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One of the main contaminants in the water that comes to every household is lead. Metals like copper, iron or lead get mixed with the water when there is corrosion inside the pipes and thereby distributing water which is not entirely clean. This lead in the water can be the cause of various human health issues. Thus, there is a need to inspect the piping network so as to eradicate the chances of this mixture. There are approximately 3500 homes in Red Deer itself where the service piping material is unknown. The pre 1960 building codes allowed lead piping to be used. Along with this, plumbing solder and brass fittings also contain a high lead content. These are the main causes for lead contamination in household water. Fortunately, certain measures are being taken to control this contamination. In 2009, Health Canada introduced guidelines for corrosion control in the piping network. Red Deer uses caustic soda treatment to balance the pH of the water and also to minimize corrosion. This will thereby reduce lead leaching. An action plan has been prepared in Red Deer and the citizens are expected to encourage and cooperate.

To know more:

http://www.reddeer.ca/City+Government/City+Services+and+Departments/Environmental+Services/Water/Water+Quality/Lead+in+your+water.htm

The future of Bellary seems to be promising along with many other districts in the state as Tourism and District in charge minister G Janardhana Reddy vows to develop it. While addressing the crowds after the Press day function at Raghava Kalamandira in Bellary on Sunday, Reddy promised, I will retire from politics if I fail to develop Bellary district on the lines of Bangalore city in the next three years. He also reminded that earlier almost more than 450 villages in the Bellary district had fluoride content in the water. However, after the BJP has come into power over 100 hundred of those villages have fluoride-free water and he claims that even the other villages will soon follow suit. Along with water, Reddy has also aimed at developing roads. He promises to develop roads in the Sandur, Hospet and Kuldigi taluks and claims that Rs. 300 crore is being invested there. Also, in response to the law and order machinery doubts BJP national leader Sushma Swaraj and a farmer will inaugurate the Sirwara Chaganuru Airport.

To know more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubli/Reddy-vows-to-develop-Bellary-dist/articleshow/6211637.cms

Tap water is an integral part of our lives. It is hard to imagine life without the luxury of running water obtained just by turning a mere faucet. It is time now to question how this tap water is distributed to our homes. Moreover, it is essential for us to know that the water we receive through our taps is predominantly clean. There are various chemicals that are added in order to make this water clean. One such example can be seen in the addition of Chlorine. However excess of these chemicals can also prove to be quite harmful. Copper is a natural antimicrobial and pipes are made of this element along with lead joints. It is also important to know the most common spots of leakage in our household piping network and the main causes of the corrosion in these pipes. Finally, one must know the effects of these corrosions.

To know more about the water network and the essentials needed to provide clean water at our homes, refer to http://flashnewstoday.com/?p=56542

About 77 million Bangladeshis have been exposed to toxic levels of arsenic by consuming contaminated water. World Health Organisation (WHO) has called it the largest mass poisoning of a population in history.

Caused by improper drilling of tube wells with the initially noble intentions of providing clean, germ free water in the 1970s; its been estimated that 35 to 77 million people might have been exposed to contaminated water.

The health risk of drinking contaminated water are very well known but consumption of how much contaminated water at what level would cause sickness was till recently unclear.

In a 6 year long study 407 deaths were reported out of which 21% were attributed to arsenic contamination.

The study shows that compared to those exposed to lower arsenic levels people with levels of 10-50 micrograms had a 34% higher risk of death. Exposure between 150 and 864 micrograms had a 64% higher risk of death.

But even exposure at lower levels carry a risk, a finding that is important for other countries like the United States, India and Mexico who to face a serious arsenic problem.

Chronic exposure to arsenic is linked with cancers of the liver, kidney, bladders and skin.

Read further at:-http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jz46VL1_cPzeb4e3jsYk1UXOy_iQ

It is pathetic to see the way the rivers in the metropolises of India are being treated. One such example can be seen in the river Yamuna that flows through Northern India and across the city, Delhi. According to Hindu mythology Yamuna is believed to have originated from heaven but today she smells like hell itself. Considered as one of the holiest rivers in India, Yamuna can be seen with methane gas bubbling on it along with plastic bags, domestic waste and other kinds of filth floating over it. Yamuna is by and large clean before it reaches Delhi. In exchange of this clean water, the city gives back more than 950 million gallons of domestic sewage every day, out of which more than half is untreated. The price of which has to be borne by the citizens and especially the children. Environmentalist Sunny Verma believes that the government should be questioned regarding the sewage system and the Times groups Somini Sengupta along with Adam B. Ellick show their support.

To know more : http://video.nytimes.com/video/2006/09/28/world/1194817098866/part-1-water-woes-in-india.html

Oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico region, is causing the build up of arsenic in the ocean threatening the long term health of marine plants and animals. Not only is arsenic found in oil, Minerals on the ocean floor attract arsenic found in seawater, latching onto the poison and burying it under layers of sand, silt and sediment.

Its not only human life that arsenic cause a threat to, it is highly dangerous for plant and animal life. Today, it destabilizing the precious marine ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico. The reason is, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. This hike in arsenic levels eventually reaches all levels of the food chain.

Read more about how oil spills in the Gulf can affect arsenic levels and you at http://interestingnews2010.wordpress.com/2010/07/03/arsenic-level-rises-in-the-gulf/

Arsenic, the favorite murder weapon of the Renaissance and the Middle Ages, the killer of many rulers like the British king George III and the French monarch Napoleon Bonaparte, has now returned to haunt the world. The victims this time are 75 million impoverished people of Bangladesh who have guzzled tainted groundwater laced with the chemical. Wells in the South Asian country that were meant to provide clean drinking water to the masses, free from water borne diseases such as cholera, accidently tapped into Arsenic deposits in the ground resulting in poisoned water.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) calls this the largest poisoning of a population in history. Arsenic has many long lasting effects on the human body including nerve damage, skin damage, lung, bladder, kidney and liver cancer, pigmentation problems and problems in the circulatory system. Even after the arsenic is removed from the water, experts say the damage caused by it already is permanent and it would leave the affected at a higher risk of being afflicted by a host of related illnesses.

Read more about how this toxic terror is affecting the people of Bangladesh, here- http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jun/27/arsenic-laced-water-a-killer-in-bangladesh/

It is still a reality that an estimated 1.1 billion people rely on unsafe drinking-water sources. Therefore the theme of World Water Day 2010 is focusing on raising awareness of water quality under the theme “Clean Water for a Healthy World”. IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre offers a wide

selection of documents looking at the different aspects of water quality such as water treatment, health and technology. This information is for instance, available via the IRC digital library, the Source Newsletter and on the IRC web site.

In the digital library 22 documents show up after typing water quality and health in the search box. You can click on the links to access the publications. Go to the digital library documents

The Source Newsletter also regularly publishes articles on water quality and you can do a search in the most recent issues to find information on this topic from around the world. Source news items

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There are a number of practical publications on the IRC web site that you can download and read. There is an FAQ sheet on household water treatment.

The booklet Smart Water Solutions gives examples of small-scale innovative technologies to increase access to safe drinking water.

The popular publication ‘Small Community Water Supplies: Technology, people and partnership’ links water supply science and technology with the specific needs of small communities in developing countries. It has one chapter dealing with water quality and quantity and gives guidelines for different levels of service (Chapter 4).

And another chapter deals with water treatment (Chapter 12 ).