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April 17, 2020 / Volume 8, Issue 15
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WRRC Office Update
Although the WRRC building will be closed to the public until further notice, our staff continue to work and engage as much as possible. You can reach us via email as listed on our
Directory. We wish you all the best - Stay safe and healthy!
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More on COVID-19 in Water - Spas, Pools,
and Hot Tubs
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Questions continue to arise on COVID-19 and water--specifically can the virus be spread through contact with water in various forms? To date, there are no known avenues for COVID-19 to infect humans through water. The Weekly Wave has already addressed the safety of drinking water and wastewater. Additional questions concern pools, spas, and hot tubs. Generally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has seen no evidence that COVID-19 can survive in water. In addition, disinfectants commonly used in pools, spas, and hot tubs, such as chlorine and bromine, have been shown to inactivate the virus. Safety dictates that the pool or hot tub should be properly maintained with the correct amount of disinfectant. Some people have asked if soaking in a spa or hot tub might inactivate the virus on human skin. There is no authoritative opinion on the subject; however, the virus may live for up to several days on the exposed surfaces of a pool or spa, so they should not be shared with infected or potentially infected people. Next week - cooling towers and plumbing.
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Brown Bag Webinar Only - Tucson Water Turnaround: Crisis to Success
April 29, 2020 / 12:00pm to 1:15pm
Presenter: Marie S. Pearthree, Former Deputy General Manager, Central Arizona Project
Location: Webinar
A corrosive-water debacle in Tucson preceded the lead contamination issues in Flint, MI by over two decades. In 1992, Tucson Water began delivery of Colorado River water from the Central Arizona Project (CAP). Putting treated CAP water into the existing groundwater distribution system caused a devastating corrosion problem that resulted in broken pipes and rusty water flowing from customer taps.
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Brown Bag Webinar Only -
Developing Pathways to Solutions to Wicked Water Problems
May 6, 2020 / 12:00pm to 1:15pm
Presenter:
Sharon B. Megdal
, Director, University of Arizona, Water Resources Research Center
Location: Webinar
Many regions across the globe face what are called wicked water problems, which are complex challenges that are too big for readily identifiable and/or "standard" solutions. The reasons for this are many and can relate to underlying societal or political issues and differing viewpoints as to the causes and/or potential pathways to mitigating the challenges. It is often stated that the obstacles to addressing wicked water problems may be related to public acceptance rather than technological or economic factors. Identifying and implementing pathways to solving big water challenges often require interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches; the involvement of stakeholders is extremely important. This seminar will focus on the similar but distinct wicked water issues faced in our region and the Middle East and approaches taken to solve them.
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 Brown Bag Webinars 2015-2020 Archived on Our Website
The WRRC's Brown Bag seminars have included remote listeners for more than a decade through live webcasts. Since 2015 the Center has been archiving the webinars and sharing the videos and PowerPoint presentations on our website. The archive includes presentations from local, state, and international water experts.
If you would like to be notified when we have new webinars, sign up for our
Weekly Wave e-News digest.
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$650 Million Pumping Station at Lake Mead to Secure Las Vegas Supply
Completed on time, and under budget; The Southern Nevada Water Authority, along with contractor Barnard of Nevada, Inc. finished the third water pumping station at Lake Mead, enabling Las Vegas to access to Colorado River water even if lake levels drop below 1000 feet. The station consists of 34 submersible pumps located in six-foot-wide shafts that extend 500 feet down to a 12,500-square-foot underground cavern. The station's water intake
, which is located at the 860-foot elevation mark, was characterized by SNWA General Manager John Entsminger as "a critical
component of our infrastructure network that enables us to continue delivering drinking water to our community well into the future."
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Digging Deep in to Dam Construction
In June, APW educators will deliver the Colorado River Watershed Teacher Academy online through a combination of direct live instruction, small group discussions, video, recorded PowerPoint presentations, reading assignments, and some self-directed activities. APW will focus on Glen Canyon Dam's construction in the context of the massive seven-state Colorado River management system. In the meantime, thanks to a recently published article in the Arizona Daily Star, we have a chance to dig a little deeper into the subject right now.
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State of the Science Report on the Colorado River Basin - Now Available
With headwaters in Colorado and Wyoming, and eventually flowing across the international border into Mexico, the Colorado River and its tributaries provide critical water supply to nearly 40 million people and over 5 million acres of agricultural lands. A new on-line resource, Colorado River Basin Climate and Hydrology: State of the Science, which integrates nearly 800 peer-reviewed studies, agency reports, and other sources, was recently released by Western Water Assessment (WWA). WWA leads, Jeff Lukas and Liz Payton, produced the report with support and guidance from more than a dozen federal, state and local water agencies. It begins with an overview of the Colorado River Basin climate and hydrology, asking how
the climate and hydrology of the basin vary over space and time, and what are the recent trends and their causes. The report goes on to explore climate data models and forecasts, planning tools, paleohydrology, and historical hydrology to create understanding of the physical setting of the basin, which underpins management of Colorado River water resources.
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Coworker of
This week's coworker shares a workspace with WRRC
Director Sharon B. Megdal
. Meet Austin! He's a pure mixed-breed dog. Austin enjoys being loyal, leaping to great heights, and relaxing. He doggedly helps make Dr. Megdal's home office more enjoyable.
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