The Stream, May 3: Safe Drinking Water Threatened in Bangladesh

The salinity of Bangladesh’s water supply is increasing, especially in coastal areas, due to sea level rise and natural disasters like floods and cyclones, according to a World Bank study, AlertNet reported. Families in remote areas sometimes have to walk miles to get safe drinking water.

U.S. Water Supply
The final measure of California snowpack showed that it is just 17 percent of normal, KPBS reported. The dry winter means that California water agencies may get only 35 percent of their requested deliveries from the State Water Project, according to the California Department of Water Resources.

Mining Dispute in Guatemala
A state of emergency is in effect in four Guatemalan towns to control protests against a nearby silver mining project, Reuters reported. The protests, which revolve around concerns about water quality, have included kidnappings and deadly confrontations with police.

Bottled Water in China
Following public calls for stricter regulation of the bottled water industry, China is working on a new national standard for bottled water quality, Xinhua reported. The national standard should be published by the end of 2015.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

Codi Kozacek

A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek