Cookies help us run our site more efficiently.

By clicking “Accept”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information or to customize your cookie preferences.

Accept Deny

GoGreenNation news

I won't swim in water polluted with antibiotics'

News Feed
Friday, November 1, 2024

'Drug pollution in stream has left me horrified'Amy JohnstonEast Midlands Investigations TeamBBCLyn Crowe says the brook is "precious" for wildlife and humansThousands of people will march on London on Sunday at a family-friendly rally to highlight the importance of clean water in their lives. The BBC speaks to residents near one rural waterway, which scientists found had the second highest levels of active pharmaceutical pollution in the UK."You'd think as a country we would be able to look after our most pristine landscapes," says cold water swimmer Jo Broughton.Jo Broughton has not dipped even a toe in Tideswell Brook, in the heart of the Peak District National Park, since August.One of the reasons lies in the findings of a study that discovered the brook had the second highest levels of active pharmaceutical pollution in the UK, with drugs such as antidepressants and antibiotics detected in the water.The research study, published in August by Prof Alistair Boxall at the University of York and the Rivers Trust, found concentrations of pharmaceuticals recorded at Tideswell Brook were at levels of concern for both human and ecological health.One possible cause, according to Prof Boxall, was a higher average age, with the older population using and flushing more medications. Jo BroughtonJo Broughton used to enjoy wild swimming before she read the findings of a study by the University of YorkMs Broughton, 44, has not been swimming there since finding out, concerned about developing antibiotic resistance and the risk to her health."Going in the water is exposing me to antibiotics, antidepressants and other medication I haven't opted to take," she added.Tideswell and district environment group held an open meeting for locals to express both concern and anger at the pollution in their local brook. "It horrifies me to think that this stream is more badly polluted now than when we first came here 27 years ago", says Lyn Crowe, chairwoman of the environment group. Jill Turner hopes to set up a local rivers groupJill Turner, a local resident and open water swimmer, said: “When we found out about the antidepressants, we laughed about it at first because you do feel really chilled out when you go cold water swimming!"But what the hell is it doing in our rivers?” The brook is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, meaning it is recognised as important for key species to breed and the larger wildlife ecosystem.The study found 31 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) were found across 52 of the 54 sampling locations, which were taken in the winter and summer of 2022, across England's 10 protected national parks.APIs are drugs that are biologically active and can end up in our rivers when humans flush medication down the toilet, or when our bodies excrete them after use.The brook flows into the River Wye and is a Site of Special Scientific InterestProf Boxall said: "We found the highest concentrations of pollutants in areas we’re trying to protect ecologically. That, to me, is a bit daft."Tideswell Brook tested for concentrations of active pharmaceutical ingredients higher than those previously recorded in large cities, including London.Prof Boxall says this may be down to several reasons:The march in London on Sunday, organised by the campaign charity River Action, will urge authorities to take action against the people and companies polluting rivers, lakes and seas.What is being done?An Environment Agency spokesperson said it was working closely with other regulators and the water industry to better understand how pharmaceutical compounds enter the water environment.“We have developed an early warning system to identify contaminants of emerging concern to ensure any potential risks to surface waters, groundwater and soils are considered,” they said.“We are also collaborating with the pharmaceuticals and veterinary medicines industry via a UK cross-government platform for exchanging knowledge on pharmaceuticals in the environment.”"There's obviously something wrong with the capacity of the sewage works", says Mrs CroweSevern Trent Water said no sewage treatment site in England was currently specifically designed to treat for pharmaceuticals. It said its Tideswell sewage works "carries out secondary treatment, along with tertiary phosphate removal, and the process used is not materially different from what you would see at much bigger sites."A spokesperson for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “We have already announced a rapid review of the environmental improvement plan, which will include how best to manage chemicals.”Steve Reed, the secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, said: “I share the public’s anger on this issue, and I am taking immediate steps to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.“That’s why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water Bill, which will strengthen regulation, including new powers to ban the payment of bonuses for polluting water bosses and bring criminal charges against persistent law breakers.“Just last week, I launched the largest review of the water sector since privatisation to address long-term failings in the sector, attract investment to drive environmental improvements, and put our water sector on a sustainable footing.”

