 | | A water tower rises above a town near San Antonio, Texas. Photo © J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue |
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| Water issues are gaining new prominence in the Democratic presidential race as candidates react to rising public concerns about drinking water pollution, failing infrastructure, and the perceived inability of state and federal governments to fix the problems. |
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 | | Murray-Darling river system, Australia. Photo © J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue |
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| Rainfall blanketed parts of eastern Australia in recent weeks, partially dousing dozens of bushfires blazing in the country. Communities welcomed the cloudbursts, but the rain comes with a significant downside. There are fears that as water flows through a charred landscape, the runoff will pollute rivers and interfere with municipal water treatment. |
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After a lull, conflict in Yemen is flaring again. The uptick in fighting is complicating attempts by health workers to stem the spread of infectious, waterborne diseases like dengue fever and cholera that have multiplied during years of civil war. |
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What's Up With Water - January 27, 2020
“What’s Up With Water” condenses the need-to-know news on the world’s water into a snapshot for the start of the workweek via podcast.
This week's episode features coverage on Brazil, where prosecutors have filed homicide charges against sixteen individuals for their role in a mining dam collapse that killed 270 people.
U.S. stories include news on the Trump administration's finalized rule that will reduce protections for streams and wetlands. The rule decreases the number of water bodies that are covered by the Clean Water Act. Additional U.S. news covers how environmental groups warned the Defense Department not to worsen PFAS contamination when disposing of firefighting foams. Military bases have long used these foams in their operations.
Finally, Circle of Blue looks at a new study showing that the U.S. food trade increasingly depends on groundwater use that is not sustainable.
You can listen to the latest edition of What's Up With Water, as well as all past editions, by downloading the podcasts on iTunes, following Circle of Blue on Spotify, following on iHeart Radio, and subscribing on SoundCloud. |
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| From Circle of Blue's Archives: |
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 | | Installation of Drainage Water Management system in Sac County, Iowa. Photo courtesy of NRCS/SWCS Lynn Betts |
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| Private wells in Iowa, especially those shallower than 50 feet, are exposed to increasing levels of nitrate and are at the highest risk for bacterial contamination. That’s according to a report prepared by two nonprofit research and advocacy groups, Environmental Working Group and Iowa Environmental Council, and based on an analysis of a state database. |
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