Water Hub

For #WomensHistoryMonth, we’re celebrating #ColorOfWater member Cate Caldwell, Senior Policy Manager at @ilenviro.bsky.social.

See Cate’s profile here: colorofwater.waterhub.org/experts/cate...

🌊 Find more water experts of color here: colorofwater.info

March Water Cooler: Coming together to build stronger Sussan García reflects on her first year at Water Hub, learning from Color of Water experts, partners, and community organizing around the country.

💧The March Water Cooler just dropped.

This month, our Relationships Associate Sussan reflects on her first year at Water Hub and the water movement. One thing is clear: coming together is as necessary as ever.

Read more: waterhub.org/march-water-...

After a lawsuit, USDA agrees to share climate risk data with farmers Now, even if the webpages come down again, the data can remain public.

Earlier this year, the USDA removed webpages that share climate risk maps used by farmers to prepare for extreme weather. After a lawsuit from environmental & farming groups, the agency agreed to release the data behind those maps.

📰 @fridagarza.bsky.social for @grist.org: grist.org/food-and-agr...

Thank you so much for sharing this!

🌊 Blog spotlight | Building trust in water systems

Good #water #management isn’t just pipes—it’s communication. @waterhub.bsky.social , The Junction Coalition, and Rogue Water Lab share a new guide on #utilities, trust, and crises.

💧 Communication is infrastructure.
🔗 zurl.co/fH91j

Cass Lake Superfund plume spreads toward Pike Bay Channel | Buffalo’s Fire Testing shows contaminated groundwater from the Cass Lake Superfund site is migrating toward Pike Bay Channel and Fox Creek, disrupting Ojibwe harvesting and traditions

On the Leech Lake Reservation in Minnesota, tribal members have harvested manoomin for generations. But groundwater contamination from a decades-old Superfund site nearby is spreading beyond its original boundaries.

Gabrielle Nelson for Buffalo's Fire: www.buffalosfire.com/cass-lake-su...

With safety net cuts coming, residents in McDowell, one of America's poorest counties, worry about their future McDowell County, once the nation's largest coal producer, is now one of the poorest places in the United States. Residents have little faith in the government.

In McDowell County, WV, aging water systems, long term economic decline after the collapse of coal jobs, and proposed federal safety net cuts are converging.

📰 Cecilia Vega, Aliza Chasan, Ayesha Siddiqi, and Kit Ramgopal for @cbsnews.com: www.cbsnews.com/news/mcdowel...

A hotter, wetter South is becoming a breeding ground for mold In Asheville, North Carolina, a housing crisis is colliding with a poorly understood health threat.

After #HurricaneHelene, some Asheville apartments never dried out. In the heat and humidity that followed the storm, mold spread fast.

📰 Katie Myers & Laura Hackett investigate how a hotter, wetter South is growing into a public health and housing issue for @grist.org: grist.org/health/in-a-...

Social media with heart: How edutainment breaks through In a crowded social media landscape, “edutainment”––or playful content that also informs––offers a strategic advantage for organizations. Water Hub’s recent workshop offers insights and tips for nonprofits to get started.

People come to social media to connect, laugh, and unwind. For mission-driven organizations, that can be a hard place to show up and be seen in. As a follow up to our webinar last week, we shared a new blog on why edutainment works and how to try it.

🌊 Read more: waterhub.org/social-media...

Water as a Pathway to Freedom: Honoring Black History Water justice advocate Felice Green of Milwaukee Water Commons reflects on the significance of water to Black freedom in Milwaukee, from rivers to the ongoing fight for clean and equitable water access today.

A year ago today, Felice Green hosted @mkewatercommons.bsky.social's “Down by the River” gathering.

In a new #ColorOfWater blog, she connects rivers as pathways to freedom in Black history with today’s water inequities in Milwaukee.

colorofwater.waterhub.org/blog/water-a...

Scientists worry about lasting damage from Potomac sewage spill Drinking water around the District of Columbia hasn't been contaminated. But scientists say the environmental damage could be severe.

A collapsed pipe sent more than 200M gallons of raw sewage into the #PotomacRiver. Drinking water is safe, but scientists warn bacteria and chemicals could cause long-term damage, especially as contaminants move to the Chesapeake Bay.

Michael Copley for @npr.org: www.npr.org/2026/02/20/n...

Indigenous teen Keeya Wiki kayaked the entire Klamath River. It’s just the beginning Keeya Wiki, 17, of Ashland paddled the newly undammed Klamath from Oregon to the Pacific, becoming one of the youth voices advocating for the environment.

Last summer, 17-year-old Keeya Wiki kayaked 310 miles of the undammed #KlamathRiver. She was one of 28 Indigenous teens who paddled the river after four dams were removed in 2024.

📰 @janeteastman.bsky.social for @oregonian.com: www.oregonlive.com/native-ameri...

For #BlackHistoryMonth, we’re celebrating #ColorOfWater member Bre’Shaun Reddick, Chicago Local Partnerships Manager at @alliancegreatlakes.bsky.social.

See Bre’Shaun’s profile here: colorofwater.waterhub.org/experts/bres...

💧 Find more water experts of color here: colorofwater.info

Potomac Sewage Spill Becomes Ecological Disaster and Political Fight

A collapsed pipe has released up to 300M gallons of untreated sewage into the Potomac River since mid-January. Repairs could stretch on for weeks as federal and state officials dispute responsibility.

📰 Scott Dance, Maxine Joselow & Eric Niiler for @nytimes.com: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/c...