Visitors to a Derbyshire waterway say they are horrified at drug pollution levels.

'Drug pollution in stream has left me horrified'

Amy Johnston

East Midlands Investigations Team

BBC A woman in focus, in front of Tideswell Brook, a small stream in a leafy forest in the Peak District. BBC

Lyn Crowe says the brook is "precious" for wildlife and humans

Thousands of people will march on London on Sunday at a family-friendly rally to highlight the importance of clean water in their lives. The BBC speaks to residents near one rural waterway, which scientists found had the second highest levels of active pharmaceutical pollution in the UK.

"You'd think as a country we would be able to look after our most pristine landscapes," says cold water swimmer Jo Broughton.

Jo Broughton has not dipped even a toe in Tideswell Brook, in the heart of the Peak District National Park, since August.

One of the reasons lies in the findings of a study that discovered the brook had the second highest levels of active pharmaceutical pollution in the UK, with drugs such as antidepressants and antibiotics detected in the water.

The research study, published in August by Prof Alistair Boxall at the University of York and the Rivers Trust, found concentrations of pharmaceuticals recorded at Tideswell Brook were at levels of concern for both human and ecological health.

One possible cause, according to Prof Boxall, was a higher average age, with the older population using and flushing more medications.

Jo Broughton A woman swimming in a river by a tow path with greenery surrounding the bankJo Broughton

Jo Broughton used to enjoy wild swimming before she read the findings of a study by the University of York

Ms Broughton, 44, has not been swimming there since finding out, concerned about developing antibiotic resistance and the risk to her health.

"Going in the water is exposing me to antibiotics, antidepressants and other medication I haven't opted to take," she added.

Tideswell and district environment group held an open meeting for locals to express both concern and anger at the pollution in their local brook.

"It horrifies me to think that this stream is more badly polluted now than when we first came here 27 years ago", says Lyn Crowe, chairwoman of the environment group.

Jill Turner hopes to set up a local rivers group

Jill Turner, a local resident and open water swimmer, said: “When we found out about the antidepressants, we laughed about it at first because you do feel really chilled out when you go cold water swimming!

"But what the hell is it doing in our rivers?”

The brook is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, meaning it is recognised as important for key species to breed and the larger wildlife ecosystem.

The study found 31 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) were found across 52 of the 54 sampling locations, which were taken in the winter and summer of 2022, across England's 10 protected national parks.

APIs are drugs that are biologically active and can end up in our rivers when humans flush medication down the toilet, or when our bodies excrete them after use.

The brook flows into the River Wye and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest

Prof Boxall said: "We found the highest concentrations of pollutants in areas we’re trying to protect ecologically. That, to me, is a bit daft."

Tideswell Brook tested for concentrations of active pharmaceutical ingredients higher than those previously recorded in large cities, including London.

Prof Boxall says this may be down to several reasons:

The march in London on Sunday, organised by the campaign charity River Action, will urge authorities to take action against the people and companies polluting rivers, lakes and seas.

What is being done?

An Environment Agency spokesperson said it was working closely with other regulators and the water industry to better understand how pharmaceutical compounds enter the water environment.

“We have developed an early warning system to identify contaminants of emerging concern to ensure any potential risks to surface waters, groundwater and soils are considered,” they said.

“We are also collaborating with the pharmaceuticals and veterinary medicines industry via a UK cross-government platform for exchanging knowledge on pharmaceuticals in the environment.”

"There's obviously something wrong with the capacity of the sewage works", says Mrs Crowe

Severn Trent Water said no sewage treatment site in England was currently specifically designed to treat for pharmaceuticals.

It said its Tideswell sewage works "carries out secondary treatment, along with tertiary phosphate removal, and the process used is not materially different from what you would see at much bigger sites."

A spokesperson for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “We have already announced a rapid review of the environmental improvement plan, which will include how best to manage chemicals.”

Steve Reed, the secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, said: “I share the public’s anger on this issue, and I am taking immediate steps to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.

“That’s why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water Bill, which will strengthen regulation, including new powers to ban the payment of bonuses for polluting water bosses and bring criminal charges against persistent law breakers.

