El Nios occur when unusually warm water invades South and Central American coastal waters toward the end of the year.

Even very low concentrations of arsenic in drinking water can increase cancer risks. NAS release with link to report.

Drinking water sources, purification, and distribution systems are essential to public health, and failures could be catastrophic.

The Bureau of Reclamation announced laconically Sept. 12 that it had stepped up security at Hoover, Glen Canyon, and Grand Coulee dams.

There are places along the Mississippi River (e.g. New Orleans) where many people live in areas that would normally be flooded, were it not for levees or other flood control works.

On Feb. 1, 2001, the Army Corps of Engineers is expected to release its final implementation plan for returning the flow of the Missouri River to more natural levels.

The Southern Environmental Law Center's top 10 places in America's South that face "immediate, potentially irreparable threats in 2009" represent a cross-section of the major environmental issues facing these states.

In one of many last-minute actions, the Bush administration delayed a decision on a drinking water standard for the contaminant perchlorate (used in rocket fuel, explosives, fireworks, and many other industrial products, and also occurs naturally), but issued a temporary advisory recommendation. This has immediate implications for at least 31 large US utilities, and perhaps hundreds more.

When water providers find pharmaceuticals in drinking water, they rarely tell the public.