‘costlier and harsher’ in future. More » 18/02/2014 - Government calls flood summit amid warnings of insurance hikes The UK government has called a flooding clear-up summit next week with the insurance industry amid warnings that household insurance for flood victims could rise by £1000 ($1667) per year next year. More » 18/02/2014 - EBRD and EU provide water and wastewater funding The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the EU Cohesion Fund are joining to provide funding to modernise and upgrade water and wastewater services in Romania’s Arges county. More » 14/02/2014 - Moody's warns of credit impact on highly-geared companies from AMP 6 Moody’s Investors Service has warned that recent guidance from the economic regulator Ofwat indicates a significant reduction in allowed returns for UK water companies. More » 14/02/2014 - Transboundary lake talks take downturn Tanzania has expressed concern over a decision by neighbouring Malawi to proceed with an oil exploration programme in the disputed trans-boundary lake Malawi. More » 13/02/2014 - UN FAO helps reduce pesticide risk to groundwater The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is to provide assistance to Belarus in managing its stocks of obsolete pesticides, which are said to pose a serious threat to people and the environment, particularly groundwater and surface waters. More » 12/02/2014 - ADB provides extra funding for Kathmandu water project The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is to provide an extra $25 million to the government of Nepal to enable it to complete the Melamchi tunnel, alleviating a severe water shortage in the Kathmandu valley. More » 11/02/2014 - Passavant-Roediger wins trio of projects Drake & Scull subsidiary Passavant-Roediger has won three projects worth a total of $45.2 million for water and wastewater treatment plants in Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Turkey, the company has announced. More » 10/02/2014 - Study claims fracking is competing for scarce water supplies A new study from the Ceres investor network claims that fracking in the US is having a negative effect on the country’s water supply in local situations. More » 10/02/2014 - EU, EIB and EBRD team to provide funding for water network EIB, EBRD and the EU, through the Neighbourhood Investment Facility, are joining to support the modernisation of water and wastewater infrastructure in Moldova’s capital, Chisinau. More » 06/02/2014 - ADB president stresses need to manage water resources well ADB president Takehiko Nakao has said that it is critical for Asia’s increasingly-scarce water resources to be managed in a coordinated way to ensure the region has enough water, food and energy to meet its needs. More » 05/02/2014 - California prepares drought project legislation California’s senate is preparing a $644 million emergency drought relief bill, which aims to provide fast funding for shovel-ready projects that help counter the state’s serious water shortage. More » 05/02/2014 - World Bank indefinitely postpones Inga 3 dam board discussion The World Bank has decided to indefinitely postpone the board discussion of its support for the huge Inga 3 dam project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, says NGO International Rivers. More » 04/02/2014 - EBRD provides loan for potable water expansion The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a €65 million ($87.8 million) loan to the Office National de l’Electricité et de l’Eau Potable (ONEE), to support the expansion of potable water supply services in Morocco. More » 04/02/2014 - Dutch firm awarded bulk water project study project Royal HaskoningDHV has been chosen by one of South Africa’s largest water utilities, Umgeni Water, for an 18-month planning study on the viability of a bulk water supply scheme. More » 03/02/2014 - California gears up for drought restrictions An increasing number of restrictions are being placed on water use in California in the wake of the governor’s declaration that the state is officially in drought. More » 03/02/2014 - Ministry announces plans to expand wastewater networks Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Water and Electricity has announced that it will expand the kingdom’s wastewater network to cover 70% of urban areas by the end of 2019. More » 03/02/2014 - Invotec announces participation in industrial effluent recovery project Invotec Group, which makes time-critical and high tech PCBs, has announced its participation in the Sustainable Treatment of Waste Using Recycled Chitosans project. More » 03/02/2014 - Ministry chooses Veolia joint venture for Basra desal plant The Iraqi Ministry for Municipalities and Public Works has chosen a Veolia joint venture to build and operate a desalination plant in Basra for five years, representing sales of $115 million for the French water giant. More » 03/02/2014 - Water head calls country's water issues a 'mammoth challenge' South Africa’s Department of Water and Environmental Affairs deputy director general, Trevor Balzer, has told local press that water in South Africa ‘is not a crisis but a mammoth challenge’. More » 03/02/2014 - New Hampshire gains grant for green infrastructure study The University of New Hampshire is one of five universities or colleges chosen to share grant funding to study green infrastructure practices in urban areas, using Philadelphia as a pilot project. More » 03/02/2014 - Lord Smith warns country has to choose what to save from flooding Environment Agency chairman Lord Smith has warned in an article that ‘difficult but sensible choices’ will have to be made about flood defences because ‘there is no bottomless purse of money’. More » 31/01/2014 - UN report warns climate change is 'unequivocal' The final version of the latest UN report on climate change has warned that climate warming is unequivocal. More » 17/01/2014 - Researchers use loggers to determine Gulf transport mechanisms Researchers at the Department of Marine Sciences, Oceanography at Texas A&M University are using miniDOT loggers and Cyclops-7 loggers to determine how waterborne substances are transported and dispersed in the Arabian Gulf. More » 17/01/2014 - WEF risk report places water near the top The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks 2014 report places water crises as number three on its list of top ten global risks of highest concern this year. More » 16/01/2014 - Beijing company signs desalination technology transfer contract A research team from the Beijing Normal University has signed a sea ice desalination technology transfer agreement with Beijing Huahaideyuan Technology Company. More » 16/01/2014 - CIWEM report finds little shale gas water impact As the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, announced a government push to encourage shale gas extraction, CIWEM issued a report that compared the extraction method to other fossil fuels and concluded that its overall water intensity is low. More » 16/01/2014 - Scientists find common UV absorber kills coral A team of marine scientists have published a study that shows a common UV absorber found in over 380 different soaps, laundry detergents, cosmetics, and body fragrances is highly toxic to corals. More » 15/01/2014 - Water organisations hold first coordination meeting A first coordination meeting of the different European water-related umbrella organisations took place in Brussels last week. More » 15/01/2014 - Oxford University to lead drought and water scarcity research project Oxford University is to lead a £2 million ($3.3 million) research project intended to provide new insights to minimise and manage the harmful effects of drought