“Just last week, I launched the largest review of the water sector since privatisation to address long-term failings in the sector, attract investment to drive environmental improvements, and put our water sector on a sustainable footing.”

Read the full story here.
Photos courtesy of

Related News

Greeks Challenge EU-Backed Fish Farms Amid Environmental Concerns

For Dimitris Kaleantopoulos, the mud is most disconcerting. When he sets out in his fishing boat, the waters of the Aegean Sea are clear enough for him to see quite a ways down. He says that for large patches of the shallow waters that encircle his village on the Greek island of Evia, where there […]

The country is one of the top producers of farmed fish in the EU, which has promoted aquaculture as an environmentally sustainable option for food security within the bloc.By Moira LavelleFor Dimitris Kaleantopoulos, the mud is most disconcerting. When he sets out in his fishing boat, the waters of the Aegean Sea are clear enough for him to see quite a ways down. He says that for large patches of the shallow waters that encircle his village on the Greek island of Evia, where there were once meadows of wavering sea grass and schools of minute silver fish, there is now a thick layer of sludge. “It’s a quagmire,” he said.

Water
Food
Sustainable

Water shortages could derail UK’s net zero plans, study finds

Tensions grow after research in England finds there may not be enough water for planned carbon capture and hydrogen projectsRevealed: Europe’s water reserves drying up due to climate breakdownTensions are growing between the government, the water sector and its regulators over the management of England’s water supplies, as the Environment Agency warns of a potential widespread drought next year.Research commissioned by a water retailer has found water scarcity could hamper the UK’s ability to reach its net zero targets, and that industrial growth could push some areas of the country into water shortages. Continue reading...

