U.S. Domestic Resources
Welcome to the H2infO U.S. Domestic Resources Page. On this page you will find U.S. Water Partnership member resources aimed at helping domestic stakeholders address the unique water challenges of the United States.
U.S. Domestic Resources
Clean Water and Reproductive Justice: Lack of Access Harms Women of Color
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July 22, 2021Access to clean, potable water is critical to people’s daily lives. People need safe and reliable water to drink, to bathe, to wash their hands, to cook, to survive and, ultimately, to prosper. Despite the necessity of water, millions of individuals living in the United States face the daily...Read more
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United StatesRapid Fluctuations in Groundwater Quality
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July 21, 2021As part of the National Water Quality Program, USGS scientists are investigating why, in some areas and at some depths, groundwater quality changes at short timescales: years to months to days to even hours, rather than decades. These fluctuations often occur in areas where groundwater and surface...Read more
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United StatesWhat Can Communities Do About Lead in Drinking Water?
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July 13, 2021An estimated 6 million leaded service lines(link is external) deliver drinking water to households across the United States, and when these lines leach lead into drinking water, it poses a serious public health problem. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, states and cities are working to issue...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 13, 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 StatesMaking the Invisible Visible: Results of a Community-Led Health Survey Following PFAS Contamination of Drinking Water in Merrimack, New Hampshire
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July 13, 2021In March 2016, citizens of Merrimack, New Hampshire, learned that their public water supply was contaminated with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). A subsequent state-led investigation revealed widespread contamination of both public and private well water with PFOA and several related chemicals,...Read more
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United StatesApplying a Cumulative Risk Framework to Drinking Water Assessment: A Commentary
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July 13, 2021The health risks of drinking water contaminants and the economic benefits of drinking water standards are typically assessed one chemical at a time, an approach that misses the health impacts of co-occurring contaminants in drinking water. In contrast, a cumulative risk framework has become common...Read more
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United StatesWater Justice
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July 9, 2021Waters in urban and rural areas can be contaminated from a variety of sources, including industrial discharges, automobiles, wastewater, and agricultural use. Polluted water can cause environmental health hazards such as poor water quality and unsafe waters for recreation. Water utilities play a...Read more
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United StatesWatered Down Justice
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July 2, 2021Safe drinking water is a pillar in good water policy, but many communities of color face barriers that lead to a chronic lack of water access. Serious disinvestments in water infrastructure, which are fueled by systemic racism, have made significant impacts on majority-black cities like Newark, New...Read more
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United StatesWater and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impacts on Municipal Water Demand
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June 25, 2021Pacific Institute
Covid-19 has had large early impacts on municipal water demands in the United States. This article states that stay-at-home orders have increased water demands for residential use but also decreased demands for industrial and commercial activities, leading to new imbalances in water distribution...Read more
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United StatesThe Impacts of the Pandemic Remain for Small Water Systems and Customers In-Debt
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June 25, 2021Pacific Institute
Covid-19 has had persistent, wide-ranging impacts on small community water systems. Small community water systems (SCWS) serve millions around the United States in urban, rural, and growing communities. The pandemic poses serious challenges to the operational capacity and financial stability of...Read more
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United States