and water scarcity in the UK. More » 14/01/2014 - Utility CEO updates on progress with water pipeline and plant The CEO of the Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Company, Jackson Midala, has told press that a new 56km pipeline, which will increase the water-stressed city’s water supply from 180MLD to 270MLD, is now 60% complete. More » 13/01/2014 - 300,000 people without water following Virginia pollution incident A state of emergency has been declared in West Virginia after a chemical leaked out of a holding tank and into West Virginia American Water’s water supply. More » 10/01/2014 - Mine atlas developed to help protect water sources South Africa will soon have the country’s first mine water atlas to help water sector managers have a comprehensive picture of the impact of mine water on surface and underground water sources. More » 10/01/2014 - Study warns of increasing drought impacts over this century The EC’s Joint Research Commission has issued a new climate model study that warns drought could be a serious problem in Europe by the end of the century. More » 09/01/2014 - AWF provides grant to expand irrigation The African Water Facility (AWF) has offered an €1.8 million ($2.4 million) grant to the government of Malawi to help prepare a project designed to expand irrigated agriculture in the Lower Shire valley. More » 08/01/2014 - 2013 disasters focused around flooding, insurer report finds A Munich Re summary of natural disasters in 2013 shows that exceptionally high losses from weather-related catastrophes in Europe and Supertyphoon Haiyan dominated the overall picture. More » 08/01/2014 - Desalination corporation allocates 2014 funds Saudi Arabia’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation has said in a statement that the country is allocating R16.6 billion ($4.42 billion) for desalination projects. More » 08/01/2014 - Study finds stillbirth spikes coinciding with increases in lead levels in water A study reported in Science News and undertaken by Virginia Tech found two spikes in stillbirths in Washington, DC that coincided with two spikes in lead levels in drinking water. More » 08/01/2014 - Utility set to install pre-pay meters for public institutions Uganda’s National Water and Sewerage Corporation is introducing pre-paid meters for public institutions in a bid to force government bodies to pay for the water they use. More » 08/01/2014 - Severn Trent saving money with pump control technology Severn Trent Water is saving £100,000 ($163,781) per year on energy and maintenance across several of its wastewater treatment plants after installing reactive pump control technology from ABB and its Drives Alliance member, Inverter Drive Systems (IDS). More » 08/01/2014 - Paper assesses water quality interventions A new technical paper on water pollution in the upper Citarum river in West Java, Indonesia, gives an economic assessment of interventions to improve water quality in the upper Citarum river. More » 08/01/2014 - World Bank report says waterways can drive growth A report released by the World Bank argues that inland and coastal waterways can be a new driver for growth in Vietnam. More » 08/01/2014 - EEA announces resource use focus in 2014 The European Environment Agency (EEA) has announced that 2014, which marks the start of a new five-year work programme and new set of environmental policy priorities, will focus on resource use as its priority environmental focus. More » 16/12/2013 - EC launches Horizon 2020 calls for projects The European Commission has launched the first calls for projects under Horizon 2020, which will be the EU’s largest research and innovation programme so far, with a budget of nearly €80 billion ($109.8 billion) for the period 2014 to 2020. More » 16/12/2013 - Bechtel wins major Escondida contract Bechtel has been chosen by BHP Billiton for a project to provide desalinated water to the Escondida copper mine in Chile’s Atacama desert. More » 12/12/2013 - Report highlights supply issues as country gears to pay A report from Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency has warned that over 320,000 people will still be drawing water from unsafe sources after charges are introduced in January 2015. More » 12/12/2013 - Report finds textile and leather demand fuelling treatment market A new analysis from Frost & Sullivan has found that increasing demand for leather and textile products is lending momentum to the water and wastewater treatment market in the global textile and leather industry. More » 11/12/2013 - WASHTech develops sustainability tools The WASHTech project has developed two new tools to help identify blockages to sustainability using technology validation as an entry point, and tested them in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Uganda. More » 10/12/2013 - EEA report warns that economic growth is harming ecosystems The European Environment Agency’s (EEA) update on ‘global megatrends’ shaping Europe’s environment warns that surging economic growth in many emerging economies is increasing global competition for resources and the burden on natural systems. More » 10/12/2013 - Israel, Jordan and Palestine sign water cooperation pact Representatives from Israel, Jordan and Palestine yesterday signed a milestone regional cooperation agreement to support management of scarce water resources and the joint development and use of new water resources through desalination. More » 06/12/2013 - Zaria water project gets $100 million from AfDB The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a $100 million loan for the rehabilitation and expansion of water distribution systems in the Nigerian city of Zaria. More » 06/12/2013 - Regional water transfer project seeks specialists South Africa and Lesotho have agreed to set up an oversight committee to oversee the construction of phase two of the joint $1.1 billion water transfer scheme; the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP). More » 02/12/2013 - Agreement establishes water resources management fund for Kyrgyz Republic The World Bank and the Swiss government have signed an agreement to establish the Kyrgyz Republic national water resources management project trust fund. More » 29/11/2013 - EEA report warns that natural coastal assets are continuing to degrade A new European Environment Agency (EEA) report warns that although Europe’s coastal regions are increasingly vital for the region’s economy, the natural assets on which they depend are continuing to degrade. More » 29/11/2013 - ADB, UK government and Rockefeller Foundation team on climate change The Asian Development Bank (ADB), UK government and the Rockefeller Foundation are to team up to help Asia’s fast-growing secondary cities to protect their urban poor from climate change. More » 28/11/2013 - Countries make progress in hydropower talks Zambia and Zimbabwe have made steps towards reviving the stalled construction of a $3 billion hydropower project on Zambezi River downstream of the Victoria Falls. More » 27/11/2013 - Countries must invest in meteorology, report warns Countries need to invest in well-equipped and staffed meteorological and hydrological agencies to better prepare for natural hazards, a new World Bank Group report has found. More » 27/11/2013 - WHO warns of excessive fluoride in drinking water Excessive fluoride in drinking water is exposing millions around the world to risks that range from often crippling skeletal problems to milder dental conditions, warns a report released by the UN World Health Organization (WHO). More » 27/11/2013 - Drinking water infrastructure damaged in cyclone A tropical cyclone that struck Somalia’s north east coast two weeks