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There’s a lot of discussion about clean water infrastructure as the Biden administration pushes full speed ahead on its Build Back Better agenda. But what counts as water infrastructure? Is it more than just the pipes that get water into our homes?
We sat down with Megan Glover, the founder, and CEO of 120 Water, to ask her to #ExplainIt to us. In her words:
“Water infrastructure is everything from source water to tap water. It’s massive. So much infrastructure bringing water from sources, to water treatment facilities and through the distribution into homes.“
However, the big problem with this infrastructure is that it’s mostly underground and we don’t see it (unlike bridges or roads), causing necessary upgrades to become delayed or completely ignored.
Watch the full video where Megan answers our questions about what the biggest shortcomings are with our current water infrastructure and how we can reach the goal of ensuring clean and safe drinking water for all Americans.
by Amy Lupica, ODP Staff Writer “Glacier blood,” or “watermelon snow,” is sweeping across the Alps, and researchers are eager to survey the snow to figure out what’s responsible for the mysterious phenomenon—the culprit: algal blooms. A new study has found that the same algae that cause dreaded red tide are now blooming en masse on mountains worldwide. […]
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One more of the Trump administration’s rollbacks will meet its demise as EPA Administrator Michael Regan and the Biden administration are planning to reinstate protections for many marshes, streams, and wetlands — expanding again the coverage of the Clean Water Act under the “Waters of the U.S.” or “WOTUS” rule.
Why This Matters: Since the late 1700s, 221 million acres of wetlands have been drained in the U.S. for agricultural use. This development has had severe consequences, including fertilizer and pollution runoff threatening drinking water for millions of people.
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Oxygen levels in lakes are declining globally according to a new study, and experts say that it could have dangerous implications for the wildlife and humans that rely on freshwater ecosystems.
Why This Matters: Lakes only cover 3% of the earth’s surface, but are some of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world, providing food and water for millions of people around the globe.
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