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Thames Water, the UK’s biggest water company, struggles to plug a hole in its finances

Jul 6, 2023
Huge debts and raw sewage threaten the future of a major British utility.
Joan Fennelly, left, and Jo Robb of the Henley Mermaids swimming in the Thames — in spite of the sewage. “We’ve seen it all and it’s very upsetting.”
Mimisse Beard

Growing pistachios is a tough business. Here's one couple's story.

May 18, 2023
The Burchams own an orchard in Firebaugh, California. Like other pistachio farmers, they're grappling with a changing climate.
Klytia and Stephen Burcham own Gage Farms in Firebaugh, California. They have more than 18,000 pistachio trees on their orchard, which stretches over 114 acres.
Lily Jamali/Marketplace

Liquid Death is an “entertainment machine” with a water brand attached

Jan 25, 2023
“We think about our marketing team more like 'Saturday Night Live,'” says Mike Cessario, the beverage startup’s co-founder and CEO.
“Anybody can put water in a can,” said Mike Cessario, CEO of beverage startup Liquid Death. “But that's not why we're successful.” Above, Cessario at Liquid Death’s headquarters.
Maria Hollenhorst/Marketplace

Capturing stormwater to deal with California's drought is complicated

Jan 13, 2023
The infrastructure to capture California stormwater could be decades away, officials say.
Rain falls as the Los Angeles River flows at a strong rate on Jan. 9, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Are businesses making a drop in the bucket for water security?

Aug 1, 2022
Pacific Institute President Jason Morrison, who also heads the CEO Water Mandate, says that companies can lead global action on water.
"The way that we're defining this...is not just about those water volumes, it's also about water quality, and also about access to water for the poor," Pacific Institute President Jason Morrison said about the business-led Water Resilience Coalition.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Outdated water infrastructure amplifies drought problems for a small Wyoming city

Jul 26, 2022
Rawlins is replacing miles of leaky pipeline that's more than 100 years old. Some of the original piping is made of wood.
A creek in the Sage Creek Basin area outside Rawlins, where the natural spring that supplies the city is located.
Caitlin Tan/Wyoming Public Radio

In rural West Texas, the demand for well water is growing

Dec 14, 2021
People have been moving to far West Texas during the pandemic, but officials are concerned there isn't enough water to go around.
Lee Killingsworth and another driller operate the rig and look out onto the property.
Zoe Kurland

For public good, not for profit.

What does it mean for a company to be "water-positive"?

Nov 5, 2021
Journalist Amanda Schupak explains how companies like PepsiCo are trying to put more water into the environment than they take out.
The Atchafalaya River in Louisiana is plagued by a buildup of dirt, sand and silt. As some water sources face stress, some companies have pledged to strengthen them.
Drew Angerer via Getty Images

More people unable to pay utility bills, with colder months coming

Nov 13, 2020
Electric and gas debt is expected to be more than $24 billion by the end of this year, at least three times what it was last year.
The protections against shut-offs are lifting and disconnections have already begun.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

EPA poised to roll back what waterways are protected

Dec 11, 2018
The Trump administration is set to release a plan that would redefine which bodies of water are protected by the 1972 Clean Water Act.
The Trump administration is set to release a plan that would redefine which bodies of water are protected by the 1972 Clean Water Act. 
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images