The News Review:

- California county turns to sewer water to increase drinking supplies
- State supply brings woes
- Mammoth Beijing canal to be completed this year
- CCEA clears Rs 817 cr water supply project for Hyderabad

California county turns to sewer water to increase drinking supplies
International Herald Tribune – Nov 27, 2007
Recycled water, also called reclaimed or gray water, has been used for decades in agriculture, landscaping and by industrial plants. And for years, treated sewage, known as effluent, has been discharged into oceans and rivers, including the Mississippi and the Colorado, which supply drinking water for millions. But only about a dozen water agencies in the United States, and several more in other countries, recycle treated sewage to replenish drinking water supplies, though none here steer the water directly into household taps. They typically spray or inject the water into the ground and allow it to percolate down to aquifers. Namibia's capital, Windhoek, among the most arid places in Africa, is believed to be the only place in the world that practices “direct potable reuse” on a large scale, with recycled water going directly into the tap water distribution system, said James Crook, a water industry consultant who has studied the issue. The projects are costly and often face health concerns from opponents. Such was the case on Nov.

State supply brings woes
Edmond Sun – Nov 27, 2007
The state’s water wealth, experts warn, could become a mirage. State officials say growing population and increased demand could bring more water problems and dry wells in the future. “We are beginning to see the limits of the water resources that the state has,” said Miles Tolbert, state secretary of the environment. “So the challenge then for Oklahoma is try to decide what kind of century this is going to be. ”Oklahoma’s problem is complex. Sustainability is a concern, especially for those who draw water from depleted underground aquifers. However, some parts of the state rely upon abundant lakes and reservoirs — water that is coveted by others…
The case is pending. Authors of the state’s water plan set out to have 42 meetings to discuss local and regional water supplies with the public. They plan to inventory the state’s water supplies and size up the needs of local and regional water districts. The water planners say they will tackle the complications surrounding Oklahoma’s water supply — balancing areas of scarcity and abundance, addressing quality concerns, deciding which projects are necessary. It is a process that will affect the way water flows throughout the state. CAROL COLE-FROWE writes for The Norman Transcript. The DetailsWater PuzzleOklahoma has been trying to figure out how its boom-and-bust water supply can hold up amid years of predicted population growth and increased demand.

Mammoth Beijing canal to be completed this year
Stuff.co.nz – Nov 27, 2007
The canal, linking Shijiazhuang in neighbouring Hebei province to the capital, would divert 300-500 million cubic metres of water from four Hebei reservoirs next year, the newspaper said, citing project officials. 4 billion yuan ($NZ3. 12 billion) aqueduct, eventually to be criss-crossed by 118 road bridges, was needed to guarantee supplies to the drought-stricken capital where reservoirs had dried up and water tables sunk dramatically, the paper said…
The quest to ensure the Hebei reservoirs remained flush for the Olympics had seen adjoining fishing lakes drained and local farmers ordered to stop sowing crops, the paper said. "Before, 80 percent of the village's residents farmed fish and 10 percent worked in other places. Now, given the difficulty of sowing crops for Beijing's water supply, 90 percent of the labour force have left to work in other places," said Chen Erguo, chief of Zhengjiazhuang village. The newspaper said heritage experts were worried that time was running out to save relics along the route of the pipeline. Funding and time constraints meant few construction areas had been properly excavated, sparking fears that some relics would be damaged or lost forever, it quoted experts as saying.

CCEA clears Rs 817 cr water supply project for Hyderabad
Free with registration – PTI – The Press Trust of India Ltd – AccessMyLibrary.com – Nov 27, 2007
, PTI – The Press Trust of India Ltd. 62 crore Krishna Drinking Water Supply project phase II, which is expected.