The Stream, September 24: Water Quality and London’s “Super Sewer”

Water Quality
London’s Thames Tideway Tunnel—a proposed, $US 6.7 billion sewer meant to stop sewage overflows into the Thames River—is not the right solution to the water quality problem, according to a former chief water regulator in the United Kingdom, the Guardian reported. He argues that water utilities should instead be looking at smaller, more sustainable projects to improve drainage and stop the overflows, which occur once a week on average.

Arsenic from ancient Himalayan sediments is making its way into drinking water supplies for Hanoi, Vietnam, according to a new research paper published in the journal Nature, The New York Times reported. Scientists say the city still has years to respond to the slow-moving poison before it becomes a real danger.

Flood Insurance
A new law meant to cut deficits in the United States National Flood Insurance Program will begin raising flood insurance rates for homeowners on October 1, AlertNet reported. The law was passed last year in response to an increasing number of costly storms, like Hurricane Katrina.

Water Registry
Spain recently passed a law that will set up a national water registry to track the use of public water resources, Bloomberg News reported. The registry will help the country to enforce water regulations and punish those who use water illegally.

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