By Mike Ekberg, MCD manager for water resources monitoring and analysis There may a silent killer lurking in private wells used for drinking water. Recent groundwater studies in our region show that drinking water in up to 20 percent of private wells contains high levels of arsenic. Long-term exposure to arsenic through drinking water is … Continue reading Private Wells – Test for a silent killer
Category: Water quality
Top 5 Regional Water Challenges for the 21st Century
By Mike Ekberg, MCD manager for water resources monitoring and analysis You may have heard me say this before—southwest Ohio is water rich. We have abundant, high-quality, water when compared with other parts of our country and the world. Yet, our region is not without challenges in managing water. Here are five water trends that … Continue reading Top 5 Regional Water Challenges for the 21st Century
Water needs you because you need water
By Sarah Hippensteel Hall, watershed partnerships manager Manager for Watershed Partnerships Have you ever tried to live a day or even a half day without water? No morning shower, no morning coffee, no washing your clothes. Those are the simple inconveniences. But it’s more than that. No water for the doctor to wash her hands before … Continue reading Water needs you because you need water
What’s ahead for our region’s weather?
By Mike Ekberg, Manager for Water Resources Monitoring and Analysis In my August 1, blogpost, “Climate Change: Is It Real?” we noted that our climate is always changing. Some people want to debate the cause, but that’s not nearly as important as planning for the changes that are expected. A warming trend will amplify the extremes … Continue reading What’s ahead for our region’s weather?
Well Owners – Is your drinking water safe?
Contamination is more common than you think By Mike Ekberg, MCD manager for water resources monitoring and analysis Hey well owners, when’s the last time you had your drinking water tested? If you’re like many well owners in the United States, you probably have never tested your water. Why should you bother? You have plenty … Continue reading Well Owners – Is your drinking water safe?
Could a drinking water crisis be headed our way?
Water quality crises are becoming more common, from algal toxins in Toledo to lead in Flint, Michigan; Sebring, Ohio and other communities. Could those crises happen here? It’s possible—but not likely—because this region pulls almost all of its drinking water from groundwater stored in the buried valley aquifer, not from rivers and streams as these … Continue reading Could a drinking water crisis be headed our way?
Using a market-based solution to improve water quality
By Sarah Hippensteel Hall, water resources manager Guest contributor Although water quality in our rivers and streams has seen great improvements over the past few decades, about 40 percent still fail to meet water quality standards. Excess nutrients – nitrogen and phosphorus -- are a main cause. This failure is triggering additional regulations focused on … Continue reading Using a market-based solution to improve water quality
Pollution shut down Toledo’s drinking water system – could it happen here?
By Sarah Hippensteel Hall, manager for watershed partnerships Guest contributor Last year, pollution in Lake Erie halted Toledo’s delivery of its drinking water to 400,000 people for several days. It happened when water that Toledo pulls from the lake was found to have dangerously high levels of microcystin, a toxin that is produced by algae. Microcystin … Continue reading Pollution shut down Toledo’s drinking water system – could it happen here?
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