Tensions are growing between the government, the water sector and its regulators over the management of England’s water supplies, as the Environment Agency warns of a potential widespread drought next year.Research commissioned by a water retailer has found water scarcity could hamper the UK’s ability to reach its net zero targets, and that industrial growth could push some areas of the country into water shortages.The government has a legally binding target to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and has committed to a clean power system by 2030 with at least 95% of electricity generated from low-carbon sources, but the study concludes there will not be enough water available to support all planned carbon capture and hydrogen projects.Development of these kinds of projects, which use significant amounts of water, could push some UK regions into water shortages, according to the analysis undertaken by Durham University and funded by the water retailer Wave – a joint venture between Anglian Venture Holdings, the investment and management vehicle responsible for Anglian Water Group’s commercial businesses, and the Northumbrian Water Group.Led by Prof Simon Mathias, an expert in hydraulics, hydrology and environmental engineering, researchers assessed plans across England’s five largest industrial clusters in Humberside, north-west England, the Tees Valley, the Solent and the Black Country, to determine how much water would be needed to reach net zero and whether the UK’s future water supply could meet this demand.“Decarbonisation efforts associated with carbon capture and hydrogen production could add up to 860m litres per day of water demand by 2050. In some regions, for example Anglian Water and United Utilities, deficits could emerge as early as 2030,” said Mathias.Decarbonisation within the Humberside industrial cluster could push Anglian Water into water deficit by 2030, leading to a shortage of 130m litres a day by 2050, while plans around the north-west cluster could push United Utilities into a deficit of around 70m litres a day by 2030, according to the research.However, a United Utilities spokesperson said the deficit figures were “overstated as regional water management plans already make allowances for the predicted hydrogen demand”, and added that the “drive to net zero is an important issue facing the water sector, with significant work already under way to drive sustainable solutions”.Anglian Water did recognise the deficit figures but said they were at the upper end of a range it had considered. It blamed Ofwat for not allowing water companies to spend more, hindering its ability to secure future supplies.Business demand is often excluded from strategic planning, according to Anglian Water, which it said prevented water companies from making the investments needed, weakening the system’s resilience to the climate crisis and limiting its capacity to support economic growth.A spokesperson for Water UK confirmed water companies’ plans to ensure there were enough water supplies in the future did not take into account the needs of some large planned projects, and blamed the Environment Agency for the omission.“After being blocked from building reservoirs for more than 30 years, we have finally been given approval to build 10. The problem is that the Environment Agency’s forecasts, on which the size, number and locations of these reservoirs are based, do not account for the government’s economic or low-carbon ambitions. Hydrogen energy needs a lot of water, so correcting these forecasts is increasingly urgent.”Nigel Corfield from Wave said he had commissioned the work because “water companies don’t have the same statutory obligations for businesses as they do for households, and we sensed that there was going to be a bit of a problem”.“Government and Ofwat are allowing businesses and these big projects to sort themselves out in terms of how they’re going to get their water,” said Corfield. “We generally don’t think that’s right, because this is about energy security so we think that the best people to provide that and supply that and support that are the water companies.”The government said the UK was “rolling out hydrogen at scale”, with 10 projects said to be shovel-ready. It said it expected all schemes to have sustainable water-sourcing plans and, where required, abstraction licences. Carbon capture schemes would get the green light only if they could prove they met strict legal standards and limits and offered “a high level of protection” for people and the environment, it said.“We face a growing water shortage in the next decade and that is one of the reasons we are driving long-term systemic change to tackle the impacts of climate change,” said a government spokesperson.“This includes £104bn of private investment to help reduce leakage and build nine reservoirs, as well as a record £10.5bn in government funding for new flood defences to protect nearly 900,000 properties by 2036.”But Dieter Helm, a professor of economic policy at the University of Oxford, said England’s water system was stuck in the past and that there was no lack of water, rather that it was badly managed.“It’s worse than an analogue industry,” he said. “Until recently, some water companies didn’t even know where their sewage works were, let alone whether they were discharging into rivers. The information set is extremely weak. But a data revolution now means we can map water systems in extraordinary detail, digitally, at a far finer resolution.”Helm said every drop of water should be measured and reported in real time, and that the data should sit with a new, independent catchment regulator, not the water companies.“You should never be able to have an abstraction without an abstraction meter,” he said. “And it should be a smart meter, automatically reporting. You can’t run a system without data, and you can’t rely on the water companies to hold the data for everyone in the system – they’re just one player.”In his model, the catchment regulator would hold live data on “all the catchment uses of water”, such as abstraction, runoff, water and river levels, sewage discharges, and publish everything on a public website. Anyone, he said, should be able to look up a catchment, see what was going on, and even model the impact of a new project, such as a hydrogen plant, on the system.“That’s how you run an electricity system,” Helm said. “Why don’t we have that in water? And why don’t we have a body responsible for it? There’s an information revolution required here, quite separate from the question of whether we actually run short of water.”The government and the Environment Agency have already warned of an England-wide water deficit of 6bn litres a day by 2055, and have said England faces widespread drought next year unless there is significant rainfall over the winter.

Water
Climate
Government

Brown Grass Cost a Famed Golf Course a Big Tournament and Highlighted Hawaii Water Problems

The Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort on Maui is famous for its ocean views and hosting The Sentry, a $20 million PGA Tour event

