Scientific American Explores "Freshwater Crisis"

This month's Scientific American Magazine features an examination of the world's "freshwater crisis," exploring the implications on water supplies of a growing world population and the impacts of climate change.

To view the feature, Click Here.

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New Report Outlines Potential Climate Change Impacts on U.S.

A new report recently released by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP), Weather and Climate Extremes in a Changing Climate, provides the first comprehensive assessment of observed and projected changes in weather and climate extremes in North America, Hawaii, the Carribean and US territories in the Pacific.

Among other findings, the report states that abnormally hot days, fewer frosts, longer droughts and infrequent yet intense rainfall are already apparent as a result of human induced climate change.

To download the complete report, Click Here.

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AMWA Comments On EPA’s National Water Program Strategy Response To Climate Change

In conjunction with the association's Climate Change Committee, AMWA developed comments on EPA's Office of Water (OW) climate change strategy and made several recommendations for how OW could focus its efforts.  Among them, AMWA urged EPA to:

• Assist water utilities to plan for the effects of climate change on utility operations by raising awareness of the critical needs of the water sector within other federal agencies.
• Advocate with EPA headquarters, regional offices and other federal agencies for a comprehensive, unified, and coordinated federally sponsored applied research program to develop decision support tools, adaptation action plans, mitigation strategies and better information on the impacts of climate change on water quality and quantity, stormwater management and wastewater treatment.
• Encourage the Office of Research and Development (ORD) to perform research aimed at helping water utilities adapt to climate change, such as developing decision support tools and assessments to determine the vulnerability of different regions and watersheds to the likely impacts of climate change over different timeframes.
• Be mindful of water sector impacts of the nation's energy portfolio, especially as the portfolio changes.

To view AMWA's comments, click here.

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Associations Call on Congress to Address Water Resource Impacts of Climate Change

AMWA joined seven other national water and wastewater associations on May 20 in calling on Congress to recognize the severe impacts that global climate change will likely have on water resources in the United States.  The groups urged senators and representatives to ensure that upcoming climate change legislation includes federal support and incentives to help drinking water providers, flood and stormwater agencies and wastewater systems confront the impacts of climate change.

To view the complete statement sent to Congress, Click Here.

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New CCSP Reports Outline U.S. Climate Risks

Two new reports by the White House Office of Science and Technology's Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) describes a variety of ways that global climate change will impact the United States, including its water resources.  The first report, Scientific Assessment of the Effects of Global Change on the United States, includes explanations of how the changing climate will render existing historical water supply trend data obsolete, and will contribute to detrimental changes in water quality.

The second report, The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity, is one of a series of 21 Synthesis and Assessment Products being produced under the CCSP.  The report is an assessment of the effects of and factors contributing to climate change on U.S. land resources, water resources, agriculture, and biodiversity based on extensive review of the relevant scientific literature and measurements and data collected and published by U.S. government agencies

To read Scientific Assessment of the Effects of Global Change on the United States, Click Here.

To read The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity, Click Here.

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New York City Releases Climate Action Plan

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection recently released a comprehensive plan to address the impacts of global climate change on its water supply, drainage, wastewater, and water quality protection operations, as well as strategies for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

To access NYCDEP's Climate Assessment and Action Plan, Click Here.

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EPA Draft Climate Change Strategy Available

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

To view the draft strategy, click here.

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

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AMWA Issues CCSP Comments

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

View Comments (pdf file)

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EPA Releases New Document to Help Utilities Maximize Energy Efficiency

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

Download Document (pdf - 1.9 MB)

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

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

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

VIEW WHITE PAPER

VIEW SUMMARY

VIEW NEWS RELEASE

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Drinking Water Systems Take Action

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

FIND OUT HERE

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Report Reviews California Climate Risks, Responses

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

CUWA CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT [Download - 2.5 MB]

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IPCC/USGS Climate Change Studies

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

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

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

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

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