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LAKE MARY, Fla. – The city of Lake Mary is taking steps to protect its residents and drinking water supply by participating in a series of federal settlements tied to widespread chemical contamination. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has initiated rulemaking for drinking water standards, setting Maximum Contaminant Levels for a large group of chemicals commonly referred to as PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. PFAS substances are persistent synthetic compounds used in a variety of industrial and consumer product applications, including non-stick cookware and firefighting foams. The presence of PFAS compounds in source water and drinking water is of increasing public concern due to their widespread use and environmental persistence. In 2024, the EPA adopted the first national primary drinking water standards, which establish maximum contaminant level goals for certain PFAS compounds. Hundreds of pending PFAS lawsuits have been consolidated in multidistrict litigation before the U.S. District Court of South Carolina. Plaintiffs generally allege that aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF, containing PFAS contaminated water supplies surrounding military bases, airports and fire training facilities where the foam was used to extinguish liquid fuel fires. As a public drinking water supplier, the City of Lake Mary — along with all other...

After UK’s hottest summer on record, Ardingly near Haywards Heath is just 19% full – and next-closest reservoir is unusable due to broken treatment works

Amsterdam, Netherlands – Over 80 leading global health, environment, and food advocacy organisations including Greenpeace International, the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems and the World Organization of Family Doctors have issued an open letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) urging a review of international drinking water standards for nitrate to protect public health from the growing threat of agricultural pollution. Amanda Larsson, Global Project Lead for Agriculture at Greenpeace said: “Water should be life-giving, not life-threatening. We cannot protect human health without protecting the groundwater and rivers that sustain us. Governments must take decisive action to curb the growth of intensive livestock farming and actively support producers in transitioning to ecological farming practices – ensuring that clean, safe drinking water isn’t a luxury but a guarantee.” Timed to coincide with World One Health Day, marked by the WHO and three other UN bodies to highlight the interdependence between human, animal, and ecosystem health, the coalition is calling on the WHO Secretariat and its Guideline Development Group to formally prioritise nitrate for full evaluation in its upcoming review of global drinking water quality guidelines.[1] The letter argues that current guidelines are outdated and risk exposing the public...

This story was co-published with Rolling Stone. In Ohio’s rural southeastern corner, Marietta College geology professor David Jeffrey was among the residents worried that industry activity in America’s booming natural gas region could be polluting their drinking water. That’s “the biggest fear,” he said at an August meeting with top Ohio officials. When Jeffrey and residents from advocacy groups Buckeye Environmental Network and Washington County for Safe Drinking Water met with Ohio officials, those state officials repeatedly assured residents that despite the up to 1.4 billion gallons of oil and gas wastewater injected in underground wells in their county and across Ohio each year, the state was unaware of any resulting drinking water contamination there. “We would have heard about it,” Mary Mertz, director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), which oversees both aspects of Ohio’s environment and its oil and gas industry, told residents in the August 17 virtual meeting. “No one has called us that I’m aware of,” said Eric Vendel, ODNR’s oil and gas division chief. “We have a water investigation form that can be filled out and we would have my team down there and investigate the water.” What officials did not tell the...

Residents of Steyr’s Waldrandsiedlung settlement no longer need to boil drinking water after follow-up tests confirmed the water is safe, ORF reported. The drinking water authority of the Upper Austrian state government lifted the advisory in coordination with Steyr City Utilities. The tests conf…

