| | | Water utilities are taking steps to ensure the safe operation of drinking water and sewage treatment plants in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak. Photo © J. Carl Ganter/Circle of Blue |
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| Keeping the water flowing, even in times of emergency, requires certified workers to operate treatment plants. But operators cannot work when they are sick.
As the coronavirus spreads across the country, water utility leaders say that potential staffing shortages due to illness and quarantine are their biggest current concern in the Covid-19 pandemic.
That conclusion comes from interviews with water utility representatives and data from an American Water Works Association survey of several hundred water utilities about challenges they expect to face as a result of the outbreak, which has now touched every state. |
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The coronavirus outbreak is reminding the world that water, sanitation, and hygiene are fundamental pillars of public and personal health. These critical services play a vital role in disease prevention as governments, utilities, and healthcare facilities respond to the pandemic.
Circle of Blue is tracking the pandemic through multiple daily updates on our live Covid-19 blog. |
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| | | Photo © J. Carl Ganter/Circle of Blue |
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| During the coronavirus outbreak, the Alabama Rural Water Association is acting as a matchmaking service for water utilities that are short-staffed because of illness and quarantines. It is one of several rural water associations around the country that are compiling lists of volunteer water systems operators who can temporarily fill in during the pandemic emergency. |
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| The latest version of the House Democrats’ coronavirus emergency aid package includes $1.5 billion to help Americans pay their water bills during the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.
The funding is a tiny portion of the Democrats’ $2.5 trillion stimulus. But it represents a significant contribution towards an essential household service.
The legislation also requires participating utilities to suspend water disconnections during the emergency. |
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As the coronavirus expands across the globe, millions of refugees living in crowded, ill-equipped camps are bracing for the arrival of the pandemic. |
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What's Up With Water - March 23, 2020
For the news you need to start the week, tune into “What’s Up With Water” fresh on Monday’s on iTunes, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and SoundCloud.
This week's episode features coverage on Cambodia, which announced they will not build hydropower dams on the main stem of the Mekong River in the next 10 years.
Additional international coverage looks at one of India’s largest cities, where a team of citizens travels through alleys and slums to find communal water pipes that don’t have taps. Without a tap, a pipe can’t be turned off when it’s not in use, and water continuously flows out, wasting the valuable resource.
And in the Middle East, aid agencies and host governments worry that the coronavirus could ravage refugee camps.
Finally, this week's featured Circle of Blue story looks at the potential impacts of the coronavirus in developing countries. You can listen to the latest edition of What's Up With Water, as well as all past editions, by downloading the podcasts on iTunes, following Circle of Blue on Spotify, following on iHeart Radio, and subscribing on SoundCloud. |
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| From Circle of Blue's Archives: |
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| All utilities, to varying degrees, shut off water service to households who do not pay bills. Shutoffs, utilities argue, are an essential tool for maintaining financial health. They are the leverage that ensures payment. The universe of U.S. water utilities is vast and varied. |
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