Drinking Water

Microplastics have been found pretty much everywhere on Earth, from the highest mountain peaks to the deepest parts of the ocean. They have also been detected in rivers, lakes, wildlife, and even in the human body.

The UN estimates that 2.2 billion people lack safely managed drinking water. Across the globe, over 300 million people rely on desalinated water for part or all of their daily needs. There are more than 22,000 desalination plants around the world. In the U.S., about 5 million people receive water from desalination, mostly in states like California and Florida.

The Clinton County Health Department is advising residents with private wells to test their water.

As Trump administration officials seek to examine "new scientific information on potential health risks of fluoride in drinking water," some Albany Common Councilors are favoring a moratorium on the chemical's use in municipal drinking water.

Add biosolids to water concerns in the Albany County Town of Bethlehem.

The Columbia County Village of Valatie is hoping to receive federal money to address PFAS contamination in its drinking water supply.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has set new maximum contaminant levels for toxic chemicals that have tainted water supplies for millions of Americans, including several Northeast communities. Advocates are cheering the new protections against so-called PFAS compounds.

The Village of St. Johnsville in western Montgomery County, New York says it needs more information from a bottled water company that is seeking to utilize its drinking water source. Meantime, a group of concerned residents wants a say in any future actions.

The Albany Water Department has launched a new program to aid homeowners in lead service replacements, part of an effort to eliminate lead service pipes in the city by 2040.

Three bills intended to upgrade U.S. drinking water systems and address toxic pollutants took a step forward Wednesdsay as the conversation in Washington…