WEEKLY WATER NEWS

DATASTREME WES SPRING BREAK WEEK: 6-10 March 2006

This is Break Week for the Spring 2006 offering of the DataStreme WES course. This Weekly Water News will contain new information items and historical data, but the Concept of the Week is repeated from Week 6.

Water in the News

(Fri.) Federal assistance sought for California levees -- One week ago California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency for the levees along the Sacramento River and Delta and requested federal aid from the US Homeland Security Secretary to prevent a Katrina-type flooding disaster in central California if some of these century-old structures would fail due to earthquake or major flooding. [ENN]
(Fri.) Report on pesticides in the nation's water supply -- Last Friday, the US Geological Survey released a report entitled "Pesticides in the Nation's Streams and Ground Water, 1992-2001" indicating that pesticides appear in many of the nation's streams and rivers at concentration levels that could affect aquatic life, but below levels that would significantly affect humans. This report, which was based on a 10-year study conducted with the US Environmental Protection Agency, states that pesticide levels were lower in ground water. [EurekAlert!]
(Fri.) Far away moons could have high-pressure ice forms -- Scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Kyushu University and the U.S. Geological Survey have been conducting low temperature "creep experiments" to study the flow characteristics of several high-pressure phases of water ice, concluding that these ice forms could be found on the large icy moons that orbit some of the outer planets such as Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. [EurekAlert!]
(Tues.) Massive freshwater flood could have resulted in climatic change -- Using a sophisticated atmosphere-ocean coupled computer model, scientists at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Columbia University have been able to replicate a reported abrupt climatic change that occurred approximately 8200 years ago by simulating the rapid flow of freshwater from the North American continent into the North Atlantic Ocean, thereby giving greater credence to the theory that oceanic circulation changes induced by the pulse of freshwater could result in widespread climatic change. [NASA Earth Observatory]
(Tues.) Nation's snow data resource center highlighted -- The various operations conducted by the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center located near Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN are described in this magazine article. [NOAA Magazine]
(Tues.) Debunking some of the myths about freshwater -- In anticipation of the upcoming fourth World Water Forum to be held this month in Mexico City, the director of the Global Freshwater Programme for WWF (formerly the World Wildlife Fund) wrote a commentary in which he addresses and answers three myths about freshwater that have developed. [ENN]
Loss of Antarctic ice noted -- Using data collected from the joint NASA and German GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) mission, scientists at the University of Colorado, Boulder have found that the mass of the Antarctic ice sheet decreased significantly between 2002 and 2005. The amount of ice lost would be equivalent to a rise in global sea level by about 0.05 inches. [NASA Earth Observatory]
Recent images of Earth systems taken from space -- NASA has recently posted images from:
- The ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) instrument onboard the NASA's orbiting Terra satellite shows the landslide that buried the town of Guinsaugon the Philippine island of Leyte last month with the loss of nearly 1000 people. [NASA Earth Observatory]
- The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite graphically depicts the effects of the torrential rains associated with Tropical Cyclone Emma that caused flooding in Western Australia last week. [NASA Earth Observatory]
- The MODIS instrument also captures a recent dust storm moving across the arid northern Africa. [NASA Earth Observatory]
- The Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) instrument on NASA's Landsat satellite showing the mountainous terrain, the glaciers and lakes found in Alberta's Banff National Park [NASA Earth Observatory]
- Photographs taken by astronauts onboard the International Space Station show the frozen alpine lakes in the Tibetan Plateau with an intricate ice block pattern, including a possible ice ridge. [NASA Earth Observatory]
Flooding in Paradise -- Torrential rain fell at the end of last week across the Hawaiian island of Oahu, resulting in flooding, debris slides and road closures. One location had received over 18 inches of rain in 48 hours. [USA Today]
Arizona drought becoming disastrous -- Water resource officials are warning that the dry winter experienced across the Southwest could result in a major drought across Arizona. Phoenix has not received any precipitation since last October and the mountains have had little snowpack. [USA Today]
Global and US Hazards/Climate Extremes -- A review and analysis of the global impacts of various weather-related events, including drought, floods, and storms during the current month. [NCDC]
Global Water News Watch -- Other water news sources can be obtained through the SAHRA Project at the University of Arizona [SAHRA Project]
Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

This Concept of the Week is a repeat from Week 6.

Concept of the Week: Bottled Water

During the 1990s, bottled water soared in popularity among Americans. Today, they spend more than $7 billion a year on bottled water. Although 120 to 7500 times more costly per gallon than tap water, the demand for bottled water (especially in individualized containers) continues to climb for several reasons including convenience, health concerns, and dissatisfaction with the quality and taste of municipal tap water. Furthermore, clever ad campaigns have been very successful at persuading consumers of the advantages of drinking bottled water.

Although enamored by bottled water, the U.S. consumer is confronted by a variety of different brands (more than 900), and a potentially confusing terminology on labels mostly having to do with the source of the water. According to the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), bottled water is defined as drinking water that is sugar-free, calorie-free, and contains no sweeteners or chemical additives other than small amounts of flavors or extracts. Bottled water may also have trace amounts of sodium. Beverages containing 1% or more by weight of flavors or extracts are classified as soft drinks. Soda water, seltzer water, and tonic water are considered soft drinks not bottled water because they may contain sugar and are not calorie-free.

About 75% of all bottled water comes from the subsurface. Bottled water from a well that taps a confined aquifer under hydrologic pressure is artesian water or artesian well water. Mineral water is groundwater that contains at least 250 parts per million (ppm) of dissolved solids from natural sources (i.e., dissolved bedrock, and sediment). Sparkling water contains dissolved carbon dioxide undiminished in concentration from its natural source. Spring water is groundwater that flows naturally to the surface of the Earth where an aquifer intercepts the ground. Well water is bottled water withdrawn from a hole drilled or bored into an aquifer. Collectively, all bottled water from subsurface sources is called natural water.

