A rural Canterbury family has spent nearly $13,000 trying to make their drinking water safe, but their water-nitrate levels are still higher than they would like.

Greenpeace Aotearoa released the preliminary results of its mail-in nitrate water testing service on Thursday, which found two thirds of bores tested had nitrate levels above those linked to bowel cancer in an international study.

They tested 300 mail-in samples, including 237 from unique bore water supplies.

The results showed 68 per cent of those from bores were over the 0.87 milligrams per litre limit linked to bowel cancer in a major Danish study published in 2018.

READ MORE:
* Nitrates in drinking water could be killing 40 Kiwis each year, study finds
* Greenpeace offers mail-in free nitrate tests for bore drinking water
* Greenpeace to test drinking water in Temuka

Greenpeace’s testing also found five per cent exceeded the current drinking water standard of 11.3mg/litre.

The standard was set decades ago to avoid only one condition – blue baby syndrome, the potentially fatal disease methemoglobinemia in newborns aged up to three months – and was “hopelessly out of date” according to public health professor Michael Baker.

Of the samples sent in, 41 per cent were from Canterbury.

The average nitrate level in Canterbury samples was 3.51mg/litre. Of those tested, 68 per cent were above 0.87mg/litre, and six per cent were above 11.3mg/litre.

STACY SQUIRES/STUFF

Selwyn residents with private wells had the opportunity to test their nitrate levels in Darfield. Video first published in May 2021.

Iain Piper, who lives on a Leeston lifestyle block with wife Amy and their children, has spent thousands trying to have safe drinking water at home.

Amy Piper’s midwife first alerted them to the problem of nitrate in water when she was pregnant in 2015. They tested their drinking water bore and found nitrate levels of 12.6mg/litre.

Iain Piper said they started sourcing bottled water from nearby Southbridge.

In March 2021, they decided to retest their bore – and it came out at 17.5mg/litre.

Piper spent more than $10,000 drilling a new, deeper well on their property, and in May, they brought a sample to a Greenpeace testing session.

Greenpeace/Supplied

Iain Piper after learning their new well was still reading nitrate levels of 10.3mg/litre.

The new well was still reading nitrate levels of 10.3mg/litre.

“I just about burst into tears really.

“We’d been through this process… we had to borrow some money to do it. To have such a small difference between the old bore and the new bore, I was gutted.”

Earlier this week, after forking over another $2500 for a reverse osmosis machine, Piper had their water retested.

It read 11.4mg/litre straight from the bore, and 4.4mg/litre after running through the machine.

Piper said it wasn’t over yet, and the company that made the reverse osmosis machine was looking at factors that could be impacting how well it worked.

But he said this was an issue that could affect anyone.

“Christchurch’s water comes from bores, just like ours.

“You don’t 100 per cent know until you get those test results. It could happen in Christchurch, [or] Rolleston, or Woodend.

“You never know what’s in your water.”

Most nitrates in New Zealand’s water came from dairy farming runoff. Farmers used synthetic nitrogen fertilisers to add nutrients to the soil, some of which were then ingested by cows and excreted, making their way through the water system.

Supplied

Greenpeace spokesman Steve Abel thinks the level of nitrate-nitrogen allowed in drinking water is unsafe. (File photo)

Greenpeace campaigner Steve Abel said access to safe drinking water was a basic human right – but right now it was a postcode lottery for New Zealand rural households.

“Some people whose water we tested were brought to tears, others had spent thousands on filters and drilling deeper wells to try and decontaminate their water supplies of pollution from dairy farms in their region.

“This is a health justice issue.”

The National Environmental Standards Drinking Water review, which was currently under way, was “an opportunity to safeguard clean drinking water for all”, he said.

Greenpeace wanted the Government to address the main causes of water contamination in Aotearoa by banning synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, ending new dairy conversions, and setting stock limits for dairy cows.

Greenpeace/Supplied

Iain Piper has been testing water nitrate levels on his property since 2015.

