From 1953-1987, the drinking water provided to Marine and Navy families and civilian staff at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, NC contained deadly toxic chemicals, including three known human carcinogens and one suspected human carcinogen. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act, which is currently undergoing the legislative process, is expected to pass in the coming weeks and provide long overdue relief for those exposed and impacted by Camp Lejeune’s poisonous water.

I am one of the babies from Camp Lejeune, now age 54. My parents arrived at Camp Lejeune in April of 1967. My father taught the radio school at Montford Point and my mother became pregnant with me shortly after they arrived. I was born at the Naval Hospital in early 1968. A small photo taken by my father on my birthday shows me in my mother’s arms. Located in the bottom left-hand corner of the photo, on a nightstand, is a glass of water and formula bottle containing tap water drawn from the base’s Hadnot Point Water Distribution System – the worst contaminated water system discovered aboard Camp Lejeune.

Like many families who rotated in and out of Camp Lejeune, I am not from Camp Lejeune. My hometown is Winter Haven, Fl, where we resided permanently after my father resigned his commission from the U.S. Marine Corps. For most of my life, Camp Lejeune represented nothing more than a name on my birth certificate.

That changed shortly after my 39th birthday, when diagnosed with male breast cancer. My ex-wife felt a lump in my chest, odd shaped and hard, but not painful. After two weeks of believing it to be an ingrown hair, I went to the doctor, launching a whirlwind of tests that resulted in my breast cancer diagnosis.

I do not drink nor smoke. I tested negative for the hereditary breast cancer markers BRCA 1 and 2. My diagnosis came out of the thin air and for two months we were left wondering what happened to me.

My father happened to catch a CNN story detailing how children born at Camp Lejeune between 1968-1985 were being studied for exposure to toxic chemicals in Camp Lejeune’s water. I watched the news story and immediately realized the connection between the Camp Lejeune study and my male breast cancer diagnosis. In less than 90 days, my life had been turned upside down. Since then, Camp Lejeune has become one of the largest clusters – 125 men – of male breast cancer cases ever seen. The cluster was investigated by the Agency For Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in 2015. Their study found that exposure to solvents in the water at Camp Lejeune likely accelerated the onset of male breast cancer in men aboard Camp Lejeune.

As a young father of four children, the prospect of fighting cancer gave me nightmares. I couldn’t sleep until after my surgery. Having cancer is like owning a house with termites; you know they are infesting your home leaving a path of destruction but there isn’t a damned thing you can do until the exterminator comes. In my case, Dr. Schneider from Tallahassee Memorial Hospital saved my life. Cancer leaves its own bitter legacy of broken families, disfigurement, and long-term health issues. I was no exception.

For the past 25 years, the Camp Lejeune community has fought the Department of the Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps for a full accounting of the drinking water contamination. Our first victory occurred in 2009 when Jerry Ensminger and I successfully established that the government’s initial public health assessment for Camp Lejeune omitted exposures to benzene from leaking fuel depots at the base. As a result, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) was forced to withdraw and revise their public health assessment for Camp Lejeune.

All of our forward progress in the fight for justice abruptly halted in June 2014 when the U.S. Supreme Court rendered a decision in the CTS Corp v. Waldburger case, concluding that North Carolina’s statute of repose superseded federal statutes, thereby imposing a strict 10-year limitation on claims. In my case, it meant that I had to file a claim against the government 12 years before my cancer diagnosis when I had no knowledge of exposure.

Now, with the impending passage of the Honoring our PACT Act, which includes the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, we may yet again have our day in court. The passage of this legislation will provide justice by restoring the rights denied to the very veterans and families who volunteered to serve and protect our great country. 

Michael Partain is a resident of Homosassa, Florida and co-founder of The Few, The Proud, The Forgotten. He was born at Camp Lejeune and is a male breast cancer survivor. 

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Demonstrators call for safe drinking water during a rally at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. A report issued by state auditors, Tuesday, July 26, 2022, says that water out of the tap for more than 900,000 Californians lack access to clean water and the state isn’t acting fast enough help clean up those systems. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Rich Pedroncelli

AP

SACRAMENTO, Calif.

