Shots were reportedly fired during protests over water shortages in the southwestern city of Khorramshahr in Iran’s Khuzestan Province but the Interior Ministry has denied any fatalities.
Khuzestan, home to mostly ethnic Arabs, is Iran’s main oil producer and contains the country’s largest oil refinery but remains economically disadvantaged compared to northern provinces.
No one died in the clashes; only one person was injured on his side,” Gen. Hossein Zolfaghari, the deputy interior minister in charge of security affairs, told reporters on July 1, 2018.
Zolfaghari added that ten policemen were also injured.
The clashes began on June 29 as people protested going weeks without access to clean water.
Carrying empty canisters, dozens of people at the city’s Friday prayers chanted slogans and carried signs, “They robbed us in the name of religion,” “We don’t need useless officials” and “Your prayers are no good, no good.” In the nearby city of Abadan, where water has also been rationed for several weeks, Friday Prayer Leader Ali Najibi called on the government to urgently install water purifiers.
“The people of Abadan and Khorramshahr are facing a serious water crisis and the government has a duty to allocate a budget to buy water desalination equipment at any price,” Najibi said in a sermon on June 29.
“The citizens of Abadan and Khorramshahr cannot tolerate the water problem any longer and this crisis must come to a final resolution as soon as possible,” he added.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian warned people not to give Israel an excuse to “steal” water from Iran.
“The Zionist regime is using all the latest scientific tools to steal water in the Middle East and we should not let it interfere in our water crisis,” he said at Tehran’s Friday prayer gathering on June 29.

You can’t know about my role in this crisis without knowing about who I am and where I come from.
[Editor’s note: The interaction below refers to a car accident Hanna-Attisha was in when she was five years old.]
Earther: The last burst of national news on Flint happened when the state stopped doling out bottled water.
But there’s a lot of folks who don’t trust what’s coming out of their faucet, even when it’s filtered.
Earther: From the book, you talk about how the trauma in Flint is a toxic stress.
Earther: Can you tell me more about environmental justice, and how it has manifested in Flint since the water crisis?
Hanna-Attisha: Flint already had suffered from environmental injustices in regard to industrial pollution and manufacturing.
[It’s] exactly like the trauma of the children of Flint.
As a pediatrician, we know what it does to children.
Hanna-Attisha: Flint is a story where folks got out of their silos and worked together to open their eyes and also to find that power within themselves to make a difference.

Although about 98 percent of the households have access to improved drinking water, the reliability of water supply stands at 81 percent, the population and housing census of Bhutan (PHCB) 2017 report states.
The report states that about 98.6 percent of the total households have access to improved drinking water as of 2017 compared to 84.5 percent in 2005.
This is 18 percent of the total households.
According to BLSS 2017, about 63 percent of households responded to have 24 hours access to drinking water.
The report also shows that 69 percent of the total households without reliable water sources are in rural areas.
While 98.6 percent of the total households have access to improved drinking water sources, about 2,231 households depend on unimproved water sources, which includes unprotected well, spring, rivers, streams, lake, pond, dam and other sources as the main source of drinking water.
With 360 households, Chukha has the maximum households using unprotected water sources.
Other households have piped water inside the dwelling, piped water outside the dwelling, protected well or spring, and rainwater collection as the main source of drinking water.
The report states that about 77,996 households, which is about 47 percent of the total, have piped water inside the dwelling.
Phurpa Lhamo

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 2 July) – Three regions in Mindanao recorded the most number of households who have least access to better sources of potable water, the 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey of Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.
A report released by PSA Davao last June 30 said the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) had the least improved water sources among the country’s 17 regions at 70.9% while Zamboanga Peninsula (90.8%) and Davao Region (91.8%) ranked 15th and 13th, respectively.
The Cordillera Administrative Region (84.6%) was at 16th and Bicol Region (91.3%) at 14th.
The most improved was National Capital Region at 99.5%, the report said.
The survey added at least 95% percent of households in the country used an improved source of drinking water.
The PSA said the most common source of drinking water was bottled water or water from a refilling station (44%), followed by water piped into the dwelling, yard or plot (24%), and water from a tubewell or borehole (12%).
The agency said 79% of the households reported that they did not treat their water prior to drinking.
It highlighted the need for improved sources of water to prevent contamination.
The ARMM was also the least improved at 35.4% in terms of toilet facilities nationwide, followed by Davao Region (67.8%) and Region 12 (68.6%) while the most improved was Central Luzon at 87%.
(Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)—For people who didn’t carry their own water bottle with them, public water fountains are the most economical and convenient sources for them to stay hydrated, but is the water safe for drinking?
At least it is safe to drink from public drinking fountains around Taipei City, according to the city’s Department of Environmental Protection.
There are 283 public drinking fountains currently in use around Taipei, including 83 at MRT stations, 7 at schools, 158 at parks, and 35 at government agencies, according to a press release issued by the DEP on June 25.
To ensure safety of the water provided by these drinking fountains, the DEP said it performed sampling and testing of water from the city’s 283 drinking fountains between May 10 and July 14.
Results show that the E. coli bacteria level in the samples is all below the benchmark of 6 CFU/100 ml, which means that the water is safe for drinking, the agency said.
Taipei Water Department has also requested the agencies that manage the drinking fountain facilities to conduct daily patrol, conduct a quarterly water test, and provide access to real-time water quality information by utilizing a QR Code system, the DEP said.
Regulations require responsible agencies to carry out monthly maintenance and keep the maintenance record visible near the drinking facilities, the DEP said.
adding that a water test should also be performed by certified institutes.
The DEP said it will continue to inspect and test the water quality to ensure that drinking water is safe at all times.