In a statement, the Fertiliser Association said the farming sector was focused on using nitrogen well.

“Like any tool, they can be used wisely or unwisely in the wider context of good farm management.”

In the 2020 to 2021 year, manufactured nitrogen fertiliser use had decreased 8 per cent, they said, and prices had increased sharply.

“Fertiliser is one of the biggest on-farm expenses, so farmers are incentivised to only use as much as they need.”

In Canterbury, farms were already operating within some of the strictest limits in the country. Analysis using nutrient budgeting tool Overseer suggested nitrogen loss on Canterbury farms had shrunk by a third in the past decade.

The-Timaru-Herald

Activists blame dairy farming for the bulk of water-nitrate pollution (file photo).

The association said it took the challenge posed by Government’s new National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management seriously.

While the association did not want to comment on health research, they said the science was far from settled.

They quoted a Bowel Cancer New Zealand statement issued late last year, which concluded nitrates in drinking water were “unlikely to increase the risk of bowel cancer in New Zealand, according to the current weight of evidence”.

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Harrison County community members recently attended a water safety workshop where the Institute of Water Security and Science and the Interdisciplinary Hydrology Laboratory at West Virginia University held an informational event. (Photo Provided)

Kaylyn Gootman, postdoctoral research associate with West Virginia University, conducted a workshop in Harrison County to educate people about clean drinking water. Events will also be held in Doddridge, Ritchie and Tyler counties. (Photo Provided)

Kaylyn Gootman, postdoctoral research associate with West Virginia University, conducted a workshop in Harrison County to educate people about clean drinking water. Events will also be held in Doddridge, Ritchie and Tyler counties. (Photo Provided)

HARRISVILLE — Six counties in the region will have the opportunity to test drinking water with upcoming events coordinated by West Virginia University.

So far, Marion, Harrison and Tyler county residents received test kits during an informative session about water quality. Doddridge, Ritchie and Wetzel county community members will have their chance in the coming weeks.

The program is offered by the Institute of Water Security and Science and the Interdisciplinary Hydrology Laboratory at WVU and Kaylyn Gootman, postdoctoral research associate, said it was possible because of grants.

“We really wanted to develop a free drinking water testing program and community outreach to talk about the importance of human health and environmental quality,” she said.

“We got some grant funds (which) gave us the money to support this program. Our goal has been to target six counties in North Central West Virginia.”

Harrison County community members recently attended a water safety workshop where the Institute of Water Security and Science and the Interdisciplinary Hydrology Laboratory at West Virginia University held an informational event. (Photo Provided)

Gootman said 42 percent of the population in the state rely on water from a well which is three times higher than the national average.

“Well water is not covered by the Safe Drinking Water Act, it’s the responsibility of the owner to test the water and maintain the well. We learned that not a lot of people know that,” she said.

The events will involve a two-hour workshop where information will be shared and people will have the opportunity to ask questions.

“We want to learn from different communities and different people. We’re wanting to learn the perception of drinking water, it’s important as researchers,” Gootman said. “They’ll leave our program with the test kit to collect a water sample (and a) prepaid postage kit.”

Samples will be mailed to a lab and tested with 55 to 60 permeates to assess the quality and results will be sent back.

“We’re not there to tell them what they need to do. It’s just so they have the information and they have the power to make the decision for them and their family,” Gootman said.

The Doddridge County event will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Doddridge County Park main building. The Ritchie County workshop will be March 26 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ritchie County 4-H Camp Large Assembly Hall and the Tyler County event will be April 9 from 10 a.m. to noon at Mollohan Center.

Candice Black can be reached at [email protected].

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The Water Guys North, a team of professionals that help with every water need, provides drinking water filter systems for homes.

