The Stream, April 23: First U.S. City to Directly Recycle Wastewater for Drinking in Texas

Africa
Ethiopia decided not to accept financial help from Egypt for funding the Grand Renaissance dam on the Nile River, Reuters reported. The decision gives Ethiopia complete control over the controversial hydropower project, which Egypt has opposed due to concerns about water availability downstream.
Seismic testing for oil is slated to begin April 26 in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Lake Edward, part of the UNESCO-listed Virunga National Park, Reuters reported. Conservationists worry about the precedent set by allowing oil drilling in a UNESCO area, and potential environmental damage to the lake and park.

U.S. Drought
A city in Texas will become the first in the United States to recycle sewage water directly into tap water, Bloomberg News reported. Wichita Falls, Texas, is currently suffering its worst drought on record.

Water from the Sacramento River will be diverted to supply the East Bay Municipal Utility District near San Francisco through a water diversion scheme that has never been used since its completion in 2010, The Sacramento Bee reported. The district has asked its customers to decrease water consumption by 10 percent to conserve supplies hit by California’s ongoing drought.

United Kingdom
A newly operational hydropower turbine in Wales will help power properties held by the National Trust, the United Kingdom’s largest conservation charity, and will allow the charity to fund more conservation work, the Guardian reported. The turbine is the Trust’s largest renewable energy project and is expected to generate 1,900 megawatt-hours annually.

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