drinking water

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EPA Rolls Back Biden-Era Limits on Forever Chemicals in Water

We'll 'work to provide common-sense flexibility in the form of additional time for compliance,' says Zeldin

(Newser) - The Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday that it plans to weaken limits on some so-called forever chemicals in drinking water that were finalized last year, while maintaining standards for two common ones. The Biden administration set the first federal drinking water limits for PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, finding...

With Fluoride Ban in Place, Utah Dentists Brace for Trouble

They expect more tooth decay, especially in kids, after law went into effect on drinking water

(Newser) - With Utah's first-in-the-nation ban on fluoride in public drinking water having taken effect on Wednesday, dentists who treat children and low-income patients say they're bracing for an increase in tooth decay among the state's most vulnerable. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed the law against the recommendation of...

Israel Has Cut Off Power to Gaza, Officials Say
Israel Cuts Off Power to Gaza
Mar 10, 2025 7:55 AM CDT

Israel Cuts Off Power to Gaza

Hamas slams the latest 'starvation policy' move

(Newser) - Israel cut off the electricity supply to Gaza, officials said Sunday, affecting a desalination plant producing drinking water for part of the arid territory. Israel last week suspended supplies of goods to the territory of more than 2 million Palestinians, an echo of the siege it imposed in the earliest...

Wildfires May Have Contaminated LA's Water

'Chemicals can't be killed. You have to physically remove them from the water'

(Newser) - Fire crews are making progress against the Los Angeles-area wildfires, but residents are facing fresh challenges including potentially contaminated drinking water. Utilities have issued "Do Not Use" or "Do Not Drink" notices in areas affected by the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, and experts say it could...

Delaware River's 'Salt Line' Is Migrating, Thanks to Drought
East Coast Has a
New Drought Worry
Nov 27, 2024 7:49 AM CST

East Coast Has a New Drought Worry

Delaware River's 'salt front' has moved north, possibly putting drinking water at risk in the future

(Newser) - Salty ocean water is creeping up the Delaware River, the source for much of the drinking water for Philadelphians and millions of others, brought on by drought conditions and sea level rise, and prompting officials to tap reservoirs to push the unpotable tide back downstream. Officials say drinking water isn'...

Previously Unknown Chemical Found in US Tap Water
Previously Unknown Chemical
Found in US Tap Water
in case you missed it
Nov 24, 2024 11:10 AM CST

Previously Unknown Chemical Found in US Tap Water

It took decades for scientists to ID chloronitramide anion; now they need to see how toxic it is

(Newser) - Some ice for your chloronitramide anion? No, that's not a libation you'd find at the Tatooine cantina in Star Wars, but a new chemical by-product in our tap water that's finally been IDed, reports the Washington Post . Research published Thursday in the journal Science notes that US...

53 Days Later, Asheville Residents Can Drink the Water

Boil water advisory lifted Monday

(Newser) - Ben Hanna heard the news at the local hardware store. "Hey! The water is coming back on!" yelled an employee, prompting cheers from shoppers. It's no wonder. Residents of Asheville, North Carolina, have been without drinkable tap water since Tropical Storm Helene unleashed devastating floods and mudslides...

Millions May Be Drinking Contaminated Water: US Report

USGS ties risk to private and public wells

(Newser) - The drinking water of one-fourth of the US population could be contaminated by PFAS, a new federal government report says. The warning applies to water drawn from aquifers through private or public wells, the Guardian reports, for a total affected population estimate of about 95 million people. Using sampling and...

EPA to Set Deadline for Replacing Nation's Lead Pipes

Biden is expected to announce new 10-year EPA rule during stop in Wisconsin on Tuesday

(Newser) - A decade after the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, raised alarms about the continuing dangers of lead in tap water, President Biden is setting a 10-year deadline for cities across the nation to replace their lead pipes, finalizing an aggressive approach aimed at ensuring that drinking water is safe for...

Drinking Too Much Water Is Also a Problem

Overhydration appears to be a growing problem in a hotter world

(Newser) - Reminders to drink more water are common, but here's a reminder not to drink too much. The Wall Street Journal reports that health experts have growing concerns about overhydration—known as water intoxication or hyponatremia in its most serious form— particularly as the nation experiences more heat waves. Details:...

