What civil engineers are reading this week

• New lead testing method could reveal higher levels in water

  In coming years, communities around the country could be in store for unsettling news as U.S. officials consider adopting a more rigorous sampling method for lead in water.

• Jobs of future in focus as Biden visits Minnesota technical college

  President Joe Biden, racing to stay ahead of a new COVID-19 variant and rising inflation, touted the benefits of his infrastructure law and pushed passage of a separate $1.75 trillion measure.

• Walmart CEO says Biden supply chain push is easing bottlenecks

  Doug McMillon hailed the efforts of Joe Biden's administration to ease bottlenecks as the holiday season ramps up, noting the decision to extend port hours was improving the flow of goods.

• Freight activity expected to grow 50% by 2050

  U.S. freight activity will grow to 28.7 billion tons and double in value to $36.2 trillion, according to a recently published industry forecast.

• Satellite returning most precise data ever on sea level

  Measuring tiny differences in the height of the sea surface from space is no easy task — but that's exactly what the Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite is doing.

• US looks to extract lithium for batteries from geothermal waste

  The global demand for the element could grow tenfold by 2030.