People must employ dependable well water filtration devices to ensure cleaner, safer water access. Considering the importance of clean and safe water for home usage, which includes but is not limited to washing, drinking, and cooking, water filter systems and products have become a necessity in every home the world over. In aiding the achievement of clean and safe water, there are many water companies and firms that have saddled themselves with the responsibility of offering for sale these products. The Water Guys North, a team of professionals that help with every water need, sells drinking water filter systems for homes.

Responding to a query, The Water Guys North’s spokesperson commented, “You may encounter bad water within your residence, especially if you do not have a water filtration or purification system. We have focused on assisting households in Canada in that regard, and having done this for several years; we can assure you that we have got you covered. Our staff consists of a close-knit group of specialists to assist you with all aspects of your water needs. We aim to provide excellent customer service and flourish when confronted with new challenges. We are passionate about what we do and are here to assist you”.

People who need a drinking water filter system for home can trust the products offered by The Water Guys North. Starting from a $69 price tag, the products are of immense quality and can meet the needs of customers for clean water. These water systems help deploy clean water to all clients’ home’s faucets. They also come in handy in reducing problems such as nasty tastes and smells and discoloration in tubs and sinks by eliminating materials such as iron, chlorine, sulfur, and others. The best drinking water filter products in Canada are the leading company offering such sales.

The spokesperson further added, “Years ago, while we worked as professional plumbers in the Sudbury region, it became clear that there were unfulfilled water filtration needs. Because the Sudbury basin contains significant amounts of iron and hydrogen sulphide, fixing domestic water has become a hobby. As members of the Canadian Water Quality Association, we are committed to providing the cleanest and safest water available to the clients we serve. Whether the water is from a lake, a municipal system, a river, or a well, we engineer and construct the best system for every clients’ needs. This has been a top priority for us through the years”.

People who need information regarding constant pressure systems cost can also head on to The Water Guys North website for details about pricing. Their products offered are of immense quality and will help clients with every of their water purification needs.

About The Water Guys North:

The Water Guys North is a team of professionals that help with every water need in Canada. The Water Guys North is the go-to company for water purification products and services.

Contact Information:

The Water Guys North

311 Harrison Drive, 

Unit E, Sudbury, P3E 5E1 ON

Phone: (705) 586-7666

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.thewaterguysnorth.com/

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Originally Appeared Here

“We are adopting steps to supply pure drinking water not only to Dhaka and Chattogram, but also to the union levels to bring 90% people under the coverage,” she said

BSS

16 March, 2022, 09:50 pm

Last modified: 16 March, 2022, 09:59 pm

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. TBS Sketch.

“>

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. TBS Sketch.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government has been taking measures to supply pure drinking water to grassroots people up to union levels to bring 90% of the population under its coverage.

“We are adopting steps to supply pure drinking water not only to Dhaka and Chattogram, but also to the union levels to bring 90% people under the coverage,” she said.

The prime minister said this while inaugurating “Sheikh Hasina Water Treatment Plant-2” of Chattogram WASA at Hotel Radisson Blu in Chattogram, joining the programme virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence in the capital.

She said her government has started implementing the Delta Plan-2100 as the grassroots people can get pure drinking water and lead an improved life.

The prime minister said her government has given special focus on materialising the goal no 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is to ensure safe water and proper drainage system for the people, as everyone demands safe water.

She asked all concerned to harvest the rainwater and increase the use of surface water instead of ground water to check the risk of earthquakes as Bangladesh is an earthquake prone country.

The prime minister also asked to take effective measures to save the rivers particularly the Karnaphuli from pollution and preserve the river water to use for the drinking purpose.

She directed the mills and factories’ owners to build their own mechanism for waste management to save the river from pollution.

She also stressed building water reservoirs while taking up projects to harvest rainwater.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Tazul Islam and Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, spoke on the occasion.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud was present among others.

Local Government Division Senior Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed moderated the function and Chattogram WASA Managing Director Engineer AKM Fazlullah delivered the welcome address.

A video documentary on the development of Chattogram WASA was screened.

With the inauguration of the water treatment plant, the overall water supply capacity of Chattogram WASA now stands at 50 crore litres.

