Tag: sewers

  • Human Medicine Loading River Creatures With Dozens of Drugs

    Human Medicine Loading River Creatures With Dozens of Drugs

    Spiders, such as the one pictured here, are found in riparian environments all over the world. They build their webs over streams and catch aquatic insects as they emerge from the water. Pharmaceuticals in the insects spread to the spiders and other organisms on land. Photo: Stephen Hamilton Medicines do an excellent job of increasing…

  • Engineered sand zaps storm water pollutants

    Engineered sand zaps storm water pollutants

    Reclaimed storm water may provide a local source of drinking water for parched communities. (MPCA Photos, via Flickr) UC Berkeley engineers have created a new way to remove contaminants from storm water, potentially addressing the needs of water-stressed communities that are searching for ways to tap the abundant and yet underused source of fresh drinking…

  • ‘Daylighting’- the new trend transforming cities

    ‘Daylighting’- the new trend transforming cities

    Towns in Europe, Asia and Australasia are breaking open culverts to reveal hidden urban rivers. Image: REUTERS/Kevin Coombs Waterways were once the beating hearts of our cities. They bore the boats laden with the goods, tradesmen and settlers that transformed inlets and backwaters into hubs of humanity. However, all that changed 200 years ago with…

  • How About That Water Quality? Ocean Acidification

    How About That Water Quality? Ocean Acidification

    Talking about water quality isn’t most people’s idea of the ideal ice breaker. In the Lowcountry (loosely defined as coastal South Carolina and Georgia), folks typically find common ground discussing the region’s warm weather, great food, vibrant culture and remarkable history. But water quality is quickly becoming the talk of the town as locals are…

  • With Green Makeover, Philadelphia Tackles Its Stormwater Problem

    With Green Makeover, Philadelphia Tackles Its Stormwater Problem

    A rain garden manages stormwater runoff in Philadelphia’s Germantown section. Philadelphia Water Department Benjamin Franklin, Philadelphia’s favorite son, described his city’s stormwater problem well: By “covering a ground plot with buildings and pavements, which carry off most of the rain and prevent its soaking into the Earth and renewing and purifying the Springs … the…