Wastewater treatment plants may have to start testing for presence of PFAS “forever chemicals” in biosolids as early as next year, and those plants may be required to investigate upstream sources of the toxic substances, Colorado regulators say. State water quality officials also said Colorado’s PFAS grant program is also open to help communities test […]
Water
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Southwest states given more time to agree on water cuts to prevent largest reservoirs from reaching critically low levels
Despite giving states more time to negotiate, federal officials said some cuts were coming to parts of the Colorado River Basin
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Where does the water in Glenwood Canyon’s iconic Hanging Lake come from?
The U.S. Forest Service and a Missouri water-tracing company are trying to find the water source of the popular hiking destination
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South Adams County water district is buying Denver’s water to dilute “forever chemicals”
The South Adams County Water and Sanitation District, anchored by Commerce City, will be paying Denver Water $2.75 million this year for enough supply to dilute local well water tainted by PFAS “forever chemicals” from firefighting foam runoff, officials said Tuesday. The district serves 65,000 people, and said it needs a new $130 million treatment […]
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Las Vegas to cap size of home swimming pools to help ease pressure on Colorado River
By Ken Ritter, The Associated Press Limiting the size of new swimming pools in and around Las Vegas might save a drop in the proverbial bucket amid historic drought and climate change in the West. Officials are taking the plunge anyway, capping the size of new swimming pools at single-family residential homes to about the […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News, Water
Congress may extend program paying farmers, ranchers to use less water as Colorado River conservation pleas intensify
Colorado’s U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper is pushing legislation that aims to make federal funding available to pay farmers and ranchers to voluntarily use less water by leaving their fields temporarily fallow. The Hickenlooper bill, which has bipartisan support, passed the Senate Natural Resources Committee on Thursday. It still has to be approved by the full […]
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Upper Basin states layout plan to help the Colorado River, but still say Lower Basin needs to chip in more
Colorado is among four states that sent a letter Monday to the Bureau of Reclamation with a plan, but also maintained the Lower Basin would need to take significant action
Posted inEnvironment, Health, News, Water
New EPA guidelines on PFAS “forever chemicals” put Frisco far over drinking water limits
Drinking water in Frisco is tainted with dangerous levels of the PFAS “forever chemicals” from suspected firefighting foam runoff into nearby creeks, according to new EPA guidance that radically lowered safety levels and sent state officials in search of cities with similarly compromised water systems. More than 100 city and town water systems across the […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News, Water
Agriculture accounts for most of Colorado’s water use. How much water savings is possible on high-country hay meadows?
GRAND COUNTY — In the middle of 300 acres of picturesque hay meadows just north of Kremmling, not far from the headwaters of the Colorado River, a metal pillar surrounded by fencing rises 10 feet from the ground. It looks something like a miniature cellphone tower with various technical instruments and antennas jutting out at […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News, Water
Why researchers want to know about every single tree lining Denver’s High Line Canal
Saving 71 miles of the High Line Canal starts with the 48 inches between the spherical densiometer in Alissa Iverson’s hand and the catalpa tree fighting to take hold on the stream bank. A densiometer is as Harry Potter-like as it sounds, using mirror reflections to estimate the amount of sunlight received by a newly […]