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Recreation in Polluted Water Can Be Threat to Human Health [1]

A cool swim on a hot day is one of the quintessential pleasures of summer. That is, unless polluted water makes it — and any other aquatic contact — a high-risk activity. It’s an important environmental and public health story for journalists to tell. TipSheet helps review waterborne illnesses to watch for, regulations supposed to protect against them and local story ideas to pursue.

SEJ Publication Types: 
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Agriculture [3]
Chemicals [4]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Politics [6]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Pollution [10]
Water & Oceans [11]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility: 
Public [13]
  • Read more about Recreation in Polluted Water Can Be Threat to Human Health [1]

France's Largest Tap Water Ban Exposes PFAS Pollution Risk Across Europe [14]

"Forever chemicals have polluted the water supply of 60,000 people, threatening human health, wildlife and the wider ecosystem. But activists say this is just the tip of the Pfas iceberg" 

Chemicals [4]
Consumer [15]
Environmental Health [5]
Infrastructure [16]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Pollution [10]
Water & Oceans [11]
Public [13]
Europe [17]
Source: Guardian [18], 07/03/2025
  • Read more about France's Largest Tap Water Ban Exposes PFAS Pollution Risk Across Europe [14]

EPA Says It Will Delay Water Pollution Rules For Coal Plants [19]

"The Trump administration says that it plans to delay and potentially loosen water pollution rules for coal-fired power plants."

Climate Change [20]
Energy & Fuel [21]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Justice [22]
Environmental Politics [6]
Fish & Fisheries [23]
Infrastructure [16]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Pollution [10]
Water & Oceans [11]
Public [13]
National (U.S.) [12]
Source: The Hill [24], 07/03/2025
  • Read more about EPA Says It Will Delay Water Pollution Rules For Coal Plants [19]

"As Nitrate Levels Soar In Iowa, New Research Underscores Risks For Babies" [25]

"New research out of Iowa adds to a wide body of evidence showing that when pregnant women are exposed to nitrates in drinking water, it raises the risks of problematic birth outcomes, including low birth weights and pre-term birth."

Agriculture [3]
Chemicals [4]
Environmental Health [5]
Laws & Regulations [9]
People & Population [26]
Pollution [10]
Water & Oceans [11]
Public [13]
National (U.S.) [12]
Source: The New Lede [27], 07/02/2025
  • Read more about "As Nitrate Levels Soar In Iowa, New Research Underscores Risks For Babies" [25]

Flint’s Still-Unfinished Lead Pipe Replacement Serves As Cautionary Tale [28]

"Jeffrey Bell watched as crews dug up and replaced neighbors’ lead water pipes, hoping his mother’s house would be next. Workers told him it wasn’t on their list but probably assigned to another contractor."

Chemicals [4]
Consumer [15]
Environmental Justice [22]
Infrastructure [16]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Pollution [10]
Water & Oceans [11]
Public [13]
National (U.S.) [12]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [29]
Source: AP [30], 07/02/2025
  • Read more about Flint’s Still-Unfinished Lead Pipe Replacement Serves As Cautionary Tale [28]

"Watchdog Warns Of Rising Seas’ Damage To Superfund Sites" [31]

"The threat of sea-level rise or storm surges at the nation’s most polluted sites puts millions of people at risk of exposure to dangerous contaminants."

Chemicals [4]
Climate Change [20]
Disasters [32]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Studies [33]
Infrastructure [16]
Laws & Regulations [9]
People & Population [26]
Pollution [10]
Waste [34]
Water & Oceans [11]
Public [13]
National (U.S.) [12]
Source: E&E News [35], 07/02/2025
  • Read more about "Watchdog Warns Of Rising Seas’ Damage To Superfund Sites" [31]

NC Has Allowed a Likely Carcinogen Into Three Rivers Serving 900,000 People [36]

"Environmentalists are suing to stop the flow of 1,4-dioxane into the drinking water supply, which one local water utility found at concentrations 17 times higher than the EPA’s health advisory goal." 

Activism [37]
Chemicals [4]
Consumer [15]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Politics [6]
Infrastructure [16]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Pollution [10]
Water & Oceans [11]
Public [13]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [38]
Source: Inside Climate News [39], 07/01/2025
  • Read more about NC Has Allowed a Likely Carcinogen Into Three Rivers Serving 900,000 People [36]

He Lobbied For Offshore Drillers. Now He Runs The Agency That Regulates Them. [40]

"As BOEM’s new principal deputy director, former lobbyist Matt Giacona is shaping Gulf of Mexico oil policy and facilitating industry access. Ethics experts sound the alarm."

