The Stream, October 23: E. Coli Continues to Taint Tokyo Olympic Swim Venues

The Global Rundown

E. Coli and other contaminants continue to pollute Olympic triathlon and marathon venue sites in Tokyo. Activists in Montenegro protest construction of an Albanian dam on the shared Cijevna river. The state of Michigan and the Canadian pipeline company Enbridge reach a deal to replace two decades-old oil pipelines in the Great Lakes. The risk of flooding in northeastern India due to a landslide in Tibet passes. Hurricane Willa, a Category 5 storm, is set to make landfall along Mexico’s Pacific coast on Tuesday. Austin, Texas, issues a citywide boil water advisory after flooding slows the city’s water treatment capabilities.

“It’s been a real struggle. We haven’t had a violation yet but we believe one is probable, and we wanted to issue this boil water notice ahead of all of that.” –Greg Meszaros, the Austin Water Director, in reference to a citywide boil water advisory in Austin, Texas. Regional flooding has washed an unprecedented amount of debris, soil, and silt into the city’s river system, and the city’s water treatment plants are struggling to keep up. NPR

Latest WaterNews from Circle of Blue

What’s Up With Water – October 22, 2018 – “What’s Up With Water” condenses the need-to-know news on the world’s water into a weekly snapshot. Coverage this week includes: Water contamination on indigenous reserves in Canada and an agreement on the Line 5 pipeline in the Great Lakes.

HotSpots H2O, October 22: Lithium Miners Battle for Water in Chile’s Atacama Desert — As lithium operations expand in the Atacama desert, concerns about water availability are increasing.

By The Numbers

160 miles per hour Speed of Hurricane Willa’s maximum sustained winds. The storm, which was classified as a rare Category 5 on Monday morning, is heading toward Mexico’s Pacific coast. It is expected to make landfall on Tuesday afternoon or evening. Reuters

40 miles Length of the Cijevna river, which is shared by Albania and Montenegro. Earlier this year, Albania began constructing a dam along the Cijevna without notifying authorities in Montenegro. On Saturday, dozens of environmental activists cycled from the capital of Montenegro to the Albanian border in protest against the dam. Reuters

Science, Studies, And Reports

A recent survey of water quality at the Olympic triathlon and marathon swimming venues in Tokyo, Japan, revealed ongoing contamination by E. Coli, faecal coliforms, and the enterococci bacteria. Officials for the 2020 Tokyo Games have been working to address water quality issues for months, and insist that the venues will be safe by 2020. The Independent

In context: Recurring Dry Spells Fuel Water Worries in Tokyo.

On The Radar

The state of Michigan and the Canadian pipeline company Enbridge reached an agreement to replace two Line 5 crude oil pipes in the Straits of Mackinac, where Lake Huron and Lake Michigan meet. The pipelines will be replaced with a tunnel drilled in bedrock beneath the Straits. The project is expected to take seven to ten years and cost $350-500 million, paid for by Enbridge. Environmental activists have criticized the decision, saying the pipelines endanger “communities, businesses, water, and wildlife” in the Great Lakes region. AP

Spotlight: India

Follow The Stream for daily coverage on India’s water crisis.

Last week, a landslide in Tibet blocked the Yarlung Tsangpo river, causing evacuations in China and threatening flooding in downstream India. Officials say flows in the Yarlung Tsangpo have returned to normal, but that China will continue to share flood data with India. The Times of India

Kayla Ritter

Kayla Ritter is a recent graduate of Michigan State University, where she studied International Relations and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. She is currently based in Manton, Michigan. Kayla enjoys running, writing, and traveling. Contact Kayla Ritter