The water that comes out of the tap for more than 900,000 Californians is unsafe to drink and the state isn’t acting fast enough to help clean it up, state auditors said in a report released Tuesday.

Thousands of water systems supply the state’s 39 million people, and about 5% of them have some type of contaminant, like nitrates or arsenic, in them, according to the audit. That means people can’t safely drink the water or use it to cook or bathe. Most of the 370 failing systems are in economically disadvantaged communities, many in the Central Valley, the state’s agricultural heartland.

The State Water Resources Control Board has provided at least $1.7 billion in grants since 2016 for design and construction to improve water systems. That could include building new treatment plants, consolidating water systems or other actions designed to improve water quality.

But it took the board 33 months on average in 2021 for water system operators to complete the application process and receive money, the audit found — nearly double the time it took in 2017. The audit found a lack of clear metrics and poor communication created confusion for water districts seeking help and slowed down the award process.

“The longer the board takes to fund projects, the more expensive those projects become. More importantly, delays increase the likelihood of negative health outcomes for Californians served by the failing water systems,” acting state auditor Michael Tilden wrote in a letter to the Legislature.

Eileen Sobeck, executive director for the water board, told state auditors the board agrees the process could be clearer and faster. But she disagreed with the conclusion that the board hasn’t acted with urgency to improve contaminated water systems, saying the board’s “highest priority is advancing the human right to water.” California made a right to safe drinking water state law in 2013. The water board has previously said it would need $4.5 billion to address all the needs through 2025.

She said the state has reduced the number of people who rely on contaminated water from 1.6 million in 2019 to less than 1 million today. It’s also provided $700 million in grants to water systems. It’s helped pay for construction projects in 90 communities, consolidation of 73 water systems, and begun streamlining the application process, she said.

E. Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the water board, said the audit’s finding that the board lacks urgency in addressing the problem is “salacious” but doesn’t reflect the “tremendous amount of progress” the board has made in helping water systems.

The state sets requirements for more than 100 water contaminants, including nitrate, arsenic and E. coli, limiting the amount that can be in water. Some, like nitrates, come from excess fertilizer used by agriculture. Different contaminants can cause respiratory problems for infants, harm the liver and kidneys, and increase the risk of cancer. Even when water isn’t safe to drink, people still have to pay the water bill, plus the added cost of buying bottled water or hauling it in from elsewhere.

“Just because you’re not drinking from the tap doesn’t mean you don’t have to pay for the access,” said Kyle Jones, policy and legal director for the Community Water Center, which works to expand access to clean water.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, created a $130 million fund in 2019 to improve drinking water systems, particularly those that serve low-income communities. At the time, he called it a “moral disgrace” that Californians couldn’t rely on clean water to drink or bathe. His office didn’t respond to an email Tuesday seeking comment on the audit.

In one example of the slow process, the audit found the water board wasn’t checking in enough on a technical assistance project for a water system in Kern County. Ten months after the board had assigned a provider to help the district, no work had been completed, causing the board to look for another provider. In another case, it took the water board 14 months to figure out whether a water district in rural Northern California was eligible for grant funding to improve its drinking and wastewater.

Water districts that took a survey from the auditor called the board’s application process a “nightmare” filled with red tape and unclear expectations.

Michael Claiborne, directing attorney for Leadership Council for Justice and Accountability, said many Californians have been fighting for decades for clean water to no avail.

His organization advocates for safe and affordable drinking water access for communities in the San Joaquin Valley and east Coachella Valley, and it has been hired as a legal and technical consultant for some of the projects that receive board funding. As both an advocate and a contractor on some projects, he agreed with the audit’s findings that the board needs clear metrics to access its progress and set expectations.

But he said local governments need to step up as well, as they can delay projects to consolidate water systems or begin new construction.

“Without cooperation from local governments and local water systems, you can’t implement solutions,” he said.

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A California state auditor’s report slammed the State Water Resources Control Board on Tuesday for what it called a lethargic approach to funding projects that should be getting safe drinking water to nearly 1 million state residents who do not have it, many of them in disadvantaged communities.

