Detecting infectious agents in sewage is only the first step. Researchers are working on developing reliable ways to translate surveillance measurements to case numbers and infection predictions.
Water runs into a storm drain in a Los Angeles alley on Aug. 19, 2023, during Tropical Storm Hilary.
Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
US cities are doing green infrastructure, but in bits and pieces. Today’s climate-driven floods require a much broader approach to create true sponge cities that are built to soak up water.
Sewage spills highlight the urgent need to upgrade the UK’s ageing sewer network.
Jory Mundy/Alamy
We sampled sewage sludge from 13 wastewater treatment plants across three states. We found every resident adds microplastics to farmland, in dried sewage sludge (biosolids) used as fertiliser.
Too much stormwater is disappearing down the drain. Here’s how our cities can make more of their last untapped water source.
Palestinians fill drinking water containers at a distribution site in Khan Yunis, south Gaza, on Oct. 8, 2023.
Mohammed Talatene/picture alliance via Getty Images
As the war between Hamas and Israel grinds forward, two experts explain how Israelis and Palestinians have cooperated to tackle their region’s water challenges.
To build drought resilence, Sydney must invest in rainfall-independent water supplies.
In Canada and around the world, biosolids are widely used to improve agricultural farmland soil. Biosolids being sprayed on an agricultural field.
(Branaavan Sivarajah)
We need to pay close attention to the potential impacts that high levels of microplastics might have on environments and find ways to reduce microplastic levels in Canada’s wastewater stream.
Sydney’s 14 wastewater treatment plants could be modified to also accept food waste, research shows. The ‘anaerobic digestion’ process would produce energy as well as nutrients for reuse.
A member of the Syria Immunization Team holding cholera vaccinations.
Anas Alkharboutli/picture alliance via Getty Images
Good legislation has been undermined by poor planning, limited investment and governance, but recent water reports suggest the government recognises the scale of the problems.
We detected 180 contaminants in treated and untreated water. None of those found in treated water breached human health guidelines, but we should not forget about potential impacts on the environment.
Preventing cholera is more than just making sure your hygiene practices are in order.
Michele Spatari / AFP via Getty Images
The current cholera outbreak is not necessarily an issue with potable water. It’s the result of a combination of factors including dysfunctional and non-compliant wastewater treatment works.
A highway loops around a tailings pond at the Syncrude facility in Fort McMurray, Alta. The proximity of such toxic wastewater ponds to nature threatens its biodiversity.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
As toxic water continues to spill from tailings ponds across mining developments, decades of scientific research provides evidence of how wildlife will be affected.
Many of our rivers are overloaded with nutrients from fertiliser run off and wastewater. Algal blooms, fish kills and poor water follow. One solution? Nutrient offsetting.
A bathing site in the Tjuvholmen neighbourhood of Oslo, Norway.
A. Aleksandravicius/Shutterstock
Neuroactive compounds in antidepressants enter our wastewater and affect how fish function. Identifying the potential damage to fish is paramount for protecting our aquatic ecosystems.
There simply aren’t enough water engineers in New Zealand for the massive Three Waters projects. Matching capacity with forward planning is an urgent issue the government must address.
Academic Officer, Water Resource Management Unit lead, Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resource (UNU-FLORES), United Nations University