Waterworks Blog
Safety tips to make Halloween a little less scary for children (and their parents, too)
October 27, 2017It’s that time of year again, when little ghosts, goblins, monsters and other creatures will be roaming darkened streets. It’s a scary prospect – especially when you consider that children are more than twice as likely to get hit by a car around Halloween than at any other time of the year. With that in…
Islands in the stream are making it clean
October 22, 2017In the land-locked state of Iowa, there’s a whole new twist on island life: the city of Dubuque is installing floating islands in Bee Branch Creek. This isn’t a tourism gimmick: the city is using specially constructed mini-islands that remove excess nutrients from the water. What’s more, these islands — 14 of them — are…
On Oct. 12, Imagine a Day Without Water
October 11, 2017Can you even begin to imagine a day without water? That’s what we’d like you to do on Oct. 12: “Imagine a Day Without Water.” Not just your personal use of water – brushing your teeth, flushing your toilet, taking a shower – though those rituals are vital. Water is also essential to a functioning economy….
County has new, safer options for prescription drug disposal
September 21, 2017If you’ve been flushing unused medications down the toilet, it’s time to stop. Doing so in the past has led to widespread contamination of water supplies, because wastewater treatment plants were not designed to remove these compounds. Throwing drugs into the trash or leaving them in the medicine chest, though, is also problematic, because it can…
As Irma hits Florida, it’s a good time to ask: Are you prepared for an emergency?
September 10, 2017As Hurricane Irma tears into Florida, it seems like the perfect time to re-visit a subject we’ve written about several times in the past: emergency preparedness. With late summer and early fall comes hurricane season – and we’ve often felt the after-effects of coastal storms all the way up in the Lehigh Valley region. As…
12 projects selected to apply for WIFIA loans
August 27, 2017The nation’s water infrastructure got some great news in July: The Environmental Protection Agency chose 12 projects to apply for the first Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loans. You may recall that we wrote extensively about WIFIA, starting back in 2012. Former LCA general manager and chief financial officer, Aurel Arndt, testified before a…
How are you celebrating Water Quality Month?
August 19, 2017August is National Water Quality Month, a time to celebrate — and appreciate — the role that clean, drinkable water plays in our lives. We’ve compiled a list of 9 things that you can do show your appreciation for, and commitment to, clean water. But don’t just do them this month: Every month should be…
Toxic algae blooms, runoff, and robots
August 6, 2017The good news is that there’s a new ally in the fight against toxic algae: underwater robots.The bad news is that the algal blooms on Lake Erie “are expected to be worse than normal this year, well above the size at which they can potentially become harmful to aquatic life and even humans,” according to…
Clean waterways are healthy waterways
July 23, 2017We’re blessed with an abundance of waterways in the Lehigh Valley — ponds, lakes, rivers and streams all give us ample opportunity for swimming, boating, and fishing. Anglers are especially lucky, as the region boasts a number of high-quality trout streams. There are steps we can all take in order to keep these waterways healthy,…
Watering properly is key to healthy plants — and conservation
July 12, 2017We’ve been fortunate this summer — so far — with a fair amount of rain that’s been keeping lawns green and gardens growing. Still, there are times when plants need a little more than Mother Nature is providing. We’ve blogged many times about using rain barrels to help conserve water, but watering properly also helps…