With hand pumps submerged in stagnant floodwater, residents say that the few functioning tube wells are supplying potentially contaminated water, raising fears of outbreaks of water-borne diseases. “The biggest problem is drinking water. Rescue boats are the only means of reaching the main road,” said Santi Behera, 43, of Rajapur village in Ganjam district. Balabhadra Sahoo, 55, of Biripur village in the same district, said his family had lost its home and crops in the floods and was now struggling to obtain drinking water. Ranjan Sahoo, 63, of Badamadhapur village in Chatrapur block, Ganjam district, said polluted floodwater had left villagers with little choice but to avoid cooked meals. Meanwhile, the Housing and Urban Development Department has deployed teams from the Water Corporation of Odisha (WATCO) and the Public Health Engineering Organisation (PHEO) to oversee drinking-water supplies and sanitation arrangements in flood-affected areas. All water sources, including community water facilities, are to be cleaned and disinfected. Post-flood sanitation and the restoration of hygienic conditions are also being prioritised, said Anisha Kar, public relations officer with the Information and Public Relations Department of the Odisha government. Suresh Pujari, the revenue and disaster management minister, said the department was prepared to provide...

December 7 - What's In Your Glass? (Educators/Students) Explore Penn State Extension's hands-on drinking water curriculum and learn how to engage youth in water quality investigations, watershed science, and drinking water protection. Through inquiry-based activities, students model watersheds, simulate runoff and pollutant movement, use water testing kits, interpret laboratory reports, and examine water quality indicators, including pH, nitrates, and total dissolved solids. These activities help students understand potential threats to drinking water and the role of science in protecting this vital resource. The curriculum aligns with Pennsylvania's Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability (STEELS) standards and supports the Chesapeake Bay Program's Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEE) framework. Activities guide students in asking questions, collecting and analyzing data, and making evidence-based decisions about water resources in their communities. Participants will gain hands-on experience and strategies for integrating the curriculum into standards-based lessons and using it to support authentic watershed investigations that connect science concepts to real-world stewardship. Who is this for? -- Classroom teachers -- Environmental educators -- Youth and environmental volunteers What will you learn? -- Youth engagement in water science, including the water cycle, watersheds, and drinking water threats -- Hands-on investigations using Foil the Flow, H2-Oh...

December 7 - What's In Your Glass? (Educators/Students) Explore Penn State Extension's hands-on drinking water curriculum and learn how to engage youth in water quality investigations, watershed science, and drinking water protection. Through inquiry-based activities, students model watersheds, simulate runoff and pollutant movement, use water testing kits, interpret laboratory reports, and examine water quality indicators, including pH, nitrates, and total dissolved solids. These activities help students understand potential threats to drinking water and the role of science in protecting this vital resource. The curriculum aligns with Pennsylvania's Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability (STEELS) standards and supports the Chesapeake Bay Program's Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEE) framework. Activities guide students in asking questions, collecting and analyzing data, and making evidence-based decisions about water resources in their communities. Participants will gain hands-on experience and strategies for integrating the curriculum into standards-based lessons and using it to support authentic watershed investigations that connect science concepts to real-world stewardship. Who is this for? -- Classroom teachers -- Environmental educators -- Youth and environmental volunteers What will you learn? -- Youth engagement in water science, including the water cycle, watersheds, and drinking water threats -- Hands-on investigations using Foil the Flow, H2-Oh...

Over 3,300 people in Ballyheigue in Co Kerry have been without safe drinking water for over three weeks - following a 'do not consume' notice issued by Uisce Éireann on 7 October. The notice was issued after saltwater was detected in the raw water source supplying Ballyheigue’s water treatment plant. It is believed to be the first major incident of saltwater intrusion into a deep underground aquifer in Ireland. Under the notice, affected residents have been advised not to use their water for drinking, food preparation, or brushing teeth, with a particular warning to children under 12 months. Neither domestic water filters or boiling the water will make it safe to drink, while it can still be used for personal hygiene, bathing, flushing toilets, laundry and washing of utensils. Yesterday, dozens of Ballyheigue residents picked up alternative water supplies in the form of bottles and a tanker, provided by Uisce Éireann. Many said they have been severely impacted by the long running notice. Geraldine Harris is the mother to two children with additional needs, including her daughter Emily who is autistic and non-verbal. For her, the past month has been "absolutely horrendous". "For example, Emily is just after learning how...