On a recent geological trip to the Harz Mountains in Northern Germany, Margret and Rolf found this perfect swimming spot (below) near where they were staying. To their surprise they had stumbled upon a water management system that is so
A short history of manhole covers – ech2o newsletter snippet
The first ‘manholes’ are from the Roman era when they were slabs of stone or wood to enable easier access over stone-covered channels carrying water or sewage. The style of manholes we are familiar with today – mostly a removable
Rivers in the sky – Amazon and Congo – ech2o newsletter snippet
Evapotranspiration from the Amazon rainforest releases nearly 5 cubic miles of moisture into the air, which is more than the daily discharge of the Amazon River itself. This release of moisture is them moved by winds leading to the term
Methane bubbles, Lake Baikal – Russia – ech2o newsletter snippet
Cool photo (taken by Stanislav Tolstnev) of frozen methane bubbles on Lake Baikal. The bubbles start to freeze at the end of November and because they freeze in layers, can form pillars up to 1.5 metres deep. The bubbles
Replenishing groundwater in India – ech2o newsletter snippet
A five year study of two degraded watersheds in the hilly, semi-arid region of Bundelkhand, central India demonstrated the advantages of restoring defunct haveli’s to store monsoon rains to replenish groundwater. Traditionally a haveli is an earthen rainwater harvesting tank,
Flood tunnels of Tokyo – Japan – ech2o newsletter snippet
The flood tunnels of Tokyo are the largest stormwater drain system in the world. A 6.3 km tunnel system connects five water courses to the main river (the Edo) 50 m below the surface. Why is this massive engineering feat
Bubble barrier – Netherlands – ech2o newsletter snippet
Currently being trialled in Amsterdam in Westerdok at one of the outlets from the canals into the IJ. To prevent Amsterdam canal plastic from flowing into the North Sea. Basically a perforated tube is laid diagonally across a river
Warren Liebold – RIP – Cath Hassell, US
I saw Warren talk at a Waterwise event in 2005 in Oxford maybe earlier. Talking about the free WC upgrades in New York City as part of the implementation of mass metering. Something I had known about since the early
Artificial snow at the Winter Olympics – China – ech2o newsletter snippet
Beijing 2022 was the first Winter Olympics to rely almost 100% on artificial snow. Before the Games it was estimated that 222 million litres of water would be needed to create the snow conditions, in one of the world’s most
Collecting water in an Indian village – ech2o newsletter snippet
Collecting water from wells is primarily a job for women and girls. In Nashik in Maharashtra, women have to climb inside a 60 foot well to collect water as can be seen left and in this video. The onerous task