This is a watershed that not only provides water to recreational areas like rivers and lakes, but also drinking water to about 80,000 residents in three different Colorado cities.
Brigida, start by telling us, how exactly these PFCs entered the watershed.
Brigida Santos: These perfluorinated chemicals seeped into the watershed through fire fighting foam that was being used at the Peterson Air Force base near Colorado Springs.
Right now there are almost no studies that investigate the health problems associated with humans, Mike.
I know this in other parts of the country, where we’ve seen this before.
It’s not like you drink the water and it goes away.
In the end, every jury that heard the case came back and not only found against DuPont, but they also said that the conduct was so reprehensible in the way that they covered up the dangers of this product.
How many people are potentially affected by this and what areas are in most danger here, Brigida?
Mike: Well as a matter of fact, this weekend I go to the Sundance Film Festival, where a movie was made about the case that I tried up in the Ohio River Valley.
In that film, they disclosed the fact that when the initial testing was done to find out how long does this stay in people’s bloodstream.

Not only are residents in the Mountaintop region running low on water, but the water they do have is under a boil water notice.
Residents have expressed concerns about their water — with it ranging from milky white to green in color, and sometimes having sediment in it.
Several organizations are making donations of bottled water to help those in Burnside Township, Snow Shoe borough and Snow Shoe Township, who are served by Mountaintop Regional Water Authority.
Clarence Moose Lodge 1565 ordered 504 cases to donate — no pickup date has been set yet.
State Rep. Mike Hanna, D-Lock Haven, announced Wednesday that he worked with Nestle Waters, which is donating 1,600 cases.
“This is a water crisis and a serious health hazard,” Hanna said in a press release.
“Residents cannot bathe, brush their teeth or safely cook meals under these conditions.
I implore the Mountaintop Regional Water Authority to take every step possible to rectify this situation.” Mountaintop water authority customers can pick up bottled water starting at 10 a.m. Friday at the Snow Shoe EMS building, 492 W. Sycamore Road in Snow Shoe.
They can also call Hanna’s Milesburg office at 353-8780, staffer Tammy Ammerman at 206-6433, staffer Luanna Dudish at 571-3446 or email RepMikeHanna@pahouse.net to request water be reserved for them.
That can be picked up at Hanna’s office.

Not only are residents in the Mountaintop region running low on water, but the water they do have is under a boil water notice.
Residents have expressed concerns about their water — with it ranging from milky white to green in color, and sometimes having sediment in it.
Several organizations are making donations of bottled water to help those in Burnside Township, Snow Shoe borough and Snow Shoe Township, who are served by Mountaintop Regional Water Authority.
Clarence Moose Lodge 1565 ordered 504 cases to donate — no pickup date has been set yet.
State Rep. Mike Hanna, D-Lock Haven, announced Wednesday that he worked with Nestle Waters, which is donating 1,600 cases.
“This is a water crisis and a serious health hazard,” Hanna said in a press release.
“Residents cannot bathe, brush their teeth or safely cook meals under these conditions.
I implore the Mountaintop Regional Water Authority to take every step possible to rectify this situation.” Mountaintop water authority customers can pick up bottled water starting at 10 a.m. Friday at the Snow Shoe EMS building, 492 W. Sycamore Road in Snow Shoe.
They can also call Hanna’s Milesburg office at 353-8780, staffer Tammy Ammerman at 206-6433, staffer Luanna Dudish at 571-3446 or email RepMikeHanna@pahouse.net to request water be reserved for them.
That can be picked up at Hanna’s office.

Hubballi: There is an in the twin cities due to the government‘s negligence, alleged leader , who represents the Central assembly constituency.
He was speaking to reporters after a meeting with officials of the , water board, and other government departments on Tuesday.
“After receiving hundreds of complaints, we held a meeting with officials where we learnt that uncontrolled BRTS works are affecting water supply to the city.
Shettar said that chief minister is not approving Rs 24 crore project which is aims at lifting an additional 40 MLD of water from river to meet the drinking water needs of the twin cities.
“We have Rs 17 crore with the water board and can mobilize the remaining amount from the HDMC.
The government need not sanction a single paisa, but has just give nod to the project.
Shettar said that in December, 2017, Siddarmaiah promised the release of Rs 130 crore for the pending pension amount of retired HDMC employees in 15 days.
He warned that the BJP will hold another agitation against the state government if it continued neglecting the twin cities.
Corporators Mahesh Burli and Umeshgouda Koujageri were present on the occasion.
Get latest news & live updates on the go on your pc with .

Even though the city is directly connected to a massive water source, means of filtering that water are scarce and clean water is hard to come by for many of Entebbe’s residents.
One student involved with their Global Internship Program is Amelia Morrison, a senior geographic science major at JMU.
Morrison works with H4O’s clean water program, which has provided over 220,000 people in 15 different countries, including Uganda, with clean water by building wells and implementing filtration systems.
“Uganda’s such a place that’s so rich in culture and love and there’s so many people that are just so giving of themselves and so hospitable,” Shellabarger said.
That’s why Morrison is coordinating her own fundraiser for a clean water system in Entebbe.
“So it’s really a powerful thing to create partnerships with people who care, even if they’re not focused on the same issue as you.” Uganda is just one of many places struggling during the clean water crisis.
Around the world, more than 840 million people don’t have safe drinking water.
“We definitely feel like it’s something that we take for granted here in the United States,” Grajales said.
“I definitely feel like JMU is a place where everyone’s kind of trying to do something to make the world a better place,” Grajales said.
And the feeling that comes when you achieve that is really, really a good feeling.

