Maximizing Water for Agriculture

A rural Pennsylvania community addresses water quality issues and shows the benefits of targeted, collaborative, voluntary approaches to watershed conservation and implementation of BMPs in this USDA Showcase Watershed.

At the 20th Annual Utah Water Summit in October more than one state water expert noticed there were fewer cowboy boots than ever before. On the final episode of Five Billion Gallons, we’ll look at the changing face of water management in the state and hear from a whole range of Utahns on what the state’s water future will look like.

The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority plans to spend more than $2 billion to build miles of new underground tunnels, and to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant. Some clean river advocates are pushing for alternatives, like green infrastructure. We begin our series Ripple Effects: Water Pollution & New Solutions with a look at the debate over sewage in the waterways.

Pennsylvania's climate change forecast is wet. More frequent and increasingly intense storms than in the past are expected. One community which has already faced devastating floods is finding that a particular kind of green infrastructure called a bioswale could be part of the solution.

The federal government is toughening limits on how much storm water can enter rivers and lakes. For many cities, it’s proving expensive - especially in older communities, where water pipes are crumbling and in need of repair. To fix those systems, some local governments are starting to charge residents a stormwater utility fee, or "rain tax."

This last of a 3-part series from from WGTE Watershed radio explores how municipalities are relying more on green infrastructure (like berms, rain gardens/native plants and bio-swail ditches) to control water and street flooding instead of "gray infrastructure" (like traditional pipes and holding tanks).