COLORADO LAWMAKERS DIVIDED OVER WATER-PROTECTION BILL
Legislation drafted to expand Colorado water judges’ jurisdiction to address the effects of water decisions on water quality may be impractical, according to Montrose Republican Rep. Ray Rose, who said the breadth of studies required under the new law would be incomprehensible. Grand Junction Sentinel; March 8 <http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/03/08/3_8_1b_water_quality_bill.html> <http://www.journal-advocate.com/Stories/0,1413,120~7826~3262327,00.html>
COLORADO CITY TELLS BLM ‘PROVE WATERSHED PROTECTED’
The Bureau of Land Management assured Grand Junction officials that measures are in place to protect the Colorado city’s watershed from any adverse effects of energy development, but city officials said they want details of such protections before any drilling is allowed. Grand Junction Sentinel; March 13 <http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/03/12/3_13_1A_watershed_drilling.html>
COLORADO CITIES HAVE MARKEDLY DIFFERENT WATER SUPPLIES
Aurora is Colorado’s third-largest water provider and officials there are already considering putting water restrictions in place, but Denver and Colorado Springs, the state’s top two water providers, get their water from different regions of the mountains and are planning water releases from their reservoirs. Denver Post; March 21 <http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3622759>
COLORADO NEIGHBORING CITIES IRON OUT DIFFERENCES
For years, Denver and neighboring Aurora shared only a border, but the mayors have teamed up and developed a water pact. Denver Post; March 3 <http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3652666>
IRRIGATION SYSTEM ON COLORADO TRIBAL LANDS NEEDS $20 MILLION FIX
A Congressional audit found fault with how the Bureau of Indian Affairs is running 16 irrigation projects nationwide and said those projects need $850 million to fix problems, $20 million of which is needed to fix the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s irrigation system in Colorado. Durango Herald; April 2 <http://durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/06/news060402_3.htm>
NEW MEXICANS SUFFER THE SECOND-DRIEST WINTER IN 112 YEARS
New Mexico’s landscape is withering in what is shaping up to be the second-driest winter since the National Weather Service began keeping records in the state 112 years ago. Santa Fe New Mexican, 3/8 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/40463.html>
GROUP ASKS N.M. COMMUNITIES TO PAY UP TO RESTORE RIVER
The Forest Guardians is asking Santa Fe and other northern New Mexico communities to add a voluntary $1 check-off box on monthly utility bills to buy water rights to restore water to the Rio Grande River and save endangered species. Santa Fe New Mexican; March 28 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/41458.html>
N.M. GOVERNOR DUMPS MONEY FOR AAMODT WATER SETTLEMENT
Gov. Bill Richardson eliminated $75 million from the state budget that was earmarked to settle water-rights claims by tribes, and $20 million of that was supposed to go toward the settlement of the decades-old Aamodt water-rights lawsuit. Santa Fe New Mexican; March 9 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/40511.html>
WATER KEY TO DISPUTE OVER TRIBES’ ECONOMIC FUTURE
A new spin on an old topic – the ability of Native Americans to create self-sufficient economies – is resonating across the high desert and table-top mesas of ancient Navajo and Hopi lands. USA Today , 3/14 <http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0314Arizona-Utility-ON.html>
REPORT: BLACK MESA COAL MINE HARMING AQUIFER
Extensive groundwater pumping by the operator of the Black Mesa coal mine in northeastern Arizona threatens the water supply for the Navajo and Hopi tribes more than the government admits and a new federal permit should be denied, a report by an environmental group concludes. Tucson Citizen, 3/21 <http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/breakingnews/032106blackmesa>
SNOWPACK ABOVE AVERAGE IN WYOMING
Snowpack levels around Wyoming are averaging 105 percent of the historical average, which is good news for many, but reservoirs are still low and in some areas snowpack levels are still below average. Casper Star-Tribune; March 14 <http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2006/03/14/news/wyoming/57ac652098a303158725713100022cbd.txt>
UTAH’S SNOWPACK SLOWLY IMPROVING
Areas of Utah are seeing steady improvement in their still lower than average snowpacks, but some areas in the southern part of the state are still well below average. Deseret News; March 14 <http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635191546,00.html>
UTAH WATER DISTRICT DEVELOPS PAY-FOR-USE SYSTEM
