August - Clean Water Awareness Month

[Idine Espanyas]

This month we will discuss issues related to clean water, one of the most important substances for life on Earth. We all know that in only a few days without fresh water, we would not survive. However, you might not know about some of the water scarcity and quality issues we will discuss this August.

Since the rainy season of October-December 2020, the Horn of Africa region has endured failed rainy seasons and devastating drought. About 32 million people in this region of Eastern Africa need urgent assistance due to this unprecedented drought. Many farmers and pastoralists in the region are dependent on rain to water crops and livestock, and these droughts have left millions of people food insecure in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Over 13.2 million animals have died in the region, and it could take up to 5 years for farmers to rebuild their herds.

In 2023, rains returned to ease the situation slightly, but in some areas the rains led to damaging floods. All in all, more than 2.7 million people have fled their homes in search of refuge from this prolonged drought. To learn more about this situation, please view the resources below. To find out how you can help, please visit the links below.

Source:

Horn of Africa Drought Regional Humanitarian Overview & Call to Action (Revised 26 May 2023) - Ethiopia

Analysis in English on Ethiopia about Camp Coordination and Camp Management, Coordination, Drought, Epidemic and more; published on 26 May 2023 by OCHA

reliefweb.int

To help:

The Thirst Project - https://thirstproject.org/
Lifewater International - https://lifewater.org/
The Water Project.org - https://thewaterproject.org/
Water for Good - https://waterforgood.org/

 

[Ananke Ruadh]

Thank you for putting this together, Idine!

 

[Idine Espanyas]

Thank you for your support, @Ananke Zaresh !

August Water Discussion: Water Quality

During this discussion, we will explore a topic near and dear to my heart: water quality. One problem is not having enough water to meet your basic needs; another problem is having water that’s not safe to drink. I would like to use this as an opportunity to share information about a topic that people might not know much about because the scientific community is still learning more about it: PFAS. You might have heard about PFAS on the internet or in the news. What is PFAS? PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a large group of molecules that is used in everything from firefighting foam to waterproof coatings to Teflon. PFAS contamination has been found in food, soil, fish, air, and drinking water. PFAS are nicknamed “forever chemicals” because the molecules take a long time to break down in the environment and in our bodies. Possible health risks include increased cholesterol levels, decreased vaccine response in children, increased risk of high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, increased risk of kidney or testicular cancer, and small decreases in infant birth weights. Research into the health risks of PFAS is ongoing.

The majority of Americans have been exposed to PFAS at some level, and certain communities are at higher risk of exposure. Many communities in the old manufacturing centers of the East Coast in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New York have discovered PFAS contamination of their groundwater and/or public water supplies. Communities near firefighting training centers and military sites are also at risk. I don’t know about PFAS in other countries, but it’s worth researching and seeing if there is PFAS contamination in your country too, if you are not American. Much of the contamination is America-centric because these chemicals were manufactured by American companies such as 3M and DuPont, who then dumped the waste into nearby rivers and bodies of water.

Here is a link to an interactive map of PFAS contamination sites.

While it is difficult to dispose of PFAS and likely impossible to cleanse our blood of PFAS, there fortunately are ways to filter PFAS from drinking water. If you drink municipal water, please try to see if your town is testing for PFAS and see if the results are below safe levels. The EPA recently established national drinking water standards that are stricter than most state standards, as well as a strategic roadmap. 10 states also have established their own standards. If you drink well water, get your well water tested! If it is contaminated, see if your state has a program to help you with the cost of treating your drinking water. Some states, such as New Jersey, do have programs that help homeowners with the financial burden of contaminated well water.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Let me know in the discussion below.

Sources:

PFAS Explained | US EPA

Basic Information about Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctyl Sulfonate (PFOS) and Other Perfluorinated Chemicals (PFCs) including how people are exposed and health effects

www.epa.gov

Potential health effects of PFAS chemicals | ATSDR

While it is difficult to show that substances directly cause health conditions in humans, scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals.

www.atsdr.cdc.gov

Biden-Harris Administration Proposes First-Ever National Standard to Protect Communities from PFAS in Drinking Water | US EPA

EPA News Release: Biden-Harris Administration Proposes First-Ever National Standard to Protect Communities from PFAS in Drinking Water

www.epa.gov

Further Information:

Dark Waters 2019 film

PFAS Contamination by Chemours/DuPont in Cape Fear, NC:

North Carolina residents urge UN to investigate toxic PFAS pollution

Chemical manufacturer Chemours accused of violating human rights by releasing ‘forever chemicals’ into Cape Fear River basin

www.theguardian.com

Cancer fears plague residents of US region polluted by ‘forever chemicals’

Exposure to harmful PFAS remains almost impossible to escape – particularly for the people of the Cape Fear River basin

www.theguardian.com

 

[Alexr al'Petros]

I lived in Jacksonville, NC for a number of years with my family. It was frightening to learn about the toxicity of the local water supply there.

 

[Idine Espanyas]

I’m glad you don’t live there anymore. How is the water quality where you live now?

 

[Alexr al'Petros]

I’m glad you don’t live there anymore. How is the water quality where you live now?

Yeah, I still haven't submitted a disability claim for living there...really hate doing that.

Currently, we live off a well. Our well is about 500 feet deep, we get delicious water but the iron content is very high. We have to double filter our water to get the iron content to acceptable levels; but what is left is very delicious and healthy. Our well is very stable, so even in times of drought (like now); we have a sustainable amount of water. That being said, we are water conscious and don't excessively use the water (for example we xeriscape and our small green house we use a drip water system and all appliances are low-flow). I still haven't gotten rain barrels or gutters; but that is on the list.

 

[Idine Espanyas]

That’s good, I’m glad you have better water now. It really makes a huge difference.

My aunt and uncle have high iron and sulfur content in their water- the sulfur taste is so strong! They have to filter their water too.

The NY Times just came out with an investigation into groundwater use in the US. Basically, we are pumping too much groundwater (mostly due to industrial agriculture) and not allowing the aquifers to recharge, which could permanently damage the aquifers. It seems the problem is very bad in Kansas and the Southwest. I hope there isn’t a paywall to the article, I’m not sure how to share free articles with the NY Times. But it was a good article and very relevant to this month’s discussion.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/08/28/climate/groundwater-drying-climate-change.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

 

[Ananke Ruadh]

I make no claims to the ethics of this.... but if you show me a 10ft pay wall, I will show you a 12 ft ladder. I believe in freedom of information.