“The State Water Board has funding available to help these failing systems improve the quality of their drinking water,” the auditors wrote. “Nonetheless, the board has generally demonstrated a lack of urgency in providing this critical assistance.”

The issue, the report said, is the increasingly long times the board is taking to get that money out the door to pay experts to upgrade and install clean drinking water systems.

“Over the past five years, the average length of time for water systems to complete their applications and receive funding nearly doubled, from 17 months to 33 months.” the auditor’s report said.

And the issue is urgent. About 370 systems that provide water to 920,000 Californians did not meet water quality standards as of December. More than two thirds of those systems were in disadvantaged communities, the report found.

Many agricultural communities in the Central Valley have been particularly affected, with farm-based contaminants like nitrate and arsenic contaminating drinking water.

The report said that “nearly 240 of these water systems have been failing for three years or more, and more than 150 have been failing for five years,” and that the longer they languish, the more expensive they become, not to mention the mounting negative health effects.

The water board in response said it disagreed with the framing of the report, insisting the drinking water program — called Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience — had “moved as quickly as possible to assist water systems and communities with managing complex drinking water challenges.”

The board’s statement outlined its successes since 2019, including providing access to clean water for 650,000 state residents.

The auditor’s report did not take into account the volume of applications the agency receives, the board response said, adding:

“Between the 2017-2018 and 2020-2021 fiscal years, the number of projects identified for funding more than doubled, from 123 to 250, and we have received more than five times the number of applications compared to seven years prior (the 2014-2015 fiscal year).”

The auditor’s report also included a lengthy response from water board Executive Director Eileen Sobeck.

Sobeck quibbled with the auditor report’s title, which called out the board saying “It Lacks the Urgency Necessary to Ensure That Failing Water Systems Receive Needed Assistance in a Timely Manner.” She wrote, “Holding ourselves, our funding recipients, and technical assistance providers accountable is critical,” but she further said it was difficult to say whether delays were the result of the pandemic or supply chain issues, instead of things in the board’s control like how quickly it processes an application.

Sobeck also pointed to the funding boost of $130 million annually for 10 years, provided by the state in 2019, that was aimed at helping smaller, disadvantaged communities, and an additional $650 million for drinking water systems set aside in 2021.

Sobeck and the auditor’s report both pointed to changes in state law that required it to focus on more, smaller, and less sophisticated water systems, increasing application processing times.

Sobeck’s response also said the board’s technical assistance providers were overmatched by increased demand, but said five more had been added to the pool as of June.

The auditor also criticized the oversight, or lack thereof, of projects once they were finally approved and funded.

In one instance, the board assigned a provider for a technical assistance project for South Kern Mutual Water Company in December 2019.

“However, the State Water Board did not recognize until 10 months later that the provider had not performed work on the project, and eventually the State Water Board had to assign the project to another provider,” the audit said.

Sobeck said the board supported the report’s recommendation to create performance measures for those kinds of jobs, and that the Division of Financial Assistance intends to create an online funding dashboard to monitor progress.

In a response to Sobeck’s comments, the report’s authors said they stood by their chosen title. They did also acknowledge that much funding had gone to disadvantaged communities.

“However, our report demonstrates that the State Water Board’s process for providing this funding is taking far too long and the State Water Board has not made sufficient efforts to address this problem.”

Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice

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Originally Appeared Here

Baramulla, July 26: The residents of Rahmaniya colony and TawheedabadTarzoo of Sopore town in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district are up in arms against the Jal Shakti department for failing to provide drinking water supply to them.

The locality of Rahmaniya colony, located in the outskirts of main town Sopore, has been facing acute water crisis for the past four years. 

The residents said that the women and children of the village are forced to walk miles every day in these hot and humid conditions to fetch safe drinking water. 

The distraught locals said that they have notified the administration and the Jal Shakti department several times over these years about the acute water shortage. However, no help has been forthcoming so far.

WaheedBano, a local, said that the authorities in the department have been pushing them to face immense hardships due to acute shortage of drinking water for years. 

