Latest news with #groundwater
Times of Oman
2 days ago
- General
- Times of Oman
Al Dhahirah Governorate to construct 18 groundwater recharge dams
Ibri: Acting in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, citizens in wilayats of Al Dhahirah Governorate joined hands in the construction of 18 groundwater recharge dams as part of a community partnership project. The project aims to boost groundwater reserves and ensure the sustainability of water resources for future generations. The step reflects the growing trend of community awareness about the importance of community-enhanced management of water resources. The dams' construction was funded by local citizens and the Ministry in a gesture that embodied the success of integrated efforts in the field of water resources management. Eng. Mubarak Salim Al Jabri, Director of the Water Resources Department in Al Dhahirah Governorate, said that work is currently underway to construct 7 new groundwater recharge dams as part of the community partnership initiative, as follows: 3 dams in the wilayat of Ibri, 3 dams in the wilayat of Yanqul and 1 dam in the wilayat of Dhank. The ministry contributes 20 percent of the cost of the project, while the citizens bear the remaining 80 percent. Al Jabri told Oman News Agency (ONA) that dams are a key element in improving water supply in wells and aflaj, and this helps raise agricultural productivity and provide water in a sustainable manner for the community. Al Jabri added that this year also saw the completion of maintenance of 8 existing dams in Al Dhahirah Governorate. Al Jabri said that Al Dhahirah Governorate has 36 dams ('groundwater recharge dams' and 'flood protection dams'):18 are government dams and 18 are community partnerships-based dams. He pointed out that these dams represent a fundamental pillar in supporting the infrastructure of water security and water resources. The dams achieve sustainable agricultural development in the governorate's various wilayats, he explained.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Are Warning of A Brand-New Kind of Acid Rain
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: While acid rain caused by sulfur dioxide is an environmental threat of the past (at least, for now), a new kind of acid is proliferating in rain water—as well as groundwater, ice cores, and even human blood. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is a subclass of 'forever chemical' that's been steadily increasing in concentrations around the world. With calls to consider this rise in TFA a planetary threat, some governments are starting ban chemicals linked to TFA—but the threat will require global cooperation. Acid rain may have a sequel, and like most sequels, it's arguably worse. While the world's first bout of acid rain (at least, in modern times) came from increased concentrations of sulfuric acid produced largely from coal plants, this new anthropogenic source is possibly more pervasive, more persistent, and more sinister. Its name is Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a kind of 'forever chemical' that, for decades, has been steadily increasing in rain water—but not just rain water. Countries around the world have found increasing concentrations in groundwater, arctic ice cores, wine, and even human blood. In fact, TFA is likely the most pervasive form of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl (PFAS)—technically, a subclass known as ultrashort-chain perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA)—on Earth due in part to the fact that longer-chain PFAS degrade into TFA via incinerators or sewage treatment plants. They're also used in refrigerants instead of chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons, which were famously known to deplete the Earth's ozone layer. In October of 2024, a team of European environmental scientists raised the TFA alarm, stating that a rise in concentration could be considered a threat to 'planetary boundaries'—a system designed to make sure the planet remains habitable for human life (which we are doing a real bang-up job at following). 'Since the 1990s, it has been suggested that hazard-related concerns of TFA and other short-chain PFAAs are much lower than those of PFAAs with longer perfluoroalkyl chains, which are more bioaccumulative and generally more toxic,' the authors wrote back in October. 'However, these early reports did not consider TFA's ubiquitous accumulation in the environment, in particular its observed accumulation in water resources and bioaccumulation in various plants, including crops.' One of the most dangerous things about PFAAs is what we don't know about them. Unlike other PFAS (of which there are, sadly, thousands of different kinds), TFA is so small (a.k.a. ultrashort) that it's water-soluble, meaning it likely passes through the human body pretty quickly. A new Nature article reports that some scientists find this evidence compelling enough to not even consider TFA a kind of PFAS, but a growing chorus of voices are raising concerns that increased concentrations of TFA in water and food sources could render TFA's fast-moving nature a moot point. In fact, TFA's water-solubility could be a long-term headache. If scientists and governments eventually decide that TFA does need to be removed from drinking water and other sources, current filtration technologies are not up to the task. In other words, ridding the world of TFA will not only be immensely difficult, it'll also be incredibly expensive. Current regulations to eliminate certain forms of PFAS are already proving to be fiscally onerous. Thankfully, some governments are taking action. Denmark, for example, banned 23 substances earlier this month known to contain PFAS that contribute to rising TFA concentrations. Meanwhile, the U.S. is lagging behind—the Environmental Protection Agency doesn't even define TFA as a 'forever chemical,' much to the dismay of environmentalist groups and to the merriment of many industry leaders. Rising concentrations of TFA is the acid rain sequel no one wanted. But just like every terrible sequel ever made, it seems like we're getting it anyway. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life? Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Central Valley town could sink because of farming giant's groundwater pumping
