HIWI04

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So far HIWI04 has created 1096 blog entries.

A first for village in Kilifi as NGO undertakes fresh water project – Kenya

Since independence, Kavunzoni village in Kilifi county has had no fresh water.

Residents have to walk for long distances in search of water.

School going children are not spared either as a times they have to sacrifice their education and remain at home babysitting their younger siblings as their mothers set out in search of the precious commodity.

(LINK).

Chilean debate on desalination regulation takes shape – Chile

Chilean lawmakers are debating how to regulate the increasing number of desalination plants in the country, noting that there are no frameworks for their environmental assessment, use of maritime concessions and their position within the country’s overall water strategy.

A motion currently being reviewed by the senate’s water resources committee would declare desalinated water an asset for public use, prioritize it for human consumption, set requirements to request maritime concessions and establish a national strategy for the sector that would create incentives for technological innovation and development.

During the legislative discussion, senator Isabel Allende said that the bill could be improved, but that “we’re heading down the right path,” as it would create regulations “that don’t currently exist, which is the worst-case scenario.”

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Campaigners condemn plans for New Forest desalination plant – United Kingdom

Southern Water’s proposal for a £600m plant at Fawley to convert saltwater from the Solent into tap water during droughts has been formally opposed by the New Forest national park authority.

A separate petition against the plan, which the water company said it would enable it to extract less water from ecologically sensitive chalk streams such as the Test and the Itchen, has attracted several thousand signatures.

Residents objecting to the plant say that it is a “bizarre” and “expensive” solution for projected water shortages in southern England, with Britain’s total water supply forecast to drop by 7% by 2045.

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Drought-stricken Nelson Mandela Bay opts for desalination – South Africa

The decision was eagerly awaited in Nelson Mandela Bay. The municipal council of this town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa has approved the construction of a plant to transform sea water into drinking water.

The municipality’s choice comes in the context of a drought that is particularly affecting this part of South Africa.

This phenomenon, which is linked to climate change, is at the root of the water stress that the rainbow nation has been experiencing for several years.

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Solar revitalizes abandoned desalination plant in Spain – Spain

The Rambla Morales desalination plant near Almería, Spain, has been abandoned since 2011. However, it is now set to resume operations by fall 2022, according to a new document from Servicios Hídricos Agricultura y Ciudad SL, a subsidiary of Aqualia.

The project to restart the facility will provide 20 cubic hectometres of water per year to the surrounding area, which includes the municipalities of Almería and Níjar.

With this water, 3,000 hectares could be irrigated, which is the equivalent of 10% of the irrigable area of ​​the entire province of Almería, or 60% of the irrigable area of ​​Níjar.

(LINK).

Facing drought, Southern California has more reserve water than ever – California

The cracked and desiccated shoreline of Lake Mendocino made a telling backdrop for California Governor Gavin Newsom’s message at a news conference  last week: Drought conditions are here, and climate change makes the situation graver.

But water supplies vary across regions, which is why the governor limited a drought emergency declaration to just two northern counties.

In fact, highly urbanized Southern California has a record 3.2 million acre-feet of water in reserve, enough to quench the  population’s needs this year and into the next.

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NMB council approves construction of seawater desalination plant – South Africa

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s Council has approved the construction of a seawater desalination plant.

This decision was taken in a Special Council meeting held on Friday.

The decision paves the way for the city’s Infrastructure and Engineering Directorate to enter into a partnership with the Coega Development Corporation (CDC) to proceed with plans to fast track the project, considering the severity of the drought currently facing the city.

Poseidon wins key permit for desalination plant in Huntington Beach – California

Poseidon, which has been working on the project for 22 years, now needs a permit from the state Coastal Commission before it can negotiate a final contract with the Orange County Water District to buy the water.

And, in the wake of the regional board’s decision, there’s likely an additional obstacle, as opponents of the project said they plan to appeal.

Proponents view desalted ocean water as insurance against worsening droughts brought on by climate change and the possibility that Orange County might get less imported water from northern California and the Colorado River.

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Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Finds Way Out of Deficits in Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia

Hit hard by the Korean government’s ill-advised nuclear phase-out policy, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction (DHIC) has been desperate to make a turnaround. The company announced on April 28 that it managed to turn a profit in the first quarter on a rebound in overseas sales.

DHIC posted 4,004.7 trillion won in sales, 372.1 billion won in operating profit and 248.1 billion won in net profit in the first quarter on a consolidated basis.

Its sales rose slightly on year while operating profit and net profit soared by 315.6 billion won and 619.5 billion won, respectively.

(LINK).

Monterey venture moves a step closer to increasing area water supply – California

The 10 members of the board of Monterey One Water all voted to approve an environmental document called a supplemental environmental impact report, or SEIR, that advances closer to the expansion of its regional treatment plant.

Monterey One is the sewer treatment provider in northern Monterey County that has invested in proven technology that can purify wastewater to the degree it becomes drinkable.

It is then reintroduced into local groundwater. Typically people only use just 10% of their fresh water for drinking and cooking, according to research from Columbia University. The rest is flushed away. That’s some of the water Monterey One wants to capture.

(LINK).