Alabama Facing a Water Crisis
Nearly the entire state of Alabama is under the grip of a severe drought and Alabama is facing a water crisis. To date there’s no statewide mandate regarding water usage. However, some public water systems, including the Birmingham Water Works, have begun implementing their own drought conservation plans.
Beginning November 19th, in order to continue supplying and meeting demands, the Birmingham Water Works will start charging residential customers and businesses an additional surcharge for excessive water use.
Local garden designer and landscaper Gloria Clemmensen is losing work and being hit hard, “We’re at a standstill as far as any new installations until we start getting rain. And Fall typically is a time for planting perennials, trees and shrubs. So it effects my income because I’m doing a lot less of what I would normally do in the autumn.”
Dan Jones, owner of University Coin Laundry, tells WBHM he has not yet been impacted, but knows how he will handle the uptick, “If they hit me with a surcharge, certainly I don’t want that to happen, but it will have to drift down to the customers-cause that’s obviously who’s using the water, not me personally.”
Jones says he cares a lot about the water situation but can’t simply close on a weekday and risk losing business in order to save water.
As for Clemmensen, in order to supplement her income, she’s considering other seasonal work.
With little or no rain predicted anytime soon, drought officials say conditions are expected to worsen. Potential ramifications aren’t quite clear, but clearly have business owners thinking about their bottom line.
Earlier versions of this story referred to Gloria Clemmons. The correct spelling is Gloria Clemmensen. We regret the error.
Light from satellites will ruin majority of some space telescope images, study says
Astronomers have long been concerned about reflections from satellites showing up in images taken by telescopes and other scientific instruments.
Defense Department is reviewing boat strike video for possible release, Hegseth says
In a speech on Saturday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the strikes, saying: "President Trump can and will take decisive military action as he sees fit to defend our nation's interests."
Bama, Miami in, Notre Dame out and Indiana No. 1 in College Football Playoff rankings
Nobody paying attention for the past 24 months would be surprised to see Indiana – yes, Indiana – leading the way into this year's College Football Playoff.
McLaren’s Lando Norris wins first F1 title at season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Red Bull driver and defending champion Max Verstappen won the race with Norris placing third, which allowed Norris to finish two points ahead of Verstappen in the season-long standings.
A ban on feeding pigeons ruffles lots of feathers in Mumbai
The pigeon population has exploded — a result of people feeding the birds. For some it's a holy duty and a way to connect to nature. Critics point to health risks tied to exposure to pigeon droppings.
UN humanitarian chief: world needs to ‘wake up’ and help stop violence in Sudan
The UN's top humanitarian and emergency relief official has told NPR that the lack of attention from world leaders to the war in Sudan is the "billion dollar question".
