The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin 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.
Study shows groundwater gains in Arizona yet climate risks still threaten water supply
A combination of water management practices has contributed to notable groundwater gains in Central Arizona despite the region dealing with long-term water stress, according to a study led by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and collaborators in Arizona and Colorado. Since 1980, Central Arizona has been working to recharge its depleted aquifers. […]
Researchers measure river bends, aiding planetary channel origins study
Whether it’s rivers cutting through earth, lava melting through rock, or water slicing through ice, channels all twist and bend in a seemingly similar back-and-forth manner. But a new study led by scientists at The University of Texas at Austin has discovered that channels carved by rivers actually have curves distinct to those cut by […]
Researchers develop biomass-based hydrogel for sustainable atmospheric water harvesting
Discarded food scraps, stray branches, seashells and many other natural materials are key ingredients in a new system that can pull drinkable water out of thin air developed by researchers from The University of Texas at Austin. This new “molecularly functionalized biomass hydrogels” system can convert a wide range of natural products into sorbents, materials […]
Groundwater in the Arctic is delivering large amounts of carbon into the ocean
A relatively small amount of groundwater trickling through Alaska’s tundra is releasing huge quantities of carbon into the ocean, where it can contribute to climate change, according to new research out of The University of Texas at Austin. Researchers found that although the groundwater only makes up a fraction of the water discharged to the […]
Global study shows that most cities receive more rainfall than surrounding rural areas
The effect of urbanization on temperature is relatively well known: Cities are often measurably warmer than their surrounding rural areas. This is called the urban heat island effect. What fewer people know is that the urban heat island has a twin counterpart with similarly important consequences: the urban precipitation anomaly, where the presence of urban […]
Scientists use carbon isotopes to track ‘forever chemicals’
Organofluorine compounds—sometimes called "forever chemicals"—are increasingly turning up in our drinking water, oceans and even human blood, posing a potential threat to the environment and human health. Now, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a way to fingerprint them, which could help authorities trace them to their source when they end […]
Trees on a university campus endure droughts with help from leaky pipes
Even in dry times, Waller Creek on The University of Texas at Austin campus is never without water. That's because a significant portion of the water that flows through it—anywhere from 25% to 50%—can be traced to wastewater from leaky city pipes. But there's a silver lining to the less-than-perfect plumbing, according to new research. […]
Injectable water filtration system could improve access to clean drinking water
More than 2 billion people, approximately a quarter of the world’s population, lack access to clean drinking water. A new, portable and affordable water filtration solution created by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin aims to change that. The new system collects dirty water with a syringe and injects it into a hydrogel […]
Hot summer air turns into drinking water with new gel device
For significant portions of the globe faced with water shortage problems, a beacon of hope may be on the way: the ability to easily turn hot air into drinking water. For the past few years, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have focused on the moisture present in the air as a potential source of […]