The newly constructed Sheikh Hasina Water Treatment Plant-II at Rangunia under Chattogram WASA Karnaphuli Water Supply Project (Phase-II) has the capacity of producing 14.30 crore litres.

Sheikh Hasina asked all concerned to keep water reservoirs in every place in case of construction of any structure, no matter if it is housing or industrial one, aimed at harvesting rainwater and conserving river water during the rainy season.

She said: “Our dependency on the underground water is declining since the water treatment plants are using surface sources”.

Describing Chattogram as the main commercial city, she said her government has been working to make its overall development.

“The entire Bangladesh will be benefited, if we can develop Chattogram. There is no doubt to this end,” she said.

Many areas across the country, particularly Chattogram, had to face an acute water crisis in the past, she said.

“But we’ve been working relentlessly to solve the problems,” she said.

The prime minister added that her government started implementation of ‘Karnaphuli Water Supply Project (Phase I)’ in 2011 and inaugurated Sheikh Hasina Water Treatment Plant-1 in 2017 which was constructed under the project.

Later, the government opened the Sheikh Russel Water Treatment Plant at Madunaghat in 2020 with the daily supply capacity of nine crore litres in a bid to meet the growing water demand in the port city, she said.

The PM said her government formulated the drainage and sanitation master plan to provide a modern sewerage system to the Chattogram city dwellers.

“Now the plan is being implemented”, she said.

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Josh Cliffords, the CEO of the beverage company FreeWater, is turning bottled and boxed water into a new form of direct advertising.

The idea is this: slap an ad on the side of a water bottle and you can give it away for free. Freebies, Cliffords is convinced, are the best way to win over consumers.

“Other advertising mechanisms harass you into buying something, and it’s an inconvenience—TV commercials, a YouTube commercial, a pop-ups, that annoying person on the corner that won’t let you walk by without taking a flier,” Cliffords told Marketing Brew. “​Even if you want what they’re selling and your dream product is on that flier, you have to get past the split second that you are inconvenienced. With this, it’s the exact opposite.”

The Austin, Texas, based start-up is in the midst of one of its biggest marketing moments at the annual South by Southwest conference. As attendees amble about the media, tech, and entertainment event, they might just spot a FreeWater truck distributing free, ad-supported aluminum bottles and paper boxes around Austin. On those bottles and boxes, attendees will see advertisements for the crypto banking app LVL and the consulting firm Juice Consulting, both FreeWater clients. (Juice Consulting, which is distributing 3,500 of the branded aluminum bottles during SXSW, is also doing PR for Freewater).

Fingers crossed: FreeWater is hopeful that positive results for its clients during SXSW, including an influx of QR code scans, website visits, and subsequent business inquiries, will help propel the company to attract even more advertisers throughout the year.

“It’s gonna be a big test for us,” Cliffords admitted.

Global problem, local solution

Cliffords’ idea for FreeWater began in 2015 when he realized the extent of the global water crisis while running an NGO assisting refugees. According to the World Health Organization and Unicef, 771 million people around the world lacked access to safe drinking water in 2020, and one in four people lacked access to “even a basic drinking-water service.”

After unsuccessfully seeking financial support in Europe and seeking advice from Silicon Valley, Cliffords relocated to Austin, where he thought free water and other free supermarket items might be well received. By February 2020, the company was preparing to incorporate—and then the pandemic came.

With that hurdle came an opportunity. As shoppers in Austin waited to buy groceries at busy stores with limited staffing and hours, Cliffords showed up with an old-school beta test: FreeWater prototypes made out of cans of beer.

Cliffords removed the shrinkwrap, rewrapped them with FreeWater labels, and asked shoppers if they wanted to crack open a cold one while they waited.

“They were really nice, and they gave us all this feedback—these QR codes are too large, or they’re too small because my phone won’t let it work right,” Cliffords recalled. “I do like this. I don’t like that. We gave out thousands of them.”

