Map Drinking Water Sources Worldwide with Freewa.
Did you know that one billion people on Earth do not have access to medically safe drinking water?
Freewa is a Zagreb-based startup that maps the locations of free drinking water in order to make drinking water accessible to everyone and reduce plastic pollution.
Part of the project is Freewa glass bottle that comes with an eco felt bag, both 100% recyclable.
You can start adding your own sources to map and buy your bottle here, or get it for free if you back the campaign.
The bottle has “thank you” written in 12 different languages on it, which was the founders’ way of saying thank you to everyone who is helping save the environment.
When you download the app, you can take photos and add the location of each source, and add stories connected to its location, which also means that you can read interesting stories and gather historical facts.
The founders Goran Ladisic, Vedrana Vrabec, Mihaela Ivanec and Marko Rasic say that their love of nature brought them together, and a firm belief that they need to protect this beautiful planet, as well as the idea that every human being has the right to use the gifts that nature had given us, clean water being one of them.
Download the app for Android and iOs phone and like Freewa on Facebook.
All photos from Freewa Indiegogo.

Nestlé Waters North America Clean drinking water is even more precious to Americans than clean air.
The overall take-away from the survey is that: -clean drinking water is more important than clean air to Americans -two out of three Americans believe their community is vulnerable to a water crisis -a majority of the public believes significant, immediate investments in water infrastructure are needed to avoid future water crises -the public and water resource scientists agree that climate change will have an increasing impact on access to clean drinking water This is a significant finding, especially in the wake of the horrible State-inflicted water crisis in Flint, Michigan and continued attempts to repeal many Obama-era EPA regulations on air and water.
With this in mind, there were some very notable results from this water study: – access to clean drinking water and the nation’s water infrastructure are major concerns for Americans across the entire country – the study, the first of its kind to gather both the opinions of the nation’s general population as well as those of experts in the field, found that water is viewed as the most important natural resource in our daily lives, a little more than clean air: 87% compared to 81% – 61% of American consumers and 66% of water resource experts characterized water problems as a crisis or major issue for the United States – two out of three Americans (66%) believe their own community’s clean drinking water is at risk – 59% say a major overhaul of U.S. water infrastructure is needed to avoid that possibility – city-dwellers are even more likely to fear their community’s clean drinking water is at risk (70% versus 63% in rural areas).
– there is almost universal agreement (96%) that if the United States does not proactively invest in the country’s water infrastructure system now, it will end up costing more in the long run Many American consumers and experts question whether the tap water in their home (36% and 30%, respectively) and schools (40% for both) is clean and safe.
See also the United States Geological Survey maps of water quality across the U.S.
About half (51%) say the impact of climate change on access to clean drinking water will increase over the next 10 years, but improving infrastructure (59%) or developing innovations for purifying water (58%) could help mitigate the impacts.
Water resource scientists and experts are especially likely to say climate change is impacting clean drinking water (76%) and are more likely than American consumers to say this impact will increase over the next 10 years (58%).
Americans who were surveyed support investment in infrastructure to address both the causes and effects of water-related issues.
American consumers expect local (71%), state (71%) and federal governments (65%) to play a role in ensuring that people have access to clean drinking water, but they expect consumers (39%) and businesses (35%) to help in some way.
Nestlé Waters, who conducted this study, is the third largest non-alcoholic beverage company in the United States, employing 8,500 people and running 28 bottled water facilities across America.

The water project to be managed by Kerwa Water Project Welfare Association (KWPWA) comprises of a 4Km water distribution line, a 225,000-litre rehabilitated water tank, a borehole, a water pump house and a water kiosk. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Diageo Corporate Relations Director, Dan Mobley said: “As a company, we seek to contribute to the communities by way of implementing innovative projects in the areas of access to clean drinking water, water conservation and management as underpinned by Diageo 2020 Sustainability Blueprint.” A World Bank study on water revealed that by 2050 over 40% of the global population will live under severe water stress; and as global population increases, so will tensions among different water uses. Today, 18 million Kenyans have no access to water and sanitation services, therefore Nduma Water Project is fundamental in…