The quality of bottled water from the subsurface benefits from natural filtration as groundwater slowly seeps through permeable Earth materials. Nonetheless, in many cases bottlers employ additional purification steps such as applying ozone and/or ultraviolet light as disinfecting agents. Bottled water producers who use municipal sources (about 25% of the supply) typically (but not in all cases) reprocess the water for improved quality and taste through distillation, reverse osmosis, deionization, filtration, and/or ozonation. Labels on their products may include the terms purified water or distilled water. These same labels may include the statement "from a community water system," or "from a municipal source" meaning tap water.

While efforts at quality control of bottled water are designed to protect public health, a study by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) published in March 1999 raised some questions about whether enough is being done. The NRDC tested the quality of 1000 bottles of 103 brands of bottled water and found that not all the tested water was of high quality and some samples contained contaminants (http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/nbw.asp). Although the industry has strict standards and both federal and state governments regulate bottled water quality, the NRDC argues that existing regulations are not adequate. The NRDC recommends that the Food and Drug Administration set strict limits for contaminants in bottled water and that bottled water standards be at least as strict as those applicable to municipal (tap) water supplies.

Concept of the Week: Questions

By convention, bottled water is drinking water that is both sugar-free and calorie-free. [(True)(False)]
The source of most water in bottled water is [(subsurface)(surface)] reservoirs.

Historical Events

6 March 1898...An avalanche in the Glarnisch Mountains of Switzerland raced down a 44-degree slope at maximum speeds of over 200 mph. Upon reaching the valley floor, the avalanche continued part way up the opposite slope. (Accord's Weather Calendar)
7 March 1932...A severe coastal storm set barometric pressure records from Virginia to New England. Block Island, RI reported a barometric pressure reading of 955.0 millibars (28.20 inches of mercury). (David Ludlum)
7 March 1999...Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada's snowiest major city set a new record for a one-day snowfall of 45.7 inches, but prior to that date the winter's total had been a meager (for the city) 46 inches of snow. (The Weather Doctor)
8 March 1998...As much as 15 inches of rain fell across Coffee County in Alabama. Runoff breached an earthen levee on Beaver Dam Creek, sending a 6-ft wall of water into Elba. Four people were killed when vehicles were swept downstream. As many as 400 homes and businesses were damaged and 52 roads were either washed out or flooded. Total damage was $105 million. (Accord's Weather Calendar)
9 March 1956...A whopping 367 in. of snow was measured on the ground at the Rainier Paradise Ranger Station in Washington. The snow depth was a state record and the second highest total of record for the continental U.S. (The Weather Channel)
9 March 1987...Gale force winds ushered arctic air into the north central U.S. Some places were 50 degrees colder than the previous day. Northeast winds, gusting to 60 mph, produced 8 to 15 ft waves on Lake Michigan causing more than $1 million in damage along the southeastern shoreline of Wisconsin. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
9-13 March 1891...The Great Blizzard struck southern England and Wales with storm winds on the seas. As many as 220 people were reported dead; 65 ships foundered in the English Channel; 6000 sheep perished. Countless trees were uprooted and trains buried in snow. Up to a foot of snow and snowdrifts of 11.5 feet high were recorded at Dulwich, London, Torquay, Sidmouth, and Dartmouth. (The Weather Doctor)
9 March 2001...The rain-swollen Tisza River reached its highest level in 100 years peaking at 7.5 m (25 feet) in the village of Zahony, Hungary. Twenty villages were evacuated and more than 30,000 individuals fled their homes due to the flooding. (The Weather Doctor)
10 March 1869...Dust from African simooms (siroccos) resulted in a reddish-colored snow to fall in central France. People thought its color came from blood. A similarly colored snow fell on 13 February 1870, while a red colored rain fell on Isle-sur-Serein on 30 October 1926. (Accord's Weather Calendar)
11 March 1864...The Great Sheffield Flood, the largest human-caused disaster ever to befall England, killed over 250 people in Sheffield. (Wikipedia)
11 March 2002...The National Ice Center reported that satellite images indicated that an iceberg with an area larger than the state of Delaware had calved from the Thwaites Ice Tongue, a region of snow and glacial ice extending from the Antarctic mainland into the South Amundsen Sea (Accord's Weather Calendar)
12 March 1888...A blizzard paralyzed southeastern New York State and western New England. The storm produced 58 inches of snow at Saratoga NY, and 50 inches at Middletown CT. Record low temperatures followed the blizzard. The combination of cold and snow claimed 400 lives. New York City received 20.9 inches of snow and Albany NY reported 46.7 inches. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
12 March 1928...The large concrete St. Francis Dam in the San Francisquito Canyon of southern California near Los Angeles failed, killing more than 400 people. (Wikipedia)
12 March 1954...A blizzard raged from eastern Wyoming into the Black Hills of western South Dakota, while a severe ice storm was in progress from northeastern Nebraska to central Iowa. The ice storm isolated 153 towns in Iowa. Dust from the Great Plains caused brown snow, and hail and muddy rain over parts of Wisconsin and Michigan. (11th-13th) (The Weather Channel)
12 March 1967...A tremendous four-day storm raged across California. Winds of 90 mph closed mountain passes, heavy rains flooded the lowlands, and in sixty hours Squaw Valley, CA was buried under 96 inches (eight feet) of snow. (David Ludlum)
12 March 1988...A violent hailstorm struck Katmandu, Nepal during a soccer game at the national stadium. About 80 fans seeking shelter were trampled to death because of the stadium doors were locked. (Accord's Weather Calendar)