Interactive Texas Water Maps and Lawn Painting: Water News Summary 9/14/12

Keep track of current reservoir levels in Texas

• The Texas Tribune has created two really awesome interactive maps to help you track the current water situation in Texas: Texas Public Water System Shortages and Texas Reservoir Levels
• Can covering reservoirs with layer of vegetable oil be the saving grace of parched communities by reducing evaporation?
• More wasted water: 1/4 of all water used worldwide is taken to grow over 1 billion tons of food that nobody eats.
• Coca-Cola reduced water use by 35% with the development of a beverage process water recovery system to reuse water for bottle washing.
• Just what we need, people spending longer in the shower, wasting water… new design concept for a shower that allows you to surf the web.
• Lawn painting services sprout up across the US as drought continues. I think this is the definition of an unsustainable, make-your-money-now business.
• University of Penn study: Urban gardens found to reduce gun crime, neighbors feel safer and maybe more eyes on the streets.
• Graywater Reuse not as popular in Oregon as originally thought. Oregon DEQ has only issued 4 permits since April 2012.
• Great infographic about the ever-increasing investment needs of the US water infrastructure issues.
• Presentation on drought and Texas water planning by Todd Votteler, Ph.D. of the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority at the Texas Alliance Of Groundwater Districts Summit.
• New Braunfels Utility (Texas) reports water use dropped 4 million gallons per day under Stage 3 restrictions after just one week of restrictions.
• Mixed messages sent to Austin water customers: Critics see leaks in Austin’s shifting summer watering schedule.

Video of the Week: How the Edwards Aquifer Works

The Edwards Aquifer Authority presents a 3D model of the Edwards Aquifer to demonstrate how it works, how pollution can infiltrate it, and why it is important to 1.7 million people in south central Texas. The information is presented by Brent Doty, Senior Education Coordinator for the Authority.