Watch Out! Your Tap Water May Not Be Safe to Drink
Watch Out!
Your Tap Water May Not Be Safe to Drink.
Just over 86 percent of all Americans have access to drinking water, while top ranked countries (21 in total) have a perfect 100 percent accessibility.
The database was compiled by the Environmental Working Group and has close to 50,000 public water systems cataloged within its digital stacks.
The data comes from tests conducted in between 2010 and 2015 by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The statistics can be pulled up either by entering your zip code, or your utility provider.
Once the information is plugged in and your utility provider is selected, the database will return a brief summary about where your water comes from, what other companies are involved in the processing, how many contaminants violate health guidelines, and what additional contaminants are present.
Additionally, the database breaks down where the contaminants are coming from, whether they’re from local industry, agriculture, runoff, or nature.
But the site doesn’t just notify you about the problem, it also advises the best bet in terms of filtration.
If you’re interested in the rest of the United States water system as a whole, we have some additional answers beyond just the local level.
Watch Out! Your Tap Water May Not Be Safe to Drink
Watch Out!
Your Tap Water May Not Be Safe to Drink.
Just over 86 percent of all Americans have access to drinking water, while top ranked countries (21 in total) have a perfect 100 percent accessibility.
The database was compiled by the Environmental Working Group and has close to 50,000 public water systems cataloged within its digital stacks.
The data comes from tests conducted in between 2010 and 2015 by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The statistics can be pulled up either by entering your zip code, or your utility provider.
Once the information is plugged in and your utility provider is selected, the database will return a brief summary about where your water comes from, what other companies are involved in the processing, how many contaminants violate health guidelines, and what additional contaminants are present.
Additionally, the database breaks down where the contaminants are coming from, whether they’re from local industry, agriculture, runoff, or nature.
But the site doesn’t just notify you about the problem, it also advises the best bet in terms of filtration.
If you’re interested in the rest of the United States water system as a whole, we have some additional answers beyond just the local level.
Salem water-quality standards need to keep up with new findings
Salem water-quality standards need to keep up with new findings.
Mid-Valley residents learned this week that Salem’s drinking water meets all federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards.
A nonprofit group out of Washington, D.C., the Environmental Working Group, released a national drinking-water database Wednesday that allows users to plug in their ZIP Code and find out what contaminants are in their drinking water.
In Salem, three chemicals met the Environmental Protection Agency’s legal limit, but they far exceeded those considered safe by the nonprofit.
But since 1996, Lunder said, more chemicals have been identified and new technology to detect even more chemicals has been developed.
"We’re frustrated by the lack of action on the EPA’s part to update its list," Lunder said.
It’s relatively inexpensive to monitor chemicals; the problem is the cost of removing them once they’re identified.
Not a single new contaminant has been added to the EPA list in more than two decades Public health is not being protected.
Our water utility should be using the most-recent science to evaluate the public health risk.
To find out what contaminants are in your drinking water
Peddling for clean water
Peddling for clean water.
Cyclists peddled hard through Kelowna yesterday, as they raised money for clean water in Somalia.
President and CEO of the nonprofit Sarah Fillier was making her way up the Coquihalla, just outside of Merritt when she spoke to the Capital News.
“It’s been a pretty big morning,” she said.
Everyone was in tip-top shape for the ride, with two iron man athletes joining for the cause.
“That just blew his mind… so he put together the very first cycling event and raised enough money for a water project,” said Fillier.
After Weber and his parents moved, Fillier and her significant other David Custer took on the event.
The goal is to raise $15,000, which would have an impact on 10 villages, or approximately 28,000 people, said Fillier.
Normally we fund one water project a year, but this year we’re doing our third,” said Fillier.
The nonprofit also hosts four events per year with the community ride in Calgary growing three times its initial size.
Feds commit $8.8M for Neskantaga water treatment plant
Feds commit $8.8M for Neskantaga water treatment plant.
NESKANTAGA FIRST NATION, Ont.
– A Northwestern Ontario First Nation community under a water advisory for more than two decades could be a year away from having clean drinking water.
The federal government earlier this week announced $8.8 million to upgrade the water treatment plant in Neskantaga First Nation, where a long-term drinking water advisory had been in place for the past 22 years.
"For more than 20 years we haven’t been able to drink water from our taps or bathe without getting rashes.
“This has been a long and difficult process and has demonstrated the resolve of our members.
We also appreciate the efforts of everyone who brought attention to this issue over the years.
We are one step closer to ending the water advisory, but there is much more work to be done.
We hope that work gets underway immediately."
“Investing in water systems like the one at Neskantaga First Nation represents one more step in renewing our relationship with First Nations and reaffirms our commitment to end all long-term drinking water advisories affecting on-reserve public systems financially supported by Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada,” Bennett said.
Government and First Nations work to end drinking water advisory at Neskantaga First Nation
Government and First Nations work to end drinking water advisory at Neskantaga First Nation.
OTTAWA, July 27, 2017 : Everyone in Canada should have access to safe, clean, and reliable drinking water.
Today, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, along with Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, Nishnawbe Aski Nation and Chief Wayne Moonias, Neskantaga First Nation announced new investments that will lift the long-term drinking water advisory (DWA) in Neskantaga First Nation.
The Government of Canada will invest approximately $8.8 million to help upgrade the community’s water treatment system, including an addition to the existing water plant with new treatment technology and additional reservoir storage capacity to meet the community’s long-term needs, enabling more than 340 residents to access clean water for the first time in more than 22 years.
Quotes "Congratulations to Neskantaga First Nation and Matawa Tribal Council for your leadership on this project that will end the 22 year drinking water advisory in this First Nation community.