“The Jal Shakti department and local administration is ignoring our plights. The females of this area don’t want to protest and face the camera. We are from good families but when it comes to survival, there is no option but to hit the streets. How can our administration justify that women are fetching drinking water from nearby localities in the 21st century and that too by foot,” she added. 

Another protesting lady, Shameema told Rising Kashmir that the womenfolk of the area are being forced to walk miles to fetch water.

“Our locality receives drinking water through a half an inch supply pipeline but that doesn’t suffice. We have time and again appealed to the department for establishing a better pipeline through the area so that every household can receive water properly. Instead of finding a viable solution, the Jal Shakti department is delivering water through a tanker once a week and that too isn’t enough,” Shameema added. 

She said that the authorities are ignoring them on all fronts.

 

“Despite repeated assurances and promises, the department has failed to provide adequate drinking water to the residents here,” she added. 

The residents have demanded immediate redressal of their grievances.

“The worthy Deputy Commissioner of the district is a woman, so we request Dr.SehrishAsgar to redress our issues at an earliest, as she only can understand our problem. I have two kids at home and while fetching water from other localities, I have to keep my children locked inside the home. It is unfortunate that the department claimed to fix a new pipeline, which would provide water to the whole area soon but all the assurances turned out to be false promises,” YasmeenaBano, another resident, told Rising Kashmir. 

The residents appealed to the Jal Shakti department to redress their issue at an earliest so that they won’t be facing any problems in near future.

Similarly, the residents of TawheedabadTarzoo in Sopore said that from last six years they have been requesting the Jal Shakti department to establish a proper water supply pipeline in the area but their demands aren’t met seriously.

Meanwhile an official of Jal Shakti department in Sopore said that a new pipeline has been approved for the SoporeZainageer area years back but due to certain issues the scheme has been put in languishing projects. 

Executive Engineer Jal Shakti Ramesh Pal Sharma said that the issue of water scarcity in Sopore will be redressed at an earliest. 

“We have invited the contractors for the project but till date we have not recieved any response. We will issue the tenders once again and hopefully will redress the issue at an earliest,” Ramesh told Rising Kashmir.

 

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The Salem City Council voted Monday to approve proposed increases to the city’s water, wastewater and stormwater service rates.

The increases recommended by the Water/Wastewater Task Force include a 5% increase in water rates in 2023 and 2024, a 5% increase in wastewater in 2023 and 2024 and a 5% increase in stormwater fees in 2023 and 2024.

“Nobody wants to raise rates. … A lot of the feedback we’ve gotten from the community is that ‘costs are going up, don’t raise our rates,’ ” said Councilor Chris Hoy. “The reason we have to raise the rates is because costs are going up. … This is a utility that has to financially survive. I think this is the best course to make sure that happens and to make sure we have good quality drinking water and sewer services going forward.”

In a report, city officials said the city’s utility funds remain financially sound but rate increases are needed to counter inflation and address the need for capital investments and adequate reserves.

For the average residential account in Salem, the proposed increase would equate to a $94 a month bill for water, stormwater and wastewater going up to $98.68 in 2023 and $103.57 in 2024.

Despite the increases, Salem rates are expected to be on the lower end of similarly sized cities, according to city officials.

“Salem has historically been in the middle or lower than the group of cities providing similar utility services,” staff said in a report. “With the proposed rate increases, Salem is anticipated to continue to remain ranked eighth of the eleven standard comparator cities.”

The motion passed unanimously.

Residents will begin seeing the rate increases on Jan. 1, 2023, and again on Jan. 1, 2024.

Council also voted to extend the city’s emergency utility assistance program through the end of 2024 to help residents to avoid water shut-offs due to financial hardship.

The program, which was expanded during the pandemic, has seen a dramatic increase in demand over the past four years, according to a staff report from the Public Works Department.

In 2020, $71,144 in assistance was given to 491 customers. The following year, 1,701 customers received $229,393, and 2022 is on track to surpass that amount. Current funding for the program is expected to last until next spring.

The City Council also approved a plan to extend the effective date of the program until December 2024 and authorize using up to $300,000 of utility revenue annually for funding starting in 2023.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at [email protected], call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth

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Southern Utilities says if customers violate the mandatory water use restrictions, they could face penalties.

