Drinking Water

How Safe's Your Drinking Water?
A U.S. Geological Survey team sampled the Potomac River's waters (part of a nationwide survey, 2003-2005) to check for nearly 300 new contaminants. Some information on what they found...

Drinking Water Basics
Do you know where your drinking water comes from? Or how it's treated before it gets to your tap? If not, read this primer from the National Academies, which also has reports on drinking water contamination, water pollution and other topics.

EPA: Local Drinking Water Information
Click on the map to find your community's annual water report: where it's from and what's in it.

Deciphering Your Water Report
So you've read the EPA Consumer Confidence Report on the water in your area -- want to know what it means? This page from Consumer Reports will help you translate.

Bottled Water
Thinking about switching to bottled water instead of tap? Check out this Q&A from the Natural Resources Defense Council to learn more about the safety and environmental effects of bottled water.

Drugs Found in Drinking Water
Here are the results of a five-month Associated Press investigation that found pharmaceuticals in the drinking water of 24 major metropolitan areas. A sidebar lists what was found where, and related stories look at contamination in fish and why water quality tests are rarely released to the public. (March 10, 2008)

Fish

Where You Live: Fish Advisories
U.S. state departments of health issue advisories on which fish to avoid. The lists are aggregated here on this EPA site.

Seafood Selector
The Environmental Defense Fund recommends which fish are good for you and for the oceans. The site includes portable pocket guides for seafood and sushi (PDFs), and a mobile phone application for its seafood and sushi selectors.

FishWatch
This site, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), offers detailed information on the sustainability of various species and tips on shopping for and/or catching your own seafood.

Washington State Department of Health: Fish Facts for Healthy Nutrition
Keep tabs on Puget Sound and other Washington waterways with fish consumption advisories, shellfish beach closures and a guide to which fish are safest to eat.

Chesapeake Bay Program
This multistate partnership collects links to fish advisories from the seven states in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.