St. George residents use more water per capita than residents of Albuquerque, Phoenix and Las Vegas, and the Washington County Water District hopes its new system of making cities and towns pay for water they use will encourage conservation in the Utah city. Deseret News; March 28 <http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635194912,00.html>
ARIZONA’S MOUNTAIN PEAKS REMAIN HIGH AND DRY
For the first time since record-keeping began in the 1930s, Arizona reported no snow at 29 of 34 snow-monitoring sites, and a measly 4 inches elsewhere, putting Arizona off the charts for lack of snowpack, which is critical for the state’s water supplies. Arizona Republic; March 3 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0303drought-nosnow0303.html> <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/10/national/10phoenix.html?_r=2?ef=slogin?ef=slogin>
SEVERE DROUGHT THROTTLES ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO, AND MOVES NORTH
Five of 11 national forests in New Mexico and Arizona already have summer-style fire restrictions, Phoenix has gone 139 straight days without moisture and the drought is moving north into eastern Colorado. USA Today; March 6 <http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20060306/1a_bottomstrip06.art.htm>
ARIZONA RAISES DROUGHT RATING FROM ‘SEVERE’ TO ‘EXTREME’
Arizona officials raised the drought warning level to the second highest marker yesterday because of the state’s almost complete lack of snowpack, and though that doesn’t trigger any restrictions, it sets the state in motion on a long list of things to do. Arizona Republic; March 29 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0329drought0329.html>
PHOENIX OFFICIALS WANT RESIDENTS TO FOCUS ON LONG-TERM CONSERVATION
Phoenix residents seem to be confusing everyday conservation with lifestyle changes that follow the weather and consequently aren’t responding to water conservation requests by the city during this drought, so city officials are changing their messaging. Arizona Republic; March 10 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0310conserveplan0310.html>
REVIEW OF IMPACTS ON SAN PEDRO RIVER PLANNED
Officials at Fort Huachuca have decided to ask the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a new review of the fort’s impacts to endangered species associated with the San Pedro River. Associated Press, 3/2 <http://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2006/03/02/news/state/state3.txt>
VEGAS SUBURB MAY HINGE ON WATER
A Las Vegas suburb planned for northwestern Mohave County is drawing intense scrutiny from state and local officials who worry that there is not enough water for the more than 160,000 homes developers want to build. Arizona Republic, 2/27 <http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0227ruralwater0227.html>
WATER SCARCITY IN ARIZONA IS A STATEWIDE, NOT LOCAL, ISSUE
Arizona can do little to stop the tens of thousands of homes planned for the northwestern corner of the state because there is no state law to prevent development based on a scarcity of water, and state lawmakers must take action before all Arizona taxpayers are left paying for an enormously large bailout. Arizona Republic; March 16 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/0316Thur1-16.html>
DEVELOPMENT PLANS IN NEVADA EXCEED WATER SUPPLIES
Regional water experts said there’s not enough local water to accommodate the growth planned for the area north and west of Reno, NV, and question developers’ plan to build despite a lack of a local water supply. Reno Gazette-Journal; March 7 <http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060306/NEWS10/603060323/1016/NEWS>
WATER TESTING IN ARIZONA COMES TOO LATE FOR MEGA SUBDIVISION
Hydrologists looking to see whether an area of desert outside of Kingman will support 160,000 proposed new homes won’t be able to complete the study until at least two years after developers have started selling the homes, but after preliminary studies, state scientists and scientists hired by the developers already disagree about how much water is there. Arizona Republic; March 22 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0322ruralwater0322.html>
VEGAS EAVESDROPPING DEVICES HEAR WATER RUNNING
Over the past two years, the Las Vegas Valley Water District has installed 8,000 high-tech listening devices beneath streets across the valley. But instead of the chatter of al-Qaida operatives, the water district is hunting for the telltale sound of leaky pipes. Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2/26 <http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Feb-26-Sun-2006/news/6024243.html>
WESTERN STATES WANT TO SEED CLOUDS TO BOOST WATER IN COLO. RIVER BASIN