TYLER, Texas — Southern Utilities will implement Stage 2 Drought Contingency plans for their customers beginning Tuesday. The plan will be in place until further notice.

Southern Utilities says the company’s drinking water system has reached an all-time high primarily created by active landscape irrigation systems and outside residential water.

 According to Southern Utilities, the following makes up a Stage 2 plan:

• Mandatory water use restrictions will be implemented. 
• No recreational outside water use will be allowed. 
• The installation of shut-off nozzles on all outside water hoses will be required. 

“Stage 2 of the Drought Contingency Plan is defined as the mandatory restriction of residential and recreational water use including, but not limited to, the outside washing of home windows/siding, driveways, vehicles, boats and trailers without the use of a bucket and/ or cut off valve; unattended sprinkling of landscape shrubs and grass; draining, filling, and refilling of swimming pools or jacuzzi pools,” Southern Utilities said.

The use of landscape irrigation systems and outside lawn watering methods will be further restricted to only one day per calendar week, as indicated below:

• Even number street address between 10 p.m. – 6 a.m. Tuesdays only
• Odd number street address between 10 p.m. – 6 a.m. Thursdays only

Southern Utilities says if customers violate the mandatory water use restrictions, they could face the following penalties: 

• First violation – The customer will be notified by written notice of their specific violation.
• Second violation – After written notice the utility may install a flow restricting device in the line to limit the amount of water which will pass through the meter in a 24-hour period. The utility may charge the customer for the actual cost of installing and removing the flow restricting device, not to exceed $50.
• Subsequent violations – Southern Utilities may discontinue service at the meter for a period of seven days, or until the end of the calendar month, whichever is less.

The normal reconnect fee of the utility will apply for restoration of services.

Southern Utilities says if the present drought conditions persist, Stage 3 or Stage 4 of the approved plan may be implemented.

“Southern Utilities Company has no desire to implement Stage 3 or Stage 4 of its Drought Contingency Plan,” the company said. “Compliance, by all customers, with the mandatory restrictions of Stage 2 above should allow an adequate supply of water for all customer use. Be assured, Southern Utilities Company’s drinking water system strives to maintain adequate capacity, pressure and volume to satisfy all customer demand essential for health, safety and sanitary purposes.”

RELATED: East Texas firefighters share challenges of responding to blazes this summer, encourage water bottle donations

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The unprecedented flooding that wrecked parts of Yellowstone national park is also jeopardizing freshwater supplies in Montana’s most populated city.

The roughly 110,000 residents of Billings, Montana, were asked on Wednesday to conserve water after intense flooding in the region shut down service from the city’s main water plant, reported Q2 News, a local Billings news outlet.

“None of us planned a 500-year flood event on the Yellowstone when we designed these facilities,” said Debi Meling, the city’s public works director, CBS News reported.

City officials sent out a press release on Wednesday morning, alerting that the city’s water plant was shut on Tuesday night due to the historic flooding.

Water levels at the plant had risen to 16ft; the plant is only operational at water levels of 15ft or below.

Billings officials also warned that only 24 to 36 hours’ worth of freshwater was available for the city to use.

By Wednesday evening, the plant was operating at limited capacity, with residents asked to maintain their limited water use and advised to avoid watering their grass or other activities that require lots of water.

On Thursday, the water plant’s capacity returned to full use, with city officials thanking Billings residents for their cooperation.

“We have never witnessed a situation like the one we saw yesterday,” said Billings officials in a press release on Thursday.

Freshwater supplies in other parts of Montana were also affected by severe flooding this week, reported the New York Times.

In Gardiner, a town of about 900 in Montana’s southern region, locals were warned on Monday not drink the city’s water.

“Do not consume Gardiner drinking water,” read a Gardiner alert update, in capital letters.

A more recent update on Thursday at 7am MT placed the town’s water supply under a boil advisory, saying that the water was only safe for consumption after being boiled.

Record amounts of rain throughout Montana caused flooding and mudslides that forced Yellowstone national park, in a rare move, to temporarily close and evacuate more than 10,000 visitors on Tuesday.

