The Stream, March 2, 2021: New Infrastructure Lessens Pollution In The Tijuana River, Mexico Says

YOUR GLOBAL RUNDOWN

• Mexico makes progress in stopping trash and wastewater from entering the Tijuana River.
• A proposed gold mine in New South Wales could pump in millions of gallons of wastewater from coal mines some 90 kilometers away.
• Water systems serving Latino communities in the United States have twice as many drinking water violations as the national average, an investigation finds.
• The water system in Jackson, Mississippi, is still not fully functioning after severe winter storms nearly two weeks ago.

A new report says the Canadian government did not provide enough support to ensure First Nations communities have access to safe drinking water.

“We are very concerned, and honestly, disheartened that this long-standing issue is still not resolved.” – Federal auditor general Karen Hogan. A new report found that the Canadian government did not provide enough support to ensure First Nations communities have access to safe drinking water, Global News reports. The report said that 60 long-term water advisories were still in place as of November 1, 2020. Almost half of those have been in place for more than a decade.

IN RECENT WATER NEWS

In Case You Missed It:

HotSpots H2O: Florida-Georgia Water Dispute Returns to Supreme Court – A long-running dispute between Florida and Georgia over water resources reached the U.S. Supreme Court last week.

What’s Up With Water – March 1, 2020 – This week’s episode covers a drought in Taiwan that is forcing the tech industry to prepare for water rationing and a new report that finds that nearly a third of global freshwater fish populations are endangered.

Mexico Makes Progress In Stopping Tijuana River Pollution

Although Mexican officials recently touted their efforts to stop pollution in the Tijuana River, U.S. officials say there’s still sewage flowing, Voice of San Diego reports. Mexico previously diverted water from the river to a pump station that transports it to treatment plants on both sides of the border, but pipes at the pump station were too small and constantly clogged with garbage. When that happens, the pumping station is shut down and water runs free, often overwhelming the capacity of the treatment plants. Now, Mexico is adding new infrastructure and it plans to fix remaining pollution problems along the Tijuana River.

TODAY’S TOP WATER STORIES, TOLD IN NUMBERS

15.5 MILLION LITERS

A proposed gold mine in New South Wales, Australia, could pump in as much as 15.6 million liters (4.1 million gallons) of excess wastewater from coal mines, The Sydney Morning Herald. The water would be used to mine and process the ore. The open-pit mine is angering locals who fear that they will lose prime farmland and that the mine’s tailings dam will clog springs.

5.25 MILLION CALIFORNIANS

The Guardian reports that water systems serving Latino communities have twice as many drinking water violations as the national average. According to the Environmental Working Group, the issue affects more than 5.2 million people throughout California, largely in small rural communities that can’t afford advanced water filtration systems.

ON THE RADAR

Nearly two weeks after a series of severe winter storms, the water system in Jackson, Mississippi is still not restored to service, the Associated Press reports. The system continues to be troubled by low water pressure due to 80 water main breaks. The city of 161,000 people remains under a boil-water advisory. Water for flushing toilets is being distributed at seven sites.

Jane Johnston

Jane is a Communications Associate for Circle of Blue. She writes The Stream and has covered domestic and international water issues for Circle of Blue. She is a recent graduate of Grand Valley State University, where she studied Multimedia Journalism and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. During her time at Grand Valley, she was the host of the Community Service Learning Center podcast Be the Change. Currently based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Jane enjoys listening to music, reading and spending time outdoors.