Latest news with #tapwater
RNZ News
18-07-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Gore residents told not to drink tap water due to high nitrate levels
Gore residents are being advised not to drink their tap water. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly Residents in the Southland district of Gore are being told not drink tap water, after high levels of nitrate were found in the water supply. Gore District Council said testing at Cooper's Well had revealed elevated levels of nitrate and while the health risk was low, people should avoid using tap water for drinking and food preparation as a precaution. It said Mataura's water was unaffected. The councils said boiling water did not remove nitrates and free drinking water would be available at the Eccles Street playground, Hokonui Drive by the fire station, Grace Church on Hamilton Street, and Wentworth Street by Talbot Street. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
CBS News
29-06-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Residents of Clarion County town asked to not drink tap water due to "unusual sample" found
A town in Clarion County is being warned not to drink its tap water at this time. Residents in East Brady Borough are asked not to drink tap water after "unusual water sample" results were reported at a water treatment plant. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said the chemical that was found in the water remains unknown. This means they do not know what impact the chemical may have on the quality of the drinking water. East Brady Borough's water system, the DEP, and the chemical provider are working together to identify the chemical and resolve the issue. Customers will be notified once it is solved. Those living in the area should use bottled water or alternate sources until further notice.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Boil water advisory lifted in Tsiigehtchic, N.W.T.
A boil water advisory issued two weeks ago for Tsiigehtchic, N.W.T., has been lifted. In a news release on Friday afternoon, health officials said residents in the community can again use their tap water as normal, as turbidity levels have dropped to acceptable levels. The boil water advisory was issued as a precaution on June 12 because of higher-than-normal turbidity, or muddiness, in the tap water. The territory's health department says there have been no reported illnesses associated with drinking water in the community. Officials recommend that residents flush their water supplies by running faucets for at least a minute before using, and to change any point-of-use filters such as Brita filters. They also recommend cleaning and flushing coffee machines, ice machines, hot water heaters and any water-holding tanks.
CNA
19-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
Should tap water be free in Singapore restaurants? F&B operators weigh in
The debate about whether tap water should be complimentary in Singapore's dine-in food establishments is back in the spotlight, thanks to a Facebook post on Jun 12 by Workers' Party Member of Parliament Gerald Giam, who also highlighted a public petition on the issue. 'Some eateries charge as much for water as they do for sugary drinks. This unintentionally nudges consumers toward less healthy options, increasing the risk of obesity and diabetes,' he said in his post. 'In March 2025, I called for the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) to encourage F&B outlets, coffeeshops and malls to offer low-cost drinking water as best practice.' Mr Giam added: 'While I acknowledge that F&B establishments incur some cost to provide plain water, these can be recovered by offering plain water at cost. Importantly, it should be priced lower than sugary beverages to support healthier choices and sustainability goals. I continue to urge MSE to promote this as best practice across dine-in establishments.' The petition he cited, which was posted on in late May, urged the Singapore government to 'mandate that dine-in F&B establishments provide free-flow tap water to all customers at no additional cost.' 'In a country where tap water is clean, safe, and abundantly available, it is unjustified to restrict access to tap water, especially in establishments that already impose a 10% service charge,' the petition read. THE PRICE OF FREE TAP WATER Several restaurateurs CNA Lifestyle spoke to said that while they used to charge for tap water, they stopped long before the petition, mainly due to customer complaints. Among them is nasi lemak restaurant The Coconut Club. Chef-owner Daniel Sia said: 'It's more important that customers are happy.' Similarly, chain restaurants such as Swensen's and French bakery-cafe Paul said they've offered free tap water since opening. 'We believe in offering a welcoming and thoughtful experience, and providing complimentary drinking water is part of that,' said Paul's chief executive officer, Asia Pacific, David Yang. A spokesperson for Swensen's, a pioneer partner of the Health Promotion Board's Healthier Dining Programme, said: 'Serving tap water aligns with our ongoing commitment to support healthier choices for our guests." Still, while tap water is abundantly available in Singapore, it does come at a cost to restaurants. 'Utilities cost money and (when you offer free tap water), it often translates to reduced beverage sales, so it's an opportunity cost at the end of the day,' Sia explained. Yang pointed out that 'the cost, though not insignificant, is relatively minimal compared to the goodwill it generates'. While that may be the case for larger chain establishments like Paul and Swensen's, it is a harder pill to swallow for smaller, independent restaurants. 'On a good month, eateries like ours make about 10 to 20 per cent profit,' said the sole owner of a neighbourhood cafe who declined to be named. 'More often than not, we make a lot less, especially in this current economic climate. So we charge 50 cents for free-flow of tap water because every cent counts.' The cost, though not insignificant, is relatively minimal compared to the goodwill it generates. FILTERING THE COST Other restaurant owners who charge for tap water also requested anonymity for fear of public backlash. 'Business is already so bad, we don't want people to take this against us,' said the owner of a Korean restaurant. 'The restaurant business is tough. Our profit margin is small. In what other industry would making 10 to 20 per cent profit on a good month count as good business? But that's the norm for restaurants. Bigger restaurant groups may be able to absorb the cost, but utilities are just one of many overheads for small businesses like ours.' Another restaurateur pointed out that almost no establishments price tap water on par with soft drinks. 'No one in the right mind goes into business to antagonise the customer. Everyone knows the cost of tap water, so who's going to sell tap water in their restaurant for S$3 to S$4, which is the price of a soft drink in many restaurants?' Upscale restaurants that charge for water typically serve water pumped from a filtration system at S$3 per person, free-flow. For them, the concern is more about flavour than cost. Operations manager of Angie's Oyster Bar & Grill said: 'We understand some diners prefer water with their meal instead of wine or beer. However, tap water can negatively alter the delicate taste of live oysters. To ensure a pleasant dining experience, we serve unlimited premium Nordaq water. However, we do not want to profit from water sales. We decided that with water sales, 80 per cent of the proceeds will go towards The Helping Hand charity, supporting a good cause.' Ronald Kamiyama, managing partner and sommelier of The Cicheti Group, echoed similar sentiments. 'At our restaurants, we serve filtered water that uses a charcoal system that's not only sustainable, but part of what we pay also supports jobs for women in Sumatra who plant trees in the region.' Water filtration systems cost anywhere from S$1,000 to S$3,000 a month. 'When you factor in wear and tear, which at restaurants oscillate around S$50 to S$200 a month, plus human hours, plus a series of minor costs that aren't accounted for… it works out to a good amount of money,' said the chef-owner of a fine dining restaurant that does not charge for water. 'We absorb the cost in our menu pricing.'