The park, which spans parts of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, remained closed on Thursday as park officials surveyed damage the park sustained due to flooding and rockslides.

The park’s most severely affected area, its northern section, could stay closed for the remainder of summer, officials said, though other parts of the park could reopen as early as Monday.

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AURORA, Colo. — People living at Malibu Manor apartments could have their water turned off on Friday because those with Aurora Water said the property management company has not completed an annual, necessary health and safety test.

Jamila Anderson reached out to Contact Denver7 after she and other neighbors found a notice posted on their front door. The letter said the water for the building would be disconnected on Friday due to noncompliance with Colorado drinking water regulations.

“It’s really scary. And the scariest part is, had my neighbor not told me about it, I would have no idea. And I could wake up Friday, with no water, no explanation,” Anderson said.

She said she moved to the complex a couple of months ago, where she has experienced maintenance issues. The drinking water was one Anderson could not ignore.

“When I reached out to our landlord, the one who’s our contact person for all things in this building, she didn’t know what I was talking about. And so, that just really sent my alarm bells ringing and I said, somebody’s got to help us,” explained Anderson. “I just rely on a water filter system that attaches to my sink, and I drink from the tap.”

Water to Aurora apartment complex could be shut off

Many Coloradans drink from the tap, Greg Baker with Aurora Water said. It is one of many reasons the city wants to ensure the quality of the water at Malibu Manor.

“What happened in Malibu Manor was that we had sent the property owner notices that they needed to test what’s called a cross connection device. And this prevents water from flowing back into our system from their boiler,” Baker said. “You could, in fact, have chemicals coming into the water quite often for a boiler system there. And boilers quite often have chemicals, anti-corrosive chemicals, chemicals to help with the hardness in the water so it doesn’t scale inside the boiler. And that could physically push into our water system.”

Baker said the test needs to be completed by Friday in order for residents to maintain their water. He said they have been trying to reach the property management company for around six months.

“Five different letters, and several emails, and they did not respond to what we need and let the tenants know that they may be out of water,” said Baker. “The challenge with a commercial entity, especially multifamily units that are owned by a large corporate entity is trying to find the right contact… It’s important that these companies keep a current address on file with us. We can talk with them. It’s very simple.”

Denver7 called a woman who identified herself as the landlord of the complex. She would not say anything more, but after the phone call Anderson said residents received a group text saying the water would not be shut off, and the tests had been scheduled.

Baker said it was “highly unlikely” the tests had already been scheduled Monday afternoon since the office closes at 3:30 p.m. and the group text came shortly before 5 p.m.

“These rules are in place for very good reason. We’re not trying to penalize the tenants at all. The last thing we want to do is penalize the tenants,” Baker said. “It’s unfortunate that some companies are a little slower on responding to these, and hopefully this is a one-time thing with this specific company. But we do unfortunately face this quite often across the entire metro area.”

The sign outside of the complex said Atlas Realty, but Baker said they also have the property management company listed as United Rentals.

Denver7 will be checking to see if the necessary tests are scheduled and completed before Friday this week.

Editor’s note: Denver7 seeks out audience tips and feedback to help people in need, resolve problems and hold the powerful accountable. If you know of a community need our call center could address, or have a story idea for our investigative team to pursue, please email us at [email protected] or call (720) 462-7777. Find more Contact Denver7 stories here.

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Originally Appeared Here

Rawalpindi : The setting in of monsoon, prolonged rain spell and repeated heavy rain falls have put population in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi along with those living in peripheries at a greater risk of contracting water-borne infections as the rains may cause contamination of water at sources as well as contaminate the food items particularly vegetables and fruits.

The repeated rain spells in the region of the country have increased the chances of spread of gastroenteritis particularly water-borne infections including dysentery, typhoid and cholera mainly because the rainwater may contaminate water sources at all levels.

According to many health experts, not less than 70 per cent of the population in the region is at risk of contracting water-borne diseases as they are using tap water or water from wells for drinking and these sources may become contaminated after heavy rainfall in the existing weather conditions.

