The News Review:

- Rains bring enough water for 15 days
- WB loan to make water costlier
- New York Mayor Unveils Multi-Billion Dollar Green City Plan
- Expensive water

Rains bring enough water for 15 days
Hindu – Apr 23, 2007
Venkatraju said that till the water level reached 12 feet, the BWSSB would continue to draw about 35 million litres per day. “If it goes below 12 feet, we will reduce pumping to about 25 million litres per day,” he said. But the water supply in the city will not be affected. West, North and areas in the north-eastern parts of the city receive water from the reservoir. These areas include Chandra Layout, Vijaynagar, Subramanyanagar, Srirampura, Nagappa Block, Gayathringar, Malleswaram, R. Nagar, Sanjay Nagar, Muthyala Nagar, D.

WB loan to make water costlier
Hindu – Apr 23, 2007
Rajeev Rural folk will have to pay user charges Residents of rural areas will have to shell out user charges and provide for schemes’ maintenance and operation too Residents will have to provide for operations, maintenance too Rural water schemes are heavily dependent on State subsidies HYDERABAD: Drinking water through Rural Water Supply schemes is likely to become costly if the proposals made by the State Government for obtaining the $150 million loan from the World Bank, are any indication. The loan, meant for strengthening the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS), entails not only levy of user charges but also full recovery of the operation and maintenance costs of the schemes from the users. This means that the residents of rural areas would not only have to pay for the water they consume, but also contribute to capital costs of the schemes through which they secure water. Quoting the Government’s RWSS Vision and Policy note issued last year, the World Bank said, in its document, that the responsibility of rural water schemes including their operations would be entrusted to Panchayat Raj institutions. The role of Panchayat Raj Engineering Department, which operates the schemes now would be restricted to that of a technical assistance provider…
Rajeev Rural folk will have to pay user charges Residents of rural areas will have to shell out user charges and provide for schemes’ maintenance and operation too Residents will have to provide for operations, maintenance too Rural water schemes are heavily dependent on State subsidies HYDERABAD: Drinking water through Rural Water Supply schemes is likely to become costly if the proposals made by the State Government for obtaining the $150 million loan from the World Bank, are any indication. The loan, meant for strengthening the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS), entails not only levy of user charges but also full recovery of the operation and maintenance costs of the schemes from the users. This means that the residents of rural areas would not only have to pay for the water they consume, but also contribute to capital costs of the schemes through which they secure water. Quoting the Government’s RWSS Vision and Policy note issued last year, the World Bank said, in its document, that the responsibility of rural water schemes including their operations would be entrusted to Panchayat Raj institutions. The role of Panchayat Raj Engineering Department, which operates the schemes now would be restricted to that of a technical assistance provider. Fund shortage Rural water schemes at present were heavily dependent on subsidies provided by the Government.

New York Mayor Unveils Multi-Billion Dollar Green City Plan
Environment News Service – Apr 23, 2007
“The fact is, the emerging consensus among scientists is that, to avoid serious harm, we must reduce our emissions by 60 to 80 percent by 2050. To start planning for the sea-level rise that melting glaciers and ice sheets are expected to bring, the mayor of this low-lying city proposes to create an interagency task force. The new body would “protect our citys vital infrastructure and expand our adaptation strategies beyond the protection of our water supply, sewer, and wastewater treatment systems to include all essential city infrastructure,” the mayor said. The plan calls for a citywide strategic planning process for climate change adaptation. The mayor would work with costal neighborhoods to develop site-specific protection strategies by creating a community planning process. The city would document all floodplain management strategies to secure discounted flood insurance for New Yorkers, and create a strategic planning process for climate change adaptation that will ensure that New York’s Federal Emergency Management Administration 100-year floodplain maps are updated. The city would also amend the building code to address the impacts of climate change…
Thats the good news. But the system is showing its age, with some parts more than a century old. And as development upstate continues our water supply system will require new investments. “New York is fortunate to have not only a vast supply of fresh water, but also a wealth of rivers, creeks and coastal waters. From time immemorial, they nurtured an incredible diversity of marine life, but for too long, the city polluted these waters and as our population grew, that contamination increased. We can change that,” said Mayor Bloomberg.

Expensive water
NEWS.com.au – Apr 23, 2007
"The cost of the physical tank itself might account for as little as 30 per cent of the whole-of-life cost if the tank is plumbed for both indoor and outdoor use," it says. However, the study found price efficiency was not the only driver for households. It found the cost of installing a water tank might be offset by savings to the public water supply and by environmental benefits for urban rivers and streams. Other reasons given included avoidance of water restrictions and a desire to improve the water’s taste. The group says while rebates are widely available, in most cases the amounts do not meet the full financial shortfall. "The fact that many households are actually installing tanks regardless of the rebate, demonstrates either that tanks are still economic under specific circumstances or that property owners value the tank more highly than the financial loss they will sustain. "A previous study by the same consultants found rainwater tanks were more energy efficient than desalination plants.