Water Supply News

USGS Water Use Report

The United States Geological Survey has recently published its analysis of water use in the Tennessee River watershed. The report analyzes in-stream and off-stream water withdrawals and returns for 2000, and makes projections for 2030. The Tennessee River watershed ranks first in the nation in average daily water withdrawals per square mile. However, the watershed ranks lowest in the nation for consumptive loss (water that isn’t returned to the river system). Read the report.

Tennessee Valley Water Supply Inventory and Needs Analysis

A new TVA report identifies critical water supply issues and areas in the Tennessee Valley where stream flow and reservoir storage may be insufficient to support future water demand. The report also looks at how anticipated water withdrawals and interbasin transfers could affect other uses of the reservoir system and TVA’s ability to meet minimum stream flow and reservoir level commitments. Read the report.

Regional Resource Stewardship Council

The Regional Resource Stewardship Council is an advisory group composed of public and private stakeholders representing a broad range of interests from all the states that TVA serves. On the recommendation of the Council, TVA worked to form a watershed-wide partnership to improve regional cooperation in water resource management and provide a framework for coordination and information exchange among the states. The first meeting of this partnership was held in October 2004.

Science and Technology to Support Fresh Water Availability in the United States

The National Science and Technology Council’s Subcommittee on Water Availability and Quality recently published a report evaluating the continued availability of fresh water throughout the nation.  The report provides the first step in the development of a coordinated plan to improve research to understand the processes that control water availability and quality and to collect and make available the data needed to ensure an adequate water supply for the nation’s future. Read the report (PDF file, 14.0 Mb).

Self-Help Virginia Program

Throughout the nation, many residents in small low-income communities still do not have running water for household needs.  In Virginia, the state's Department of Housing and Community Development has been actively addressing this issue through the implementation of the Self-Help Virginia Program (PDF file, 1.3 Mb). Read how residents of smaller communities are meeting the challenge of installing affordable water and wastewater systems.