By Michael Yun It’s August and just like clockwork, Mayor Steven Fulop is at it again with another head-scratching initiative.
This time his strange idea is to add walking trails around the 1,300-acre Jersey City reservoir, located in Morris County.
Mayor Fulop touted his plans on Twitter (his go-to method of governing) boasting, "It’s a great JC asset that will serve conservationists, school children + surrounding community," however, the opposite is much more likely and the Mayor would know this if he took the time to talk to actual Jersey City residents.
The environmental commission’s two points of concern were the environmental and human dangers that may lead to the contamination of the drinking water that, not only the people of Jersey City, but the people of Secaucus and Parsippany, a total of roughly 340,000 people rely on.
"The construction of access roads, parking areas, pathways, etc… would impact the already fragile and very limited protective vegetative cover.
The vegetative cover is an extremely important ecosystem service, as it reduces soil erosion, maintains soil moisture, and acts to filter potentially contaminated runoff that can flow into the reservoir."
When there is a large isolated body of water, people litter or will relieve themselves, not understanding how their actions will ultimately affect others.
The environmental commission’s concern is that "the risk of an intentional attack to compromise the water supply of the people of Jersey City, Secaucus, and Parsippany."
If this were to happen, the ramifications would be catastrophic, by risking the health of these citizens and costing taxpayers to fix it.
One solution for those who desire a walking trail is to utilize the currently underused Jersey City Reservoir #3 located in the Heights, a development that poses no risk to the drinking water of the people of Jersey City, Secaucus, and Parsippany, while also being located in the mayor’s own city for his constituents to enjoy.

Like Local 3 News on Facebook: President Trump signed the 2019 Military Policy Bill into law.
One of the measures aims to stop water contamination at military bases.
A fire-fighting foam used on military bases has literally poisoned the well.
The foam contains chemicals which have been linked to cancer and other health issues.
He adds, "We’re now seeing more and more incidents where this is getting into drinking water, contaminating it and people are suffering as a result of that."
Peters worked to include a provision in the 2019 defense bill, that encourages the Defense Department to use firefighting foams without the chemicals, known as PFAS.
He says, "We can never take safe drinking water for granted.
Earlier this year, the Department of Defense told us it was working to address the problem, and make sure military bases and surrounding areas had access to safe drinking water.
Lynn Thorp with the Clean Water Action says, "Any further information we can get about health effects is very, very important to be able to make sound decisions about these chemicals."
The EPA says it’s examining PFAS in drinking water and is working on cleanup recommendations for the contaminated sites.

Around 74 percent of the drinking water samples picked from various sources across Kashmir have been found contaminated with “microbes”, official data has revealed.
In Kashmir, as part of its drinking water surveillance, 473 samples were lifted for testing from January to July this year.
The contaminations, as per the data include bacteria and other organisms that cause diseases such as gastroenteritis, typhoid and acute diarrheal diseases.
In Srinagar, the quality of drinking water “seems better” and out of 39 samples tested, only 08 were found contaminated.
However, even in this small sample size, significant contaminations were found.
Out of six samples tested in Bandipora, five were found to be contaminated.
As per the comprehensive report on state of diseases afflicting the world, published in prestigious Lancet in September 2017, infectious diseases, especially water-borne diseases and those resulting from poor hygiene are still a major cause of illness in J&K, along with other states in India.
The latest survey has put a question mark over quality of water people in Kashmir have access to.
He said that due to old and dilapidated pipelines, contaminations easily found their way into water.
He added that with new schemes, such as national rural drinking water program, there would be “an overhaul” of water supply.

Bula Vinaka and a very good morning to you all.
I’ve opened several water projects throughout the country in recent weeks, and I’ve been very proud to do so, because I believe that access to clean water for our people is absolutely fundamental to our future development and for the prosperity of our people.
And because of that commitment, we’ve opened new taps, just like this one, along with massive new water infrastructure projects all across Fiji over the past decade.
Under my leadership, we’ve brought the immeasurable benefits of clean drinking water to over 150,000 Fijians in rural communities.
As your Prime Minster, that is what I’m focussed on.
I’m not focussed on the mud-slinging we see from politicians in Fiji today.
Access to clean water is more than a building block of development, it is the rock-solid foundation upon which a community can grow and prosper.
Every Fijian deserves to live with the security and happiness that only clean water can provide; water that can be used for drinking, cooking, washing and keeping ourselves clean.
No family should wake up wondering where the water they need will come from.
We all know that is often Fijian women who bear the brunt of labour in providing clean water for their families and communities.

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S.
Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Congresswomen Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) and Annie Kuster (NH-02) announced a $16 million Clean Water State Revolving Fund Capitalization Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) to improve water infrastructure and protect clean drinking water supplies.
NHDES was also awarded an additional $162,000 to fund New Hampshire’s Water Quality Management Planning program to improve contaminated water and water supplies across the state.
“Granite State families deserve safe and clean drinking water, and this grant will provide significant resources to help communities across our state protect water quality,” said Shaheen.
“I am pleased to announce this increased funding to improve our state’s water infrastructure, and I will continue to work across the aisle to advocate for federal resources to bolster New Hampshire’s clean water initiatives that safeguard public health.” “Clean water is critical for our citizens to lead healthy lives, and it is at the heart of our state’s economic development, healthy families, and vibrant communities,” said Hassan.
“I am pleased to announce these federal grants, which will go toward our efforts to ensure that all Granite Staters have access to safe drinking water by investing in our clean water infrastructure and improving water quality.
Though there is still more work to be done to protect our water from harmful contaminants, such as PFAS, these federal grants are a step in the right direction.” “Every American has a right to clean air and water,” said Shea-Porter.
“No one should have to worry that their water is contaminated or their children are being harmed by contaminated water.
Clean drinking water is essential for public health, and this federal grant demonstrates how federal, state, and local governments can work together to improve wastewater treatment, protect our environment, and improve drinking water quality.” “This grant will help support efforts to ensure that municipal wastewater systems are functioning efficiently and protecting the health of our communities,” said Kuster.
“I strongly oppose efforts to cut resources that are helping local communities safeguard access to quality water resources.

But Rajender Singh has been working to restore supply to more than a thousand villages, and has rejuvenated 11 rivers using traditional techniques.
Read more: Restoring India’s depleting rivers – an uphill task Read more: Delhi’s water crisis highlights Indian capital’s vulnerability That stress is evident when the water stops flowing from community water taps such as this one.
Again today, I will have to beg my neighbor for a bucket of water," Bai told DW.
As many as 63 million Indians do not have access to clean drinking water, as reported by WaterAid, a global advocacy group on water and sanitation.
Read more: Narrowing floodplains threaten Delhi Singh’s organization Tarun Bharat Sangh is located just 40 miles from Alwar, in the village of Bheekampura.
At the event, Singh thanks people for their efforts in protecting local water supplies.
Read more: Why the world needs to recycle its wastewater Read more: World Water Council’s Braga: Water crises could be coming to your backyard Addressing the assembly, he explains how "johads," or earthen dams — an ancient Indian method for catching rainwater — can prevent flooding and raise groundwater levels.
Women are often at the frontlines of water stress in India.
"This was quite evident to see in the wells," Bai said.
That could mean severe water shortages for hundreds of millions of people.

Availability of safe drinking water has remained a long-pending issue in the country.
We live in a world where millions of people – the majority of them children – die every year from diseases that are associated with non-availability of safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene.
In comparison to that about 663 million people are still without any kind of access to safe drinking water and facilities for sanitation.
In a span of a quarter of a century between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of the global population using an improved drinking water source has increased from 76% to about 91%.
The country has an ambitious National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) – a centrally-sponsored scheme – which is aimed at providing every person in rural India with adequate safe water for drinking, cooking and other domestic basic needs on a sustainable basis.
Safe water is to be readily and conveniently accessible at all times and in all situations and therefore, the scheme focuses on the creation of the infrastructure.
The government report says there were as many as 662 “quality-affected villages” in Assam during 2017-18.
One key factor responsible for non-availability of safe drinking water in villages across India is the lack of community participation and community ownership of the projects.
Global goals and national priorities on reliable energy, economic growth, resilient infrastructure, sustainable industrialisation, consumption and production, and food security, are all inextricably linked to a sustainable supply of clean water.
Through Goal 6 of the SDG, the countries of the world have resolved to achieve universal access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation and hygiene to all in the next 15 years.