ago, killing 100 people and thousands of livestock, has wrecked key infrastructure and sparked fears of waterborne disease, according to local press. More » 27/11/2013 - eCORP hails recognition of waterless fracking process eCORP Stimulation Technologies has welcomed TIME magazine’s recognition of liquid gas petroleum fracturing as one of the 25 best inventions of 2013. More » 27/11/2013 - GE and Carbon Holdings win Ain Sokhna petrochems project GE and Carbon Holdings have signed a $500 million agreement to provide technology and equity support to a greenfield naphtha cracker and olefins complex project being undertaken by Tahrir Petrochemicals in Ain Sokhna, Egypt. More » 27/11/2013 - New South Wales bans coal-seam gas activities around Sydney New South Wales has imposed an immediate ban on coal-seam gas exploration and production in designated areas around Sydney. More » 27/11/2013 - Severn Trent saves money with reactive pump control Severn Trent Water is saving £100,000 ($161,000) per year on energy and maintenance costs after installing technology from ABB and its Drives Alliance member, Inverter Drive Systems (IDS). More » 27/11/2013 - Consortium wins Gabal Al Asfar expansion contract A consortium of Germany’s Passavant-Roediger, Spain’s Acciona and Egypt’s Hassan Allam Sons has won an AED545 million ($148.4 million) contract to expand the Gabal Al Asfar wastewater treatment plant on the outskirts of Cairo, in Egypt. More » 27/11/2013 - Asset plan promises completion of Zambezi water project The Zimbabwe government has set out an ambitious list of infrastructure projects in its latest economic blueprint including the much-delayed National Matabeleland Zambezi water project, whose aim is to end the city of Bulawayo’s water shortage. More » 21/11/2013 - Ban calls typhoon a 'wake up call' for climate change efforts Typhoon Haiyan is a wake-up call for the international community to speed up efforts to fight climate change, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned. More » 21/11/2013 - Report calls for collaboration to get sanitation MDG back on track A new report says a collaborative approach between governments, civil society and business is essential to getting the MDG sanitation target back on track. More » 21/11/2013 - Report finds treatment chemicals market is making headway A new Frost & Sullivan analysis has revealed that the water and wastewater treatment chemicals market in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is making considerable headway as the ‘dire water shortage’ adds momentum to water treatment activities. More » 20/11/2013 - Study finds that access to sanitation increases children's cognition A new World Bank study has found that access to improved sanitation can increase cognition in children. The study also adds to a growing body of research that links stunting and open defecation. More » 19/11/2013 - Scientists warn of significant climate change impact on water availability Scientists from Germany, Kenya, Poland and the UK have warned that climate change will mean half a billion more people will be unable to access clean water. More » 19/11/2013 - Amnesty faults oil companies on Niger Delta pollution reports Amnesty International (AI) has criticised reports on oil investigations in Nigeria by oil company Royal Dutch Shell, saying they have been ‘manipulated, [are] deeply suspect and often untrue’. More » 30/10/2013 - Dam floodwater release kills three Three people have died, more are missing and ten houses were destroyed when water released from the Sultan Abu Bakar dam in Malaysia’s Cameron highlands devastated a village downstream. More » 25/10/2013 - Lyonnaise des Eaux renews sanitation contract with Anglet and Biarritz municipalities The Côte Basque Adour Urban District has decided to renew its contract with Lyonnaise des Eaux for a further ten years, in order to manage the public sanitation service for the Anglet and Biarritz municipalities. More » 24/10/2013 - Atkins releases 2050 vision for UK water sector Atkins has released its ‘Future Proofing the UK Water Sector’ report, which examines four possible future scenarios to determine how drivers such as climate change and population growth could affect the UK water sector over the next 40 years. More » 22/10/2013 - Report shows nitrates decreasing, but problems are still widespread The latest European Commission report on the implementation of the Nitrates Directive shows that nitrate concentrations are going down slightly in both surface and groundwaters. More » 22/10/2013 - Report sees strong future for smart meters An increase in smart meter deployments will see the global market for wireless communication modules more or less double in value over the coming years, says GlobalData. More » 22/10/2013 - ADB report warns 12 million are at risk from climate change issues A new report from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) warns that 12 million people in 23 east Asian cities are at risk from rising sea levels, severe storms and more intense drought, caused by climate change that could endanger $864 billion in assets. More » 22/10/2013 - BASF presents desal solutions at China congress BASF is presenting its desalination solutions at the IDA World Congress in Tianjin, China this week. More » 22/10/2013 - Sembcorp announces total water management plant contract Sembcorp has announced that it is to develop a total water management plant to support a coal-to-diesel project in Changzhi city’s Wangqiao industrial park, in China’s Shanxi province. More » 22/10/2013 - Innovyze wins Meuse flood flow modeling contract Innovyze has announced that Etablissement Public d’Aménagement de la Meuse et de ses Affluents (EPAMA) has adopted InfoWorks ICM (Integrated Catchment Modeling) for modelling flood flows in France’s Meuse river region. More » 22/10/2013 - Government issues urban drainage and wastewater treatment decree China has signed into law a decree on urban drainage and wastewater treatment that will come into effect next January. More » 22/10/2013 - Acciona Agua begins deployment of Caceres smart water grid Spanish water services company Acciona Agua is to deploy Spain’s first smart water grid in Cáceres, a city in the west of Spain, to help detect leakage. More » 22/10/2013 - Lenders and donors celebrate St Petersburg wastewater success International lenders and donors including EBRD converged in St Petersburg recently to celebrate the city achieving its goal of ending untreated discharges of wastewater to the Baltic sea. More » 22/10/2013 - Arcadis venture to design and rebuild New Jersey wastewater systems Nassau County (New Jersey) Department of Public Works has chosen a joint venture of Arcadis and Hazen and Sawyer to stabilise, design and rebuild its wastewater collection and treatment systems. More » 21/10/2013 - Ban Ki-moon calls for financiers to step up climate change inputs UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has called on the international community to increase financial investment in technologies, practices and policies that can help climate change efforts, warning that time is running out to address this threat. More » 18/10/2013 - Nominees announced for Aquatech Innovation Awards The nominees have been announced for the 2013 Aquatech Innovation Awards. More » 16/10/2013 - Communication key to driving water innovation in Ontario The Canadian province of Ontario’s water sector is at the forefront of establishing world-class water technologies, with strong support for fostering entrepreneurs and generating innovation in the water industry. More » 15/10/2013 - Ban tells summit of water's vital role UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon