Day: 25 April 2006

Chernobyl anniversary fuels anti-nuclear wave

Twenty years to the day after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster spread radioactive fallout around Europe, 200 NGOs have called for a Europe-wide end to nuclear.

Scots look to Denmark for waste tips

A delegation of Scottish experts is visiting Denmark this week to learn about sustainable waste management from their hosts.

EA experiment raises questions over incinerator emissions

Trials of new technology designed to sample dioxin emissions have suggested existing techniques may miss the whole picture.

Japanese giants lead the CSR pack

An analysis of the corporate and social policies of leaders of the electronics and semiconductor industries has placed Japanese firms in the top two slots, followed by companies from the USA and Europe.

A wake-up call for MDG challenges

The importance of water as a driver of economic growth and elimination of poverty will be the central topic when some 130 government ministers and more than 25,000 delegates gather in Mexico for the 4th World Water Forum in March. Toni Sittoni, communications specialist of the World Bank's Water and Sanitation Programme (WSP) in Africa, calls on governments to act with investment and reform, especially in sanitation.

Condominial sanitation could achieve MDG

The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for sanitation means bringing an extra 1.9 billion people on-stream by 2015, globally. Duncan Mara, Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Leeds in the UK, argues that this can only be achieved by abandoning conventional approaches to sewerage and adopting a condominial approach to provision, across social classes.

Privatisation and renamed ministry emphasise Ghana’s priority

In November 2005, Ghana's Works & Housing Ministry added 'Water Resources' to its title and the Minister outlined the water and sanitation work in progress and coming up. Managing editor Robin Wiseman reports.

Brazilian city adopts Canadian solution

Engineers for the city of São Bernardo do Campo in Brazil found that the fluctuating demand for water at different times of the day was impacting on the main water supply pipelines, which would often leak or break. Mark Gimson, regional sales manager for Canadian manufacturer Singer Valve, explains how pressure-regulating valves have reduced water loss and cut maintenance costs.

Winter weather threatens London’s leakage targets

The prospect of a colder than average winter has fuelled Thames Water's research into understanding the effects of cold water on its water distribution network in south-east England. Andrew Boyd of RWE Thames Water reports on the range of strategies under consideration.

Education counters contamination in Bangladesh

Rainwater harvesting projects in Bangladesh, combined with education programmes, may be key to addressing the critical water supply issues facing the country. Freelance journalist Rachel King recently toured numerous projects with Mohammed Azahar Ali, executive director and founder of the non-governmental Society for People's Actions in Change and Equity (SPACE). In an exclusive for World Water, she reports on the progress being made.

Water efficiency is key in California

The USA's independent environmental think-tank, the Pacific Institute, has just released a report that claims that efficiency measures could reduce statewide water use in 2030 by 20%, despite economic and population growth. Research associate, Heather Cooley, and president of the Institute, Peter H Gleick, explain how efficiency, conservation and technology could create a sustainable future.

Design deviations to blame at Tampa

The operational difficulties encountered with the pretreatment system for the Tampa Bay Desalination Plant, following its completion in January 2003, threw doubt into the minds of many who were about to embark on seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO). However, as since shown by SWRO successes elsewhere, Tampa's pretreatment was a unique case. Brett Boyd and Dominic Janssen of Parkson Corporation explain why.

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