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
To everyone asking about higher-resolution images: we're working on it. We're also looking at a better way to present the…
On Price of Water 2014: Up 6 Percent in 30 Major U.S. Cities; 33 Percent Rise Since 2010
Jeyannathann and John, you both hit central questions for desalination as an emergency response: what are ratepayers -- if they…
On Australian State Considers Selling Its Biggest Water Assets, Built During Drought Panic
Andy, we inserted the wrong list of states in that reference. Those six - Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma,…
On Kansas and Army Corps Revive Study to Ship Water from Missouri River to Ogallala Aquifer
Peter, we've changed the measurement to cubic meters. However, a few other confused souls do use hectare-meters, at least according…
On Fortune Telling: Colorado River Teeters Toward First-ever Shortage Declaration
Kenneth, The 9 percent figure (8.7 percent to be more precise) comes from the Interior Department's study of water supply…
On U.S. Groundwater Losses Between 1900-2008: Enough To Fill Lake Erie Twice
Billy, The aquifer beneath Reno was not one of the 40 assessed in the report, so it wouldn't show up…
On U.S. Groundwater Losses Between 1900-2008: Enough To Fill Lake Erie Twice
Some people have asked what the terms 'increasing block', 'seasonal increasing block', 'uniform', etc. mean. These describe the different ways…
On The Price of Water 2012: 18 Percent Rise Since 2010, 7 Percent Over Last Year in 30 Major U.S. Cities
Saying that usually happens is too strong a statement. Demographics are sometimes a factor, but topography, existing infrastructure other local…
On Mixing Art and Technology: North America’s Largest Membrane-filtration Sewage Plant Opens Near Seattle
The Army Corps of Engineers held a series of public meetings in the first half of 2009 in Colorado, Wyoming…
On Colorado Developer Provides Customer List for Proposed Water Pipeline