Drinking Water News

  1. KAIST Finds Algal Blooms Make Plastic More Prone To Breaking Apart, Revealing A Mechanism Of Microplastic Formation​ 7/28/2026

    Every summer, algal blooms turn rivers and lakes green. Although they are widely known as a major form of water pollution that makes the water murky, a KAIST research team has now shown for the first time that algal bloom conditions can make discarded plastics, such as plastic bags, more prone to breaking apart, potentially accelerating the formation of microplastics. The study points to a new direction for the era of climate change: water pollution and plastic pollution need to be managed together, rather than as separate problems.

  2. GLWA Announces Comprehensive Water Main Improvements To Strengthen Reliability In An Area Of Oakland County Hard Hit By Service Interruptions 7/28/2026

    The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) today announced a comprehensive water main improvement plan along 14 Mile Road in Oakland County designed to strengthen the reliability of the regional water system in an area that has experienced four major breaks in the last seven years, causing major disruptions for the surrounding communities.

  3. Stantec Selected By Los Angeles Bureau Of Sanitation As Key Partner To Advance Water Reuse In Southern California 7/28/2026

    Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering, has been selected by the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation (LASAN) to provide engineering and project delivery services for Pure Water Los Angeles, a transformative initiative that will secure a safe, reliable, and sustainable drinking water supply for Southern California.

  4. Long-Term Study Finds Widespread Lithium In Drinking Water Across Communities In The Western U.S. 7/24/2026

    Lithium in drinking water is a widespread and persistent source of human exposure across Tribal communities in the Western United States, according to a new study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. 

  5. The Troubling Paradox Facing Water Utilities: Conserving Water While Driving Up Rates 7/23/2026

    A growing operational headache is brewing in the Western U.S.: successful water conservation is putting utility revenues and climate resilience on a collision course.

  6. New Methods For Removing Harmful Nitrates From Drinking Water Identified 7/23/2026

    Nitrate contamination of drinking water poses a major health concern, particularly in agricultural communities where fertilizers, livestock manure and septic systems can leach nitrates into groundwater. Many rural households rely on private water wells, which may not be routinely tested, leading some to consume contaminated water without realizing it.

  7. Saving Every Last Drop: UNLV Researchers Want Rural Nevada Communities To Reuse Wastewater 7/23/2026

    The punishing heat of a Mojave Desert summer has descended upon Southern Nevada.

  8. Microplastics Reach Even 2,000 Meters Below The Ocean Surface, Study Finds First Cross-Ocean Study Reveals How Microplastics Accumulate In Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Animals 7/22/2026

    Plastic pollution has become a global environmental crisis, with an estimated 11 million tons of plastic entering the oceans each year. As larger plastic debris breaks down into microplastics, these tiny particles are transported throughout marine ecosystems by ocean currents, threatening marine life and ultimately entering the human food chain.

  9. Artificial Intelligence Could Help Wastewater Plants Track And Manage Microplastics 7/22/2026

    A new review shows how machine learning, computer vision, and predictive modeling could improve microplastic detection while revealing that wastewater treatment may shift much of the pollution from water into sewage sludge and agricultural soils.

  10. Proposed ASTM Test Method Will Use Infrared To Identify Microplastics In Water 7/22/2026

    ASTM International’s water committee (D19) is developing a proposed test method that uses existing sample preparation protocols to measure microplastics in water using infrared technology. The proposed standard (WK87463) includes methods for automated analysis of smaller particles using infrared microscopy, and characterization of larger particles with a microscope or the naked eye, followed by confirmation with a benchtop infrared spectrometer.