Investing in water systems like the one at Neskantaga First Nation represents one more step in renewing our relationship with First Nations and reaffirms our commitment to end all long-term drinking water advisories affecting on-reserve public systems financially supported by Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC)."
The approval of this project is a strong signal of this government’s commitment to eliminating all First Nation drinking water advisories, and we hope that investment in vital community infrastructure continues across NAN territory."
Water is a basic human right, and it should not have taken this long to provide the people of Neskantaga with access to safe drinking water.
This has been a long and difficult process and has demonstrated the resolve of our members.
Chief Wayne Moonias Neskantaga First Nation Quick Facts •As part of its long-term strategy, the Government of Canada is working with First Nations on sustainable approaches to eliminate long-term drinking water advisories by March 2021, and to prevent new long-term advisories from happening.
Army pledges Merrimac Badger Ammunition cleanup help, will not fund drinking water system
Army pledges Merrimac Badger Ammunition cleanup help, will not fund drinking water system.
Residents living within reach of toxic groundwater pollution near the former Badger Army Ammunition Plant questioned Army officials Wednesday about their sudden abandonment of a proposed $20 million public drinking water system.
Army representatives said they’re committed to ensuring people living near the property have access to clean drinking water, but said an Army representative acted prematurely when committing to fund a public drinking water system for the residents.
“The Army prides itself on what we say we’re going to do — we’re going to do and follow through.
But in this particular incident we are not going to be able to do that right now.” Members of the audience said the Army waited too long to communicate its decision, is not honoring its commitment and has not come up with any new solution to the contamination issues plaguing them.
“One of the things that is often said is that the DOD (Department of Defense) does not recognize the groundwater needs to be restored to its beneficial levels,” Tesner said.
“That is not the case.
At the very highest levels of the Pentagon, the Department of Defense level … that assertion has been made and has been made very recently that even if we can’t do the drinking water system we will have a remedy and we will stick to it.” One resident who lives nearby said his well hasn’t been tested for contaminants in six years.
Kelly said with a decrease or stabilization in the chemicals in the majority of wells "it is time where we move from an active remedy to a more passive one, but that doesn’t mean we go away."
The Army said it now has a remedial investigative contract, and in early 2018 will draft a remedial investigation for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Salem water-quality standards need to keep up with new findings
Salem water-quality standards need to keep up with new findings.
Mid-Valley residents learned this week that Salem’s drinking water meets all federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards.
A nonprofit group out of Washington, D.C., the Environmental Working Group, released a national drinking-water database Wednesday that allows users to plug in their ZIP Code and find out what contaminants are in their drinking water.
In Salem, three chemicals met the Environmental Protection Agency’s legal limit, but they far exceeded those considered safe by the nonprofit.
But since 1996, Lunder said, more chemicals have been identified and new technology to detect even more chemicals has been developed.
"We’re frustrated by the lack of action on the EPA’s part to update its list," Lunder said.
It’s relatively inexpensive to monitor chemicals; the problem is the cost of removing them once they’re identified.
Not a single new contaminant has been added to the EPA list in more than two decades Public health is not being protected.
Our water utility should be using the most-recent science to evaluate the public health risk.
To find out what contaminants are in your drinking water
Army pledges Merrimac Badger Ammunition cleanup help, will not fund drinking water system
Army pledges Merrimac Badger Ammunition cleanup help, will not fund drinking water system.
Residents living within reach of toxic groundwater pollution near the former Badger Army Ammunition Plant questioned Army officials Wednesday about their sudden abandonment of a proposed $20 million public drinking water system.
Army representatives said they’re committed to ensuring people living near the property have access to clean drinking water, but said an Army representative acted prematurely when committing to fund a public drinking water system for the residents.
“The Army prides itself on what we say we’re going to do — we’re going to do and follow through.
But in this particular incident we are not going to be able to do that right now.” Members of the audience said the Army waited too long to communicate its decision, is not honoring its commitment and has not come up with any new solution to the contamination issues plaguing them.
“One of the things that is often said is that the DOD (Department of Defense) does not recognize the groundwater needs to be restored to its beneficial levels,” Tesner said.
“That is not the case.
At the very highest levels of the Pentagon, the Department of Defense level … that assertion has been made and has been made very recently that even if we can’t do the drinking water system we will have a remedy and we will stick to it.” One resident who lives nearby said his well hasn’t been tested for contaminants in six years.
Kelly said with a decrease or stabilization in the chemicals in the majority of wells "it is time where we move from an active remedy to a more passive one, but that doesn’t mean we go away."
The Army said it now has a remedial investigative contract, and in early 2018 will draft a remedial investigation for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Engineering a solution to dirty water
One of the challenges is that bacteria from rivers can flow into groundwater sources, polluting what may have been potable drinking water.
Current methods of testing water safety can be expensive and time consuming.
Then they have to test the samples to determine which types of bacteria are present.
Working with fellow doctoral student Ran Ran and undergraduate student Derek Tran, Sun is developing a new method that’s faster, easier to use, and portable.
Traditionally, in order for scientists to measure what types of bacteria are present in water, they push the water sample through a column of soil or sand that’s native to the riverbed where the sample came from.
However, researchers find that some bacteria will squeeze through the soil column and make it to the other side.
Since it’s not adhering to the soil or sand, it may hitch a ride on the river current all the way into a town’s source of drinking water and make people sick.
While the traditional strategy for measuring bacteria works, Sun knew he could make it more efficient.
Instead of using a soil column to push water samples through, his method uses a microchannel.
To make this system portable, Sun knew he wanted the microscope to be able to connect with a cellphone.