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Tap water in 280 million homes is putting children at risk of lifelong disability, shock study warns
A toxin up to 90 percent of Americans' tap water is putting children at risk of lifelong disability, a study suggests. Arsenic, a toxic element found naturally in the Earth, is found in up to 280 million homes that rely on public water systems. Columbia University researchers found pregnant woman exposed to even trace amounts in drinking water were much more likely to have premature births or have underweight kids. Children born preterm or underweight face lifelong risks—impaired cognition, developmental delays, and chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and immune deficiencies. Arsenic crosses the placenta and disrupts fetal development by interfering with hormones, DNA expression, and organ formation. It also disrupts nutrient absorption, stunting growth, and triggers inflammation, raising the risk of an early birth. The EPA's current max contamination limit (MCL) for arsenic in drinking water is 10 micrograms per liter (μg/L). But the researchers found: 'Higher prenatal public water arsenic was associated with lower birth weight, reduced birth weight–for–gestational a higher risk of low birth weight even at concentrations less than 5 μg/L.' Arsenic seeps into groundwater and contaminates the supply that ultimately reaches tap water in homes. An estimated 2.1 million people throughout the US may be drinking domestic well water high in arsenic. The element has also been found in municipal water supplies in all 50 states. Up to 280 million people rely on public water systems. The greatest concern is water systems in the Southwest due to arsenic-rich rocks and arsenic-rich volcanic and sedimentary rock erosion. The new paper, funded by the NIH, analyzed data from a nationwide research project called the ECHO Cohort, which tracks over 69 different groups of pregnant women and children across the US and Puerto Rico. It revealed white mothers were most exposed to higher arsenic levels – over 10 micrograms per liter (μg/L) in public water - making up 69 percent of this group. Slightly under eight percent had underweight newborns,1,190 of 14,000 births births came too early, 840 infants were critically small, and 1,400 babies were dangerously undersized for their stage of development. This study revealed racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes. Hispanic/Latino mothers had healthier babies—higher birth weights and fewer complications—than non-Hispanic/Latino mothers. In contrast, Black mothers' babies were, on average, 245 grams lighter and faced higher risks of preterm birth, low birth weight, and being small for gestational age. 'Most U.S. residents rely on public drinking water, and our findings suggest that further reducing arsenic in public water systems could be an important step to improve infant health across the U.S.,' said Dr Anne Nigra, PhD, an environmental health scientist at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health. 'Even low levels of arsenic in public drinking water were associated with low birthweight and other adverse birth outcomes in U.S. infants.' Long-term exposure has been linked to leukemia and cancers of the colon, skin, breast, stomach, mouth, kidney, and more, as well as heart disease. Even tiny amounts of inorganic arsenic — the kind found in drinking water — wreak havoc on your cardiovascular system by causing oxidative stress that can kill cells, inflammation that damages blood vessels, and stiff, damaged arteries. 'Most U.S. residents rely on public drinking water, and our findings suggest that further reducing arsenic in public water systems could be an important step to improve infant health across the U.S.,' said Dr Anne Nigra, an environmental health expert at Columbia University 's Mailman School of Public Health. The Columbia researchers behind the latest study analyzed arsenic exposure in 14,000 US pregnancies by linking EPA water system data recorded from 2006 to 2019 to records of where the participants lived during pregnancy. Researchers tracked monthly water arsenic levels and examined four birth outcomes: preterm delivery, low birth weight, small gestational size, and birth weight scores. The analysis accounted for factors like maternal age and education while intentionally preserving racial/ethnic differences. Even small increases in arsenic levels (one μg/L) in public water raised low birth weight risks by three percent, with higher exposures (five μg/L) increasing risks by 16 percent. They reported some caveats. The majority of ECHO participants reside in urban areas. They estimated arsenic exposure based on local water systems near people's homes, but they do not yet know if this fully captures their actual exposure. People do not just drink water at home. They are also exposed at work, school, or other places they go to frequently.
