Report shows vagaries of climate change
Climate change will lead to drought in some parts of the country and floods in other areas, according to a report by the Washington-based Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) released last month. In “Implications of Climate Change for Urban Water Utilities,” AMWA states the warming environment may lead to an acceleration of the hydrologic cycle of evaporation and precipitation, increased water contamination and damage to the ecosystem. In response, it recommends that local government officials perform vulnerability assessments on their water systems to determine immediate needs, reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and create regional plans to address the issue. The report is available at www.amwa.net/cs/climate-change, along with other resources for utility managers and policy makers.