After finalizing the product, FreeWater debuted its first batches of branded, free water and began distributing it. The company wanted to find more traction, so they turned to TikTok. Cliffords now regularly posts videos of himself promoting the product, explaining his business model, and handing out FreeWater to passersby in Austin; the company’s TikToks have attracted more than 2 million likes.

A simple premise

The core selling point behind FreeWater is simple: freebies are “one of the most reliable ways to build goodwill and favorable brand associations,” Adam Alter, a professor of marketing at New York University’s Stern School of Business, told Marketing Brew. In other words, he said, “How can you dislike a company that gives you something for nothing?”

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If advertisers can align themselves with those positive associations from consumers, the thinking goes that they will benefit from that positive association. “Human social behavior revolves around the norm of reciprocation,” Alter explained. “If someone is good to you, you’ll be good to them, and vice versa. A company that gives you something for nothing opens this loop, and, without realizing it, you become indebted to the company in some sense.”

Cliffords stresses this positive feedback loop in conversations with potential advertisers. “Imagine if you were eating dinner with your family, and every single day for a week, a company paid for all your beverages—I’ll say Nike shoes,” Cliffords said. “Then a month later, you go to buy a pair of shoes, and you decide: Am I going to buy a pair of Nikes, Reeboks or Adidas? You’re probably going to go with the brand that paid for all of your free stuff.”

Some brands are betting on that premise to help boost their businesses. FreeWater has attracted attention from Austin-based organizations like the Animalis Fabula Film Festival, Black Denim Records, the California-based sports training company SportsWest Performance, and a few national advertisers, including the TV network truTV.

As advertiser interest grows, FreeWater is rolling out a water-distribution van in Austin to distribute its free product straight to consumers, and is working on adding attribution and tracking capabilities that help marketers understand just how effective their water-bottle advertising is.

Cliffords is hopeful that FreeWater’s philanthropic commitment is attractive to socially conscious brands. For each bottle or box of water monetized by ads, the company donates at least 10 cents to the nonprofit Well Aware, which drills wells to improve access to water around the world. FreeWater also does not use plastic water bottles, despite their being cheaper and easier to manufacture, since most of them end up in landfills or polluting waterways. The company is working on providing fully biodegradable packaging in future shipments, Cliffords said, and is also looking for ways to reduce waste in its own supply chain.

Clifford is an optimist. If he can make FreeWater work, he’d like to eventually open a free supermarket, all made possible through the sale of ads.

“Water is obviously just our first product,” he said, “and every time we introduce a different free product or service, we’ll donate to a different cause.”

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The modernization of the Tan-Tan brackish water desalination plant can begin. Morocco’s Office national de l’électricité et de l’eau potable (ONEE) recently appointed a consortium to carry out the work. The consortium is made up of Abengoa, a company based in Seville, Spain, and Atner, a Moroccan company specializing in water and wastewater treatment.

The consortium has a budget of 79.1 million Moroccan dirhams (nearly 7.4 million euros) mobilized from the Saudi Development Fund (SDF) for the expansion of the desalination plant, which was commissioned in 2014. The reverse osmosis plant is equipped with a 0.4 m diameter raw water supply channel, two wells and three tanks with a capacity of 1,500 m3, 500 m3 and 250 m3 respectively. The facility also has two pumping stations and a 33 km long water injection channel.

Strengthening the water supply in Tan-Tan

Abengoa and Atner are planning, with funding from the SDF, to carry out a series of works at the desalination plant located in Sehb Lharcha. These are civil engineering works and equipment of boreholes, the laying of pipes to bring raw water from the boreholes or the equipment of pumping stations and recovery. The objective is to “increase the flow rate of the Tan-Tan plant from 0.10 m3 per second to a final flow rate of 0.15 m3 per second by the end of the project,” says Abengoa.

