Stanford University
Stanford 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.
“Strategic water utilities are seeing the water-energy coupling as an asset, not a liability”
Water innovation is no longer just about making treatment technologies work. Meagan Mauter explains how energy constraints, system design, policy reform, and distributed water solutions are reshaping desalination, membranes, and the future of resilient water systems. Ensuring a reliable water supply in a carbon-constrained world is one of the defining engineering challenges of the coming […]
Colorado River water market could help fish and farmers alike
A market-based approach to managing water in the Colorado River basin could provide more reliable supplies for farmers, communities, and industry amid ongoing drought and excess demand. The right market design and a little extra investment could also help threatened fish species, researchers have found. The study, published June 20 in Nature Sustainability, details a new […]
Scientists find earthquakes in Italy’s Campi Flegrei caused by pressure in geothermal reservoir
Scientists have uncovered a recurring pattern in geophysical observations that shows earthquake swarms and land deformation in Italy’s Campi Flegrei caldera have been caused by rising pressure in a geothermal reservoir. Analyses suggest the unrest could be prevented by reducing groundwater levels or managing water flow to prevent it from entering the reservoir, located at depth beneath Pozzuoli, west of Naples and Mount Vesuvius.
AI reveals new insights into the flow of Antarctic ice
As the planet warms, Antarctica's ice sheet is melting and contributing to sea-level rise around the globe. Antarctica holds enough frozen water to raise global sea levels by 190 feet, so precisely predicting how it will move and melt now and in the future is vital for protecting coastal areas. But most climate models struggle to accurately […]
Los Angeles groundwater remained depleted after 2023 deluge, study finds
Greater Los Angeles received record-setting rainfall in 2023 after decades of drought. While surface reservoirs rapidly filled, deep aquifers remained depleted. In a new approach to measuring groundwater, researchers repurposed seismic data from California’s earthquake monitoring network to gauge underground water levels.
Study shows how water systems can help accelerate renewable energy adoption
The researchers suggest a way to measure the value of using water systems to help manage energy needs. Water systems are generally very efficient at adjusting their energy use, but with current designs, they can only provide a moderate amount of power and energy under typical conditions.
‘Grey infrastructure’ can’t meet future water storage needs
A new study maps how energy and food systems depend on stored water to generate hydropower and feed irrigation. Dams and reservoirs won’t be able to meet the demand in coming decades.
New tools are needed to make water affordable, according to study
Soaring water utility bills force many households to ration water use for essential needs while still falling behind on payments. Stanford scientists offer a new approach to measuring water affordability that could help utilities and government agencies identify and aid those most at risk.
Model simulates urban flood risk with an eye to equity
Plans for flood mitigation along urban rivers often benefit some neighborhoods more than others. Researchers and collaborators in a densely populated California floodplain developed a way to help planners see how infrastructure designs, sea-level rise, and severe storms fueled by climate change will affect flood risk at the local level. Rising seas and extreme storms […]