Pollution and Water Quality
According to the United Nations, declining water quality has become a global issue of concern as human populations grow, industrial and agricultural activities expand, and climate change threatens to cause major alterations to the hydrological cycle. Resources available in this sub-theme include manuals describing water quality testing and treatment, reports and assessments of water quality from around the world, methods of maintaining water quality and managing pollution, and other resources that support enabling environments for effective water quality control.
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Pollution and Water Quality Resources
University of Michigan Water Center-Supported Leveraging Resource Grants
Graham Sustainability Institute at the University of Michigan
The Water Center has awarded over $1 million in grants to support projects that leverage ongoing freshwater research and restoration and protection efforts in order to take them a step further. This site includes factsheets for all Water Center leveraging grants.Read more
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United StatesBuilding Regional Threat Based Networks for Estuaries in the Western United States
Published:
January 1, 2011The Nature Conservancy
This study categorizes estuaries of the western United States into hierarchical networks that share similar threat characteristics to analyze the spatial extent of estuary threats. Read more
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United States, North AmericaUSGS WaterQualityWatch and National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Data Warehouse
Published:
June 9, 2014National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Tap into a network of near real-time water-quality data from over 1,700 surface-water sites in the United States. Data are available for temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and (or) nitrate depending on the site. Data also are available for discharge.Read more
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United States, North AmericaUSGS National Water Information System (NWIS)
Published:
November 2, 2016U.S. Geological Survey
Provides access to water-resources data collected at over 1.5 million sites in the 50 States and selected other areas. Data are organized by: o Current conditions—sites with real-time or recent surface-water, groundwater, or water-quality data.
o Site information—descriptive site information for...Read more
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North America, United StatesA Twenty-First Century U.S. Water Policy
Published:
July 2, 2021Pacific Institute
Environmental justice is a trending topic among water officials, especially for those who are trying to reorient federal water policy to increase equity. Environmental justice advocates are attempting to correct the decades of water injustices that have targeted disenfranchised communities,...Read more
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United StatesFracking: An Environmental Justice Issue
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July 2, 2021Fracking is a major issue in many environmental justice debates. Fracking is the process of using chemically altered water and sludge mixtures to drill into cracks deep underground and extract oil and natural gas. While fracking is efficient at extracting petroleum products, it can be extremely...Read more
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United StatesEnvironmental Justice: MyEnvironment
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July 2, 2021MyEnvironment is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) resource that aggregates a variety of environmental quality data. This data contains information on environmental code violations by water resource providers. It also provides mapping resources to locate and visualize areas of...Read more
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United StatesEnvironmental justice and drinking water quality: are there socioeconomic disparities in nitrate levels in U.S. drinking water?
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July 2, 2021Low-income and minority communities often face disproportionately high pollutant exposures. The lead crisis in Flint, Michigan, has sparked concern about broader socioeconomic disparities in exposures to drinking water contaminants. Nitrate is commonly found in drinking water, especially in...Read more
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United StatesThe Fight for Water Justice
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July 9, 2021Environmental racism has plagued many communities in the United States for centuries, but it is especially prevalent when it comes to water infrastructure. Many marginalized regions struggle to obtain reliable and clean water sources. On this episode of A Word, host Jason Johnson discusses how the...Read more
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United StatesFlint Water Crisis: Everything You Need to Know
Published:
July 9, 2021Natural Resources Defense Council
Flint, Michigan’s experience with government mismanagement and pollution has propelled it to the forefront of many environmental justice conversations. Flint, a majority black city north of Detroit, experienced dangerous decreases in water quality after policymakers took the city’s water system off...Read more
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United StatesDon't see what you're looking for? You can search USWP member sites, request a resource, or contact the USWP.