Scott Pruitt Proposes Gutting Clean Water Act, Threatening Drinking Water of 117m Americans.
(EnviroNews USA Headline News News) — Washington D.C. — On June 27, 2017, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt released a proposal to dismantle the Clean Water Rule (The Rule), also known as the “Waters of the United States (WOTUS).” Pruitt is following up on President Trump’s February Executive Order to formally reconsider the 2015 Obama-era version of The Rule.
“This proposal strikes directly at public health.
Clean water is too important for that.
The map is based on the 2009 EPA “Geographic Information Systems Analysis of the Surface Drinking Water Provided by Intermittent, Ephemeral and Headwater Streams in the U.S.” Readers may click on the image below to link to the interactive EPA map and find out if your drinking water is at risk.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) used the same data to create another detailed and interactive map, which focuses specifically on the 72 million Americans who depend on drinking water from small streams.
When signing the Order, Trump called The Rule “a massive power grab” that put people out of work.
He also said “the EPA decided that navigable waters can mean nearly every puddle or every ditch on a farmer’s land, or any place else that they decide.” Pruitt’s proposal describes a two-step revision process and states: Proposing to re-codify the regulations that existed before the 2015 Clean Water Rule will provide continuity and certainty for regulated entities, states, agency staff and the public.
Kierán Suckling, Executive Director of the Center for Biological Diversity, shared this opinion on the proposal to roll back U.S. water pollution regulations: Scott Pruitt is smashing everything he touches at the EPA.
From vernal pools in California to prairie pothole ponds in the Midwest, small wetlands provide essential habitat to hundreds of endangered species, birds and migrating wildlife.

Consumers Say Businesses Must Help Solve Water Crisis.
Businesses, government and environmental organizations must collaborate to solve the problem of clean drinking water, according to a new report about the major concerns of Americans from Nestle Waters North America (conducted by global research firm PSB).
Americans expected businesses to play a role in ensuring that people have access to clean drinking water (at 35%).
Nelson Switzer, chief sustainability officer of Nestle Waters NA, believes that companies would do well to engage with employees, suppliers, communities, non-profits, policy makers and other stakeholders to drive collaboration and innovation.
“We can accomplish far more together than we can alone,” Switzer says.
In a Q&A with Environmental Leader last month, Switzer pointed out that, though we cannot create water, we cannot destroy it, either.
“Can it be polluted?
In many cases.
Can it serve all the people, the industries, the environmental demands?
“If we manage the system appropriately, the answer is yes,” Switzer said.

Trump Administration Moves Forward to Remove Protections on Drinking Water.
Former President Barack Obama enacted it to better define what bodies of water the Clean Water Act protects.
It created greater defenses for smaller streams and rivers that feed into larger ones, helping keep drinking water sources clean from pollution.
People of color, including tribal communities, border communities and many living in rural areas, already disproportionately lack access to clean drinking water, though more data is needed to know the extent.
An appellate court blocked it in October 2015 after 18 states challenged the federal government on the rule.
The court’s required stay allowed for further debate and discussion around the rule, according to Reuters.
The Supreme Court decided in April to continue with the case even though the Justice Department had asked it to halt the litigation while the Trump administration reviews it.
“This is the first step in the two-step process to redefine ‘waters of the U.S.,’ and we are committed to moving through this re-evaluation to quickly provide regulatory certainty, in a way that is thoughtful, transparent and collaborative with other agencies and the public,” said Pruitt in an online statement.
The proposed rule would be identical to what the text said previous to the 2015 change—and to what the industry currently follows.
The Guardian reports that the rule would have protected a third of U.S. residents’ water: That totals more than 100 million people.

Consumers Say Businesses Must Help Solve Water Crisis.
Businesses, government and environmental organizations must collaborate to solve the problem of clean drinking water, according to a new report about the major concerns of Americans from Nestle Waters North America (conducted by global research firm PSB).
Americans expected businesses to play a role in ensuring that people have access to clean drinking water (at 35%).
Nelson Switzer, chief sustainability officer of Nestle Waters NA, believes that companies would do well to engage with employees, suppliers, communities, non-profits, policy makers and other stakeholders to drive collaboration and innovation.
“We can accomplish far more together than we can alone,” Switzer says.
In a Q&A with Environmental Leader last month, Switzer pointed out that, though we cannot create water, we cannot destroy it, either.
“Can it be polluted?
In many cases.
Can it serve all the people, the industries, the environmental demands?
“If we manage the system appropriately, the answer is yes,” Switzer said.

Oregon Environmental Council Responds To EPA, Army Corps Push For Clean Water Act Repeal.
PORTLAND, OR — The Oregon Environmental Council on Wednesday released a statement in response to the Trump Administration’s push to repeal the clean water rule — an Obama-era update to the federal Clean Water Act that re-defined what waterways can be regulated by the federal government.
On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers proposed to repeal the 2015 Clean Water Rule and return the Clean Water Act to its post-1987 amendment state, furthering President Donald Trump’s agenda to undo the legacy of President Barack Obama.
The OEC, however, contends that repealing water pollution regulations could have disastrous effects for the countries rural wetlands, which are right now overseen largely by the Army Corps of Engineers.
(Whenever a new development seeks to build on or near federally protected wetlands, the Army Corps and EPA provide oversight and ensure no wildlife or natural vegetation is compromised.)
"We will continue to do the work required here in Oregon to ensure that we have clean water for all."
The OEC said the prospective repeal could put sources of drinking water for more than four million Oregonians at greater risk, and it has vowed to work with state leaders on protecting Oregon’s waterways to they remain "safe places to live, work, swim, (and) fish."
If repealed, OEC officials said, fewer streams, wetlands, and other waterways would be held to the Clean Water Act’s pollution cleanup and control requirements, opening the door for more pollution to enter the country’s rivers, lakes and streams, and putting vital wetlands at risk of destruction.
"Protecting our waterways is essential to preserving Oregon’s ecosystems, recreation activities, and safe drinking water for communities across the state," OEC Water Program Director Lori Grant said.
"Oregonians will not stand for the pollution and destruction of our streams and wetlands — no one should have to worry about pollution when they turn on the tap."

