The Stream, February 27: Palestinian City Gets Approval for Water

The Global Rundown

Detroit community members are unhappy about looming water service rate hikes, and Iowa residents support their water utility in a lawsuit against some upstream drainage districts. Israel and Jordan have made more progress on a desalination and water-sharing project, and Israel has agreed to let a new Palestinian city connect to the water supply. A large underground aquifer recently discovered in Kenya has proved to be too salty for use.

“For the first time I can go into a meeting and discuss the issues without the shadow of the water being approved.” – Bashar Masri, Palestinian-American developer, on Israel’s decision to supply water to his new city, Rawabi. (Washington Post)

By The Numbers

9.3 percent – Average proposed 2015 – 2016 water service rate increase for metro Detroit customers. Community members and activists voiced concerns about the rate hikes at a hearing on Wednesday. Detroit News

$US 900 million – Cost of a project to desalinate water from the Red Sea and divide it between Israel and Jordan, while pumping desalination brine north to the shrinking Dead Sea. An agreement to move forward with the project was signed by Jordan and Israel on Thursday. Reuters

Science, Studies, And Reports

According to a recent Des Moines Register Iowa Poll, 63 percent of Iowans support Des Moines Water Works in their lawsuit against drainage districts in Northwest Iowa. The lawsuit claims that the drainage districts and the farmers within them are responsible for nitrate pollution in the Raccoon River, which supplies drinking water to 500,000 Iowans. Des Moines Register

First tests on an enormous aquifer underneath Kenya’s Turkana region show that the water is too salty to drink or irrigate with. This is disappointing news for Kenyans who had initially hoped the discovered water would free the region from a heavy drought. Reuters

On The Radar

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has intervened to allow the newly-built Palestinian city of Rawabi to connect to water supply. The $1 billion dollar development is currently standing empty. Washington Post