SJV Water is a nonprofit, independent online news publication covering water in the San Joaquin Valley. Lois Henry is the CEO/Editor of SJV Water. She can be reached at The website is While some groundwater managers in the beleaguered Tulare Lake subbasin look for ways to come together on pumping limits in order to comply with state mandates, the giant J.G. Boswell Farming Company has remained silent and intractable. The company, which controls the El Rico Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), still plans to allow so much groundwater pumping within its boundaries that it could sink the old Tulare Lake bed — including the small town of Corcoran — by another 10 feet. That's only a foot less than it planned back in 2021 when the subbasin, which covers most of Kings County, submitted its first management plan required under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). While El Rico wants 10 more feet of subsidence, other GSAs in the subbasin have agreed to allow less than six extra feet of subsidence, according to multiple presentations by Amer Hussain, the subbasin plan manager and an engineer with Geosyntec. The issue has become pressing as three of the region's five GSAs are looking at conducting a study of the subbasin's 'native yield.' Native yield refers to how much water naturally accumulates through rainfall and runoff that's otherwise unaccounted for, not including imported surface water or river flows that are owned. Setting the region's native yield is crucial to know how much pumping can be allowed without causing negative consequences, such as subsidence. But the group must first agree on a maximum subsidence limit then divide it between themselves, Hussain said. That could be difficult with one member, El Rico, holding out for significantly more subsidence than the rest of the group. Even knowing the current land elevation of each GSA is difficult as El Rico has not shared that information with the rest of the group and its boundaries are blank on satellite maps. Department of Water Resources satellite data from 2015 to 2024 show land elevations for every other GSA in Kings County, except El Rico, which covers most of the old Tulare Lake bottom. 'There's just nothing out there to calibrate,' Hussain said. A representative of El Rico could not be reached. 'Boswell doesn't want to share information. They don't like us to be in their business, but they need to answer to the state,' said Doug Verboon, a Kings County Supervisor and board member of the Mid-Kings River GSA. In 2024, the Water Board put the Tulare Lake subbasin on probation for lacking a coordinated plan that would, among other things, stop pervasive, damaging subsidence. 'I don't know how we haven't coordinated; we're on our 11th year,' Verboon said in reference to SGMA's passage in 2014. 'I don't see this coming together.' It's not just Boswell and the El Rico GSA, several GSAs aren't comfortable with each other, he said. 'One (agency) won't have meetings, we aren't involved in what El Rico does, Mid-Kings is trying to be transparent, South Fork Kings is on its second Proposition 218 election. We aren't there yet.' Verboon referred to the Southwest Kings GSA, which has canceled three of its scheduled meetings in 2025 and seven of its 11 meetings in 2024. Southwest Kings is controlled by the subbasin's other major farming entity, Sandridge Partners, which is helmed by John Vidovich. It's unclear if either El Rico or Southwest Kings will participate in the planned native yield study. Monserrat Solis covers Kings County water issues for SJV Water through the California Local News Fellowship initiative. Solve the daily Crossword
New York Times
14-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Their Water Taps Ran Dry When Meta Built Next Door
After Meta broke ground on a $750 million data center on the edge of Newton County, Ga., the water taps in Beverly and Jeff Morris's home went dry. The couple's house, which uses well water, is 1,000 feet from Meta's new data center. Months after construction began in 2018, the Morris's dishwasher, ice maker, washing machine and toilet all stopped working, said Beverly Morris, now 71. Within a year, the water pressure had slowed to a trickle. Soon, nothing came out of the bathroom and kitchen taps. Jeff Morris, 67, eventually traced the issues to the buildup of sediment in the water. He said he suspected the cause was Meta's construction, which could have added sediment to the groundwater and affected their well. The couple replaced most of their appliances in 2019, and then again in 2021 and 2024. Residue now gathers at the bottom of their backyard pool. The taps in one of their two bathrooms still do not work. 'It feels like we're fighting an unwinnable battle that we didn't sign up for,' Ms. Morris, a retired payroll specialist, said, adding that she and her husband have spent $5,000 on their water problems and cannot afford the $25,000 to replace the well. 'I'm scared to drink our own water.' The Morris's experience is one of a growing number of water-related issues around Newton County, which is a 1.5-hour drive east of Atlanta and has a population of about 120,000 people. As tech giants like Meta build data centers in the area, local wells have been damaged, the cost of municipal water has soared and the county's water commission may face a shortage of the vital resource. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Arab News