It's not too late to register! Our edutainment webinar is tomorrow at 10:30AM PT / 1:30PM ET. Join us here: na2.hubs.ly/H03t-cr0

What does a small Iowa town do when the water is undrinkable? Nitrate pollution is straining some water facilities in small Iowa towns, even when they have advanced filtration systems.

In Early, Iowa, high nitrate levels and strained wells left residents with unsafe tap water for months. In small towns, unsafe water becomes a financial crisis as communities take on loans and raise rates to keep systems running.
📰 Nina Elkadi for @thegazette.com: www.thegazette.com/water-qualit...

Science keeps moving, even when funding and politics shift.

Watch this #P4A2026 video by Miriam Nielsen (featuring #ColorOfWater member + scientist at @ucs.org, Angel S. Fernández-Bou) on protecting federal research and supporting scientists.

🎥 projectforawesome.com/videos/scien...

Trump Administration Erases the Government’s Power to Fight Climate Change

Today, the Trump administration repealed the EPA’s 2009 “endangerment finding,” removing the agency’s legal basis to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the #CleanAirAct. Legal challenges from states and advocates are expected.

Lisa Friedman for @nytimes.com: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/c...

How do you make organizational social media content more engaging without losing the message? Join us next week for a webinar on edutainment, or playful, informative content that helps organizations connect online.

Learn more and register here: na2.hubs.ly/H03t-cr0

For #BlackHistoryMonth, we’re celebrating #ColorofWater Chauncey Foster, co-founder and Executive Founder of we.grow.eco.

See Chauncey’s profile here: colorofwater.waterhub.org/experts/chau...

💧 Find more water experts of color here: colorofwater.waterhub.org

Public Utility Commission of Texas to study water usage at data centers as they expand across state | Houston Public Media The commission will share its findings with the Texas Water Development Board and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

As data centers and crypto mining expand across TX, regulators are moving to measure their water use. The Public Utility Commission will survey facilities this spring to track water & energy consumption.

📰 Anna Monroe for @houstonpublicmedia.bsky.social: www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/tec...

5 takeaways from our 2026 social media vibe check What’s in store for social media in 2026? Water Hub shares insights from social media thought leaders and our own work.

Social media still matters in 2026, but people are craving feeds that feel more human and more intentional. ICYMI, we shared 5 takeaways on what's in store for 2026, from low-value content fatigue to the power of hopeful & human storytelling.

🌊 Read more on our blog: waterhub.org/social-media...

Water agencies grapple with climate change and the 'silver tsunami' of an aging workforce One local water agency is leading the charge to build a water workforce pipeline of young people, as early as high school.

Experienced workers at water utilities across CA are nearing retirement, leaving gaps in critical roles. Some agencies are building new career pipelines through high school programs, paid internships, and hands-on training.

📰 Erin Stone for @laist.com: laist.com/news/climate...

3 years after East Palestine, research must be a commitment, not a moment Discover the ongoing health concerns and advocacy efforts in East Palestine, Ohio, following a train derailment and chemical burn.

3 years after the East Palestine train derailment, residents are still looking for answers on the health impacts from vinyl chloride exposure. This op-ed argues that research must be a lasting commitment tied to care and accountability.

📰 Misti Allison in @thehill.com: thehill.com/opinion/heal...

How do you make organizational social media content more engaging without losing the message? On 2/19, we’re hosting a webinar on "edutainment" — playful, informative content that helps organizations connect online.

Learn more and register here: na2.hubs.ly/H03t-cr0

4 storylines to watch: What’s shaping water news in 2026 In 2026, water news is likely to be shaped by extremes, uncertainty, and growing demand. Read the four emerging storylines we'll be watching.

Water is constantly in the news. In 2026, the question is not whether water issues are getting attention, but how those stories are framed. Our new blog breaks down four storylines shaping this year's water coverage.

🌊 Read more: waterhub.org/4-storylines...

5 takeaways from our 2026 social media vibe check What’s in store for social media in 2026? Water Hub shares insights from social media thought leaders and our own work.

Social media is still central to water storytelling in 2026, but audiences want content that feels human, thoughtful, and worth their time. Our latest blog breaks down five takeaways about what people want from their feeds this year.

🌊 Read more on our blog: waterhub.org/social-media...

Wetlands restoration helps the environment and economy, researchers say Wetlands make up just 3% of total land in Montana. But new research finds their benefits have much larger ripple effects.

On #WorldWetlandsDay, research from Montana offers a reminder of what wetlands do best: protect water quality and deliver real economic benefits for farmers and communities.

📰 Ellis Juhlin for @mtpublicradio.bsky.social: www.mtpr.org/montana-news...

January Water Cooler: Are you not edutained? Sarah Bucci writes about the current water media landscape, plus registration for a new edutainment training, and 2026 digital insights.

The latest Water Cooler is out!Inside, we look at how water stories may take shape in 2026, why fragmented crisis coverage misses the bigger picture, what we’re learning about edutainment, and what’s been keeping us inspired.

🌊 Read the newsletter on our blog: waterhub.org/january-wate...

US science after a year of Trump: what has been lost and what remains A series of graphics reveals how the Trump administration has sought historic cuts to science and the research workforce.

Federal research grants halted and thousands of scientists pushed out of public agencies. This immersive report from @nature.com maps the state of U.S. science under Trump and how agency cuts are reshaping research.

📰 Max Kozlov, Jeff Tollefson, Dan Garisto: www.nature.com/immersive/d4...