STRATFORD, Calif. (KFSN) — The town of Stratford is without drinking water this evening after both of the wells, their water system runs on, failed.
Sunday morning Diane and Billy Griffith woke up to the unimaginable.
"It’s devastating.
It really hits you hard when it happens at home," said Stratford resident Diane Griffith.
Using what is left of the water in their trailer to shower and bottled water to hydrate and cook, the couple says their main concern is for others.
We have the elderly in this town," said Diane.
"Some of the structure where the water pulls through failed and were getting sand in the system –so the pump, so we had to shut those pumps off to not cause more damage to those pumps," said S.P.U.D President Jeff Gonzalez.
"We have had failures on that first well.
We just keep going and doing the best we can to keep the water going," said Gonzalez.
Once those repairs are made, it will take several days for the district to flush the distribution system, test the water, and receive authorization from the Division of Drinking Water to lift the "do not drink your water" notice.

The Assistant Commissioner of Food Safety in Kupwara said preliminary investigation and feedback from the affected people revealed that the outbreak was not due to consumption of any unhygienic food items, but due to the tap water used by them in Jagerpora village.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Kupwara Khalid Jahangir had constituted a team to investigate the outbreak and asked them to submit the report on Sunday evening.
An official spokesperson said that in order to take stock of the situation, Mr Jahangir visited Jagerpora, Handwara in Kupwara, interacted with the locals of village, and inquired about the health of the affected.
The DC also inspected the mobile medical camps to check the treatment facilities available.
The DC constituted a team comprising ADC Handwara, SE Baramulla and Chief Medical Officer Kupwara to conduct a detailed inquiry about the outbreak and receive feedback from the people.
The Deputy Commissioner also inspected the spring that functions as the main source of water for the village and issued on-spot directions to PHE Department to mobile resources on war footing for expediting the on-going renovation, repair and protection work on the water body.
Mr Jahangir assured every possible assistance, including financial support from the district administration to the concerned department and directed the PHE Handwara to complete the work within one week.
The DC also directed the health department to ensure the availability of physicians, para-medics, medicines for the quick recovery of the affected and conduct awareness campaigns to fully aware and inform the people of the village and vicinity about sustainable access to safe drinking water.
He instructed the officials of health department to advise people to drink boiled water and to take all necessary precautions.
— (UNI) — C-1-DL0433-1475080.Xml

Monrovia – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia will on Monday, August 13, commence two-day training for technicians of packaged water producing companies in Montserrado County.
The training, according to EPA’s Communication Specialist, Danise Love Dennis is intended to enhance the quality of water being produced by packaged water manufacturers.
It is estimated that waterborne diseases including Typhoid, Cholera, Guinea worm, and Diarrhea killed 3.4 million people, globally, each year.
Danise said it is against this backdrop that the training is being organized to help provide technicians the necessary education and awareness to help them remove or reduce bacteria and pathogens that contaminate drinking water, in order to decrease the incidence of waterborne diseases According to Danise experienced professionals from Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC), National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), Ministry of Health, and the EPA will lecture participants on how to turn ground water into fresh and safe packaged drinking water.
Technicians would also be taught EPA’s regulation on production of packaged drinking water.
She disclosed that registration for EPA’s compliance certificate for packaged water producers started on Monday, August 6, and ends on September 30, 2018.
During this period and afterwards, she noted that a team of Environmental Inspectors will access all water producing facilities across the country to ensure that producers are in full compliance with EPA’s drinking water guidelines”.
EPA is Liberia Government agency responsible for the management and protection of the environment.