The seven Western states that rely on the Colorado River as a major source of water are looking to hire a consultant to help with a inter-state cloud seeding program aimed at increasing water in the basin for as little as $1 to $20 per acre-foot of water. Billings Gazette (AP); March 14 <http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/03/14/news/wyoming/30-consultant.txt>
NEW ACCORD PUTS HIGH, LOW LIMITS ON ARIZONA RESERVOIR
Water levels in Lake Powell, the huge reservoir on the Utah-Arizona border, hit a record low of about 3,555 feet last year, and under a nearly finalized agreement between the seven states that share Colorado River water, water levels will never again hit that low, nor will the reservoir ever be filled to capacity. Salt Lake Tribune; April 2 <http://www.sltrib.com/ci_3665008>
RECLAMATION CONTRACT FOR STUDY OF HOOVER DAM
As a result of the decline in Lake Mead’s elevation since 1999, the Bureau of Reclamation has initiated a program to modify the turbines at Hoover Dam to increase their electrical generating capacity at lower lake levels. Bureau of Rec. News Release, 3/21 <http://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/newsrelease/detail.cfm?RecordID=10821>
WEST’S DROUGHT PATTERN REFLECTS UNCERTAINTY OF WATER SUPPLY
Meteorologists said that when the extremes of the West’s wet and dry weather are averaged out, the region is still caught in the drought that began last decade, and said that the extreme differences in precipitation between areas is the largest they’ve seen for a long time. New York Times; March 21 <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/21/national/21drought.html?_r=2?ef=slogin?ef=slogin>
CALIFORNIA FARMERS HAVE A FRIEND IN THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT
Jason Peltier spent 10 years working for Central Valley farmers in California who depend on irrigation water, and now he’s working at the Interior Department helping oversee the awarding of water contracts for the people he used to represent. New York Times; March 3 <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/03/national/03water.html?_r=2?ef=slogin?ef=slogin>
HUNTINGTON BEACH APPROVES DESALINATION PLANT
Plans for the country’s largest water desalination plant won narrow city approval early today, capping four years of environmental study and fierce community wrangling. Orange County Register, 3/1 <http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1020891.php>
REP. MILLER: WATER NEEDS COULD TRUMP DELTA FIX
Rep. George Miller expressed doubt that scientists’ advice for fixing the Delta’s declining ecosystem will be heeded if they conclude water deliveries are causing the problem. <http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/13976107.htm>
DAM RELICENSING PACT SIGNED IN OROVILLE
50 local stakeholders, and state and federal agency representatives, recently signed the Lake Oroville Relicensing agreement. The collaboration and partnerships formed between the city of Oroville, the Feather River Recreation and Park District and the agencies will carry through as projects are implemented, said Ralph Torres, acting deputy director of the CA Department of Water Resources. The new license will give local control over projects through a $61 million fund, with money coming in every year to plan and design recreation projects along the Feather River. They are still negotiating with rice growers for a warm water temperature solution that won’t harm fish. Chico ER, 3/22 <http://www.chicoer.com/fastsearchresults/ci_3626004>
JUDGE WEIGHS IN ON SIDE OF SALMON
A federal judge has ordered the government to institute a Klamath River management plan immediately instead of waiting five more years, which means farmers could be deprived of irrigation if water levels drop low enough to threaten the survival of coho salmon. The Oregonian, 3/29 <http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1143633201105150.xml&coll=7>
IDAHO WATER CHIEF SAYS GROUNDWATER LEVELS STILL LOW
Karl Dreher, the director of the Idaho Department of Water Resources, told state lawmakers that this year’s banner supply of moisture has helped fill reservoir, but six years of drought have lowered groundwater levels in some aquifers 30 to 60 feet. Twin Falls Times-News; March 23 <http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2006/03/23/news_topstory/news_topstory.1.txt>
IDAHO LAWMAKER OFFERS BILLS TO DIVERT WATER FROM SNAKE TO AQUIFER
Idaho state House Speaker Bruce Newcomb proposed two bills that divert water from turbines on the Snake River to the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer without compensating rate-payers who would have to make up the loss, and Newcomb said the bills are necessary to correct a previous mistake that said Idaho Power’s water rights supersede recharging the aquifer. Idaho Statesman; March 14 <http://www.idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060314/NEWS01/603140385/1001/NEWS>
IDAHO HOUSE PASSES AQUIFER-PROTECTION MEASURE
