The Stream, July 5: Research Improves Response to Deliberate Drinking Water Contamination

Water Contamination
In the case of a deliberate act of drinking water contamination, European cities now have a “toolbox” that will help them more quickly identify and respond to contaminants, Eurekalert reported. Researchers from six European countries developed the system, which aims to reduce the vulnerability of water supplies to terrorist attacks.

China is experiencing yet another year of large algae blooms in the coastal waters near Qingdao—this year’s bloom of sea lettuce is larger than the state of Connecticut, The New York Times reported. The large blooms are thought to be a result of nutrient pollution from agriculture and wastewater runoff, combined with practices utilized by seaweed farms farther south.

Extreme Weather
Tropical Storm Erick, churning off of Mexico’s western coastline, could reach near-hurricane force by Saturday, AlertNet reported. Heavy rain—between 8 and 20 centimeters—could cause flooding and landslides, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

A $US 93 million project in Northeast Brazil will build 64,000 cisterns to help fight a severe drought that has gripped the region, Bloomberg News reported. The drought is the worst in 50 years, and 90 percent of municipalities in the region have declared a state of emergency.

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