The Stream, April 20: Water Supply of 345,000 Ukrainians in Jeopardy After Filter Station Shootings

The Global Rundown

The Donetsk Filter Station in eastern Ukraine halts operations after five employees are shot and injured. Officials rush to restore power to water pumping stations in Puerto Rico amid an islandwide blackout. The U.S. military plans to provide clean water and help with filtration in Colorado towns where water was contaminated by the Peterson Air Force Base. Shelling near Damascus, Syria, traps Palestinian refugees, leaving them with minimal water, food, and medicine. The Flint City Council requests $6.1 million from Michigan to pay for water and sewer credits.

“I am deeply concerned that water treatment workers and critical infrastructure continue to be targeted in eastern Ukraine’s armed conflict.” –Neal Walker, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, in reference to repeated attacks on employees of the Donetsk Filter Station since the beginning of the year. On April 17, five employees were shot and injured, prompting the station to halt operations until the safety of its personnel can be guaranteed. The closure threatens the water supply of 345,000 Ukrainians. UNOCHA

In context: HotSpots H2O, March 19: Spotlight on Eastern Ukraine.

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What’s Up With Water – April 16, 2018 – “What’s Up With Water” condenses the need-to-know news on the world’s water into a snapshot for the start of the workweek. Listen to this week’s edition to hear coverage on a cholera outbreak in Malawi, plans for boosting desalination in Israel, and the most endangered river in the United States.

By The Numbers

$900,000 Amount that the U.S. military will provide to towns in Colorado where the Peterson Air Force Base tainted wells with perfluorinated chemicals. The funds will be used to purchase clean drinking water and help maintain filter systems. The Denver Post

In context: Congress passes defense spending bill that includes perfluorinated chemicals health study.

$6.1 million Amount of water and sewer credits that the Flint City Council is requesting from the state of Michigan. The funding would come from the state’s emergency reserve fund for the Flint water crisis, which has yet to be used. MLive

In context: Circle of Blue’s coverage of the Flint water crisis.

Science, Studies, And Reports

Fighting near Damascus, Syria, has left thousands of Palestinian refugees trapped in desperate conditions, according to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The refugees currently have no access to running water, and supplies of food and medicine are dwindling. Reuters

On The Radar

Officials are trying to restore power to water pumping stations in Puerto Rico after a blackout on April 18 left nearly the entire island without electricity. The power outage, which was caused by attempts to remove a collapsed transmission tower, is the largest since Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico’s power grid seven months ago. NPR

Kayla Ritter

Kayla Ritter is a recent graduate of Michigan State University, where she studied International Relations and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. She is currently based in Manton, Michigan. Kayla enjoys running, writing, and traveling. Contact Kayla Ritter