REPORT SAYS SOUTHWEST’S DROUGHT IS NORMAL, AND WILL CONTINUE
A group of scientists from the Southwest compiled all of the research regarding the drought in the region into one report and presented their finding in Las Vegas, and the report says that the region’s drought isn’t unusual and is expected to continue, so people need to prepare to deal with increased strains on water supplies. New York Times; Feb. 22
COLORADO RIVER USERS NEED TO PREPARE FOR A DROUGHT
A recent report says despite successful conservation efforts, the Colorado River won’t be able to provide adequate water at current use levels for the seven states that rely on it, especially since the drought is expected to continue, but since the states have already proven they can work together, they should be able to balance limited water and seemingly unlimited growth. Christian Science Monitor; Feb. 28
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COLORADO MAN WANTS TO BUILD HIS HOME IN THE PATH OF AVALANCHES
A Colorado man who owns five acres at the bottom of an avalanche chute wants to build a house there, but state officials won’t let him because they regularly blast the area to set off controlled slides, but the man counters that he has a right to build on his property and is wiling to cooperate with officials regarding the avalanches. Denver Post; Feb. 5
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COLORADO TOWN PROPOSES RIVER EDUCATION CENTER
The Roaring Fork Conservancy is holding a public meeting this week to collect ideas for its plan to invest $400,000 in a river education center. Aspen Times; Feb. 5
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COLORADO COUNTY PLEDGES FUNDS FOR WHITEWATER PARK
Backers of a whitewater park proposed for Glenwood Springs had asked Garfield County Commissioners for $200,000, but the Colorado county commission decided on $100,000 for the effort and attached the condition that Glenwood Springs carry all the liability for the project. Aspen Times; Feb. 21
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MEDIATOR TO STEP INTO DENVER, WEST SLOPE WATER TALKS
Denver Water and a coalition of Western Slope water users will split the cost of hiring a Washington, D.C., mediator to help them solve some long-standing conflicts between the state’s largest water user and its suppliers. Denver Post; Feb. 7
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COLORADO ROUNDTABLE QUESTIONS OIL SHALE’S IMPACT ON WATER
The Colorado River Basin Roundtable wants to know just how much water oil-shale development will consume, and one estimate says that Colorado’s 400,000 acre-feet of water per year that it has available under interstate water agreements could be entirely consumed by oil-shale operations. Grand Junction Sentinel; Feb. 27
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COLORADO: RIDGES BASIN DAM 75 PERCENT COMPLETE
Ridges Basin Dam, which started as a hole in the ground in 2003, stood 165 feet high Tuesday 85 The dam, which will top out about 110 feet higher, will create a 120,000-acre-foot reservoir, named Lake Nighthorse in honor of former U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Ignacio. Durango Herald, 2/21
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COLORADO CITY, FARMERS HEAD TO COURT OVER WATER SUPPLY
Water attorneys for Boulder and South Platte River farmers will meet in water court to present their cases regarding wells in Boulder that pull water from the water table that supplies the South Platte River; the decades-long battle is over who has the senior rights to that water. Boulder Daily Camera; Feb. 5
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FARMERS’ LOSS OF WELL WATER WILL RIPPLE ACROSS COLORADO COMMUNITIES
Front Range cities hold senior water rights over many farmers and irrigators in Colorado, and as those cities grow, many farmers who once relied on pumping water from wells will have to give up that water, which will likely force them to give up their farms and that will have implications across rural communities. Denver Post; Feb. 11
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N. COLORADO FARMERS LOSE FIRST ROUND IN WATER FIGHT
A hearing officer for the Colorado groundwater commission ruled against 300 farmers in northern Colorado, and said the farmers failed to prove that groundwater wells used to irrigate crops had no impact on South Platte River flows. Denver Post; Feb. 20
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COLORADO LAWMAKERS WANT TO PROVIDE FUND TO FIGHT TAMARISK
Colorado lawmakers have introduced a bill to provide $1 million in Department of Natural Resources severance tax funds to be divvied between local communities to help eradicate tamarisk trees in local watersheds. Grand Junction Sentinel; Feb. 14
