Tips For Overcoming Climate Change

It’s possible that no field stands to be as dramatically affected by climate change as water and wastewater treatment.

Treatment facilities on the coast need to beware flooding, Western utilities have been grappling with historic drought, and those in between must consider how temperature change and increased runoff affects their source water quality.

But treatment facilities are not without a place to turn. Sarah Deslaurier, the climate change lead with Carollo Engineers, recommended a few resources during a sit down with Water Online Radio.

“The American Water Works Association has a climate change committee, but they also have a website with different resources for water agencies… to help them learn one-on-one what climate change is and what the impacts will be regionally,” said Deslaurier. “EPA has put together this CREAT tool… It has this 101 on climate change.”

For those facilities that think preparing for climate change will be too expensive, Deslaurier argues that engaging with the above tools is a vital first step towards funding.

“You could go at a federal level where they are looking at some resilience funding to be distributed, and then there’s state-level funding,” she said. “Really, you have to understand where you are at first in order to be able to apply for those funds and eventually receive them.”

To hear more about how climate change may threaten your area, tune in below.