Read also- AFRICA: desalination now at the heart of water supply strategies

The consortium has 18 months to deliver the upgraded desalination plant. The work is part of the Tan-Tan drinking water supply reinforcement project, led by ONEE. In Morocco, the public agency is implementing several other projects to improve drinking water coverage for Moroccans, including the Project to Strengthen Production and Improve the Technical and Commercial Performance of Drinking Water Systems (PRPTC) and the Project to Make Water Access Sustainable and Secure (PPSAE).

Inès Magoum

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Originally Appeared Here

• The security situation in the country is getting worrisome as new methods of attacks are being created by the bandits in various parts of the country
• Whilst the government are looking for ways tend the scourge, bandits have started making use of pure water, cigarettes, alcohol in Ekiti state to carry out new attacks
• Meanwhile, Lere Olayinka, the former CPS to the ex-Ekiti governor, Ayodele Fayose who made this disclosure noted that the state is no longer safe for residents

Lere Olayinka, the spokesperson and Director of Media and Publicity of Otunba Bisi Kolawole campaign organization, and former Chief Press Secretary to the ex-Ekiti governor, Ayodele Fayose, has castigated the government of the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State for doing so little to move the state forward, especially with regard to security.

Read also

2023: PDP more united, cohesive than ever, says Gov Ifeanyi Okowa

In an exclusive chat with Legit.ng, Olayinka said that insecurity in Ekiti state was at an alarming rate, hence putting the people under serious tension.

The former CPS disclosed his position on the state was true and critical as the people themselves can confirm that the state is no longer safe for them.

Whilst the governor of the state, Kayode Fayemi is looking out for the safety of its people, bandits are busy working to launch new attacks in the state.
Photo credit: Kayode Fayemi
Source: Facebook

He said:

“If we talk, people will say ‘what do you expect them to say? They will say we are talking because we are in the opposition. But the failure of the government is clear for everyone to see.“In my own state-Ekiti, even the road leading to the hometown of the governor, Isan-Ekiti is impassable. You cannot use that road anything after 6 pm. Last week, a first-class traditional ruler was almost abducted by bandits, he escaped narrowly. He was shot; that’s the Attah of Ayede.

Read also

FG redeems house allocation promise to winners of 1994 African Cup of Nations

“Today, in Ekiti, even primary school teachers are being kidnapped to the extent that colleagues in the NUT would be the ones raising money for ransom.“The last time one of them was kidnapped, they had to be raising N500 among themselves to pay ransom.“In Ekiti State today, bandits now collect pure water, cigarettes, and alcoholic drinks as ransom. That’s the level that we are. The people can see and feel the failure of this government.”

Previous attack

Legit.ng recalls that gunmen suspected to be kidnappers had on Tuesday, October 26, 2021 abducted eight funeral guests at Itapaji-Ekiti in Ikole Council Area of the state.

The incident occurred barely a week after four persons were abducted at Ayebode-Ekiti.

The state has become notorious for kidnapping and herdsmen activities lately.

Buhari’s govt uncovers 96 Boko Haram, ISWAP sponsors

In another development, the minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, on Thursday, February 3, said the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) had uncovered 96 financiers of Boko Haram and ISWAP.

Read also

You’re an ingrate, who’s your father? Wike slams PDP deputy governor

Mohammed at a briefing on the anti-corruption fight of President Muhammadu Buhari also revealed that the NFIU has exposed 424 associates/supporters of the financiers, 123 firms, and 33 bureaux de change linked with the insurgency.

The minister disclosed that the agency had identified 26 suspected bandits/kidnappers and seven accomplices, adding that 45 of the suspects will soon be prosecuted.

Source: Legit.ng

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Originally Appeared Here

A five-story gravel pit, the Asbestos Dump, Old Burning Dump, Pionite/Sawdust Dump, Interim Landfill and Demolition Dump have been approved for commercial development next to Lake Auburn, our drinking water.

