Press Room/Media Center

Water News

North Pole water deemed safe to drink - January 21, 2010 - Fairbanks Daily News - Both wells that feed North Pole’s city water system have come up positive for trace amounts of the industrial chemical sulfolane, but a top water quality official for the state says there is no public health emergency.

AG Cuomo fines two upstate hospitals, three nursing homes for dumping drugs into water supply - January 13, 2010, New York Daily News - NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has hit two upstate hospitals and three nursing homes with fines for dumping drugs into the water supply.

EPA boosts vigilance on drugs in drinking water - December 25, 2009 - Associated Press - Federal regulators have sharply shifted course on longstanding policy toward pharmaceutical residues in the nation’s drinking water, taking a critical first step toward limiting some of the contaminants while acknowledging they could threaten human health.
By JEFF DONN

That Tap Water Is Legal but May Be Unhealthy - December 17, 2009 - The New York Times - The 35-year-old federal law regulating tap water is so out of date that the water Americans drink can pose what scientists say are serious health risks — and still be legal.
By CHARLES DUHIGG

Millions in U.S. Drink Dirty Water, Records Show - December 8, 2009 - The New York Times. - More than 20 percent of the nation’s water treatment systems have violated key provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act over the last five years, according to a New York Times analysis of federal data.

As Sewers Fill, Waste Poisons Waterways - Nov. 22, 2009 - The New York Times  - Today, sewage systems are the nation’s most frequent violators of the Clean Water Act. More than a third of all sewer systems — including those in San Diego, Houston, Phoenix, San Antonio, Philadelphia, San Jose and San Francisco — have violated environmental laws since 2006, according to a Times analysis of E.P.A. data.

Mass arsenic poisoning mystery solved - Nov. 16, 2009 - ABC Science - Researchers have finally worked out what led to the widespread release of arsenic into drinking water in rural Bangladesh, affecting millions of people.

California Gets Federal Help to Solve Water Crisis - Nov. 10, 2009 - Environment News Service - If approved by the voters next November, this measure would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $11.14 billion to finance a safe drinking water and water supply reliability program for California.

Water drinkers may have better diets - October 13, 2009 - Reuters - People who get much of their daily liquids from plain water rather than other beverages may have healthier diets overall, a study suggests.

Regulators Plan to Study Risks of Atrazine - October 7, 2009 - The New York Times - For years, agency officials said that atrazine in drinking water posed almost no risk to humans or the environment. As recently as this summer, E.P.A. staff members argued that current regulations were adequate.

School drinking water contains toxins - September 25, 2009 - Associated Press - An Associated Press investigation found that contaminants have surfaced at public and private schools in all 50 states — in small towns and inner cities alike.

Health Ills Abound as Farm Runoff Fouls Wells - September 18, 2009 - The New York Times - Runoff from all but the largest farms is essentially unregulated by many of the federal laws intended to prevent pollution and protect drinking water sources.

Clean Water Laws Are Neglected, at a Cost in Suffering. - September 13, 2009 - The New York Times - Violations of the Clean Water Act have risen steadily across the nation, an extensive review of water pollution records by The New York Times found.

Threat Down Below: Polluted Caves Endanger Water Supplies, Wildlife - Sept. 8, 2009 - Scientific American - Caves are home to some of the planet's most unusual creatures and important drinking water supplies. Now these underground resources are being polluted by surface activities, ranging from sewage spills to old factories.

Debating How Much Weed Killer Is Safe in Your Water Glass - Aug 22, 2009 - New York Times - New research suggests that atrazine may be dangerous at lower concentrations than previously thought.

The DWRF 2009 Golf Tournament: Thanks to Our Sponsors  - The Drinking Water Research Foundation (DWRF) would like to thank the following sponsors of the 2009 DWRF Golf Tournament. Click link for more details.