Water Cycle Newsletter-January 2016

The Water Cycle

January 2016

Registration Now Open for Governor’s Water Summit

Registration is now open for the Governor’s Water Summit, which will take place on Saturday, Feb. 27. The summit will focus public attention on the serious challenges facing Minnesota’s water supplies – in both rural and urban areas of the state – and continue statewide dialogue around steps that must be taken to address those challenges. The summit will bring together water quality experts, farmers, legislators, regulators, the business community, members of the public and local leaders.

The private sector will have a voice at this event. A lunch-time CEO panel as well as an afternoon panel discussing private sector solutions to our state’s challenges will be part of the day’s agenda.

Registration can be found online at this link. To ensure that all Minnesotans are heard on this important, statewide issue, stakeholders and other interested members of the public are encouraged to take this online survey, regardless of whether they plan to attend the summit.

Beyond the Status Quo: 2015 EQB Water Policy Report

The Minnesota Environmental Quality Board is required by state statutes to produce a water quality report every five years. The group’s latest report, “Beyond the Status Quo: 2015 EQB Water Policy Report,” includes the following findings:

  • Minnesota is a global leader in water – Minnesota water technology industries are leading the way in innovations to clean, reuse and more efficiently use water for the world. This sector employs over 13,500 Minnesotans, pays above average wages, and puts Minnesota in the top 10 in technology export and patents.
  • We need to protect our waters – Plant cover and green infrastructure reduce runoff and increase infiltration in our urban and agricultural lands. These practices hold water on the landscape, filter contaminants and reduce runoff.
  • We need to identify our vulnerabilities and increase the resilience of all our communities – Flooding is becoming a reality for more Minnesotans as extreme rainfall events increase. While not all parts of Minnesota have water supply issues, numerous wells showed declines in recent years.  

Click here for a PDF of the 2015 EQB Water Policy Report.

White House Outlines New Water Innovation Strategy

As a result of the global climate agreement in Paris, the White House has announced a new public-private water innovation strategy. The effort will address the effects of climate change on the nation’s water resources and encourage the private sector and other stakeholders to increase research and investment. Click here to read the plan.

Dow Chemical's Snehal Desai Featured by Bloomberg News  

For a lighter take on how Dow Chemical’s made-in-Edina membranes are helping to “turn sewage into a refreshing drink,” click on the headline.

Chennai, India, and the Effects of Global Climate Change 

Global water scarcity dominates most headlines, but Chennai, India, has the opposite problem. India’s fourth-largest city has been devastated by floods this year. Chennai is the hometown of Ecolab’s Raj Rajan, who recently penned a personal blog about the historic floods and explained how climate change is a part of that story. Click the headline link to read his story.

What's on MnTAP

If you know of a facility that could use help with water balances, water optimization, sewer access or strength charges, or water/energy costs, consider partnering with the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program or MnTAP.  Contact Mick Jost by email or at 612-624-4694 to discuss an intern project proposal or apply by Feb. 1. The projects are supported by the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES). In 2015 alone, solutions identified by four MCES projects saved 24 million gallons of water. 

 

Upcoming Events

IFAT

There is still time to sign up to exhibit at IFAT, the world’s largest environmental technology trade show. Exhibition company Kallman Associates has reserved booth space for Minnesota firms that want to participate in the show, scheduled for May 30 to June 3 in Munich, Germany. Qualified firms can get 50 percent of their costs reimbursed through a Small Business Administration grant.  Contact Steve Riedel for details. Click here for a brochure about IFAT.

Southeast Asia on Your Radar?

Consider signing up for Water Infrastructure Business Development Mission to Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines. Contact Tipten Troidl for details. 

Water Roundtable Series

The Dec. 1 water roundtable on emerging water technologies, held in partnership with the University of Minnesota, drew 45 people. Don’t miss the next one. Minnesota Water Technology Export Roundtable: Smart Technologies for Conserving Water will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 2. Click here for more details and to register.

Mark your calendar for the April roundtable that will focus on water technologies in food, agriculture and landscaping. The event is set for Tuesday, April 19, at the office of Faegre Baker Daniels in the Wells Fargo Center in downtown Minneapolis. Registration information and other details are here.

Your Ideas Welcome

Have an idea for a future water roundtable or content for a future issue of the Water Cycle? Contact Steve Riedel.