HONOLULU (AP) — High up on the slopes of the west Maui mountains, the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort provides golfers with expansive ocean views. The course is so renowned that The Sentry, a $20 million signature event for the PGA Tour, had been held there nearly every year for more than a quarter-century. “You have to see it to believe it," said Ann Miller, a former longtime Honolulu newspaper golf writer. “You're looking at other islands, you're looking at whales. ... Every view is beautiful.”Its world-class status also depends on keeping the course green.Ultimately, as the Plantation's fairways and greens grew brown, the PGA Tour canceled the season opener, a blow that cost what officials estimate to be $50 million economic impact on the area.A two-month closure and some rain helped get the course in suitable condition to reopen 17 holes earlier this month to everyday golfers who pay upwards of $469 to play a round. The 18th hole is set to reopen Monday, but the debate is far from over about the source of the water used to keep the course green and what its future looks like amid climate change. Questions about Hawaii's golf future There’s concern that other high-profile tournaments will also bow out, taking with them economic benefits, such as money for charities, Miller said.“It could literally change the face of it,” she said, “and it could change the popularity, obviously, too.”The company that owns the courses, along with Kapalua homeowners and Hua Momona Farms, filed a lawsuit in August alleging Maui Land & Pineapple, which operates the century-old system of ditches that provides irrigation water to Kapalua and its residents, has not kept up repairs, affecting the amount of water getting down from the mountain.MLP has countersued and the two sides have exchanged accusations since then.As the water-delivery dispute plays out in court, Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental legal group, is calling attention to a separate issue involving the use of drinking water for golf course irrigation, particularly irksome to residents contending with water restrictions amid drought, including Native Hawaiians who consider water a sacred resource.“Potable ground drinking water needs to be used for potable use,” Lauren Palakiko, a west Maui taro farmer, told the Hawaii Commission on Water Resource Management at a recent meeting. “I can’t stress enough that it should never be pumped, injuring our aquifer for the sake of golf grass or vacant mansion swimming pools.” ‘This is water that we can drink’ Kapalua's Plantation and Bay courses, owned by TY Management Corp., have historically been irrigated with surface water delivered under an agreement with Maui Land & Pineapple, but since at least the summer have been using millions of gallons of potable groundwater, according to Earthjustice attorneys who point to correspondence from commission Chairperson Dawn Chang to MLP and Hawaii Water Service they say confirms it. Chang said her letter didn't authorize anything, but merely acknowledged an “oral representation" that using groundwater is an an “existing use” at times when there’s not enough surface water. She is asking for supporting documentation from MLP and Hawaii Water Service to confirm that interpretation. In emails to The Associated Press, MLP said it did not believe groundwater could be used for golf course irrigation and Hawaii Water Service said it didn’t communicate to the commission that using groundwater to irrigate the courses was an existing use. MLP's two wells that service the course provide potable water. “This is water that we can drink. It’s an even more precious resource within the sacred resource of wai,” Dru Hara, an Earthjustice attorney said, using the Hawaiian word for water. TY, owned by Japanese billionaire and apparel brand Uniqlo’s founder Tadashi Yanai, doesn't have control over what kind of water is in the reservoir they draw upon for irrigation, TY General Manager Kenji Yui said in a statement. They're also researching ways to bring recycled water to Kapalua for irrigation. Kamanamaikalani Beamer, a former commissioner, said he's troubled by Earthjustice's allegations that proper procedures weren't followed. The wrangling over water for golf shows that courses in Hawaii need to change their relationship with water, Beamer said: “I think there needs to be a time very soon that all golf courses are utilizing at a minimum recycled water.” Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Photos You Should See – Nov. 2025

Water
Climate
Nature

Violent conflict over water hit a record last year

Violence over water is on the rise worldwide. Researchers counted a record 420 incidents of conflict in 2024, many in Ukraine and the Middle East.