told the Budapest Water Summit that water has a vital role in sustainable development, stressing its importance for food security, climate change and sanitation. More » 09/10/2013 - Ministers set out scheme to combat eutrophication Environment ministers and high-level representatives from the nine Baltic coastal countries and the EU, meeting last week in a HELCOM meeting, have reached an agreement on a package of extensive actions and measures. More » 09/10/2013 - World Bank approves funds for coral reef services valuation The World Bank has approved a project to support the Capturing Coral Reef and Related Ecosystem Services Project, with $4.5 million in grant funding provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). More » 09/10/2013 - Food facility achieves energy efficiency with screw blower technology Atlas Copco screw blower technology, used in Frito Lay’s wastewater treatment facility, has achieved an average of 30% energy efficiency and lower noise levels, the company has announced. More » 09/10/2013 - GE introduces primary treatment technology for its membranes GE has announced the introduction of LEAPprimary, a new primary treatment technology for use with its ZeeWeed membrane bioreactor and LEAPmbr systems. More » 09/10/2013 - IADB provides funds for water and sanitation services Panama is to continue improving, rehabilitating and expanding its water and sanitation services in central and western provinces with a $54 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank. More » 09/10/2013 - Symposium launches integrated river basin management network Seven organisations and projects have announced the launch of the Global Network to advance integrated river basin management (IRBM) around the world. More » 07/10/2013 - ADB provides funding for Kolkata water and sanitation improvements The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed a $400 million loan for the fast-growing Indian city of Kolkata to expand and improve its water and sanitation systems in its periphery, where quality services are lacking. More » 03/10/2013 - Scientific expedition explores importance of freshwater resources in Suriname Conservation International’s Rapid Assessment Program has studied the remote mountainous region of south-eastern Suriname and have discovered a wealth of ecosystem services. More » 02/10/2013 - Waste seashells being used to clean wastewater The thousands of tonnes of waste seashells created by the edible seafood sector are being put to use by the UK’s University of Bath in a new wastewater cleaning project. More » 02/10/2013 - EEA report finds flat-rate charging is still common in Europe A new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) has found that flat-fee water charges are still common in parts of Europe. More » 24/09/2013 - ADB report identifies water and sanitation goal The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has co-authored a new report on the post-2015 development agenda in the Asia-Pacific region that proposes 12 specific goals, including one on water and sanitation, that the international community should work towards. More » 24/09/2013 - Government denies study conclusions on mine water use A study claims that nine planned ‘mega-mines’ in Queensland’s Galilee basin region would drain 1354 billion litres of water out of the area, posing a threat to the future of many regional farming communities. More » 24/09/2013 - United Water wins membrane research grant Water services company United Water has announced that it has been awarded a research grant from the Water Research Foundation. More » 24/09/2013 - Californian body calls on farmers to act on aquifer pollution California has issued an order that will commit farmer-run coalitions in the region to monitoring and reporting on the state of both ground and surface waters, which are extensively polluted with nitrates from fertilisers. More » 24/09/2013 - Pressure group claims 'fatal flaws' in fracking methane study Experts from the Physicians, Scientists and Engineers for Healthy Energy (PSE) pressure group have issued a press release claiming that a gas industry-financed study on fracking methane leakage ‘appears to be fatally flawed’. More » 24/09/2013 - Expert calls for better flood forecasting and monitoring Robert Sandford, the chair of the UN Water for Life Decade initiative, told a business meeting in Calgary last week that various strategic failures surrounded the widespread flooding that hit Alberta in June. More » 24/09/2013 - Southern Water sets out new sludge screening contract Southern Water has agreed a new five-year contract for the service and planned maintenance of its Hydro SludgeScreen primary sludge screening and dewatering units. More » 24/09/2013 - Minister announces major spend on water and wastewater projects Iraq’s municipal affairs minister Adil Mhoder has announced that the country will spend $1.5 billion annually for two to three years on water and wastewater projects. More » 24/09/2013 - Report highlights growth of global membrane market Reportlinker has announced a new market research report on the global market for membrane wastewater treatment. More » 23/09/2013 - Study warns of risk that arsenic will migrate in groundwater A study has found that millions of people in south and south east Asia may be at risk of arsenic poisoning, after research in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi found that excessive groundwater pumping was causing arsenic to migrate into regional wells. More » 23/09/2013 - Byatt report slams Thames for inadequate maintenance and excessive dividends Former economic regulator Ofwat director general Sir Ian Byatt has issued a detailed report criticising Thames Water’s plans for the proposed Tideway tunnel. More » 23/09/2013 - Severn Trent Costain signs innovative contract for 'green' wastewater treatment Severn Trent Costain have signed a multi-million pound contract with major UK dairy First Milk, to design, build and operate a new wastewater treatment plant at the company’s Haverfordwest Creamery. More » 20/09/2013 - Report warns that water is becoming a limiting factor for energy production A new US Civil Society Institute report produced by Synapse Energy Economics warns that water is increasingly becoming a limiting factor in US energy production, and a key obstacle to maintaining both electricity output and public health and safety. More » 20/09/2013 - Regulator orders utilities to reduce water tariffs The Philippine water regulator, the Metropolitan Waterworks & Sewerage System, has ordered Maynilad Water Services and Manila Water to reduce their rates, denying both companies’ petitions to increase their tariffs. More » 20/09/2013 - Four countries sign new deal on sharing of world's largest water aquifer system Four North Africa nations have signed an agreement on equitable sharing of an underground water system that traverses Libya, Egypt, Chad and Sudan. More » 18/09/2013 - UN desertification conference gets under way The 11th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) opened this week in Windhoek, Namibia. More » 17/09/2013 - Japanese government announces moves to evaluate and contain Fukushima crisis Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority has announced that it will undertake radiation surveys to gauge the long-term effect on marine resources near the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. More » 12/09/2013 - Huge groundwater reserves found in arid north A groundwater exploration project has discovered huge reserves in the northern part of Kenya. More » 12/09/2013 - Launch of first greenhouse gas accounting tool for cities A new Greenhouse