The water accumulated on earth surface in result of heavy rains may also contaminate underground water reservoirs after seeping into the ground. Experts say it is time to create awareness among public that they must start using boiled water for drinking to avoid water-borne infections.

The water inundated inside and outside homes in a number of localities in town due to heavy rainfall may make conditions extremely unhygienic. It is a must for people to keep homes particularly kitchens clean to avoid infections.

Experts say that water accumulated inside homes due to heavy rainfall and flooding out of water from sewage lines must be wiped out immediately and the space must be washed with clean water as soon as possible to avoid spread of infections.

Most of the water sources including community wells become contaminated with the rainwater. According to rough estimates, not more than 30 per cent of population in the region uses filtered, chlorinated or boiled water for drinking. Also it is important that the monitoring regarding contamination of water reservoirs supplying water to the communities cannot be termed ideal.

The only solution to avoid spread or outbreak of water-borne infections in monsoon is to educate individuals that they should avoid using contaminated water for drinking.

Experts say that chlorine tablets are easily available in almost all markets at affordable price and it is time to educate people that they should use chlorine tablets to purify water or should use water for drinking after boiling.

People must wash hands before eating meal or after using toilet. Experts say that the most important thing is that the vegetables and fruits brought from markets must be washed thoroughly with clean water as they get highly contaminated due to rainfall and water inundation in markets.

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Originally Appeared Here

Talking about water issues is important — dozens of participants flocked to BizWest’s 2022 Confluence Colorado Water Summit event on Thursday, after all — but to make a difference, that talk needs to result in action.

Fortunately for Northern Colorado’s water future, there are local companies, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and university researchers who are collaborating on a host of water-quality and water-quality improvement efforts.

Representatives from a handful of such groups broke down case studies for some of those efforts during a panel discussion at the event in Loveland. The panel was moderated by Colorado State University’s Colorado Water Center executive director Jennifer Gimbel.

The need for conservation activities is especially acute in Northern Colorado, the Boulder Valley and other parts of Colorado’s Front Range. That’s because 80% of the state’s rain falls on the western side of Continental Divide, while 90% of the population lives on the eastern side, Colorado Watershed Assembly executive director Casey Davenhill said.

Davenhill’s group has recently been active in updating the 15-year-old Colorado Water Plan and developing the South Platte Basin Implementation Plan, which has identified 282 projects of need at an estimated cost of nearly $10 billion.

On a bit smaller scale, Fort Collins-based water-quality and -quantity instrumentation manufacturer In-Situ Inc. teamed up with Fort Collins city staff and Colorado State University researchers to install and maintain water-quality monitors, real time telemetry and alarm systems along a stretch of the Cache la Poudre River.

The effort came after an unexpected fish kill in 2018 and has resulted in parts of the Poudre becoming some of the best-monitored river waters in the country, In-Situ sales manager Eric Robinson said.

While groups in Fort Collins work to better monitor the health of local waterways, others in the region have played significant roles in projects that actively seek to improve that health, such as the Big Thompson Confluence Mitigation Bank and Middle South Platte River Restoration Master Plan.

The overall goal of such projects is to “restore the area to its more historic, natural condition,” while boosting flood resilience, GEI Consultants Inc. senior regulatory specialist Lucy Harrington said.

From a local government perspective, Northern Colorado “municipalities are looking for alternatives” to Colorado-Big Thompson water rights, which have risen steeply in cost over the past decade-plus, WestWater Research Rocky Mountain regional director Adam Jokerst said.

Large reservoir projects can provide long-term stability, but the permitting process is time-consuming and expensive.

“There is no certainty until the very end whether you’re going to get a permit,” Jokerst said.

Less traditional approaches for municipalities include potable reuse (such as the Prairie Waters Project by Aurora Water), alluvial groundwater projects (such as the Box Elder Project in Castle Rock), and ag-muni partnerships (such as the Platte Valley Water Partnership).

“These are the types of projects that might be more prevalent in the future,” Jokerst said.

This article was first published by BizWest, an independent news organization, and is published under a license agreement. © 2022 BizWest Media LLC.

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Originally Appeared Here