Legislation directed at protecting the Spokane Valley Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, which supplies drinking water to half a million people in Idaho and Washington, was passed by the Idaho House and moves to the Senate for a vote. Idaho Statesman; 3/16 <http://www.idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060316/NEWS06/603160382/1056>
COURT SIDES WITH WYOMING RANCHER IN CBM-WATER DISPUTE
A Wyoming district court judge ruled that a coalbed methane operator could not discharge water produced during drilling operations into streambeds that crossed a ranch, and the decision revived hopes that the state will finally require truly beneficial uses for the massive volumes of water produced during such drilling operations. Casper Star-Tribune; March 21 <http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2006/03/21/news/wyoming/61c3f4e361da2091872571380005430e.txt>
CANADA, U.S. IN NEW CLASH OVER WATER
U.S. plans to combat droughts by diverting Missouri River water north into Canada are pushing the two countries toward their second clash in a year over water use. MSNBC, 2/27 <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11525469/>
U.S. PLANS REVIEW OF CONTROVERSIAL WATER PROJECT
The federal Bureau of Reclamation plans an environmental review of the Northwest Area Water Supply project, which would bring Missouri River water to Minot, N.D. and northwestern North Dakota, city officials say. AP, 3/7 <http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/060307/w030754.html>
NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT ACT INTRODUCED
With bipartisan sponsorship, legislation was introduced March 8 in the US Senate to address the deteriorating conditions of the nation’s drinking water systems, roads, bridges and other public works by establishing a National Commission on the Infrastructure of the United States and charging it with completing a study of current conditions and recommending federal priorities in three years. WaterWeek, 3/16 <http://www.awwa.org/communications/waterweek/>
DEATH OF THE WORLD’S RIVERS
The world’s great rivers are drying up at an alarming rate, with devastating consequences for humanity, animals and the future of the planet. London Independent, 3/12 <http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article350785.ece>
WORLD WATER FORUM KICKS OFF IN MEXICO CITY
Mexico City is a fitting site for an international forum on water management, since the world’s second largest-metropolis provides a perfect example of how to destroy paradise by sucking away all its water. Arizona Republic; March 16 Supporters of an international summit on water supplies said they organized the forum to improve water supplies for the poor, but opponents said the forum is meant to lay the framework to privatize the world’s water supplies. Seattle Times 3/17 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0316waterforum0316.html> <http://www.worldwaterforum4.org.mx/home/genwwf.asp?lan=> <http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002870499_water17.html>
BETTER IRRIGATION THE KEY TO SECURE WATER SUPPLIES AROUND THE WORLD
At an international meeting on water supplies, the director of one nonprofit said that farms are integral to water sources, and better irrigation systems is the key to secure adequate and safe water supplies around the world. Santa Fe New Mexican; March 20 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/40979.html>
THE INTERNATIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (IWMI), one of the Ramsar Convention’s partner organizations, took the occasion of the IV World Water Forum earlier this month to launch a very useful 20-page brochure entitled “Beyond more crop per drop: water management for food and the environment”. The brochure can be downloaded in PDF format from the IWMI Web site at: <http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/wwf4/PDF/Beyond%20more%20crop%20per%20drop_WWF4%20doc_IWMI%20and%20partners.pdf>http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/wwf4/PDF/Beyond more crop per drop_WWF4 doc_IWMI and partners.pdf
BOLIVIA SAYS WATER IS A RIGHT, OPPOSES DECLARATION
Bolivia is refusing to sign an international declaration on the importance of clean water because it falls short of calling access to it a human right, a government minister said. Africa took center stage on the fourth day of the Forum, as the continent’s water challenges were addressed in the regional presentation and various thematic sessions. <http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=10110> <http://www.iisd.ca/ymb/worldwater4/html/ymbvol82num12e.html>
POOR STILL PAY FOR WATER IN DEVELOPING NATIONS