In Algeria, water shortages left faucets dry, prompting protesters to riot and set tires ablaze.In Gaza, as people waited for water at a community tap, an Israeli drone fired on them, killing eight. In Ukraine, Russian rockets slammed into the country’s largest dam, unleashing a plume of fire over the hydroelectric plant and causing widespread blackouts.These are some of the 420 water-related conflicts researchers documented for 2024 in the latest update of the Pacific Institute’s Water Conflict Chronology, a global database of water-related violence.The year featured a record number of violent incidents over water around the world, far surpassing the 355 in 2023, continuing a steeply rising trend. The violence more than quadrupled in the last five years. In 2024, there were 420 water-related conflicts globally The majority of incidents were in the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Eastern Europe. Russia and Ukraine 51 conflicts Russia and Ukraine 51 conflicts Pacific Institute Sean Greene LOS ANGELES TIMES The new data from the Oakland-based water think tank show also that drinking water wells, pipes and dams are increasingly coming under attack.“In almost every region of the world, there is more and more violence being reported over water,” said Peter Gleick, the Pacific Institute’s co-founder and senior fellow, and it “underscores the urgent need for international attention.”The researchers collect information from news reports and other sources and accounts. They classify it into three categories: instances in which water was a trigger of violence, water systems were targeted and water was a “casualty” of violence, for example when shell fragments hit a water tank.Not every case involves injuries or deaths but many do.The region with the most violent incidents was the Middle East, with 138 reported. That included 66 in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, both in Gaza and the West Bank.In the West Bank there were numerous reports of Israeli settlers destroying water pipelines and tanks and attacking Palestinian farmers.In Gaza the Israeli military destroyed more than 30 wells in the southern towns of Rafah and Khan Younis.Gleick noted that when the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders last year, accusing them of crimes against humanity, the charges mentioned Israeli military attacks on Gaza water systems.“It is an acknowledgment that these attacks are violations of international law,” he said. “There ought to be more enforcement of international laws protecting water systems from attacks.”Water systems also were targeted frequently in the Russia-Ukraine war, in which the researchers tallied 51 violent incidents. Residents collect water in bottles in Pokrovsk, Ukraine, where repeated Russian shelling has left civilians without functioning infrastructure. (George Ivanchenko / Associated Press) Russian strikes disrupted water service in Ukrainian cities, and oil spilled into a river after Russian forces attacked an oil depot.“These aren’t water wars. These are wars in which water is being used as a weapon or is a casualty of the conflict,” Gleick said.The researchers also found water scarcity and drought are prompting a growing number of violent conflicts. “Climate change is making those problems worse,” Gleick said.Many conflicts were in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.In India, residents angry about water shortages assaulted a city worker. In Jammu, India, a woman carries a container of drinking water filled from leaking water pipes in March. (Channi Anand / Associated Press) In Cameroon, rice farmers clashed with fishers, leaving one dead and three injured.At a refugee camp in Kenya, three people died in a fight over drinking water.There’s an increase in conflicts over irrigation, disputes pitting farmers against cities, and violence arising in places where only some water is safe to drink. A man carries jugs to fetch water from a hole in the sandy riverbed in Makueni County, Kenya in February 2024. (Brian Inganga / Associated Press) Gleick, who has been studying water-related violence for more than three decades, said the purpose of the list is to raise awareness and encourage policymakers to act to reduce fighting, bloodshed and turmoil.The United Nations, in its Sustainable Development Goals, says every person should have access to water and sanitation. “The failure to do that is inexcusable and it contributes to a lot of misery,” Gleick said. “It contributes to ill health, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, water-related diseases, and it contributes to conflicts over water.”In Latin America, there were dozens of violent incidents involving water last year.In the Mexican state of Veracruz, protesters were blocking a road to denounce a pork processing plant, which they accused of using too much water and spewing pollution, when police opened fire, killing two men.In Honduras, environmental activist Juan López, who had spoken up to protect rivers from mining, was gunned down as he left church. He was the fourth member of his group to be murdered. A man fills containers with water because of a shortage caused by high temperatures and drought in Veracruz, Mexico in June 2024. (Felix Marquez / Associated Press) “There needs to be more attention on this issue, especially at the international level, but at the national level as well,” said Morgan Shimabuku, a senior researcher with the Pacific Institute. “It is getting worse, and we need to turn that tide.”For 2024, there were few events in the U.S., but among them were cyberattacks on water utilities in Texas and Indiana.In one, Russian hackers claimed responsibility for tampering with an Indiana wastewater treatment plant. Authorities said the attack caused minimal disruption. In another, a pro-Russian hacktivist group manipulated systems at water facilities in small Texas towns, causing water to overflow.The Pacific Institute’s database now lists more than 2,750 conflicts. Most have occurred since 2000. The researchers are adding incidents from 2025 as well as previous years.During extreme drought in Iran worsened by climate change, farmers were desperate enough to go up against security forces, demanding access to river water. Iran’s water crisis, compounded by decades of excessive groundwater pumping, has grown so severe that the president said Tehran no longer can remain the capital and the government will have to move it to another city.Tensions also have been growing between Iran and Afghanistan over the Helmand River, with Iranian leaders accusing their upstream neighbor of not letting enough water flow into the country.Gleick said if the drought persists and the Iranian government doesn’t improve how it manages water, “I would expect to see more violence.”

Water
Activism
Crisis

EPA to Provide $3 Billion to US States to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water

(Reuters) -The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday it would provide states with $3 billion in funding to reduce lead in drinking...