Ground breaking for upgrades to Shawinigan’s drinking water plant held.
This project is receiving more than $48 million in joint financial assistance from the governments of Canada and Quebec under the Major Infrastructure Component of the Building Canada Fund‒Quebec.
"We are committed to investing in local infrastructure that ensures Canadians have access to solid, modern water services," said François-Philippe Champagne, minister of international trade and member of parliament for Saint-Maurice–Champlain.
To meet the requirements of the Quebec Department of Sustainable Development, Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change, the City of Shawinigan is starting the construction of two new water treatment plants this year, one for water drawn from Lac des Piles and the other for water from Lac à la Pêche.
The project to upgrade the drinking water infrastructure also includes modifying the water supply system to connect the Saint-Georges and Lac-à-la-Tortue sectors to the Lac à la Pêche water supply system.
This change is required because the City of Shawinigan should not draw more than 7,500 m3 per day from Lac des Piles.
In 2014, the provincial government agreed to this request and at this point, we were able to sit down with the federal and provincial governments to determine the right financial package," said Michel Angers, mayor of Shawinigan.
The Government of Canada will provide more than $180 billion in infrastructure funding over 12 years for public transit, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, transportation that supports trade, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.
This amount includes $5 billion available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
Under the 2017‒2027 Quebec Infrastructure Plan, the Quebec Department of Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy will invest a total of $15 billion in infrastructure thanks to $7 billion in government financial support.

Two in three Americans believe their community’s clean drinking water is at risk Most Americans believe significant investments in water infrastructure are needed to avoid future water crises Americans expect cross-sector collaboration from governments, businesses and environmental organizations to secure a clean water future STAMFORD, Conn. – (June 28, 2017) Access to clean drinking water and the nation’s water infrastructure are major concerns for Americans across the country, according to “Perspectives on America’s Water,” a new study.
Yet, 61 percent of American consumers and 66 percent of experts characterized water problems as a crisis or major issue for the United States.
The study found that two in three Americans (66 percent) believe their own community’s clean drinking water is at risk, while 59 percent say a major overhaul of U.S. water infrastructure is needed to avoid that possibility.
At Nestlè Waters we believe that access to safe and secure drinking water is a fundamental human right and we know we all have a role, responsibility and obligation to contribute to making this a reality.” Concerns About Cleanliness and Safety Many American consumers and experts question whether the tap water in their home (36 percent and 30 percent, respectively) and schools (40 percent for both) is clean and safe.
Forty-two percent of Americans surveyed believe water will become less available in the next 10 years, and two-thirds (66 percent) believe water crises will have widespread consequences for individuals, businesses and the United States overall.
Experts are especially likely to say climate change is impacting clean drinking water (76 percent) and are more likely than American consumers overall to say this impact will increase over the next 10 years (58 percent).
In terms of specific infrastructure improvements, Americans believe it is necessary to prioritize early detection systems that identify contamination in the water supply (64 percent), more efficient water collection and purification methods (52 percent) and infrastructure to increase water access, quality and capacity (48 percent).
American consumers expect local (71 percent), state (71 percent) and federal governments (65 percent) to play a role in ensuring people have access to clean drinking water, as well as consumers (39 percent) and businesses (35 percent).
That is why we are committed to using these insights and skills to engage with our employees, suppliers, communities as well as non-profits, policymakers and other stakeholders who care deeply about the sustainability and the security of America’s water supply to drive innovation and collaboration to ensure a clean, safe and secure water future for generations to come.” Methodology PSB, on behalf of Nestlé Waters North America, conducted an online survey among 6,699 American adults in May 2017.
Brands such as Nestlé® Pure Life®, Poland Spring®, Perrier, and S. Pellegrino® have driven Nestlé Waters North America to be the third largest non-alcoholic beverage company by volume in the U.S. Based in Stamford, Connecticut with over 8,500 employees nationwide, Nestlé Waters is committed to reducing its environmental footprint across operations.