Did a story that looked at how Asheville's water woes are symptom of a broader problem that is likely to become more common unless we do something about it as the nation's aging water infrastructure comes face to face with climate change with @zhirji.bsky.social and Michael Smith. Gift link
Fierce storms like Hurricanes Helene and Milton, as well as extreme heat and drought, threaten to overwhelm the nation’s water treatment plants.
Excellent reporting. Thanks for the story.
We’d just built a new water plant here in Nashville when we had the flood in 2010 which…wiped out the new water plant—the building required cleaning & repair & all the machinery either had to be replaced or taken completely apart & cleaned, then reassembled & tested. Luckily the old plant escaped.
15 years ago, I ran a public affairs campaign for a coalition of public water utilities and private water companies across clean, waste and storm water sectors basically begging for more Federal and state funding. And yet, here we are.
Thanks to @costasamaras.bsky.social for connecting me to Zia's research.
Great article! Thanks for pointing out the workforce issues...it is extremely difficult to find good people and for whatever reason the workforce is getting smaller (younger people aren't getting into this field much 😔)
Another thing I remembered my sister saying, a lot of the workers in drinking & waste water (which are the same industry and in most cases run as the same system) are nearing retirement & many retired bc of COVID, when you work with human waste you're exposed to every disease the population gets.
My sister used to work in drinking and waste water management and holy heck you aren't kidding. One of the substation water pumps was an antique truck engine. Roots blocked a lot of the sewer lines. Leaky pipes undermined roads, and that's just the shit she talked about
On Oahu, aging water pipes many over 100yr old and fixing &/or replacing them is Major part of water bill.