Chemicals [4]
Climate Change [20]
Disasters [32]
Economy & Business [41]
Energy & Fuel [21]
Environmental Politics [6]
Infrastructure [16]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Pollution [10]
Water & Oceans [11]
Public [13]
National (U.S.) [12]
Source: Public Domain [42], 07/01/2025
  • Read more about He Lobbied For Offshore Drillers. Now He Runs The Agency That Regulates Them. [40]

"Data Crucial to Hurricane Forecasts Will Continue, but for One Month Only" [43]

"The Department of Defense on Monday reversed course, temporarily, on canceling the availability of satellite data that is key to monitoring hurricane movements and structures. The data will now be available to hurricane forecasters through July 31, rather than the previous June 30 deadline."

Climate Change [20]
Disasters [32]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Politics [6]
Environmental Studies [33]
Science [44]
Technology [45]
Water & Oceans [11]
Public [13]
National (U.S.) [12]
Source: NYTimes [46], 07/01/2025
  • Read more about "Data Crucial to Hurricane Forecasts Will Continue, but for One Month Only" [43]

"Streams Were Dying in West Virginia. Here’s How They’re Coming Back." [47]

"Abandoned coal mines had left waterways acidic and rusty orange. Local residents are cleaning them up, and recovering rare earths in the process."

Chemicals [4]
Environmental Health [5]
Fish & Fisheries [23]
Natural Resources [48]
Pollution [10]
Water & Oceans [11]
Public [13]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [49]
Source: NYTimes [50], 06/30/2025
  • Read more about "Streams Were Dying in West Virginia. Here’s How They’re Coming Back." [47]

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Source URL:https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=70

Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/recreation-polluted-water-can-be-threat-human-health [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication/tipsheet [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/agriculture [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics [5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health [6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health [8] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media [9] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [10] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [11] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [12] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [13] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [14] https://www.sej.org/headlines/frances-largest-tap-water-ban-exposes-pfas-pollution-risk-across-europe [15] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/consumer [16] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/infrastructure [17] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/europe [18] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/01/pfas-forever-chemicals-water-contamination-saint-louis-france-aoe [19] https://www.sej.org/headlines/epa-says-it-will-delay-water-pollution-rules-coal-plants [20] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change [21] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy [22] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-justice [23] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/fisheries [24] https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5377532-epa-pollution-rules-coal-plant-regs-epa-zeldin/ [25] https://www.sej.org/headlines/nitrate-levels-soar-iowa-new-research-underscores-risks-babies [26] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population [27] https://www.thenewlede.org/2025/06/as-nitrate-levels-soar-in-iowa-new-research-underscores-risks-for-babies/ [28] https://www.sej.org/headlines/flint-s-still-unfinished-lead-pipe-replacement-serves-cautionary-tale [29] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes [30] https://apnews.com/article/flint-water-crisis-lead-pipe-replacement-d4f7e458dce73c6f153281276548d1da [31] https://www.sej.org/headlines/watchdog-warns-rising-seas-damage-superfund-sites [32] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster [33] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmentalists [34] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste [35] https://www.eenews.net/articles/watchdog-warns-of-rising-seas-damage-to-superfund-sites/ [36] https://www.sej.org/headlines/nc-has-allowed-likely-carcinogen-three-rivers-serving-900000-people [37] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/activism [38] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southeast [39] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/29062025/north-carolina-plastics-company-dumping-likely-carcinogen-into-rivers/ [40] https://www.sej.org/headlines/he-lobbied-offshore-drillers-now-he-runs-agency-regulates-them [41] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/business [42] https://www.publicdomain.media/p/matt-giacona-offshore-oil-lobbyist-boem [43] https://www.sej.org/headlines/data-crucial-hurricane-forecasts-will-continue-one-month-only [44] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/science [45] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/technology [46] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/30/climate/noaa-hurricane-data-offline.html [47] https://www.sej.org/headlines/streams-were-dying-west-virginia-here-s-how-they-re-coming-back [48] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land [49] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic [50] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/06/25/climate/west-virginia-pollution-cleanup-coal-mine.html [51] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=69 [52] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=66 [53] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=67 [54] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=68 [55] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=71 [56] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=72 [57] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=73 [58] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=74 [59] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=886