State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Tag: drinking water2

  • How Much Arsenic is Too Little?

    How Much Arsenic is Too Little?

    Five hundred utilities in the U.S. provide drinking water with unsafe levels of arsenic, the Environmental Protection Agency says. But how many people are getting too much arsenic in their water is much less clear, according to a study conducted in part by the Columbia Water Center.

  • Keeping our Freshwater Fresh: Ecosystem Management Tools

    Keeping our Freshwater Fresh: Ecosystem Management Tools

    We have been harming our hard-earned water resources; is it too late to clean up our act? With the help of the nine principles of ecology we can work towards effectively and sustainably managing these ecosystems, which will help us preserve the quality of New York’s freshwater resources and maintain our high quality drinking water.

  • Geocharts: Water Challenges Around the World

    Geocharts: Water Challenges Around the World

    View four interactive maps that give an overview of some of the water challenges different parts of the world currently face.

  • Maintaining the Superiority of NYC’s Drinking Water

    Maintaining the Superiority of NYC’s Drinking Water

    New York City is world-renowned for its clean and delicious drinking water. The NYC watershed delivers roughly 1.2 billion gallons of unfiltered water each day to 9 million New Yorkers. But in 2013, the Croton Water Filtration Plant, currently under construction in the Bronx, will begin filtering 1.2 million cubic meters or 10% of New…

  • From Wastewater to Drinking Water

    From Wastewater to Drinking Water

    Across the globe, 2 out of 10 people do not have access to safe drinking water, and in the U.S., many states face water shortages and droughts. As the global population continues to grow and climate change results in more water crises, where will we find enough water to meet our needs?

  • Chromium-6 Found in Tap Water of 31 U.S. Cities

    Chromium-6 Found in Tap Water of 31 U.S. Cities

    The carcinogenic chemical chromium-6 (or hexavalent chromium) has been found in the drinking water of 31 of 35 U.S. cities analyzed by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) which released results of its tests on December 20.

  • Water to Go: The Tapit Water Network

    Water to Go: The Tapit Water Network

    Many of us are already aware of the negative environmental impacts of bottled water and make a practice of carrying our own refillable water bottles. But what do you do when you’re out and about all day with no access to a tap? Tapit has the solution. The Tapit water network is an ever-expanding group…

  • Drugs in Our Drinking Water: An Update

    Drugs in Our Drinking Water: An Update

    The 2008 Associated Press report that drugs had been found in the drinking water supplies of 41 million Americans was alarming. What is the state of pharmaceuticals in our water today?

  • In Support of the Neglected Drinking Fountain

    In Support of the Neglected Drinking Fountain

    The Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association built the first public drinking fountain in London in 1859, as an answer to some of the pressing problems of their times. Drinking fountains are also part of the answer to some of our own problems.

Science for the Planet: In these short video explainers, discover how scientists and scholars across the Columbia Climate School are working to understand the effects of climate change and help solve the crisis.
  • How Much Arsenic is Too Little?

    How Much Arsenic is Too Little?

    Five hundred utilities in the U.S. provide drinking water with unsafe levels of arsenic, the Environmental Protection Agency says. But how many people are getting too much arsenic in their water is much less clear, according to a study conducted in part by the Columbia Water Center.

  • Keeping our Freshwater Fresh: Ecosystem Management Tools

    Keeping our Freshwater Fresh: Ecosystem Management Tools

    We have been harming our hard-earned water resources; is it too late to clean up our act? With the help of the nine principles of ecology we can work towards effectively and sustainably managing these ecosystems, which will help us preserve the quality of New York’s freshwater resources and maintain our high quality drinking water.

  • Geocharts: Water Challenges Around the World

    Geocharts: Water Challenges Around the World

    View four interactive maps that give an overview of some of the water challenges different parts of the world currently face.

  • Maintaining the Superiority of NYC’s Drinking Water

    Maintaining the Superiority of NYC’s Drinking Water

    New York City is world-renowned for its clean and delicious drinking water. The NYC watershed delivers roughly 1.2 billion gallons of unfiltered water each day to 9 million New Yorkers. But in 2013, the Croton Water Filtration Plant, currently under construction in the Bronx, will begin filtering 1.2 million cubic meters or 10% of New…

  • From Wastewater to Drinking Water

    From Wastewater to Drinking Water

    Across the globe, 2 out of 10 people do not have access to safe drinking water, and in the U.S., many states face water shortages and droughts. As the global population continues to grow and climate change results in more water crises, where will we find enough water to meet our needs?

  • Chromium-6 Found in Tap Water of 31 U.S. Cities

    Chromium-6 Found in Tap Water of 31 U.S. Cities

    The carcinogenic chemical chromium-6 (or hexavalent chromium) has been found in the drinking water of 31 of 35 U.S. cities analyzed by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) which released results of its tests on December 20.

  • Water to Go: The Tapit Water Network

    Water to Go: The Tapit Water Network

    Many of us are already aware of the negative environmental impacts of bottled water and make a practice of carrying our own refillable water bottles. But what do you do when you’re out and about all day with no access to a tap? Tapit has the solution. The Tapit water network is an ever-expanding group…

  • Drugs in Our Drinking Water: An Update

    Drugs in Our Drinking Water: An Update

    The 2008 Associated Press report that drugs had been found in the drinking water supplies of 41 million Americans was alarming. What is the state of pharmaceuticals in our water today?

  • In Support of the Neglected Drinking Fountain

    In Support of the Neglected Drinking Fountain

    The Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association built the first public drinking fountain in London in 1859, as an answer to some of the pressing problems of their times. Drinking fountains are also part of the answer to some of our own problems.