When I was an Auburn counselor, hazardous waste from the dumps was leaking. The gravel pit was a quarter of its current area and depth. Twenty Maine Department of Environmental Protection reports document hazardous waste there. One 1994 report says “The approximate volume of solid, sludge, and liquid wastes is 2,220,000 cubic yards” and estimated “375 tons of chromium sludge and 50,000 tons of asbestos, with an unknown quantity of industrial solvents” are there. Monitoring wells found 1-dichloroethane and ethylbenzene.

A 2014 report states that “Groundwater elevation measurements indicate that regional groundwater flow is to the north toward Lake Auburn.” And, “arsenic is consistently exceeded at all three groundwater monitoring locations” and high alkalinity levels “suggest that landfill gas may be migrating in this area.”

People can find both reports by searching Gracelawn Road at https://www.maine.gov/dep/maps-data/data.html#re.

The gravel pit has been depleted; the dumps seal up hazardous waste. Commercial development is dangerous there. Digging can invade the dumps. Building roads will change the topography. Sewage will have to be pumped up or in septic tanks.

Too many questions need answers. Let’s protect our city and our lake.

Neria Douglass, Auburn

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WESTPORT — A few dolphins were recently spotted off the coast of Norwalk and Westport — a rare sight according to the people who live in the area.

“It was very magical,” said Patti Brill, who lives near where the dolphins were spotted.

She said they first saw them March 5 and then spent another two hours on March 6 observing their marine visitors in Bermuda Lagoon. Given everything going on the world, Brill said this moment of nature was a much welcome calm.

A newsletter from local marinas last week also shared photos of the dolphins swimming in Long Island Sound, saying there had been sightings over a few days.

There haven’t been any recent reports of the dolphins.

Brill suspects there were three or four of them but it was hard to tell based on how they were coming up out of the water and then disappearing below.

“They seemed very healthy, not in distress or anything like that,” Brill said.

The Maritime Aquarium received photos and videos of the dolphins, but didn’t see them when the research vessel went out last Thursday and Friday.

Dylan Salamone, Norwalk Aquarium’s senior aquarist in the animal husbandry department, said he can’t confirm the type of animal spotted in the water but suspects they might be white sided dolphins based on the photos and videos sent.

He said it’s hard to say how common it is for the dolphins to be here because they live in this part of the world. White sided dolphins, for example, are generally found in temperate waters in the north Atlantic, which spans from the middle of the U.S. up through Canada and the Greenland area. Not much is known about their migratory patterns either, though scientists are trying to learn more.

“I think what’s less common is how often people see them,” Salamone said.

That’s changing a bit in recent years though with more people seeing dolphins off Connecticut’s coast.

He said this could be a sign of the Long Island Sound’s improving health. He said dolphins are likely to be seen more if the fish are good, which is what he suspects drew this group to this spot.

“Dolphins hunt through echolocation,” Salamone said, adding it’s common for them to hunt in areas like this where they can trap fish. He said it’s possible there was already good fishing there or they drove the fish into the lagoon to catch them.

He said it’s great to see dolphins in the Long Island Sound and people’s excitement over their presence.

“Any moment when people are appreciating the wildlife in their backyards is great,” he said.

It must be done at a safe distance though, like from the shore, and people shouldn’t seek them out and approach them, especially since doing so is a federal offense. He said if people are approached by an animal while out on a boat, they should cut the motor and enjoy the nature around them.

“Marine animals are extremely protected in the U.S. and that’s good,” Salamone said, adding the federal government takes any interruption to the animals’ lifestyle or habitat seriously.

Approaching them could scare the mother away from the young or distress the animal, he warned. People can call local organizations that specialize in rescuing wildlife if they suspect the animal is in trouble. In Connecticut, confusion can often arise over the seals lounging on the coast where the animal isn’t actually in trouble.

Salamone welcomed people enjoying the animals through their cameras’ zoom feature or at zoos and aquariums.

He hopes seeing animals like this will inspire people to form a connection with the environment and care for the ecosystems in their backyards.

