clean drinking water

Environment

Asheville taps are clear to drink; boil water notice lifted

1:32pm November 18, 2024

by Blue Ridge Public Radio

Asheville experienced an outage of water following Hurricane Helene. The storm created high sediment levels at the North Fork Reservoir which provides about 80% of the system’s water supply.

President Biden speaks at a Democratic National Committee holiday party on Tuesday in Washington, as Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff listen. The Biden Administration announced its action plan this week to replace the country'

Lead pipes have contaminated water for decades. Biden's new plan will replace them

12:06pm December 17, 2021

by Deepa Shivaram

The White House released an action plan to replace lead pipes and lead paint in the U.S. within the next decade. Lead contamination is known to have detrimental effects on the brain and kidneys.

A water sample taken from the Mediterranean Sea as part of a scientific study about microplastics damaging marine ecosystems on the French Riviera in 2018. In a new study, the WHO says that microplastics are "ubiquitous."

WHO Study Finds No Evidence Of Health Concerns From Microplastics In Drinking Water

11:03am August 22, 2019

by Scott Neuman

The World Health Organization says that the tiny particles of plastic found everywhere in the environment do not appear to pose any significant risk to human health.

A algae bloom in Lake Erie contaminated the water supply for Toledo, Ohio, in August 2014. About 400,000 people were without useable water.

Algae Toxins In Drinking Water Sickened People In 2 Outbreaks

4:53pm November 09, 2017

by Greta Jochem

In Ohio, more than 100 people got sick in 2013 and 2014 when municipal drinking water was contaminated with toxins from algae blooms in Lake Erie. The CDC says these are the first known instances.

At Saint Michael's Association for Special Education in St. Michaels, Ariz., the tap water sometimes runs yellow, brown and black.

On The Navajo Nation, Special Ed Students Await Water That Doesn't Stink

7:39pm April 12, 2017

by Laurel Morales

Fundraising is underway for a new filtration system at an Arizona school for Navajo children with disabilities. Now, the water runs black and smells like rotten eggs, but is technically safe to drink.

Queue Listen Now

Where Lead Lurks And Why Even Small Amounts Matter

7:59am August 12, 2016

by Jessica Pupovac

Federal environmental regulations for lead in drinking water still leave room for concentrations high enough to pose a health hazard, critics say.

Queue Listen Now

Tear out a page from The Drinkable Book and pour water through it. The built-in filter can wipe out bacteria.

If You Spill Water On This Book, That's A Good Thing

3:08pm August 19, 2015

by Susan Brink

The Drinkable Book has water filters in each page. Tear out a page, pour dirty water over it and bacteria will be killed. But is this the best way to clean up the developing world's water supply?