so it's the farms what about the houses around the lakes that fertilize and all the storm sewers

Algal bloom fouls drinking water in Indianapolis	<<>
Monday, May 03, 2010
INDIANAPOLIS — An early algal bloom has fouled the drinking water in up to a million homes in Indianapolis and its suburbs, The Republic reported. Compounds released by the blue-green algae have inundated the city’s water treatment plants, imparting an unpleasant, musty flavor and smell to tap water, according to the story. Officials said the musty flavor and odor will likely persist until chemicals kill the algae, the article stated. Jeff Robinson, Indiana-American Water Co.’s director of water quality, said the reservoir’s watershed is filled with farms, which can be a major source of nutrients that fuel algal blooms. “What we’re seeing is a combination of nutrients, the warmth and sunlight — it’s created a proliferation of blue-green algae,” said Robinson. The utility is applying activated charcoal at its treatment plant and is using carbon filters to reduce the water’s foul smell and taste, according to the report. To read the entire article, click here. For related information, click here.

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

and this is where mad cows disease came from

N-Water report focuses on sanitation, drinking water	<<>
Friday, April 23, 2010
WASHINGTON — According to the latest UN-Water Global Annual Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking Water (GLAAS) report, aid commitments for sanitation and water fell from 8 percent of total development in 1997 to 5 percent in 2008, U.S. Politics Today reported. Released yesterday by UN-Water and the World Health Organization (WHO), the report stated that many countries are still not allocating sufficient resources to water and sanitation despite evidence that achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) would lower health care costs, increase school attendance and boost productivity, the article stated. Improved access to sanitation and drinking water can increase a country’s gross domestic product (GDP) by an estimated 2 to 7 percent, according to the story. “Neglecting sanitation and drinking water is a strike against progress. Without it, communities and countries will lose the battle against poverty and ill-health,” said Dr. Maria Neira, WHO director of Public Health and Environment. The complete findings from the report will be presented today at the first annual High Level Meeting of Sanitation and Water for All, hosted by UNICEF in Washington, D.C., the report stated. To read the entire article, click here. For related information, click here.
[More In Brief...]

water tect bad news for water

Proposed phosphorous restrictions could be costly to Wis. municipalities	<<>
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
MILWAUKEE, WIS. — According to Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage Distict (MMSD) Executive Director Kevin Shafer, proposed restrictions on the amount of phosphorous discharged by wastewater treatment plants could cost the state billions, the Journal Sentinel reported. State municipalities could spend up to $4.3 billion to build new filtration systems needed to comply with the new restrictions, the article stated. Shafer said the municipal sewage plants account for only 20 percent or less of the phosphorous entering most of the state’s major water basin, according to the story. MMSD estimates that property taxes would have to be increased by 28 percent or more to pay for the wastewater system upgrades, the story reported. “We should not spend billions of dollars to solve 20 percent of the phosphorus problem in the least cost-effective manner,” said Paul Kent, a Madison attorney and spokesman for the Municipal Environmental Group. MMSD will present its concerns to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources at a public hearing today. To read the entire article, click here. For related information, click here.

all my article for the most part are by water tech news a very good place to get the up to date water news

Possible contamination from dairy plant worries New Zealanders

Possible contamination from dairy plant worries New Zealanders	<<>
Monday, April 12, 2010
DUNSANDEL, NEW ZEALAND — Residents of Dunsandel, a small country town on New Zealand’s South Island, are concerned that runoff from dairy farms has contaminated their drinking water, according to tvnz.co.nz. The town’s well water tested positive for fecal bacteria and locals fear that the new Synlait dairy plant, which employs 200 people, is the source of the contamination, the article stated. “I think we all know in our hearts that it’s dairy cows, because they’re the ones that put large amounts of poo on the paddock. The dairy farmers are allowed to spray effluent on as well,” said Peter Hills, a local resident. The Synlait plant exports 45,000 tons of dairy products per year and is planning to expand soon, according to the story. Mayor Kelvin Cow supports the expansion and claims that it’s impossible to determine if the dairy plant is the sole source of the contamination, the report stated. To read the entire article, click here. For related information, click here.

here is one then they all will come

WAUKESHA, WISC. — The city of Waukesha, Wisc. is seeking approval to use Lake Michigan for drinking water, the River Falls Journal reported.

The city, which lies outside Lake Michigan’s natural basin, is the first under the 2008 Great Lakes water protection agreement to attempt to use the lake for drinking water, according to the story.

Waukesha must get approval from all eight Great Lakes’ states before it can tap into the lake, the article stated.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will conduct an environmental impact study before approving the city’s request, according to the report.

To read the entire article, click here.

For related information, click here.