Rest easy, residents of Myrtle Creek.
According to health standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency, trace amounts of radium in drinking water are perfectly safe.
In 2011, Environmental Working Group listed Myrtle Creek’s water with an average radium level of 0.6 picoCuries per liter, well below the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s established maximum contaminant level of 5 pC/L.
Myrtle Creek City Administrator Sean Negherbon said the city’s drinking water continues to more than meet guidelines from the Safe Drinking Water Act.
"Our goal at the city of Myrtle Creek is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water," Negherbon wrote in a statement.
"As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity," he wrote.
The city of Myrtle Creek treats water from Springbrook Springs and the South Umpqua River, and water from both sources showed small amounts of radium — the average result of 0.6 picoCuries per liter — detected in three of six samples during the city’s most recent testing in 2011.
No radium was detected in the other three samples.
"Detecting a contaminant at any level does not always mean there is a risk to public health," Negherbon said.
Negherbon said the city of Myrtle Creek’s Consumer Confidence Report is available online at cityofmyrtlecreek.com and at City Hall.

Pupils will start the year bringing their own bottled drinking water to at least one high school that is taking drastic steps to mitigate the effects of a looming water crisis in Cape Town.
When pupils return to school‚ they will have limited access to drinking water and some toilet facilities will be closed.
“As the water crisis heightens in the Western Cape in general and Cape Town in particular‚ Bergvliet High School is obliged to take measures to reduce our water consumption‚” said the notice from principal Stephen Price.
– Downstairs toilets being open before school‚ at breaks and after school – otherwise locked with keys available should they need to be used during lessons.
– One hand basin tap operational per bathroom‚ with the others disconnected.
Hand sanitiser will be provided.
– Pupils will be required to bring‚ according to a roster system‚ 5l of bottled water per month to be used daily in class.
The school told parents that it had been approached by the city’s disaster management team with a view to it being used as a water collection point for residents‚ should “Day Zero” arrive when the dams are empty.
The department is monitoring water consumption and will intervene where necessary where water consumption is excessive.
“The WCED has also issued spreadsheets to schools for monitoring water consumption in the mornings‚ afternoons and over weekends.

Pupils will start the year bringing their own bottled drinking water to at least one high school that is taking drastic steps to mitigate the effects of a looming water crisis in Cape Town.
When pupils return to school‚ they will have limited access to drinking water and some toilet facilities will be closed.
“As the water crisis heightens in the Western Cape in general and Cape Town in particular‚ Bergvliet High School is obliged to take measures to reduce our water consumption‚” said the notice from principal Stephen Price.
– Downstairs toilets being open before school‚ at breaks and after school – otherwise locked with keys available should they need to be used during lessons.
– One hand basin tap operational per bathroom‚ with the others disconnected.
Hand sanitiser will be provided.
– Pupils will be required to bring‚ according to a roster system‚ 5l of bottled water per month to be used daily in class.
The school told parents that it had been approached by the city’s disaster management team with a view to it being used as a water collection point for residents‚ should “Day Zero” arrive when the dams are empty.
The department is monitoring water consumption and will intervene where necessary where water consumption is excessive.
“The WCED has also issued spreadsheets to schools for monitoring water consumption in the mornings‚ afternoons and over weekends.

Islamic Relief (IR) event and volunteer coordinator Ashraf Kenny and 21 other daring individuals from across three continents have taken on a challenge to cycle more than 200km through Andalusia, Spain.
The international organisation aims to raise awareness and much-needed funds for a project that will provide safe drinking water to four villages in Mali, West Africa.
Kenny’s personal aim is to raise R50 000 towards the project that will provide safe drinking water to 4800 people living in these villages.
“The cycle route promises to be a tough one, but I am fired up to take on the challenge of completing the 200km with your prayers, encouragement and support.
We are to truly provide them with water for life,” he says He says that by donating towards the project, locals will be providing much more than a simple convenience to these communities – they will be contributing towards building their future, and restoring their dignity, with every precious drop.
“I am a runner and not a cyclist.
I have never cycled this long before.
To be honest, the only cycling training I get is at gym.
This is a new challenge for me and nothing like I have embarked on before.
The struggle we will go through with cycling over the four days in Spain is nothing compared to what these people go through daily to get water.” Kenny says the project funds will cover a solar-powered water-harvesting system, which harnesses the energy of the sun to provide the villages with easy access to clean water – an example of how IR’s carefully tailored approach to humanitarian development provides sustainable solutions and improves quality of life.

The government is being urged to announce changes to improve drinking water quickly or risk losing support for change.
Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King The final report into the drinking water contamination crisis in Havelock North – released before Christmas – recommended changes such as universal treatment of water supplies and the possibility of a national regulator.
Water New Zealand head John Pfahlert said when the report and its recommendations were tabled in Parliament, it had support on all sides.
But he warned that could easily ebb.
"I’m always confident the government will do the right thing eventually, but if they don’t make an announcement before the end of February, for example, the public might come to think that perhaps they don’t regard the inquiry’s report or recommendations particularly meaningful."
Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta is proposing an inquiry into the funding of local authorities, saying it is simply too difficult for councils to sustain their operations by just relying on rates.
* You can hear more debate about the need to overhaul drinking water systems on Outspoken tonight at 5.30pm on RNZ National.