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Kabul's water crisis: How unsustainable foreign aid projects made it worse
KABUL: As Kabul makes global headlines for being on the brink of running out of water, experts say the crisis stems not only from natural and local causes, but also decades of unsustainable foreign projects and mismanagement of aid. About one-third of Afghanistan's population — around 12.5 million people — lack reliable access to water, according to the latest data from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. In the country's capital, the situation is even worse, with the UN expecting that by 2030 its aquifers could dry up — a projection that has been in international media since last month, as that would make Kabul the first modern city to run out of water. 'Without urgent action, like bringing in surface water from other basins, Kabul risks facing a severe crisis, potentially a 'Day Zero' like Cape Town experienced a few years ago,' Obaidullah Rahimi, an Afghan scholar whose doctoral research at the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau focuses on urban water management, told Arab News. 'The city's groundwater can only cover about 44 million cubic meters — enough for just 2 million people at a modest per capita consumption of 50 liters per person per day.' This means that less than 30 percent of Kabul's 6.5 million residents have access to the WHO's basic water requirement to ensure minimum essential needs for health, hygiene, and basic consumption. Years of excessive and unregulated groundwater extraction, combined with prolonged drought, shrinking rainfall, and the thinning of the Hindu Kush snowpack — the primary natural source for the city's rivers and aquifers —have pushed Kabul to the edge. But these problems are not new and have only worsened as they have not been addressed over the two decades, when Afghanistan was occupied by foreign forces following the US invasion in 2001. Despite the billions of dollars that entered the country in foreign development projects, Kabul's water management systems were hardly touched. 'A significant portion of this aid was spent on short-term, small-scale projects without considering future impacts on the water balance of the Kabul basin and failed to establish large-scale water conservation infrastructure that could maintain and preserve this balance,' Rahimi said. Dr. Ahmad Shah Frahmand, a geographic information systems and remote sensing expert specializing in mapping changes in water surface areas, said that also the way the projects were implemented, along with the lack of knowledge transfer, prevented them from having a lasting impact. 'International donors funded networks and pipelines across Kabul, often constructed by foreign contractors with little local involvement. But within just a few years, many of these systems fell into disrepair due to poor construction and a lack of oversight,' he told Arab News. 'One of the biggest failings was the focus on short-term fixes over long-term solutions. Aid money was frequently funneled into demonstration projects — temporary wells, pilot programs, or highly visible installations that offered quick results but little durability. Meanwhile, large-scale infrastructure like dams, reservoirs, and water treatment plants received far less attention and funding.' According to Frahmand, less than 10 percent of the water sector budget was spent on training and maintaining local staff. 'Without skilled technicians, engineers, and maintenance crews, even well-built systems can crumble. And in Kabul, many already have,' he said. A report published by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction in 2020 — a year before the withdrawal of American-led forces from Afghanistan — estimated that at least 30 percent of reconstruction aid, or $19 billion, was lost to waste, fraud, and abuse. Additional audits by the oversight agency suggested the true figure may have been 40 percent due to corruption and mismanagement. As foreign donors have left the country and international sanctions have been slapped on it since 2021, when the Taliban took over after the US forces withdrew, there are no funds for big infrastructure projects, especially as Afghanistan is already facing several other humanitarian crises. 'In a country desperate for stable infrastructure, these funds could have transformed lives. Instead, many projects stalled, failed, or were quietly abandoned,' Frahmand said, highlighting how urgent redesigning Kabul's water systems has been, as the city has not seen a comprehensive water management plan since 1978. 'Kabul's infrastructure was never built for the population it now serves. The existing water supply system, designed decades ago for a much smaller population, can no longer meet basic demand. Millions of Kabul residents now rely on tankers, private vendors, or unsafe wells to access water.' By 2030, as many as 2 million people could be forced to leave Kabul in search of water, according to projections by the UN refugee agency. Water loss could lead to the extinction of local fish species and a collapse of biodiversity in the region. 'The agricultural sector is already under immense pressure. The Food and Agriculture Organization forecasts a 40 percent drop in crop yields across Kabul province by 2035. For a population already grappling with food insecurity, this decline could tip entire communities into hunger and poverty,' Frahmand said. 'If urgent action is not taken, the coming decade could bring irreversible social, environmental, and economic consequences that reshape the city and the lives of those who remain in it.'