Violent protests have driven away corporate investment in desperately needed municipal water systems in developing nations. So the world’s poor buy bottled water from Coke, Pepsi and other multinational companies. AP 3/33 <http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/03/22/news/nation/15_51_203_21_06.txt>
UN REPORT WARNS ON OVERUSE OF WATER FOR FARMING
The overuse of water for farming is the biggest environmental threat to the world’s freshwater resources and damage is likely to worsen until 2020. Reuters, 3/22 <http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=1748941>
WATER CONCERNS PROMPTS TRIBE TO ASK COLORADO CITY TO HALT GROWTH
Growth in Bayfield has overwhelmed the Colorado city’s wastewater treatment plant, and improperly treated water has been discharged into the Los Pinos River, which supplies the Southern Ute tribe with drinking water, and the tribe has asked that all construction be stopped until the Colorado city can treat its sewage. Farmington Daily Times; March 28 <http://www.daily-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060328/NEWS01/603280303/1001>
COLORADO LAWMAKERS PROPOSE BILLS TO CLEAN ABANDONED MINES
A bill sponsored by Colorado Rep. John Salazar would allow private and public stakeholders to clean up abandoned mines in the Animas River watershed without fear of incurring federal liability; Rep. Mark Udall introduced a similar bill in the U.S. House with a national scope, as another bill introduced by Sens. Ken Salazar and Wayne Allard. Durango Herald; 4/2 <http://durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/06/news060402_1.htm>
ALBERTA PLANS NEW WATER TESTS FOR WELLS NEAR CBM OPERATIONS
Environment Minister Guy Boutilier said concerns about the effect of coalbed methane development on Alberta water wells compelled the government to require water wells be tested before drilling begins, but critics called for a moratorium on drilling until regulations are in place. Calgary Herald; March 7 <http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=b57f6ad8-79cb-4f4e-8b40-51aabe5afd4a&k=82694>
EPA DROPS INVESTIGATION OF ALLEGED BIAS IN GROUNDWATER STUDY
Democratic lawmakers requested an investigation into whether political influence led to the Environmental Protection Agency’s finding that hydraulic facturing, a process that injects waters and chemicals into the ground to boost oil and gas production, posed no threat to water supplies, but the EPA said it has no power now to regulate the practice anyway. Denver Post; March 3 <http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_3560316>
EPA CONSIDERS DILUTING RULE ON WATER QUALITY
After hearing from many small communities that complying with new standards for drinking water would be too expensive, the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to allow water systems serving 10,000 or fewer residents to allow three times the level of contaminants approved under the new standards. Washington Post; April 2 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/31/AR2006033101629.html>
EPA’S PERCHLORATE GOAL IS CRITICIZED
A panel of scientists says a proposed federal limit of 24.5 parts per billion on the toxic chemical perchlorate in drinking water is too high. AP, 3/16 <http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060316-110320-2186r>
EPA DATA SHOWS POLLUTION AFFECTING SIERRA WATERSHEDS
Using findings from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Sierra Nevada Alliance concluded that all of the Sierra’s watersheds have been biologically, chemically and physically affected by pollution and that three quarters of the 24 largest watersheds were significantly affected within the last five years. Reno Gazette-Journal; March 22 <http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060322/NEWS10/603220357/1016/NEWS>
GEOLOGIST FAULTS WATER-MONITORING WELLS AT N.M. LABORATORY
A geologist said Los Alamos National Laboratory officials must spend millions to replace wells that monitor for contamination and said an independent company should be hired to watch for contamination, but laboratory officials said they’re handling the problems internally. Santa Fe New Mexican; March 3 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/40215.html>
UTAH TREATMENT PLANT TURNS MINE-TAINTED WATER CLEAN
Utah’s first large-scale reverse osmosis water-treatment plant will initially deliver 3,500 acre-feet of water yearly to the equivalent of 4,300 homes – water that until now has been rendered undrinkable because of mining pollutants, primarily sulphate. Salt Lake Tribune; March 3 <http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_3564961>
ARIZONA OFFICIALS FIND RADIOACTIVE WATER NEAR NUCLEAR GENERATION PLANT
Arizona officials said they did not believe any water containing tritium, a byproduct of nuclear power generation, which leaked from the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, made it into the area’s groundwater supply. Arizona Republic; March 6 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0304paloverde04.html>