(Reuters) -The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday it would provide states with $3 billion in funding to reduce lead in drinking water.The money will go toward finding and removing lead pipes that deliver water to homes, schools, and businesses, the agency said in a statement.(Reporting by Christian Martinez in Los Angeles and Ryan Patrick Jones in Toronto; Editing by Doina Chiacu)Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

Water
Business

Suggested Viewing

Dry Wells of the Paso Basin: A Tragedy of the Commons

In the early 1990s, agricultural corporations and other investors began buying thousands of acres of cultivated and uncultivated land with water rights in the scenic wine country of San Luis Obispo County, California. They planted more vineyards and sank dozens of deep, powerful wells for irrigation that have over-drafted the already depleted Paso Robles Basin aquifer. Around 2010, the shallower wells of hundreds of country homes and small farms and ranches began failing. This documentary tells that story through the voices of three small landowners who lost their livelihoods and hopes for their futures when their wells went dry. The film then follows how they and their supporters organize social force to participate in local political processes to assert their water rights and their concerns for the environmental health of the Paso Basin.

Water
Agriculture
Activism

Fish

An old couple are living in an apartment, the man is sleeping and the woman is doing housework. The lady wants to change the fishbowl’s water but it slips out of her hand and falls on the ground. They've ran out of water and there’s no water for the fish. But with the help of the man they find water.

Water
Culture
Fiction

The Human Side Of Plastic: Babacar Thiaw

Babacar Thiaw, a visionary Senegalese surfer, entrepreneur, and environmental activist, is on a mission to tackle his country’s escalating plastic pollution crisis and preserve its coastline for future generations. Deeply connected to the ocean through his family’s history and inspired by his father’s teachings, Babacar channels this passion into innovative, community-driven solutions. He founded Senegal’s first zero-waste restaurant, setting a groundbreaking example of sustainability that has since inspired a growing movement across the country. This film follows Babacar’s journey as he champions the power of local action to combat global environmental challenges. Through his story, we witness how one person’s commitment can ignite widespread change, offering a hopeful message for a world in need of solutions. Babacar’s legacy is a call to action, reminding us all that safeguarding the future begins with the choices we make today.

Water
Pollution
Inspirational

Death and the Dragon

The drought and the lack of water supplies in the capital city of Iran (Tehran), is a horrendous problem nowadays. The lakes of Tehran's area are all dried, some of the farmers have got to irrigate their farms by a kind of drainage to produce adequate harvest. This documentary proves that these problems have historical reasons and background in the political history of Iran in the last century. In addition to this historical and scientific view, The director shows that the fear of drought and famine in Iran is one of the major issues in Persian mythologies and legends. Narration of the film uses a poetic language to combine a mythological story about drought with the historical realities according to this specific topic: There's a dreadful dragon in Persian mythology, who is immortal and responsible for drought. Water crisis in Tehran contemporary history is a major problem too; and a dry land is a sign of the return of the dragon.

Water
Culture
Government

Lake Victoria: An Ecosystem in Turmoil

Decades of mismanagement, environmental changes and a burgeoning population have created tensions for the 40 million people living on the shores of the world's second largest freshwater lake, Lake Victoria. Desperate fishermen use illegal nets and overfish the East African lake's dwindling stocks, while many fishermen have had to turn to other forms of work - much of which has a detrimental impact on the health of the lake and its residents. Lake Victoria: An Ecosystem in Turmoil follows some of those trying to eek out a living on the lake: a Kenyan fisherman who illegally crosses the border into Uganda in the search for fish; a Ugandan who gave up fishing to become a palm oil farmer; and a Tanzanian gold miner using mercury with his bare hands to extract the precious mineral from unregulated mines on the lake's shores. But how well do they comprehend the pressure that they’re putting on the lake, and can the regional governments and communities take action before irreversible damage happens?

Land Use
Water
Government

Join us to forge
a sustainable future

Our team is always growing.
Become a partner, volunteer, sponsor, or intern today.
Let us know how you would like to get involved!

CONTACT US

sign up for our mailing list to stay informed on the latest films and environmental headlines.

Subscribers receive a free day pass for streaming Cinema Verde.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.