“It’s exciting but I hope people take that excitement and apply it to their daily lives,” Salamone said.

This includes following “reduce, reuse, recycle,” as well as being conscious about the seafood they eat, ensuring it’s harvested sustainably, ensuring the amount is enough to feed humans and support the business or industry, but also leaving enough in the ocean for the other animals that rely on it. He recommended using Seafood Watch, which is an app out of Monteray Bay Aquarium that lets people see if what they’re eating is sustainable.

Salamone said sightings like these dolphins can help people realize the larger ecosystem underwater.

“That animal is only there if there is a healthy ecosystem below them,” he said, adding he hopes more come.

Brill said she hopes the dolphins are doing well wherever they are now.

“I hope they come back again,” Brill said.

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Originally Appeared Here

From lead pipes to PFAs, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.

Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

Three of the loan recipients qualified for a total of more than $3 million in principal forgiveness.

This is in addition to more than $5.3 million of funding recently announced for lead service line replacement projects issued by Illinois EPA in the second quarter.

The wording on the public notice the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency required the Village of Danvers to circulate was difficult to miss — bold and in all capital letters, its two instructions were simple: DO NOT GIVE TAP WATER TO INFANTS, DO NOT BOIL THE WATER.

Dated Dec. 20, the public notice was the byproduct of routine testing of the village’s water system around a month earlier, on Nov. 24. Those results showed Danvers’ water had violated a state standard for manganese — a mineral that, if ingested in excess, causes health problems.

Shortly after that notice was distributed to village residents, an 800-member Facebook group called Danvers Village Public Information lit up with seemingly more questions than answers and, in the absence of answers, fear about the community’s water source.

Indiana:

Nearly 50 years ago, toxic coal ash from a power plant was used as fill in yards, at building sites and under the roads of a northern Indiana town.

Thirty years later, federal and state agencies first learned that it was contaminating the town’s aquifer and creating a health risk for many of the roughly 600 residents.

It wasn’t until just last week, however, that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the utility in question — Northern Indiana Public Service Co., or NIPSCO — reached an agreement on how to fully clean up the contamination in the Town of Pines.

Minnesota:

The state of Minnesota would invest $300 million over the next 10 years to help replace lead water pipes that deliver drinking water to homes and other privately owned property under a bill that received its first hearing in a House committee in early March.

New York:

New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced that the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of Directors has authorized $725 million in grants towards 13 municipalities and water quality projects. Over $650 million of this funding will go towards the New York City Municipal Water Finance Authority to water pollution control plants. The article goes on to further detail the plan’s specific logistics.

Ohio:

In the wintertime, the state of Ohio sometimes utilizes radioactive wastewater to be utilized for de-icing purposes. However, new proposed laws urge the prevention of such dangerous de-icing methods, as they may lead to the development of harmful algae blooms. The article goes on the break down the individual laws and their numerous components.

Ontario:

After a years-long fight for clean drinking water, Indigenous communities and individuals in Canada are a step closer to receiving money from a class-action lawsuit that was settled with the federal government for $8 billion last year.

Indigenous communities now have until Dec. 22 to file their claims, while individuals have until March 7, 2023.

Cleanup crews from Hydro One cleaned up the Don River after an oil spill from one of its transmission sites leaked into the river in late February.

Pennsylvania:

Pennsylvania American Water advised 14,500 customers in Chester and Lancaster Counties to boil water after its Rock Run Water Treatment Plant near Coatesville “experienced an issue which resulted in lower-than-normal chlorine residuals within the plant.”

Catch more news at Great Lakes Now: 

Drinking Water News Roundup: New DNA computer can reveal water contaminants, HydroOne team works on oil spill cleanup

Drinking Water News Roundup: New Illinois water quality bill, Minnesota mine lease canceled, Ontario’s wetland filtration

Featured image: Filling glass with water from faucet (Great Lakes Now Episode 1025)

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Originally Appeared Here