Gas Protocol tool to help Chinese cities measure and manage their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions was launched today in Beijing. More » 11/09/2013 - AfDB to finance $24 million lake project in Senegal The African Development Bank (AfDB) has announced $24 million financial support for the restoration of Lake Guiers in Senegal that will increase access to water for more than four million people and at least a million livestock. More » 11/09/2013 - Stockholm World Water Week sees range of initiatives Stockholm World Water Week as usual proved a focus for numerous new initiatives and reports, and a closing statement that urged the UN to integrate water into its post-2015 development goals. More » 11/09/2013 - Helcom meets to discuss nutrient targets and ministerial declaration The members of the Baltic Sea Marine Environment Protection Commission, Helcom, last week held their 42nd Heads of Delegation meeting. More » 11/09/2013 - Researchers work to provide remote solar desal solution Researchers from Murdoch University are working at the remote Tjuntjuntjara goldmine site on a solar-powered desalination solution to provide potable water from hyper-saline groundwater. More » 11/09/2013 - State utility brings in Korean water technology Mongolia’s state-owned water authority Mongol Us has announced that it is introducing water and wastewater treatment technologies from Korea with the aid of a grant. More » 11/09/2013 - Researchers develop substitute for contaminant removal A new adsorbent for removing emerging contaminants from wastewater, which is claimed to be effective, reusable and environmentally friendly, has been developed by researchers at Temple University’s Water and Environmental Technology (WET) Center. More » 11/09/2013 - Council gives go-ahead for mini pumped storage system Plans have been approved for a 600MW mini pumped storage facility in the disused Glyn Rhonwy and Cefn Du slate quarries near the north Wales town of Llanberis. More » 11/09/2013 - NIB agrees loan for drinking water supply improvements The Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) has signed a loan agreement worth SEK67 million ($1.2 million) with Swedish drinking water producer Sydvatten to improve the drinking water supply in southern Sweden. More » 11/09/2013 - Krohne showcases monitoring solutions at WEFTEC Krohne has announced that it will be showcasing a wide range of its products at WEFTEC this year, including a newly designed flowmeter for partially filled pipes, the Tidalflux 2300, which is said to offer a high level of flexibility and accuracy. More » 11/09/2013 - ADB provides water availability funding The Asian Development Bank is providing a $200 million loan to two medium-sized cities in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, one of the poorest and most remote regions of north west China. More » 06/09/2013 - Agencies criticise Santa Cruz desalination plan, calling for options to be examined Responses from the National Marine Fisheries Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife regarding the stalled Santa Cruz desalination proposal warn that the city has not thoroughly studied alternatives to augment its water supply. More » 05/09/2013 - UN deputy urges renewed action on water and sanitation In his keynote address to World Water Week in Sweden this week, UN deputy secretary-general Jan Eliasson called for ‘accelerated, energised and concerted action on water and sanitation’. More » 04/09/2013 - Report highlights market potential of service provision Many of the poorest, un-served people in developing countries, for whom public water and sanitation services are out of reach, could increasingly rely on service provision through the domestic private sector, a new World Bank report says. More » 03/09/2013 - Report warns Ogallala aquifer will reach a critical low in 50 years A report issued last week warns that a crucial portion of the High Plains aquifer, which is a key groundwater source for eight states, is being depleted so fast that nearly 70% of it will be used up within the next 50 years if current trends continue. More » 02/09/2013 - South Australian Government signs river sustainability funding agreement The South Australian Government has announced that it has signed an agreement that will fund programmes to improve the health of the river and the economies of South Australian irrigation communities. More » 27/08/2013 - JICA pulls out of Ugandan hydro project over environmental concerns The Japan International Cooperation Agency has pulled out of Uganda's Ayago Hydropower Project, citing environmental concerns. More » 27/08/2013 - UNEP report says green economy can increase South African water supplies South Africa could increase its water supply significantly over the next decade by increasing investments in green energy, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has announced in a new report. More » 20/08/2013 - Ofwat pledges to challenge Thames over bill increase proposal Economic regulator Ofwat has pledged to challenge Thames Water after it asked for a 13% increase in consumer bills to recoup money spent on the Tideway super-sewer project. More » 19/08/2013 - CH2M HILL and Philadelphia Water Department release white papers on developing contamination warning systems CH2M HILL and the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) have released a series of white papers to disseminate knowledge and industry best practices gained from the PWD Contamination Warning System (CWS) Demonstration Pilot Project. More » 15/08/2013 - Sanitation and Water for All report charts progress towards commitments At the second Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) High Level Meeting in April 2012, developing countries, donors and development banks made commitments to address barriers to delivering sustainable water and sanitation services. More » 14/08/2013 - Figures reveal wastewater improvements, but gap between best and worst The European Environment Agency’s (EEA) latest figures for wastewater treatment in Europe show improvements in collection and treatment, although big differences remain between member states. More » 14/08/2013 - Sri Lanka water board and Coca-Cola sign MOU for safe drinking water Sri Lanka’s National Water Supply and Drainage Board and Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka have signed a memorandum of understanding for a project to provide safe drinking water to areas affected by chronic kidney disease. More » 14/08/2013 - Kuwait ministry launches new desal project The Kuwaiti Ministry of Electricity and Water has launched a new desalination project in the country’s Wafra oilfield, reusing low-salinity water from the Umm Kudair region to feed the Al-Zour desalination plant, which will supply new residential areas. More » 14/08/2013 - Xylem wins DAF pretreatment contract Water technology company Xylem has announced that it has won a contract to provide a DAF pretreatment system to help ensure an uninterrupted potable water supply to Abu Dhabi Emirate and the east coast of the UAE. More » 14/08/2013 - Montreal councillor warns of infrastructure project problems A Montreal city councillor warned recently that 11 years into a 20-year, $1.3 billion project to improve the city’s water infrastructure, just 20% of the work had been done. More » 12/08/2013 - Research suggests small dams contributing more methane than previously thought A paper published in Environmental Science and Technology suggests that more methane than previously thought is arising out of the waters behind small dams. More » 12/08/2013 - Commission awards CH2M joint venture biosolids contract