Duke University
Duke University is a university that is part of the pulse of the water sector. Here we bring together everything it publishes on Smart Water Magazine: its news, its blogs and the events it takes part in.
Shoreline model predicts long-term future of storm protection and sea-level rise
Researchers in North Carolina have created a simulation model to analyze how coastal management activities meant to protect barrier islands from sea-level rise can disrupt the natural processes that are keeping barrier islands above water. "Coastal management strategies intended to protect people, property and infrastructure from storm impacts can, over decades, increase vulnerability, even leading […]
Lake sediments show decades of coal ash contamination
An analysis of sediments from five North Carolina lakes near coal-burning power plants has found that coal ash pollution of surface waters has been more persistent and widespread than was previously known. The findings, from scientists at Duke University and Appalachian State University, show that large quantities of coal ash have been transferred and deposited in lake […]
Study: Rooftop solar cells can be a boon for water conservation too
Electricity-generating rooftop solar cells not only save on planet-warming carbon emissions, they also save a significant amount of water, say a pair of Duke University researchers who have done the math. A given household may save an average 16,200 gallons of water per year by installing rooftop solar, they found. In some states, like California, […]
High rates of depression found in Flint 5 years after water crisis
Very high rates of depression and PTSD linked to water contamination.
Researchers say get ready for more flooding
Thoughtful planning between major storms is more important than ever as flood-causing storms become more frequent with the warming of the climate, two Duke experts said Wednesday during a virtual briefing for media. Water quality is one of the most critical areas in need of protection, the experts said, adding that it’s essential storm recovery […]
Video: Why flush toilets are wasteful
Every time a toilet flushes, a gallon and a half of clean, treated water is wasted. "We use drinking water to flush our toilets," said Lena Trotochaud, a research scientist with the Duke University Center for Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Infectious Disease (WaSH-AID). "And as climate continues to change and water becomes more scarce, and we have more droughts and […]
Tracking the pulse of America’s rivers
Scientists are monitoring hundreds of streams across the U.S., to better predict how freshwater vital signs might shift with land development and climate change.
Mountaintop mining causes 40 percent loss of aquatic biodiversity
Trickling down over rocks, surrounded by wildflowers and ferns, Appalachian mountain streams are chock-full of life. They hold some of the world’s greatest diversity of freshwater animals, including many species that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. But this biological diversity is severely threatened by mountaintop coal mining, whose downstream pollution impacts many […]
Can oilfield water safely be reused for irrigation in California?
Reusing low-saline oilfield water mixed with surface water to irrigate farms in the Cawelo Water District of California does not pose major health risks, as some opponents of the practice have feared, a study led by Duke University and RTI International researchers finds.