The Stream, October 3: Brazil Prepares Water-rationing Plan

By the end of the month, Brazil’s national water regulator hopes to finalize proposed water restrictions in two states hit by the region’s worst-ever drought. BN Americas reports that industries in rural areas of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais states will see water deliveries reduced by 30 percent in addition to daily water cuts for six hours at mid-day.

Texas
The San Antonio water board signed off on a $US 3.4 billion, 30-year contract for a new pipeline and the groundwater it will deliver, the Texas Tribune reports. Critics say the water – at seven times the cost of current sources – is too expensive. The city council still must weigh in, possibly by November.

Lake Erie
The commission appointed by Great Lakes governors and legislatures to coordinate environmental policies recommends a 40 percent cut in phosphorus flows into Lake Erie, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The figure is in line with targets proposed by the binational commission that oversees waters shared by Canada and the United States.

Hydropower Transmission
The U.S. Energy Department approved a $US 2.2 billion transmission line that will bring hydropower from Quebec to New York City, E & E Publishing reports.

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Brett Walton

Brett writes about agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the politics and economics of water in the United States. He also writes the Federal Water Tap, Circle of Blue’s weekly digest of U.S. government water news. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, one of the top honors in American environmental journalism: first place for explanatory reporting for a series on septic system pollution in the United States(2016) and third place for beat reporting in a small market (2014). He received the Sierra Club’s Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Brett lives in Seattle, where he hikes the mountains and bakes pies. Contact Brett Walton