The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) has awarded CH2M HILL an $80 million contract as part of a team with Brown and Caldwell. More » 12/08/2013 - Sri Lankan water supply scheme launched Sri Lanka has announced the launch of the R22,000 million ($151 million) Kilinochchi water supply scheme. More » 12/08/2013 - CDM Smith wins multiple project awards CDM Smith has won four awards in the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) 2013 National Design-Build project awards competition. More » 12/08/2013 - EPA report confirms connection between wastewater injection wells and ocean A US EPA has confirmed that that a hydrogeologic connection exists between two of the Lahaina wastewater reclamation facility’s injection wells and the nearby coastal waters of West Maui. More » 12/08/2013 - IADB agrees loan for environmental improvement project The Inter-American Development Bank is providing a $55 million loan to improve the environmental quality of the Bonsucesso watershed in Brazil’s Belo Horizonte municipality. More » 01/08/2013 - Report identifies coal plants as country's biggest water polluters A new report from a group of major US-based environmental and water organisations claims that coal plants, which they say have no effective federal pollution standards, are the major source of water pollution in the country. More » 01/08/2013 - MAK Industrial Water Systems acquires Clearmake Water Treatment and Recycling Solutions Perth-based manufacturer, MAK Industrial Water Systems has acquired Queensland-based water treatment manufacturer, Clearmake Water Treatment and Recycling Solutions for an undisclosed sum. More » 01/08/2013 - JBIC signs desal funding agreement JBIC has signed a loan agreement worth up to about $105 million with the Muscat City Desalination Company (MCDC) of Oman for the Al Ghubrah IWP project. More » 01/08/2013 - Siemens system cleans up Florida beach Siemens' Biosphere moving bed biological systems is enabling the city of Neptune Beach to meet strict total mass discharge limits for nitrogen and phosphorous. More » 01/08/2013 - Thames Tideway project gets under way Thames Water has begun the procurement process for its 25km Thames Tideway tunnel by issuing an Official Journal of the European Community contract notice. Contractors have till 13 September to request to be invited to tender. More » 31/07/2013 - Court rules Exxon must pay damages in New York MTBE appeal A US appeals court last week upheld a ruling against Exxon Mobil Corp, ordering the company to pay $105 million in damages for polluting New York City’s groundwater with MTBE. More » 31/07/2013 - Rio Tinto agrees to fund major desal plant for mine Rio Tinto has given the green light to an $1.03 billion spend on construction of a 2500 litres/sec reverse osmosis desalination plant for the Escondida mine in Chile. More » 31/07/2013 - World Bank approves $178m for water supply expansion project The World Bank, through its International Development Association, has approved $178 million for a water supply expansion project in Mozambique. More » 30/07/2013 - Scientists warn climate change will create ocean biodiversity die-off Climate change will see biodiversity in the world’s oceans decline massively over the next 100 years, warned scientists presenting their findings at the International Union of Physiological Sciences 2013 congress in Birmingham recently. More » 25/07/2013 - Mozambique's private water suppliers threaten water disruptions Mozambique will negotiate a compromise with private water suppliers who have threatened to disrupt water supplies over a $500 million compensation row. More » 24/07/2013 - Utility publishes white paper on sustainability and resilience planning American Water Works Company has published a new white paper on sustainability and resilience planning for water utilities, which is intended to address the increasing number of extreme weather events that the country is facing. More » 24/07/2013 - CentreForum report lambasts water companies for 'reckless profiteering' A report from liberal think-tank CentreForum accuses UK water companies of ‘reckless profiteering’, and characterizes the industry as ‘opaque, overleveraged and poorly regulated’. More » 24/07/2013 - UN creates new sustainability forum The UN General Assembly has created a new High-level Political Forum, which will replace the UN Commission on Sustainable Development in an attempt to boost efforts to tackle global economic, social and environmental challenges. More » 24/07/2013 - GE's ZeeWeed technology wins project of the year award The Ak-Chin Indian community’s surface water treatment plant, featuring GE’s ZeeWeed 500 advanced treatment technology, recently won the 2013 Water Project of the Year Award from the Arizona Water Association. More » 24/07/2013 - Greenpeace report identifies 'shocking' water exploitation of coal group A new Greenpeace report criticises the state-owned Chinese Shenhua Group, the world’s biggest coal producer by volume, for exploiting water resources in Inner Mongolia on a ‘shocking scale’. More » 24/07/2013 - Report finds mature but slow-growing market The established US water and wastewater analytical instrumentation market has high saturation levels and very few recent technological innovations, according to a new report from Frost & Sullivan. More » 24/07/2013 - Suez subsidiary wins major new contracts Suez Environnement, through its subsidiary SITA Waste Services, has won two new contracts in Hong Kong: the ten-year management contract for the North Lantau Transfer Station, and the ten-year contract for marine transportation of dewatered sludge. More » 24/07/2013 - GCC plans major joint water supply An official from the Gulf Cooperation Council has revealed that the GCC countries are planning a $7 billion joint water supply venture that will distribute desalinated seawater from outside the Gulf area among member states. More » 24/07/2013 - Brewing company uses Siemens system for wastewater improvements The Long Trail Brewing Company in Vermont is using Siemens’ BioMag system to increase its wastewater treatment capacity within an existing footprint. More » 24/07/2013 - Minister signs water and sanitation contracts Saudi Arabia’s water and electricity minister, Abdullah bin Abdulrahman Al-Hossein has signed contracts to implement water and sanitation projects across the Kingdom worth over SR 253 million ($67.5 million). More » 23/07/2013 - First global atlas of marine plankton compiled Researchers from the University of East Anglia have helped to compile the first ever global atlas of marine plankton – published in a special issue of the journal Earth System Science Data. More » 18/07/2013 - Taiwan set to monitor commercial wastewater flows in real time Taiwan is to monitor wastewater flows over set levels from power plants, industrial parks and businesses in real time. More » 17/07/2013 - US Energy Department report warns climate effects will get worse The US’ Energy Department has issued a new report that warns climate change and extreme weather are likely to get worse. More » 17/07/2013 - GE recognizes power station water improvements with award GE has recognised NRG Energy’s Seward power station in New Florence, Pennsylvania, with its ecomagination leadership award. More » 16/07/2013 - Namibian court revokes dam contract The construction of a $285 million dam in Namibia has been put on hold after a court once again nullified the contract. More » 10/07/2013 - German-Vietnamese water cooperation continues A cooperation project between Germany and Vietnam which aimed to develop further Vietnam's water sector has been succeeded by a subsequent project, which will continue work