One in four Americans drink water that fails safety standards.
How safe is your drinking water?
A new report from the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) looked at 2015 drinking water data from across the United States and found that of the nation’s 52,000 community drinking water systems, a third reported violations of the of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
These systems quench the thirst of 77 million, or one-fourth of the American population, according to the NRDC.
“Drinking water systems that serve fewer than five hundred people account for almost 70 percent of the drinking water violations, and almost 50 percent of all of the health based violations.” Enacted in 1974, the SDWA requires that the EPA identify and regulate drinking water contaminants—which includes any physical, biological, chemical, or radiological substance in the water.
The list, which includes just under 100 contaminants, encompass everything from lead to viruses to uranium.
In the aftermath of Flint, it came to light that at least 33 cities in 17 states had cheated on water tests to mask potential lead contamination.
We know that at least some of these chemicals are making their way into waterways that provide drinking water.
And then there’s the matter of bottled water, which is regulated instead by the FDA.
Apart from the volume of pollution that plastic bottles cause, and the health risks associated with the bottles themselves, bottled water has fewer regulations than tap.

Alpine, Indigo and Towong councils band together in a push to better monitor and limit the impacts of water mining.
The three shires will approach the Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne for a “GC” planning scheme amendment to allow local planning policy for the extraction of groundwater for bottling to go out to the public.
The push has been led by Alpine Council, who have drafted the policy.
It contains a range of proposals, including that water extraction facilities must be managed to minimise the effect on the surrounding area, discouraged in areas in close proximity to homes, and trucks accessing the facility must be fitted with GPS monitoring.
While it won’t mean each council can refuse an application for groundwater extraction – under the Water Act 1989, it is a matter for Goulburn-Murray Water – it will enable them to consider amenity impacts of the applications.
“Meeting with the mayors, we knew without change there wasn’t a lot we could do in the future,” he said.
“I congratulate the current mayor for continuing on with this.” Deputy Mayor Bernard Gaffney referenced the ongoing saga at Stanley, where a planning permit for water extraction was refused by council but overturned by The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
“We need to take into account the amenity affect on agriculture, the loss of agricultural land and the environment,” he said.
“We need to take into account whether our road network can accommodate the truck movements, particularly in regards to the Yackandandah bridge, where I believe an accident is waiting to happen.
“We must establish who pays for the damage caused to community assets.

The alignment of formal and informal institutions.
A wealthy (yet undeveloped) student studies at a posh university with the goal of acquiring a degree.
A possible example thereof would be to copy the constitution of any high-income country in the West, say France, and apply it to an African state, Mauritania, for instance.
One aspect of the puzzle of institutions and development is the distinction between formal and informal institutions.
By replacing a country’s constitution one changes the formal institutions, but what if the informal institutions do not align with the formal institutions?
At his new university buying off teachers is formally forbidden.
However, as indicated, the teachers are identical to his former teachers and therefore are willing to accept a bribe.
Not if accepting bribes is an informal institutions in the school.
Teachers could receive informal sanctioning when they do not accept the bribe.
However, copying written rules and applying them to a different environment is unlikely to be effective and may have perverse effect when formal institutions do not fit their new (informal institutional) environment.

Lakehead-area residents live on bottled or boiled water.
Residents of a small water district near Lake Shasta face several more months living under a boil water advisory.
Residents living in the Sugarloaf County Service were told March 17 that they should boil their tap water before drinking it.
Minturn said the county has applied for a grant from the state to pay for repairing the well that supplies the district with water.
Surface water is getting into the well, tainting it with e coli.
A treatment plant kills the bacteria in the water, but the state Regional Water Quality Control Board said the process is unreliable and wants the well repaired, Minturn said.
In the meantime, the state Division of Drinking Water has approved another $25,000 to provide bottled water to low income residents in the district.
Minturn said the water system was built in the 1970s by a private developer, and the county took eventually took over operating it.
In comparison, in 2016 the Jones Valley County Service Area leaked 14.9 million gallons, or about 26 percent of the total 56.6 million gallons produced, according to the county.
Minturn estimated it would cost about $2.5 million to upgrade the entire Sugarloaf CSA water delivery system.

The study by researchers from the American Cancer Society involved 40 high-income countries and 42 low-income and middle-income countries from 1990 to 2016.
A new report finds an increasing number of people worldwide can afford sugar-sweetened beverages, which may lead to higher rates of diseases like diabetes and cancer.
Overall they found 79 of the 82 countries reviewed in the study met the criteria for increased affordability of soda, meaning the proportion of income needed to purchase sugar-sweetened beverages, compared with the price of these drinks, declined.
“If they continue to become more affordable then most certainly consumption will continue to increase," which will lead to obesity problems and an increase in non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cancer, Drope said.
China topped the list for the largest increase in affordability due to the decline in soda prices and increases in incomes.
At the same time, obesity rates in many of these countries continue to rise.” In recent years, soda giants such as the Coca-Cola Company have contended with bad press, including reports that many of the companies are funding studies that aim to show soda isn’t all that bad for your health, that it doesn’t matter what foods and beverages people consume for their daily calorie intake (even if it’s refined sugar) as long as high calorie food and drink is counteracted by physical activity.
“We’re making our low and no-sugar drinks more available and easier to find.” The company says it has reduced sugar content in more than 200 drinks worldwide in 2016, and plans to more than double that number this year.
Mexico was one of the first countries to try this tax with soda.
As a result, consumption of these drinks was reduced, on average, by 5 percent each month the first year, and nearly 10 percent the second year, according to Dr. Fabio Da Silva Gomes, regional advisor on nutrition for the Pan American Health Organization, part of the World Health Organization.
Drope says implementing an excise tax, cleaning up the water in countries where the supply isn’t potable and implementing better public messaging would likely be effective to reduce soda consumption despite the fact that more people are able to afford the products.

Report: Nestle appealing for pumping station.
OSCEOLA TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Nestle Waters North America, Inc. has appealed a permit denial that disrupted a plan to pump more groundwater for a water bottling plant near Evart, WPBN reports.
Last month, the Osceola Township Planning Commission voted down a building permit that Nestle needs to put up a new pumping station at Spring Hills Camps.
That station would allow the company to draw some 400 gallons of groundwater per minute — 150 gallons more per minute than it currently pumps — to increase production at its nearby Ice Mountain bottled water plant.
Nestle filed an appeal Friday, according to WPBN, the NBC affiliate out of Traverse City.
The company has said the station would be “preferable” to alternatives like constructing a second water pipeline or bringing in water using tankers.
State regulators are still considering Nestle’s request to pump more groundwater, to which there has been vocal opposition.
**Correction: A previous version of this article stated the appeal was filed Wednesday; it was actually filed Friday.
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Selling bottled water above MRP?
You could now go to jail.
Mall and moviegoers have another reason to cheer.
After capping prices of movie tickets, the state government has decided to intensify its drive against multiplexes, hotels, restaurants, airports and malls that are selling bottled water over and above the maximum retail price (MRP).
Following the receipt of hundreds of complaints from consumers, the Legal Metrology Directorate, New Delhi, has directed all state governments to plug this unfair trade practice by intensifying the drives.
Details of raid conducted on May 3 Division No of inspections No of cases booked Bengaluru 104 35 Belagavi 90 17 Kalaburgi 58 15 Mysuru 43 6 Total 295 73 He also said that the state government will write to the Consumer Affairs Ministry seeking amendments to the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, to address the ‘Dual MRP’ menace.
The companies are taking advantage of the loopholes in the Act, which does not address dual MRP aspect," he said.
People’s health is more important than profits," he added.
The Legal Metrology Department has deployed its entire staff to conduct the drive and seize bottles at are being sold at higher prices.
Under the Act, a penalty of Rs 2,000 will be levied.

3 truckloads of bottled water dropped off in Cape Girardeau, MO for flood victims.
Three truckloads of bottled water arrived in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on Wednesday, May 3 for those impacted by Spring Flood ’17.
Anheuser-Busch and Enterprise donated them to the American Red Cross.
The executive director of the area chapter of the Red Cross said they’re on the ground and working to help anyone who needs it.
"This is now a new level for the American Red Cross so we’ve brought in support," Sara Gerau said.
"We’ve got our amazing volunteers locally, plus we’re bringing in volunteers from the national level right now.
We’ve got them coming in all morning.
They’ve been flying into St. Louis and to Cape, coming to assist and make sure that we are able to provide all the services because we want to make sure that everyone has a safe, dry place to go and that they have clothing and food.
Download the KFVS News app: iPhone | Android Copyright 2017 KFVS.
All rights reserved.

If you think bottled water is expensive, wait until you hear about canned air.
Bangor, Maine – Remember when we all thought bottled water seemed ridiculous, well, now people are selling canned air.
The latest American Lung Association air quality study showed that Bangor, Maine has some of the purest air in America, and there are people looking to cash in.
Moses Lam is the CEO of Vitality Air, a Canadian company that cans fresh air and sells it.
He said, “Maine might be our next location.” If you think bottled water is expensive, wait until you hear about canned air Get this, an 8-liter can of his fresh Canadian Rocky Mountain air, that allegedly lasts between 150 and 200 breaths, costs $28!
His biggest buyers are people in smog-ridden China.
Lam said, “We almost want it to be like bottled water.
Instead of taking dirty water and cleaning it, we’re literally moving the (clean air) from one place to another.” So, if you you’re out of work and need money, move to Maine and sell the air to China.
Or if you are living in Bangor, Maine, let’s do the math: 23,ooo breathes a day, divided by 200 breaths per can, times 28 dollars, means every day you breathe you’re getting at least $3,000 worth of free, fresh air.
Nice!

3 truckloads of bottled water dropped off in Cape Girardea, MO for flood victims.
Three truckloads of bottled water arrived in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on Wednesday, May 3 for those impacted by Spring Flood ’17.
Anheuser-Busch and Enterprise donated them to the American Red Cross.
The executive director of the area chapter of the Red Cross said they’re on the ground and working to help anyone who needs it.
"This is now a new level for the American Red Cross so we’ve brought in support," Sara Gerau said.
"We’ve got our amazing volunteers locally, plus we’re bringing in volunteers from the national level right now.
We’ve got them coming in all morning.
They’ve been flying into St. Louis and to Cape, coming to assist and make sure that we are able to provide all the services because we want to make sure that everyone has a safe, dry place to go and that they have clothing and food.
Download the KFVS News app: iPhone | Android Copyright 2017 KFVS.
All rights reserved.