North Dakota now accounts for over 10 percent of U.S. energy output, and production could double over the next decade. The state draws water from the Missouri River and aquifers for its hydraulic fracturing, the process also known as fracking and the key that has unlocked America's abundant shale deposits. The process is water-intensive and requires more than 2 million gallons of water per well, ... read more >>

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater), very often by human activities.

Water pollution occurs when pollutants (particles, chemicals or substances that make water contaminated) are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without enough treatment to get rid of harmful compounds. Pollutants get into water mainly by ... read more >>

The Obama administration issued a new set of proposed rules governing hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas on public lands, moving further to address industry concerns about the costs and reporting burdens of federal regulation. ... read more >>

Even while the Great Lakes are in the middle of a multiyear federal restoration program, water quality remains an issue, according to a new report on how the health of the world's largest freshwater system has changed over the past 25 years.

"While sustained governmental and public efforts have measurably improved Great Lakes water quality, rapid reduction in ice cover and the resurgence of so ... read more >>

Drinking water supplies in the United States are among the safest in the world. However, even in the U.S., drinking water sources can become contaminated, causing sickness and disease from waterborne germs, such as Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Hepatitis A, Giardia intestinalis, and other pathogens.

Drinking water sources are subject to contamination and require appropriate treatment to remove dis ... read more >>

Peru is trying to quash the ability of companies to avoid paying environmental fines by lodging judicial appeals that linger for years, part of a push to crack down on polluters in a top exporter of minerals. Many of the appeals filed by mining and energy firms in Peru effectively suspend penalties indefinitely, rendering environmental sanctions nearly pointless, said Hugo Gomez, the head of Peru ... read more >>

Using the same devious mechanism that enables some bacteria to shrug off powerful antibiotics, scientists have developed solar-powered nanofilters that remove antibiotics from the water in lakes and rivers twice as efficiently as the best existing technology. Their report appears in ACS' journal Nano Letters. ... read more >>

Short video, Landowners in the Florida Everglades are improving their ecosystem, water quality, and diversity of wildlife through technical and financial help from the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service. ... read more >>

In planning my series on the environmental impacts of natural gas for The Energy Collective, I had always intended for my third post to cover the critical issue of water needs. While climate concerns may dominate for some (see my previous posts), it seems fair to say that the most contentious aspect of the shale gas revolution is related to fears over high water demands and contamination risks po ... read more >>

Sep. 12, 2012 — The distribution system piping in U.S. public water systems that rely on non-disinfected well water or "ground water" may be a largely unrecognized cause of up to 1.1 million annual cases of acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI), involving nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, scientists are reporting. ... read more >>