on capacity development issues. More » 10/07/2013 - ADB warns country is on the brink of water scarcity The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has warned in a report that Pakistan is on the brink of being classed as ‘water scarce’. More » 10/07/2013 - Marafiq chooses Veolia for Sadara UF/RO contract Water and power services operator Marafiq has contracted Veolia Water to design, build and operate the largest ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) plant in the country. More » 10/07/2013 - Sipos Aktorik prequalifies for ADWEA SIPOS Aktorik has achieved pre-qualification certification from the Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (ADWEA). More » 10/07/2013 - ADBA guide to anaerobic digestion is launched The first edition of the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association (ADBA) ‘Practical guide to AD’ was launched at the industry’s annual exhibition, UK AD & Biogas 2013. More » 10/07/2013 - Southern Water chooses Mitsubishi Electric controls for major project Southern Water’s largest capital project, a £300 million ($456 million) environmental scheme is treating 95MLD of wastewater from Peacehaven, Telscombe Cliffs, Ovingdean, Rottingdean, Saltdene and Brighton and Hove. More » 10/07/2013 - Report predicts market consolidation A recent report by TechSci Research predicts that India’s wastewater treatment plant market will move towards consolidation by 2018. More » 10/07/2013 - Thames Tideway team standardises on ProjectWise Bentley Systems has announced that the Thames Tideway tunnel team has standardised on Bentley’s ProjectWise to provide collaboration, work sharing, and engineering content management for Thames Water’s Thames Tideway tunnel project. More » 10/07/2013 - Water Bill starts passage through parliament The Water Bill was introduced to the UK parliament recently and has now been published. More » 04/07/2013 - IADB approves grant to improve capital's drinking water services The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) has approved a $35.5 million grant for a programme to expand and improve drinking water services in the Haitian capital, Port au Prince. More » 03/07/2013 - Obama sets out plans to fight climate change President Obama gave a key climate change speech last week, in which he set out a range of actions to tackle climate change. More » 03/07/2013 - AquaFed denounces exclusion of water from Concessions Directive AquaFed, the international federation of private water operators, has strongly criticised news that the European Commission is considering excluding water from the list of services that would have to comply with a future Concessions Directive. More » 03/07/2013 - Row erupts over hydropower project contract A row has erupted over the awarding of the $2 billion Karuma hydro power project in Uganda after one of the bidders protested the use of its design by the winning contractor. More » 27/06/2013 - Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and The University of Chicago announce nanotechnology research collaborations The University of Chicago (UChicago) and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) will begin funding a series of ambitious research collaborations that apply the latest discoveries in nanotechnology to drinking water technology. More » 27/06/2013 - Tanzania's MPs protest over water funding A parliamentary committee in Tanzania has protested what it termed as ‘inadequate’ budget allocation for the ministry of water. More » 26/06/2013 - World Bank report highlights climate change risk to poor and vulnerable The World Bank has released a report that warns climate change-driven increasingly-severe weather, sea-level rise and storm surges will threaten the food security and livelihoods of millions of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. More » 26/06/2013 - Report reveals China's South-North water source is highly polluted An investigative report reveals that part of the Danjiangkou reservoir, which is a key water source for the South-North water diversion project, is highly polluted and needs urgent treatment. More » 26/06/2013 - Cederberg awards desal contract to Veolia The Cederberg municipality has awarded a R17 million ($1.7 million) contract to Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies’ subsidiary Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies South Africa for a new desalination plant. More » 26/06/2013 - South West trials Dutch ion exchange treatment technology South West Water is trialling a Dutch ion exchange water treatment system at its main Plymouth water treatment works, Crownhill. More » 26/06/2013 - JICA signs loan agreement for water improvements JICA has signed a Japanese ODA loan agreement with the Office National de l'Assainissement of Tunisia to provide a loan of up to Y10.9 billion ($112 million) for the Local Cities Water Environment Improvement project. More » 20/06/2013 - Report predicts growth in level sensor market to 2018 Research and Markets, a research analysis company, has issued a report which notes that advances in level sensing technologies mean that this sector is expected to experience growth during the forecast period, 2013 to 2018. More » 19/06/2013 - UNFCC announces progress on new climate change agreement The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) has announced ‘concrete progress’ towards a new global agreement on climate change during talks over the past fortnight, though Europe has cautioned that much work remains to be done. More » 18/06/2013 - Study finds widespread wastewater treatment issues A study has revealed that 44% of the wastewater treatment plants examined in South Africa may have chosen inappropriate technologies and 33% were using ‘questionable’ technology options. More » 18/06/2013 - World Day to Combat Desertification 17 June was the 2013 World Day to Combat Desertification. More » 14/06/2013 - Mott MacDonald appointed to three Environment Agency frameworks Mott MacDonald has been appointed to three of the four new Water and Environment Management (WEM) frameworks by the Environment Agency in England and Wales. More » 13/06/2013 - FCC sells 50% stake in Proactiva to Veolia Environnement FCC, the global infrastructure and environmental services group, has reached an agreement to sell its 50% stake in Proactiva Medio Ambiente to French multinational Veolia Environnement for €150 million ($200 million). More » 12/06/2013 - EEA warns that destructive floods are likely to increase Recent assessments from the European Environment Agency (EEA) conclude that floods in central Europe that have caused deaths and widespread property damage are likely to increase across the continent for various reasons. More » 12/06/2013 - Ethiopia dam plans create friction with Egypt The political situation between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt has heated up over the past week, with Egypt issuing a number of both ominous and apparently conciliatory statements about Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance dam. More » 12/06/2013 - Energy report warns more action is needed to prevent massive heat spike The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) has issued a statement warning that international efforts to mitigate climate change are insufficient to keep global warming below 2ºC. More » 12/06/2013 - Study predicts global increase in interest in membranes A new study from Frost & Sullivan notes that membrane-based water and wastewater treatment systems are gaining interest globally as the most efficient solution for purification and filtration needs. More » 12/06/2013 - EPA survey shows $384 billion needed for drinking