Water News

Where have high levels of lead been found in drinking water? This map will show you – November 21, 2016 – PIX11 NEWS – Almost 200 water systems in New York and New Jersey have exceeded the federal action level for lead in drinking water during the past 3 to 4 years, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Flint water crisis prompts lead testing in Massachusetts schools – November 7, 2016 – South Coast Today
– More than 99 Massachusetts school buildings across at least 22 communities have tested positive for elevated lead levels since June, when the state launched a new grant program to help schools test their water.

For Weight Loss, Water Beats Diet Soda – October 20, 2016 – The New York Times
– Researchers put 81 overweight women with Type 2 diabetes on the same weight-control diet, except that half drank diet beverages five times a week after their main meal at lunch, while the other half substituted plain water. The study is in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

Tests show drinking water contamination above EPA advisory level in Gadsden area– September 20, 2016 – WHNT News
– The Alabama Department of Public Health announced that more systems have tested above the EPA threshold for safe drinking water, when it comes to PFC contamination. A news release from the department says two tests from the Gadsden Water Works and Sewer Board tested above EPA advisory levels.

Lead Tests on New York City Schools’ Water May Have Masked Scope of Risk – August 31, 2016 – New York Times
– According to the city, every water outlet in each school was turned on fully for two hours the night before the samples were taken — a practice known as pre-stagnation flushing that cleans most soluble lead and lead particles from pipes and thus reduces lead levels temporarily.

New Study Shows High Potential for Groundwater to be Corrosive in Half of U.S. States – July 13, 2016 – USGS NEWS – A new U.S. Geological Survey assessment of more than 20,000 wells nationwide shows that untreated groundwater in 25 states has a high prevalence of being potentially corrosive. The states with the largest percentage of wells with potentially corrosive groundwater are located primarily in the Northeast, the Southeast, and the Northwest.

CDC: Flint water crisis “entirely preventable” – June 25, 2016 – CBS News – Analysis of blood samples from young children from Flint, Mich., shows they had much more lead in their blood after the city began using local drinking water in an effort to cut costs, a new U.S. government study reveals.

At least 33 US cities used water testing ‘cheats’ over lead concerns – June 2, 2016 – The Guardian – Guardian investigation reveals testing regimes similar to that of Flint were in place in major cities including Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia

Lead in Portland Public Schools’ drinking water – May 31, 2016 – NBC News – Recent tests that showed high levels of lead in water at two Portland schools raised questions about when Portland Public Schools learned about the contamination and why school leaders waited so long to tell parents about the issue.

Elizabeth schools failed to report lead in drinking water to parents for three years – April 4, 2016 – New York’s PIX11 – Elizabeth Public Schools never told parents about drinking water tests in 2013 that turned up positive for lead in 12 school buildings.

Students Reveal How They Broke the Lead Contamination Case in Flint, Mich. – March 1, 2015 – Scientific American – Officials criticized them as bogus “magicians,” but making data transparent caused residents to demand action

Emails Reveal Early Suspicions of a Flint Link to Legionnaires’ Disease – February 4, 2016 – The New York Times – Michigan state officials were aware of an increase in Legionnaires’ disease cases and a possible tie to Flint’s troubled water supply at least 10 months before Gov. Rick Snyder informed the public of the situation last month, newly obtained emails show.

Millions of Americans may be drinking poisoned water – January 26, 2016 – msn.com  – Water tests are being manipulated in “every major U.S. city east of the Mississippi,” an anonymous source intimately familiar with lead and copper regulations told The Guardian.

Flint’s drinking water crisis: 5 things to know – January 19, 2016 – USA Today – The state of Michigan downplayed and largely ignored the immediate complaints about the smell, color and taste of the water in 2014. Here’s what you need to know about how the public health crisis has evolved…

Uranium contaminating Central Valley drinking systems – December 8, 2015 – ABC News – A new report said that as many as one-in-four homes could be impacted– public water systems are also at risk.