Wichita, Kansas, is advancing plans for direct potable reuse, joining similar pioneering efforts in Texas. The Wichita City Council recently approved a nearly $10 million expenditure to build and operate a 70,000 gpd direct potable reuse pilot plant.
City leaders view advanced water purification as essential for combatting future droughts and supporting industrial growth, especially as the community navigates recent outdoor watering restrictions and costly budget overruns on a delayed water treatment plant. Funded by revenue bonds backed by recent rate hikes, the pilot program also supported the creation of a new state law that mandates Kansas health officials establish formal regulations for direct wastewater reuse by July 2028.
Scientist Proposes Draining Lake Powell to Save Lake Mead
Facing a climate crisis and plunging water levels on the Colorado River, Zanna Stutts of the Glen Canyon Institute has introduced a bold proposal: drain Lake Powell and store its remaining water downstream in Lake Mead. Because flows have dropped by about 20% since the turn of the century, neither of the nation's largest reservoirs can stay filled. Stutts argues that recent federal measures — such as reducing releases and moving water from upstream — are mere emergency "triage" that fail to address the long-term reality of a shrinking river.
The plan calls for drilling bypass tunnels around Glen Canyon Dam to route stored water directly through the Grand Canyon, effectively turning Lake Powell back into a free-flowing river while using the structure only for emergency storage. While this would eliminate the dam's ability to generate hydropower, Stutts points out that declining water levels are already threatening electricity production. Moreover, because the dam lacks a low-level outlet, roughly 6 million acre-feet of water is currently trapped at the bottom of the reservoir and cannot be released.
Florida Deputies Use Drone to Rescue Dog Trapped in Sewer
Emergency crews from the Lee County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Myers Shores Fire Department, and Lee County Animal Control rushed to the Portico community recently to save a trapped dog. The dog had crawled deep inside a local storm drainage pipe, prompting deputies to use a drone to locate him.
By watching the live video feed transmitted by the drone, firefighters were able to safely navigate the extraction process. Relying on that real-time visual guidance, fire crews carefully carved out multiple access points along the pipe until they could reach the dog, pull him out safely, and return him to his owner.
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