water infrastructure The US EPA has released the results of a survey that reveals that $384 billion in improvements are required for the nation’s drinking water infrastructure to 2030. More » 12/06/2013 - Institute uses Chelsea fluorometer for deep-sea investigation The Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania has been using a Chelsea FastOcean Fast Repetition Rate fluorometer to gain insights into the various processes and health of the Southern Ocean and Antarctic. More » 12/06/2013 - Miami-Dade agrees major wastewater upgrades Under a US EPA settlement, Miami-Dade County in Florida has agreed to invest in major upgrades to its wastewater treatment plants and wastewater collection and transmission systems in order to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows. More » 12/06/2013 - Veolia announces three water deals in Karnataka Veolia Water has announced three new deals in the state of Karnataka, India. More » 12/06/2013 - LongRiver walks away from Severn Trent bid The LongRiver Partners consortium has walked away from its proposed takeover of Severn Trent Water after the utility rejected a third, revised bid said to be worth £5.3 billion ($8.2 billion). More » 10/06/2013 - Egypt calls for national consideration of dam report Egypt’s president has called for a national dialogue to discuss the findings of a committee on the impact of Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance dam. More » 10/06/2013 - EEA report finds improvements, but highlights new issues A new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) says that Europeans are living longer and healthier lives, partly due to successful environmental policies that have reduced pollutants in air, water and food. More » 10/06/2013 - Report warns poor planning is increasing cities' risk of disaster A new World Bank report warns that rapidly-growing cities in the Asia-Pacific region are becoming increasingly vulnerable to disasters due to poor planning. More » 10/06/2013 - Ma'aden and Alcoa complete wetlands wastewater system The Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) and Alcoa have announced the completion of a unique engineered wetlands wastewater system at the Ma’aden aluminium joint venture in Saudi Arabia. More » 10/06/2013 - District reports energy savings from air flow meters The Dublin San Ramon Services District has reported that it has earned more than $18,000 in energy efficiency rebates for installing highly-accurate air flow meters in its wastewater treatment plant aeration basins. More » 10/06/2013 - Oilsands company chooses GE technology Sunshine Oilsands has chosen GE’s produced water evaporation technology for its West Ells project in Ft. McMurray, Alberta, Canada. More » 10/06/2013 - Minister reveals major wastewater spend Bahrain is to invest BD1.5 billion ($4 billion) in sanitary and infrastructure projects by 2030 as part of a national strategy to improve waste and wastewater treatment plants. More » 31/05/2013 - Scottish water regulator outlines new pricing approach The Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) has outlined its proposed approach to the next price review, when water and sewerage charges will be set for 2015-21. More » 28/05/2013 - Severn Trent turns down Kuwait-led bid Severn Trent has rejected a £5 billion ($7.6 billion) takeover approach led by Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund, the Kuwait Investment Office. More » 28/05/2013 - Moody's warns totex approach will not resolve potential financeability issues Moody’s Investors Service says economic regulator Ofwat's proposals are not designed to address potential financeability concerns. More » 28/05/2013 - BASF sells industrial water arm to Degremont BASF has announced that it has signed a contract to sell its subsidiary Industrial Water Management France SAS based in Lyon, France, to Suez Environnement’s industrial and municipal water treatment specialist arm Degrémont. More » 28/05/2013 - Auma actuators achieve valve control at Paluguillo plant AUMA electric actuators have been installed at the Paluguillo water treatment plant in Ecuador. More » 28/05/2013 - Water Boards restructured to ensure financial viability South Africa has restructured its Water Boards and reduced their number from 12 to nine. More » 15/05/2013 - WEF reports warn of GDP losses from inadequate infrastructure The World Economic Forum (WEF) has launched two reports on boosting strategic infrastructure in Africa. More » 15/05/2013 - Report warns of major obstacles to climate change actions A government progress report warns that inadequate funding and limited resources are frustrating Zimbabwe’s attempts to develop plans to combat climate change impacts. More » 15/05/2013 - Barbados sets out water recycling and desal climate measures The Barbadian Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Water Management has set out a number of climate adaptation measures, including use of treated wastewater and desalination to increase water supply capacity. More » 15/05/2013 - Sipos provides fountain solution for palace Actuator manufacturer and supplier Sipos Aktorik has announced that it has provided a solar-powered solution to address water flow requirements for a fountain system at a Paris palace. More » 15/05/2013 - Report predicts massive growth in pulp and paper market New analysis from Frost & Sullivan predicts that the global market for water and wastewater treatment and equipment in the pulp and paper industry will grow from $983.9 million in 2012 to $1.569 billion in 2020. More » 14/05/2013 - CH2M HILL wins Colorado reservoir project CH2M HILL has announced that it has won the contract for phase one engineering services on the Lower Basin Reservoir project, for the Lower Colorado River Authority, at a site near Lane City in Texas. More » 14/05/2013 - BASF announces gold-level certification success Chemical company BASF has announced that it has become the first company to achieve gold-level certification to the European Water Stewardship standard for its site in Tarragona, Spain. More » 13/05/2013 - Water Aid and soft drinks giant join to provide water WaterAid has announced that it is joining forces with The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation to bring water to one of the poorest suburbs of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, and to communities in southern Ethiopia. More » 13/05/2013 - Report highlights power costs of desalination A new report from the Pacific Institute highlights the cost of powering desalination, noting that energy is the largest single expense for desal plants, accounting for up to half of the costs of the process. More » 09/04/2013 - Festo publishes energy efficiency report Festo has published a new report that evaluates energy efficiency measures in the automation and positioning technology fields. More » 13/12/2011 - Chinese firm wins MED-T desal contract Chinese firm Tri-Tech Holdings has announced that its subsidiary, Tri-Tech infrastructure has been a... Water21 magazine More » 13/12/2011 - Government provides funding for centralised sludge treatment facility Federal funding of $11 million is being provided for a centralised sludge treatment and biosolids st... Water21 magazine More » 13/12/2011 - Koch wins membrane wastewater recycling contract Koch Membrane Systems has been chosen to supply membranes for a large-scale wastewater recycling sys... Water21 magazine More » 13/12/2011 - Leaders commit to deal Africa calls for climate finance African leaders at the Durban climate talks stressed that it is time the continent got its ‘fair sha... Water21 magazine More » Marketplace Newsletter Tweets by @Aquatech