Shelbyville’s drinking water source is Duck River.
According to the 2018 Shelbyville Water Quality Report, which is available for public viewing on the Shelbyville Water and Sewerage website, the answer is “yes.” “We’re proud that your drinking water meets or exceeds all Federal and State requirements,” the 2018 report states.
By all Environmental Protection Agency standards, there are no known health risks related to Shelbyville’s water source, which this community has depended on for over 70 years.
For that reason, Shelbyville Water, like all public water systems, is required to provide its water compliance report online each year.
The plants must have those certifications renewed under state regulations every three years.
Operation is currently at a capacity of 10 million gallons a day.
There are also regulations for companies that produce bottled water.
While the city water plant takes great responsibility in meeting the standards set for health regarding its water supply, the company also states that it has no control over contaminants that might come through service lines and components, such as old pipes and systems within someone’s home.
Over 286 million Americans get their tap water from a community water source.
The CDC, however, does publicize on its website that sources of drinking water are subject to contamination.

Come Take a Look News partner, News10NBC More than $1 billion has been allocated through the Clean Water Infrastructure Act.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday $275 million in funding to protect and improve water quality.
The funding is part of the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act and the Intermunicipal Water Infrastructure Grants Program, is part of the Governor’s $2.5 billion Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017.
More than $1 billion has been allocated through the Clean Water Infrastructure Act to address clean water and drinking water challenges in New York.
“Water infrastructure is the key to economic development and lays the groundwork for future growth and prosperity,” Governor Cuomo said.
“We are committed to ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to clean water, and I urge local leaders to take advantage of these grant opportunities to make a real difference for the municipalities they serve.” Municipalities, county or town improvement districts and certain other entities are eligible to apply for funding.
The New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation and Department of Health will assess all projects for which applications have been received.
They will evaluate them based on several factors, including protection of water quality, benefits to public health and readiness to proceed expeditiously.

Albany, NY – June 28, 2018 – Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that $275 million in grant funding is available to municipalities with infrastructure projects that protect or improve water quality and/or public health.
"We are committed to ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to clean water, and I urge local leaders to take advantage of these grant opportunities to make a real difference for the municipalities they serve."
Water Infrastructure Improvement Act Wastewater Infrastructure Projects Depending on the estimated cost of the project, successful applicants may receive Water Infrastructure Improvement Act grant funding for up to 25 percent of net eligible project costs, or a maximum of $25 million, whichever is less.
Water Infrastructure Improvement Act Drinking Water Infrastructure Projects Applicants seeking funding for a drinking water project are eligible to receive grants of either 60 percent of net eligible project costs, or $3 million, whichever is less.
Intermunicipal Water Infrastructure Grants Clean Water and Drinking Water Projects Cooperating municipalities with an eligible project may receive an award limited to the lesser of $10 million or 40% of net eligible project costs.
We understand the challenges municipalities face when it comes to water quality, and this funding for clean water infrastructure projects will provide them with the resources they need to improve systems and support opportunities for economic growth and revitalization."
In addition to creating and sustaining local jobs, these grants will provide important support to municipalities to upgrade their aging infrastructure and address water quality impairments they cause.
Since the Governor took office, EFC is proud to have provided more than $14 billion in assistance to communities from Long Island to Niagara Falls and everywhere in between and I encourage any community in need of water infrastructure upgrades to contact EFC to learn how we can help."
We all require about half a gallon of drinking water every day.
The Clean Water Infrastructure grants will help ensure that clean water is always available while helping to keeps water costs affordable."

FLINT, MI — Genesee County Jail employees lied to prisoners by saying the water source inside the facility had been switched back to Detroit from the Flint River more than a year before that actually took place, according to a federal lawsuit.
Sheriff Robert Pickell, Jail Administrator Capt.
The lawsuit alleges Pickell, Gould and Genesee County violated the inmates’ Constitutional rights by forcing them to drink contaminated water, not allowing inmates to receive bottled water from non-incarcerated individuals, rationed water for inmates to 33.8 ounces per day, denied access to bottle water unless inmates "deserved" it and eventually allowed inmates to purchase water from the jail’s commissary.
"It’s all fabricated.
I stand by my record of being good to human beings."
An official response to the allegations has not yet been filed.
"Plaintiffs were not offered any sort of clean water until well over a year after defendants Pickell and Gould knew that the Genesee County Jail’s tap water was contaminated," according to the lawsuit.
"Even after bottled water was available to the jail, plaintiffs were routinely denied access to the water.
Plaintiffs were denied water by Genesee County Jail personnel, whom defendants Pickell and Gould were responsible for, subjectively believed that plaintiffs did not ‘deserve it.’"
Jail employees refused to distribute bottled water to the inmates and kept it for employees’ use, the lawsuit alleges.

TOUGH TIMES: NSW Farmers Tamworth chair Kevin Tongue said a free water initiative would help.
Photo: Gareth Gardner TAMWORTH Regional Council could investigate giving away water for farmers to fill their tanks, as Central West councils push a similar initiative.
Farmers in the region continue to battle with added expenses with next-to-no feed on the ground and Mr Tongue liked the sound of the idea.
“We’ve got no feed,” he said.
“At a time like this, we need pull together and support one another in any way we can.” Cr Wilson said the current conditions were “extraordinary” and recalled how discouraging dry times can be for the community.
“Growing up in Burren Junction, I know it can be so demoralising for the rural community not to be able to feed stock and provide for their family created by elements beyond reach,” she said.
“It certainly has merit and it’s worth further investigation,” Cr Tickle said.
He said it was a serious matter and noted the contribution primary producers have on the region’s economy.
“De-stocking of farms can have significant immediate and longer term economic impacts on individuals and the wider local economy,” he said.
“One local business alone provides 650 jobs.” Dubbo Regional Council deputy mayor Anne Jones called for free access to the standpipe for drinking water and stock water, at a recent meeting.