On April 23, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the winners of its 7th annual Campus RainWorks Challenge. The competition tasks college students and faculty nationwide with designing innovative, ...
Spotlight
Report: Green and gray infrastructure work together to enhance service, cut costs
Green infrastructure often requires more frequent upkeep and maintenance than gray infrastructure, ...
Read up on can’t-miss events at WEF’s inaugural Stormwater and Green Infrastructure Symposium
Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) members in the stormwater sector are ...
Volunteers ‘Adopt-a-Drain’ to improve urban stormwater management
According to estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 1 ...
Latest News
New scale helps meteorologists measure positives and negatives of atmospheric river storms
Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are a newly understood phenomenon, officially defined by the American Meteorological Society (AMS; Boston) just 2 years ago. ARs – narrow, fast-moving bands of highly concentrated atmospheric water vapor that commonly stretch hundreds of miles in length – often result in severe rain or snow storms when that vapor makes landfall. On […]
Texas A&M ‘Ecopark’ stormwater center to open for tours later this year
The Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center (A&M; College Station) announced in March plans to open a new building complex demonstrating green infrastructure and stormwater reuse on its North Dallas campus for public tours later in 2019. The 2.8-ha (7-ac) Benny J. Simpson Ecopark and Water Education Building also will become home to A&M’s […]
Vancouver, Wash., to receive $7 million from state for stormwater improvements
The City of Vancouver, Wash., is in an important spot for water quality in the Pacific Northwest. The 21-km-long (13-mi-long) Burnt Bridge Creek meanders through the city center, flowing west into Vancouver Lake. The lake, in turn, drains into the Columbia River and, eventually, the Pacific Ocean. For this reason, the city takes great care […]
Passing planes pull added precipitation from clouds
From releasing greenhouse gases while in the air to discharging fuels, lubricants, and other potentially toxic chemicals before takeoff, countless studies have determined that air travel has an undeniable effect on the environment. Now, a newly published study, led by University of Helsinki (Finland) researchers, finds that planes flying above clouds during precipitation events can […]
City of Hampton, Va., considers ‘pay-for-success’ funding strategy to enhance resilience
In coastal Hampton, Va., city planners are considering an innovative financing strategy to support new green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) projects. This aims to turn the tide against the severe weather and rising sea levels that have led to increased flooding. The city hopes that by issuing “environmental impact bonds” (EIBs) to investors who seek financial, […]
Researchers read tea leaves to study precipitation across millennia
The 12-year “Millennium Drought” that parched parts of Australia beginning in the late 1990s often is considered the most severe drought ever experienced by the island nation. But according to results from a first-of-its-kind survey by University of Adelaide (Australia) researchers, the Millennium Drought was far from unique. New evidence, obtained by studying preserved tea […]
Target Field, home of Minnesota Twins, unveils plans for enormous ‘living wall’
In the upcoming 2019 professional baseball season, the Boston Red Sox’s Fenway Park won’t be the only Major League Baseball venue sporting a Green Monster. The Minnesota Twins announced in January plans to construct a massive “living wall” directly opposite home plate at Minneapolis’ Target Field. Facilities staff expect construction on the living wall to […]
Facing hefty cleanup costs, Minnesota cities sue refiners over PAH in retention ponds
A group of eight Minnesota municipalities recently filed federal lawsuits against seven chemical refiners. The municipalities seek to offset the costs of limiting environmental damages from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The plaintiffs allege that the refiners knowingly sold coal tar-based pavement sealants high in PAHs despite widespread evidence that the substances can cause cancer in […]
Denmark demonstrates footprint-free stormwater treatment method
The Danish island of Amager, located just east of Copenhagen, is the testing ground for an innovative stormwater treatment technology called dual porosity filtration (DPF). Early results from a demonstration DPF facility recently constructed on the island’s water-conscious Ørestad district have proven the technology’s ability to treat up to 110 L (30 gal) of urban, […]
Record-breaking summer rainfall undermines Chesapeake Bay recovery efforts
Despite slight improvements to the Chesapeake Bay’s dissolved oxygen concentration, underwater grass growth, and shoreside green spaces during the last 2 years, scientists monitoring the largest estuary in the U.S. graded the bay’s overall health as a D+ in their 2018 State of the Bay Report. The assessment, published every other year by the Chesapeake […]
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