NEVADA EXPLORES OPTIONS TO BLOCK SHIPMENTS
Nevada officials are searching for ways to halt the shipment of more than 4,000 metric tons of the military’s mercury stockpile to the Hawthorne Army Depot. AP, 2/26 <http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/13969351.htm>
WYOMING PANEL ADVANCES MEASURE TO STUDY CBM WATER
The sponsor of a measure that would create a 15-member task force to study alternative uses of water discharged during coalbed methane operations in Wyoming said the state needs to come up with solutions before neighboring states start lawsuits over water flowing out of Wyoming. Casper Star-Tribune; March 3 <http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2006/03/03/news/legislature/dac488815a8cbf96872571250077c1b0.txt>
FOREST SERVICE MULLS OPTIONS TO FIX MONTANA’S MIKE HORSE DAM
The Forest Service has several options for fixing the Mike Horse Dam, which is barely able to continue holding several tons of mining waste from entering the headwaters of the Blackfoot River in Montana, but the options are all expensive and risky. Great Falls Tribune; March 7 <http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060307/NEWS01/603070301/1002>
JUDGE SAYS MONTANA MINE MUST REWRITE WATER PERMIT
A proposal to open a silver and copper mine in Montana’s Cabinet Mountain Wilderness hit another obstacle last week when a state district court judge ruled the water-quality permit would allow too much arsenic into the groundwater and that the permit must be rewritten before work can proceed. Missoulian (AP); March 28 <http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/03/28/news/mtregional/news06.txt>
PESTICIDES FOUND THROUGHOUT THE NATION’S STREAMS
Most of the nation’s rivers and streams — and the fish in them — are contaminated with pesticides linked to cancer, birth defects and neurological disorders, but not yet at levels that can harm humans. <http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=10003>
MAJORITY OF FACTORIES VIOLATE CLEAN WATER ACT
A new report by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) shows that 60 percent of the nation’s largest factories and sewage plants have violated the Clean Water Act by polluting drinking water sources. Gannett News Service, 3/27 <http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0324cleanwater0324.html>
PHARMACEUTICAL METABOLITES FOUND IN NEW YORK WATER
University at Buffalo researchers have found that pharmaceutical metabolites in drinking water increase human antibiotic resistance, with potential adverse medical effects. Medical News Today, 3/20 <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=39711&nfid=rssfeeds>
CONGRESS THREATENS TO CUT FUNDING FOR EVERGLADES CLEANUP
Growing concern in Congress that Florida is failing to sufficiently clean up water pollution has jeopardized federal funding for a massive Everglades restoration project. South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 3/17 <http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-aeverglades16mar17,0,1269746.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines>
WORLD FACES WATER CRISIS DUE TO GLOBAL WARMING
The ice sheets of Antarctica – the world’s largest reservoir of fresh water – are shrinking faster than new snow can fall, scientists have reported in the first comprehensive survey of the continent. Sydney Morning Herald, 3/3 <http://smh.com.au/news/world/world-faces-water-crisis-as-global-warming-upsets-delicate-balance/2006/03/03/1141191849854.html>
IRAQ WATER MEMO RAISES EYEBROWS AT PENTAGON
A Halliburton Co. expert warned in an internal report last year that the contractor had failed to ensure safe washing water for U.S. troops throughout Iraq; and the Pentagon’s internal watchdog said it will investigate the matter. Contra Costa Times, 3/17 <http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/living/14121628.htm>
CHINESE GOAL: SAFE DRINKING WATER FOR CITIZENS BY 2020
The Chinese government is taking a stand against water pollution with a plan to provide safe drinking water to all residents by 2020. Xinhua, 3/20 <http://www.threegorgesprobe.org/tgp/index.cfm?DSP=content&ContentID=15026>
PALESTINIANS LOSERS IN MIDEAST WATER WAR
Israel is believed to monopolize around 75 percent of Palestinian water resources in a region where rainfall is infrequent and water a strategic asset. AP, 3/19 <http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060319/wl_mideast_afp/environmentwatermideastpalestinian_060319223635>
PAKISTAN VOWS TO PROVIDE SAFE DRINKING WATER
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz announced that efforts were underway to provide safe drinking water across the country under the Khushal Pakistan Program by 2007. Pakistan Times, 3/17 <http://pakistantimes.net/top3017605.htm>
