- This week’s TWDB Weekly Drought Report shows rapid expansion of drought as rainfall has been excessive in some areas and scarce in others. The state has not had this much area of drought since early June.
- As extreme weather conditions grow more intense and frequent, Texans must start planning for droughts and floods as well as preparing their energy infrastructure and water supplies. “The sooner these actions take place, the better for Texas’ future.”
- Temperatures in Texas are rising to the point that the average annual temperature is expected to be 3 degrees warmer by 2036 than the average of the 1950s. “Climate change is slightly shifting everything: It’s slightly breaking infrastructure, and it’s pushing us beyond what we design things for. When you add all of that up, it’s monumental.”
- New research at the University of Texas at Austin could help provide clean water around the world through a hydrogel tablet that kills bacteria when dropped in water. One tablet can disinfect a liter of river water and make it suitable for drinking in about an hour, leaving no harmful byproducts behind.
- Older and lower-income areas in Texas are increasingly finding lead in their water supply due to outdated infrastructure. Fifth Ward, a neighborhood in Houston, is just one example of a community that needs immediate investment to prevent lead poisoning. Lead water pipes are a focus of the infrastructure bill that is currently moving through Congress, but some environmental advocates fear that the bill will not be enough to solve this widespread issue.