Recent Blog Posts

Decentralized and Sustainable Drinking Water System for Kibera, Nairobi

Executive Summary Kibera faces interconnected water challenges shaped by limited infrastructure, informal settlement, and unequal service provision. Water scarcity, poor water quality, flooding and fragmented governance structure all reinforce each other, making everyday access to safe and affordable water difficult for many residents. In response, this proposal presents an integrated […]

Modular Management: Water System Redundancy and Resilience in Asheville, NC

Western North Carolina faces several large challenges to modernize its water infrastructure and secure auxiliary systems that mitigate harm in the event of failure. Hurricane Helene’s impact displayed severe deficiencies in regional water management; specifically, in the region’s largest city of Asheville, water access was unavailable to some communities for […]

Integrated Solutions for Urban Water Resilience: Tianjin’s Path Forward

Overview The blog explores Tianjin’s comprehensive water management approach, detailing its water supply systems, infrastructure, and pricing mechanisms. The city faces complex water challenges with climate change, including water scarcity, pluvial flooding, land subsidence, and water pollution. Historically reliant on rivers like the Haihe and now dependent on large-scale water […]

Upstream, Downstream: Kawasaki’s Best Chance to Manage the Flood Risks

Introduction Kawasaki, situated along Japan’s western Tokyo Bay, faces increasing flood risks driven by its geographic and climatic challenges. With a significant portion of its population and assets concentrated on vulnerable alluvial plains, even a single flood event could result in catastrophic damage. Map: Kawasaki City Hydrology and Water Facilities, […]

UHelp Needs Help: Tackling Water Assistance Program Funding for Low-Income Residents in the City of Spokane, WA

Background In Washington, Spokane City is home to 22,200 residents, 3,900 of which live in poverty (Data USA, 2024). Spokane residents obtain their utilities services from the Public Works and Utilities department. They pump all drinking water from the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer through eight wells scattered across the city […]

Building Resilience: A Strategic Approach to Managing Flooding in Montpelier, Vermont 

Introduction Montpelier, the capital of Vermont and the smallest U.S. capital by population with approximately 8,000 residents, is located in Washington County at the confluence of the Winooski River and its tributaries, the North Branch and Stevens Branch (City of Montpelier, “Welcome to Montpelier”; Figure 1). Montpelier’s river-centered valley and […]