NM City Illustrates Problems of America's Drinking Water

Sunland Park has had illegal levels of arsenic for years, with no resolution

(Newser) - Big headlines occasionally surface about serious problems with drinking water in American cities, as with Flint, Michigan , and Jackson, Mississippi . But the Washington Post reports that the issue may be more widespread than is realized five decades after the passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The newspaper zeroes in...

EPA Goes After Forever Chemicals in Your Water

Biden administration sets new, enforceable drinking water standards

(Newser) - In what some are calling a "huge breakthrough," the Biden administration on Wednesday laid out the first national standard to limit "forever chemicals" in drinking water. These long-lasting chemicals, found in the blood of nearly every American, help nonstick cookware, outdoor furniture, disposable packaging, and other products...

129K Kids in Chicago Exposed to Lead in Water
68% of Kids
in Chicago
Exposed to
Lead in Water
NEW STUDY
Mar 19, 2024 7:33 AM CDT

68% of Kids in Chicago Exposed to Lead in Water

That's 129K children under 6, researchers say

(Newser) - More than two-thirds of kids aged 5 or younger in Chicago are exposed to lead in drinking water, which can mean many harmful consequences, according to a new study. The Guardian previously analyzed 24,000 city water tests, finding water from a third of homes contained lead above 5 parts...

California OKs Drinking Recycled Wastewater

Wastewater to be treated for all pathogens and viruses before reaching tap

(Newser) - When a toilet is flushed in California, the water can end up in a lot of places: An ice skating rink near Disneyland, ski slopes around Lake Tahoe, farmland in the Central Valley. And—coming soon—kitchen faucets. California regulators on Tuesday approved new rules to let water agencies recycle...

They Thought Their Drinking Water Was Safe. Now, a Lawsuit

Wisconsin city of Wausau sues PFAS makers, insurance firms over groundwater contamination

(Newser) - A Wisconsin city has filed a lawsuit against more than a dozen manufacturers of so-called forever chemicals, claiming the contaminants have polluted the city's groundwater. The complaint filed Thursday on behalf of Wausau is against 15 makers of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), as well as 61 insurance companies,...

Along the Mississippi, a 'Serious Situation'

Saltwater intrusion could mean salt water for close to 1M people in Louisiana

(Newser) - A summer of high heat and low rainfall has created a serious risk to New Orleans' drinking water. In the coming weeks, water levels on the Mississippi River are expected to reach historic lows for the second year in a row . That means salt water flowing north from the Gulf...

Congressman Holds 'Thirst Strike' on Capitol Steps

Greg Casar urges Biden administration to mandate water breaks for workers

(Newser) - On a sweltering day in Washington, DC, Rep. Greg Casar held an all-day "thirst strike" on the Capitol steps to demand federally mandated water breaks for workers. Casar is from Texas, where Gov. Greg Abbott recently signed a law to nullify local ordinances that mandate water breaks for construction...

Philly Residents May Want to Drink Bottled Water for a Bit

Drinking water thought to be OK through Monday after chemical spill in Delaware River

(Newser) - Philadelphia residents were told Sunday that they may want to drink bottled water following a chemical spill into the Delaware River in a neighboring county. Bucks County health officials said Sunday that a leak late Friday evening at the Trinseo Altuglas chemical facility in Bristol Township spilled between 8,100...

EPA Makes Big Move on 'Forever Chemicals'

Agency proposes first federal limits on toxic PFAS chemicals in drinking water

(Newser) - The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed the first federal limits on harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water, a long-awaited protection the agency said will save thousands of lives and prevent serious illnesses, including cancer. The plan would limit toxic PFAS chemicals to the lowest level that tests can...

Ex-Michigan Governor Catches Big Break in Flint Case

Judge dismisses criminal charges against Rick Snyder, 8 years after water issues began

(Newser) - A judge dismissed criminal charges against former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder in the Flint water crisis, months after the state Supreme Court said indictments returned by a one-person grand jury were invalid. Snyder, a Republican who left office in 2019, had been charged with two misdemeanor counts of willful neglect...

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