The News Review:

- Pollution turns China river red; 200,000 lose water
- Manukau water supply could cost more
- CORRECTED-China’s Olympic water province faces severe drought
- Basin Water to Supply High-Efficiency Nitrate Removal System to Port…

Pollution turns China river red; 200,000 lose water
USA Today – Feb 26, 2008
Chinese leaders say the country faces a critical water shortage, partly due to chronic pollution and chemical accidents. In one of China’s worst cases of river pollution, potentially cancer-causing chemicals, including benzene, spilled into the Songhua River in November 2005. The northeastern city of Harbin was forced to sever water supplies to 3. 8 million people for five days. The accident also strained relations with Russia, into which the poisoned waters flowed. A paper mill dumped waste water directly into the Han in September 2006, forcing authorities to cut water supplies for a week in some areas, the Xinhua and government reports said. They did not say how many people were affected.

Manukau water supply could cost more
Stuff.co.nz – Feb 26, 2008
It is recommending residential wastewater bills in Manukau include charges based on water use alongside lower fixed fees from next year. Manukau Water has put its preferred option to the Manukau City Council after doing a tariff review late last year. Sample figures show households that use very little water could have their wastewater bills drop by about 25 percent. But larger families, who use more water, could see their charges rise by 50 percent or more. The full council will decide on March 6 whether to proceed to public consultation on tariff options as part of its annual plan process. Public submissions would be heard before a final decision in May…
It is recommending residential wastewater bills in Manukau include charges based on water use alongside lower fixed fees from next year. Manukau Water has put its preferred option to the Manukau City Council after doing a tariff review late last year. Sample figures show households that use very little water could have their wastewater bills drop by about 25 percent. But larger families, who use more water, could see their charges rise by 50 percent or more. The full council will decide on March 6 whether to proceed to public consultation on tariff options as part of its annual plan process. Public submissions would be heard before a final decision in May. The policy and activities committee last week refused to identify a preferred tariff system and recommended that options, including the status quo, go out for consultation.

CORRECTED-China’s Olympic water province faces severe drought
Reuters AlertNet – Feb 26, 2008
"Due to the lack of effective precipitation since the winter, Hebei province is experiencing severe drought," the newspaper said, citing officials in the provincial flood and drought office. Since the start of winter which has been unusually cold in the south, average precipitation across Hebei had been 7 mm, 60 percent below the long-term average. "The severe drought has created tense conditions for fighting drought and for water supplies in our province, and the conflict between water supply and demand has been dramatically exacerbated. " China is rushing to finish the canals from Hebei to Beijing for its "green" Games, ensuring a lush, sparkling host city greets the world in August. The 309 km (192 miles) of channels and pipes will draw on four Hebei dams. But the report said the province’s dams were in trouble. "Some dams are below stagnant levels, and some irrigation areas have no water to supply," it said.

Basin Water to Supply High-Efficiency Nitrate Removal System to Port…
Earthtimes.org – Feb 26, 2008
The contract marks the first Basin Water installation in the State and is part of the company’s announced plans to grow operations nationwide while also developing new technologies and applications for their water treatment technology+services business. According to Mike Stark, President and Chief Executive Officer of Basin Water, the need for effective treatment technology with manageable costs and total reliability faces communities throughout the United States. “Delivering adequate supplies of high quality drinking water is one of the biggest challenges our communities face as they look to sustain growth through a safe and reliable source of water. The treatment of groundwater for use in drinking water systems is one of the best solutions for meeting that challenge, and we at Basin Water are excited to bring our ‘worry-free water’ approach to the State of Washington,” he said. Basin Water’s high-efficiency nitrate removal unit will serve the new water system designed by Anderson Perry & Associates for the 122 acre Burbank Business Park located at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers. Basin Water is supplying the system as a subcontractor to Apollo Inc. , the general contractor for the project…
According to Mike Stark, President and Chief Executive Officer of Basin Water, the need for effective treatment technology with manageable costs and total reliability faces communities throughout the United States. “Delivering adequate supplies of high quality drinking water is one of the biggest challenges our communities face as they look to sustain growth through a safe and reliable source of water. The treatment of groundwater for use in drinking water systems is one of the best solutions for meeting that challenge, and we at Basin Water are excited to bring our ‘worry-free water’ approach to the State of Washington,” he said. Basin Water’s high-efficiency nitrate removal unit will serve the new water system designed by Anderson Perry & Associates for the 122 acre Burbank Business Park located at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers. Basin Water is supplying the system as a subcontractor to Apollo Inc. , the general contractor for the project. The installation is expected to be brought online by June of this year and will remove nitrate to levels below 7 parts per million (ppm) nitrate as nitrogen.