Developing new solutions to purify wastewater is critical, as the demand for potable water is outpacing what aquifers and other water reserves can provide. Cities are struggling to provide clean and accessible drinking water, shortages have impacted farming and manufacturing, and wildfires are worsened by drought. So how are our communities combatting the need for water?
▪️ Arizona voted to advance a $5.5B plan right before the new year in order to build a water desalination plant in Mexico, as well as a 200-mile pipeline to address its drought-driven water uncertainty: https://www.enr.com/articles/55659-arizona-advances-55b-mexico-desalination-plant-proposal
▪️Kansas City, MO has launched the Smart Sewer Program to reduce wet weather sewer overflows into local creeks, streams and rivers. It’s expected to be operational next year: https://www.kcsmartsewer.us/home-smartsewer
▪️Tennessee issued its Water Infrastructure Investment Plan during Q12022 as a part of a strategy to improve water infrastructure across the state: https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/environment/arp/documents/arp_tdec-water-infrastructure-investment-plan.pdf
▪️Surface water from Lake Houston is set to supply retail water providers by way of the Northeast Water Purification Plant, which includes 55 miles of pipeline and two large pump stations. This project is expected to be completed by 2025: https://surfacewatersupplyproject.com/
▪️The new Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) includes $21.4 billion in federal funds for an estimated $34.4 billion plan to protect the Texas Gulf Coast’s residents and infrastructure against hurricanes and storm surge with a series of coastal storm risk management and ecosystem restoration projects, including the Ike Dyke: https://lnkd.in/gbdNBB89
▪️The West Harris County Regional Water Authority (WCHRWA) was created to facilitate the shift from pumping underground well water to surface water in west Harris County. It is on track to comply with the HGSD groundwater reduction to 60% surface water by 2025, and 80% by 2035: https://www.whcrwa.com/
▪️EPA announced its funding for water infrastructure loans in August of 2022, allotting $6.5B of funding for local governments through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program: https://www.epa.gov/wifia
For over 40 years, we have collaborated & consulted on the design and construction of a wide range of commercial, industrial, and technical facilities, making us one of the most experienced and responsive structural and civil engineering firms in Houston. Today, Stiver Engineering provides engineering services to contractors, engineers, municipalities, developers, owners and architects throughout the United States and Canada.
Discover more about engineering sustainable water solutions at https://stiverengineering.com/services/water-wastewater/, or reach out to our team at: https://stiverengineering.com/contact/
