The Stream, October 30: U.S. Losing Trillions of Gallons to Aging Infrastructure

The Global Rundown

Aging infrastructure is wasting huge amounts of water in the United States, where San Antonio is eying a major water pipeline deal. A new report values water infrastructure in New Zealand. Also Down Under: threats to Sydney’s drinking water and plans to dump dredged soil onto Australia’s wetlands. Heavy rains threaten life and livelihoods in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The drought in Brazil pushes up soybean prices, and salt damage destroys farmland in arid regions around the globe.

“The Abbott and Newman governments realized that the community was not going to let them dump dredge spoil into the Great Barrier Reef so now they’ve moved on to the second dirtiest option and are closing their eyes to its environmental impacts.” — Larissa Waters, Greens’ environment spokeswoman, on plan to dump dredge material onto wetlands during expansion of Australia’s Abbot Point coal port. (Guardian)

By The Numbers

2.1 trillion gallons Estimated amount of water lost each year in the United States due to leaky, aging infrastructure. NPR

2,000 hectares Amount of irrigated land lost each day in arid and semiarid regions to salt damage. International Water Management Institute

$3.4 billion Cost of 30-year water pipeline contract that San Antonio City Council is likely to approve today. Circle of Blue

100 people Number feared dead following heavy rains and mudslides in Sri Lanka. BBC

Science, Studies, And Reports

New Zealand’s drinking water, sewer, and stormwater systems are worth $35.7 billion, according to a new study from policy think tank Local Government New Zealand. Local Government New Zealand

Sydney’s drinking water would “very likely” be at risk from coal mine expansions in the Lake Cataract catchment, according to a report from Australia’s Independent Expert Scientific Committee. Australian Broadcasting Corporation

On The Radar

Soybean prices are up 12 percent this month due to speculation that a severe drought in Brazil will curb plantings. Bloomberg News

Bangladesh’s “char dwellers”—those who live on shifting river islands—face a precarious future as climate change brings more intense monsoon rains and floods. Inter Press Service

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