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DAMS COULD CONTRIBUTE TO CLIMATE CHANGE
Dams may contribute to global warming instead of being the clean energy source many have long thought, the Los Angeles Times reported. ScienceDaily, 2/16
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JUDGE SAYS NEW MEXICO STATE LAND DOESN’T INCLUDE WATER RIGHTS
A New Mexico state judge ruled that trust lands managed by the state Land Office do not have water rights attached to them, which is what the State Engineer’s Office had previously said. Santa Fe New Mexican (AP); Feb. 22
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N.M. COUNTY’S WATER PLANS DRAW PROTEST
Santa Fe County’s plan to transfer water rights from 19 possible groundwater well sites drew protests from a number of residents of the New Mexico County, who said they were concerned about how the county’s plan would affect their water supplies. Santa Fe New Mexican; Feb. 16
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N.M. ENTITIES SHOULD REACH A SETTLEMENT ON WATER
Fighting over water in New Mexico is as inevitable as the sun coming up in the morning, and the latest fight with Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority and Rio Rancho on one side against a private company that supplies water to Paradise Hills should be resolved through mediation, because at the end of the day water is a vital public resource that needs to be under public jurisdiction. Albuquerque Tribune; Feb. 4
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N.M. WATER UTILITY TAKES GIANT STEP TOWARD CONSERVATION GOAL
The Albuquerque-Bernalillo County water utility is the largest in New Mexico, and under a state permit it must reduce its per-person water consumption to 155 gallons daily by 2024, and utility officials released a report Thursday that per-person consumption levels were at 165 gallons, a 35 percent decrease since 1994. Albuquerque Journal; Feb. 9
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MORE WATER TO IRRIGATE THIS YEAR
DoF1a Ana County farmers will have access to more irrigation water than last year, thanks to storage levels in Elephant Butte Reservoir85 an allotment of 18 acre-inches per acre for the start of the irrigation season 97 4 acre-inches more than all of last season. Las Cruces Sun-News, 2/15
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NM SNOWPACK FORECAST TO PRODUCE STRONG RUNOFF
An official with the Natural Resource Conservation Service says this year’s snowpack is 311 percent greater than last years and should produce a healthy spring runoff 85 Almost every reservoir in northern New Mexico is filled above average 97 some with nearly 60 percent more water. KOB-TV Albuquerque, 2/13
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UTAH FARMERS UP A CREEK WITHOUT AN IRRIGATION DAM
Despite federal and state funding to rebuild a diversion dam wiped out by last fall’s floodwaters, farmers around Hanksville said there’s no way the dam can be rebuilt soon enough to provide them with water they will need next month. Salt Lake Tribune; Feb. 15
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WHIRLING DISEASE THREATENS UTAH’S MOST PRIZED FISHERY
Strawberry Reservoir boasts more than 500,000 angler days per year, and now that whirling disease has been found in the Duchesne River, Utah wildlife officials are concerned the disease could move into the reservoir. Salt Lake Tribune; Feb. 27
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UTAH LAWMAKERS TELL NEVADA: NO WATER UNTIL MORE STUDIES ARE DONE
With the support of several business and community leaders, Utah lawmakers passed a non-binding resolution to not provide any groundwater to a proposed Nevada development until more studies on the effects of pumping that water are completed, but some worry the resolution may not mean much. A House lawmaker proposed legislation that would require the governor to comply with that resolution. Salt Lake Tribune; Feb. 13
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NEVADA WATER AUTHORITY CURBS COUNTY-DEVELOPER WATER DEAL
The Nevada state engineer reduced the amount of water that the Lincoln County Water District and Vidler Water Co. could sell to Harvey Whittemore for his gigantic subdivision north of Las Vegas from 5,000 acre feet to 1,000 acre feet because the proposed plan mined too much water. Reno Gazette-Journal; Feb. 9
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NEVADA WATER OFFICIAL WARNS LEGISLATORS TIME RUNNING OUT ON PLAN
Pat Mulroy, the general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, told Nevada lawmakers that they need to act to help her agency seal the deal on importing water from a rural county 250 miles north of Las Vegas, but an assemblyman from that area said the region is taking the right position to protect its water supply. Las Vegas Review-Journal; Feb. 22
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NEVADA LAWMAKER WANTS TO CREATE REGIONAL WATER BOARDS
A Nevada state senator wants to create a regional water board comprised of the same local elected officials who are responsible for planning for growth so that water issues can be better coordinated and so that water issues are decided locally. Reno Gazette-Journal; Feb. 14
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NEVADA COUNTY LEADERS SUPPORT WATER COMMISSION, WITH CAVEATS
The Washoe County commissioners said they support the idea of a regional water commission, but stipulated that the commission should not be able to levy taxes without a public vote and wants the rights of domestic well owners protected. Reno Gazette-Journal; Feb. 21
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RENO WORKS OUT DEAL TO PROVIDE WATER FOR TRUCKEE RIVER
The Reno City Council approved a plan to provide the Truckee River with an additional 6,700 acre-feet of water in exchange for 39,500 acre-feet of water storage for use in drought years as part of the ongoing Truckee River Operating Agreement; other counties also have to approve the measure. Reno Gazette-Journal; Feb. 15
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RURAL OFFICIALS ASK FOR POWER
Rural Arizona officials told state lawmakers that they need more authority to stop housing developments from being built without adequate water supplies. Kingman Daily Miner, 2/9
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DESALINATION MUST BE DONE RIGHT FOR ALL
OPINION: If the 90-day test run at the Yuma plant succeeds, the result could amplify Arizona’s water supplies from the Colorado River while continuing to provide the critical trickle to the priceless CiE9nega de Santa Clara wetland in Mexico. But if the CiE9nega suffers, this experiment should be immediately abandoned. Tucson Citizen, 2/12
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CA AQUEDUCT IN DANGER OF SALTWATER CONTAMINATION
There is a possible major crisis brewing with Southern California’s water 85 The fragility of levies was demonstrated during the Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans. The Delta contains 1,100 miles of levies, which could lead to intrusion of seawater if one fails. Best Syndication, 2/15
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UTILITY SAYS IT WILL SPEND THE MONEY TO KEEP KLAMATH DAMS IN PLACE
PacifiCorp officials said that removal of dams on the Klamath River was still an option, but officials of the Portland-based utility that serves 1.6 million customers in six Western states said it needed the power generated by those dams and would be willing to spend $300 million to build fish ladders and other devices to get salmon over the dams rather than remove the dams. Casper Star-Tribune (AP); Feb. 8
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PROPOSED CHANGES TO WYOMING WATER LAW DRAW MIXED COMMENTS
The Wyoming Environmental Quality Council is considering changes proposed by the Department of Environmental Quality to guidelines for discharge water permits, and at a public hearing on those changes, some said the new rules would be too strict while others said they’d be too lenient and that they would hobble the coalbed-methane industry or ruin the ranching industry. Casper Star-Tribune; Feb. 16
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WYOMING WORKS TO FIND USES FOR COALBED METHANE DISCHARGE WATER
The amount of water produced by coalbed methane drilling operations is increasing, and Wyoming Pipeline Project officials are working with energy companies to find a way to put the hundreds of millions of gallons of water to beneficial use. Casper Star-Tribune; Feb. 21
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DROUGHT FUELS MONTANA-WYOMING DISPUTE OVER RIVER WATER
Drought has depleted the Bighorn Reservoir, shrinking the recreation area in Wyoming by up to 30 miles, but downstream, Montana Sen. Max Baucus wants to ensure that water flows out of the dam to provide water for a trout fishery that brings in millions of tourist dollars to Montana. Billings Gazette (AP); Feb. 6
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MONTANA LEGISLATORS WRANGLE WITH GROUNDWATER PERMIT LAWS
The Montana Supreme Court issued a decision last spring that ruled that many rivers and streams in the state depend on groundwater for some of their flows, and lawmakers are now trying to create a process by which new groundwater wells can be allowed in drainages where all water rights have already been assigned. NewWest.net; Feb. 10
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MONTANA SENATE APPROVES STREAM-ACCESS BILL
Six Republicans joined Democratic lawmakers in the Montana Senate to pass a stream-access bill that grants the public access to streams and waterways at county road bridge right-of-ways, and backers said that if the House doesn’t approve it, they’ll head to court, while some ranchers say it hurts them because it forces them to ensure fences don’t block access. Missoulian; Feb. 11
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SECOND STREAM-ACCESS BILL IN MONTANA TAKES A DIFFERENT ROUTE
The stream-access bill presented by Montana Rep. Mike Milburn, R-Cascade, is decidedly different from the bill passed by the Senate in that Milburn’s measure places the responsibility for assuring public access to streams and rivers on the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, requiring agency officials to work with landowners to assure public access through the Fishing Access Enhancement Program. NewWest.net; Feb. 21
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STREAM SETBACK BILL IN MONTANA DRAWS IRE FROM REALTORS
The Montana Legislature is considering a bill that would require a 250-foot setback from 47 of the state’s larger rivers and 150 feet on smaller streams as a way to protect water quality and houses as river channels shift and flood, but some Realtors say that the setbacks should be done at the county level, which would provide homeowners a chance to challenge. Missoulian; Feb. 6
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BIPARTISAN SUPPORT BUOYS RURAL WATER BILL IN MONTANA HOUSE
A bipartisan group of Montana House lawmakers have spoken in support of appropriating $17.5 million to fund rural water projects across the state. Great Falls Tribune; Feb. 27
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IDAHO LAWMAKERS GET A PEEK AT AQUIFER PLAN
Idaho lawmakers will get a first look at seven proposals on how to manage the depleted Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer. Idaho Statesman (AP); Feb. 20
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IDAHO BEGINS WORK ON OBTAINING WATER RIGHTS
Just days after submitting a state aquifer-management plan to the Idaho Legislature, the Idaho Water Resource Board announced it is interested in meeting with those who hold senior water rights near Hagerman to talk about obtaining those rights, a key component of the state plan. Twin Falls Times-News; Feb. 21
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IDAHO FARMERS, RANCHERS VOTE TO FORM GROUNDWATER DISTRICT
Seventy farmers and ranchers in the Raft River Valley in southern Idaho voted to approve the creation of a groundwater district to give them more bargaining power on water issues. Idaho Statesman (South Idaho Press); Feb. 21
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IDAHO RIVER RUNNERS WILL SEE DELAY IN RETURNED PERMIT APPLICATIONS
River runners waiting to hear whether they received a permit to float one of four rivers in Idaho will have to wait until at least mid March, a month later than normal, because this year is the first in which the Forest Service has outsourced the process, and even Forest Service officials don’t have any information on how the process is proceeding. Idaho Statesman; Feb. 28
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LUBBOCK: BOOSTING CITY WATER SUPPLY ESSENTIAL
City planners already are preparing a new surface water project to be built in the next 20 to 30 years. According to city documents, Lubbock’s next lake project 85 could supply up to 50 percent more water than reliably can be tapped from Lake Alan Henry. LubbockOnline.com, 2/7
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TEXAS WATER BILL AIMS TO MEET NEEDS OF STATE’S GROWING POPULATION
An omnibus water bill filed Thursday would force water utilities to conserve more, provide science-based flows for rivers, designate 17 sites for potential reservoirs and require those who deal in water rights to register and report their transactions. San Antonio Express-News
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STUDY: AN ENDANGERED FISH SPECIES RECOVERS
Scientists say for the first time in U.S. and probably global history a fish identified as endangered has been shown to have recovered. The population of shortnose sturgeon has increased by more than 400 percent in the Hudson River since the 1970s 85 ScienceDaily, 2/8
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DWINDLING WATER SUPPLIES HAVE ALBERTA OFFICIALS WORKING ON A PLAN
Too many people have already been given a share of the water supply in southern Alberta, and as the population increases and demand ratchets up, Alberta officials are contemplating a plan that makes everyone pay for their water. Calgary Herald; Feb. 5
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THIRSTY CHINA SETS AMBITIOUS WATER-SAVING GOAL
Beijing has set an ambitious plan to cut the amount of water it uses to generate each dollar of national income by 20 percent by the end of the decade. Reuters, 2/14
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METHOD TO RID WATER OF HORMONES ADVANCES
U.S. firm Shine Holdings said Friday 85 its process uses an ultra high-efficiency ozone process to remove so-called endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), waterborne hormones and other compounds from the water supply. UPI, 2/9
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CLOSING THE PHOSPORUS LOOP
A developing green technology removes phosphorus from wastewater streams, yielding phosphate rocks that can be reused in the phosphate and fertilizer industries. ES&T, 2/7
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DOE SAYS UTAH CLEANUP WILL TAKE A DECADE LONGER THAN PLANNED
U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, was taken by surprise by the Department of Energy’s new proposed completion date for removal of 16 tons of uranium mill tailings from a pile near the Colorado River, north of Moab, to a location near Grand Junction, Colo. Deseret News; Feb. 9
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WYOMING COMMISSION SENDS CBM WATER RULES TO GOVERNOR
Gov. Dave Freudenthal must approve changes approved by a divided Environmental Quality Council that give Wyoming landowners more say on whether water from coalbed methane drilling operations can be released on to their land. Casper Star-Tribune (AP); Feb. 19
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MONTANA FARMER SAYS CBM WATER DESTROYING HIS FIELDS
A Miles City farmer’s complaints that discharge water from coalbed methane operations in Montana ruined his alfalfa fields has cost him a few friends, who said the economic benefit of developing the state’s coalbed methane resources outweighs any problems caused by the sodium-laced discharge water. Missoulian (AP); Feb. 21
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EPA DELEGATES CLEAN WATER ACT AUTHORITY TO NEVADA PAIUTE TRIBE
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced its approval of an application by the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, located outside Reno, Nev., to administer federal Clean Water Act programs on tribal lands. NewsBlaze, 2/8
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AMERICANS PAY MILLIONS TO CLEAN MEXICAN SEWAGE
The President’s proposed 2008 budget includes nearly $72 million to rid U.S. beaches of the Mexican sewage that for decades has infested them even though the government already has a contract with a politically connected company to do the work. Judicial Watch, 2/7
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MONTANA CITY FACES $260-MILLION WATER PLANT UPGRADE
Billings officials received a 476-page report that held the details of a $260-million upgrade to the Montana city’s water and wastewater systems, but the report did not address how the city would come up with the cash over the next 10 years to pay for the upgrades. Billings Gazette; Feb. 18
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COLUMBIA RIVER’S TOXIC BREW SPURS FEDERAL ACTION
Experts say it’s tough to tell exactly where contaminants such as DDT, PCB and PAH are entering the Columbia River 85 they’ve been outlawed for decades. Yet, year after year, these pollutants show up on sediment tests. Daily Astorian, 2/6
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GIVE TRUTH ABOUT TOXICS
EDITORIAL: Americans will know less about toxic chemicals in their communities because the Bush administration has relaxed a reporting requirement for polluters. Congress needs to undo this damage to public health and the right to know. KRT Wire, 2/21
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300 MILLION AFRICANS LACK CLEAN WATER
300 million people in Africa do not have access to clean water and in West Africa more than 80 percent of diseases are water related. This was made known at a two-day Water and Culture Subrregional symposium held in Accra. Heritage – Ghana, 2/22
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‘BLUE REVOLUTION’ SEEKS POTABLE WATER FOR 2 BILLION
WaterHealth International, a company which makes clean water technology for low-income, rural communities, has announced the launching of its Blue Revolution campaign, which aims to provide potable water to 2 billion people by 2015. Daily India, 2/9
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