A recent study on metal concentrations in U.S. community water systems and patterns of inequalities was conducted by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. The study found that metal concentrations were elevated in community water systems serving semi-urban, Hispanic communities independent of location or region, highlighting environmental justice concerns. These communities had…

Read More

The School District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is proposing legislation to provide access to safe drinking water. This comes after a report by PennEnvironment and PennPIRG released last month found that 60% of all water fountains or outlets across 65 Philadelphia public schools tested positive for lead. While some school district officials claim the report is…

Read More

A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) found that human-induced salinization caused by the use of road deicing salts, agricultural practices, mining operations, and climate change is a major threat to the biodiversity and functioning of freshwater ecosystems. According to the study, current water guidelines do not protect…

Read More

According to the Portland Press Herald, about one-third of the sites sampled so far in Maine’s statewide testing of school water exceed the acceptable limit for lead (https://www.pressherald.com/2022/02/15/about-a-third-of-sites-tested-in-maines-schools-exceed-limit-for-lead-in-water/). While there is no safe level of lead that can be consumed in the body, Maine set its acceptable limit for lead in drinking water at 4…

Read More

According to the StarTribune, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is recommending that a portion of an Andover, Minnesota neighborhood be connected to the city’s municipal water system after 40 homes with private wells were found to be contaminated with high levels of the cancer-causing chemical 1,4-dioxane. The homes are located near the now defunct…

Read More

The White House estimates between 6 million and 10 million U.S. households and 400,000 schools get water through lead service lines, which can leach lead into water supplies. The recent bi-partisan infrastructure bill approved $15 billion for lead pipe remediation, with a goal to replace all lead pipe infrastructure over the next decade.  (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/12/16/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-lead-pipe-and-paint-action-plan/). The…

Read More

New Jersey American Water Company discovered high levels of a toxic chemical in the Delaware River where it gets water for hundreds of thousands of customers. This resulted in a major search for polluters that led back to a Pennsylvania wastewater treatment plant and a South Jersey company (https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/21/new-jersey-toxic-drinking-water-527621). The toxic chemical found is 1,4-Dioxane,…

Read More

According to a study from UC Berekely, more than 370,000 Californians have contaminated drinking water. The study found that populations reliant on domestic wells faced greater water quality concerns than those served by community water systems. Roughly 3.4% of Californians rely on domestic wells. The study found that poor water quality disproportionately impacts communities of…

Read More