The Stream, April 4: Groundwater Levels Rise in Berlin

Water conservation has had an unintended consequence in Berlin, where groundwater levels are rising, the Economist reported. The water table, which has risen more than a meter since 1989 in some places, now threatens to flood basements and cellars in areas where approximately 200,000 people live.

Water Infrastructure
Mexico is directing nearly $US 23 billion toward water infrastructure improvements over the next four years, Bloomberg News reported. The projects include a 70-kilometer aqueduct to supply water to Mexico City and a 520-kilometer aqueduct to supply Monterrey.

Industry leaders will meet in Paris next week to discuss how infrastructure can help secure supplies of water at the Global Water Intelligence Summit, Businessweek reported. Issues to be addressed include water quality and conflicts over shared water sources.

Africa
Water prices are rising for uranium mines in Namibia as groundwater supplies become scarcer and the mines must rely on desalinated water, Bloomberg News reported. Three uranium mines in the country use approximately 10 million cubic meters of water each year.

Water quality is a major concern in Ghana, where an estimated 9 million people do not have access to clean water and many have to source their water from contaminated streams and lakes, WYPR reported. The price of bottled water is prohibitive for many residents, and available tap water may also be coming from contaminated sources.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

Codi Kozacek

A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek