Brett Walton

About 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

Entries by Brett Walton

Risks Grow for Deadliest U.S. Drinking Water Hazard

November 15, 2017/in Water Management, Water News/by Brett Walton

Reported cases of Legionnaires’ disease are surging upwards.

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

circleofblue.org/author/brett

Federal Water Tap, November 13: Lake Erie Algae Forecasts Were on the Mark

November 13, 2017/in Federal Water Tap/by Brett Walton

The Rundown Lake Erie algal bloom was severe this summer, just as researchers forecast. The House and Senate include water contamination provisions in a military spending bill. The House tax bill would affect water infrastructure financing. The State Department appoints a new Columbia River Treaty chief negotiator. The EPA holds a public meeting on its […]

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

circleofblue.org/author/brett

U.S. Household Water Use Continues to Decline

November 8, 2017/in Water Management, Water News/by Brett Walton

Federal report tracks conservation pattern that began two decades ago.

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

circleofblue.org/author/brett

Replenishing the World’s Watersheds – An Interview with Sandra Postel | PODCAST |

November 7, 2017/in Conservation / Environmental Restoration, Water News/by Brett Walton

Sandra Postel on her hopeful vision of water’s future.

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

circleofblue.org/author/brett

New Jersey Sets First Binding State Limits for Perfluorinated Chemicals in Drinking Water

November 7, 2017/in Water News, Water Quality/by Brett Walton

Regulators adopt strictest standards in the nation.

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

circleofblue.org/author/brett

Federal Water Tap, November 6: Government Report Highlights Human Causes of Climate Change

November 6, 2017/in Federal Water Tap/by Brett Walton

The Rundown U.S. government report warns that what we don’t know about climate change is perhaps more worrisome than what we do. Dam regulators make changes to the federal licensing process. The EPA spotlights innovative design and financing of sewer, septic system, and stormwater projects that use federal loans. The U.S. Geological Survey again finds […]

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

circleofblue.org/author/brett

Philadelphia Water Rate Experiment Aims to Help Struggling Residents Pay Their Bills

November 1, 2017/in Water News, Water Pricing/by Brett Walton

Many applications, and some pain, so far for country’s first income-based water rate.

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

circleofblue.org/author/brett

Federal Water Tap, October 30: Sen. Booker Introduces Environmental Justice Bill

October 30, 2017/in Federal Water Tap/by Brett Walton

The Rundown The New Jersey Democrat’s bill addresses disproportionate burdens of pollution. EPA and Interior release reports on laws and agency actions that impede energy development. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee starts the groundwork for a new water infrastructure bill. President Trump says an aged dike in Florida should be repaired more quickly. The […]

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

circleofblue.org/author/brett

NASA Ends Trailblazing Satellite Mission that Revealed Global Groundwater Trends

October 28, 2017/in Groundwater, Water News/by Brett Walton

Due to old age and battery failure, NASA terminates the GRACE satellite mission. By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue The unexpectedly long life of a pair of pioneering satellites that deepened scientific understanding of society’s influence on water and land is over. NASA and its project partners decided to end the GRACE satellite mission this […]

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

circleofblue.org/author/brett

Cape Town Rations Water Before Reservoirs Hit Zero

October 26, 2017/in Africa, South Africa, Water Management, Water News/by Brett Walton

No end to water crisis in South Africa’s second largest city. By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue It’s called Day Zero, the day when the six main reservoirs that supply Cape Town will be drained of water. For Cape Town and the Western Cape province of South Africa, which enter the dry season after three […]

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

circleofblue.org/author/brett

Federal Water Tap, October 23: Chemical Contamination and Nutrient Trading Assessed in Pair of GAO Reports

October 23, 2017/in Federal Water Tap/by Brett Walton

The Rundown The GAO finds little activity in state nutrient trading markets and catalogues the military’s response to firefighting chemicals in drinking water. Security agencies warn energy and water utilities about a hacking campaign that began in May. Developers file a permit for a 2,000-megawatt pumped storage hydropower project in northern Arizona. The U.S. Geological […]

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

circleofblue.org/author/brett

California Hepatitis Outbreak Has Killed 19 People

October 20, 2017/in Sanitation/Health, Water News/by Brett Walton

State health emergency declared in response to largest U.S. hepatitis A outbreak in more than two decades.

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

circleofblue.org/author/brett

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About Brett Walton

Entries by Brett Walton