CH2M Hill

Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $30 million in grant funding, under EPA’s Real Water Technical Assistance Initiative, to provide training and technical assistance that will improve water quality in small and rural communities across America. Supporting small water systems in their work to meet requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act helps ensure all Americans have access to clean and reliable water and helps Make America Healthy Again.

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. 

The Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section (BSCES), which covers American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) membership for all of Massachusetts, released the inaugural 2026 Report Card for Massachusetts’ Infrastructure today, assigning the Commonwealth’s infrastructure a grade of ‘D+’. A grade of ‘D+’ means the infrastructure is in poor condition, at risk, and investment is urgently needed to ensure the reliability and future success of the state’s infrastructure systems.

Water has become one of the most critical operational resources for food and beverage manufacturing today. As a central component of nearly every process — including the washing of raw ingredients, processing of ingredients, pasteurization, cooling, steam generation, and clean-in-place (CIP) operations and filling of finished products — a consistent and high-quality water supply is fundamental. This, however, coincides with increased scrutiny in wastewater discharge, increasing water scarcity, ever rising utilities expenses, and urgent ESG goals.

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.

A University of Tasmania trial has used a mobile laboratory equipped with portable liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technology to test soil and water on site and provide an early indication of PFAS contamination within six hours.