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State officials promise tougher approach on nitrates contaminating groundwater

Mark Steil

July 07, 2014 |

Minnesota Public Radio |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Worthington, Minnesota

Minnesota farmers are closely following the debate over how best to manage nitrates. Many farmers—no one knows the number exactly–are already taking action to lower their use of nitrates, which can contaminate water.

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How Portland Lives With, Not Against, Its Rats

Merilee Karr

May 30, 2014 |

The Atlantic |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Portland, Oregon

Whether or not rats have free access to garbage matters to a city because the more rats eat, the more babies they make. Portland has continued to enforce old laws that require trash be kept in sturdy rat-resistant containers, keeping their rat population much smaller than other cities.

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A first in Minnesota, cities launch system to treat, stash water underground

Jennifer Vogel

April 16, 2014 |

Minnesota Public Radio |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, St. Michael, Minnesota

Capturing water during times of plenty, storing it underground, and pulling it out later when it's needed—it's a strategy used in the western and southeastern parts of the country, and now, for the first time, in Minnesota.

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Even in region with abundant water, residents turn to bottles and try to conserve

Elizabeth Baier

March 20, 2014 |

Minnesota Public Radio |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Fountain, Minnesota

Some communities are being forced to take steps—sometimes costly ones, like digging deeper wells—to both tap and protect their groundwater.

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Bill Gates Can't Build a Toilet

Jason Kass

November 18, 2013 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Peru

Ecological toilets that use natural composting to break down waste are simple to construct, waterless and are easy to fix. But as philanthropists are finding, getting these to those that need it most is harder than anticipated.

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Turning Rural Indians Into Water Entrepreneurs

Whitney Pastorek

November 01, 2012 |

FastCompany |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India

In rural communities throughout India, having access to clean water does not always come easy. Sarvajal, originally a non-profit experiment, believes that water insecurity is a solvable issue, however. By helping those living in the rural communities take ownership through entrepreneurship, common sense, and the patience to reinvent old systems with more efficient technology, the group has achieved the ability to distribute small reverse-osmosis filtration plants and Water ATMs throughout the northwestern Indian states.

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Liter by Liter, Indians Get Cleaner Water

Amy Yee

March 21, 2012 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, New Delhi

Low-cost filtration plants are finding their place in some of the most underserved areas of India. Making a cultural shift from drinking well water to filtered water isn't well-received by all villages in the country, however. Thanks in part to word of mouth as well as a noted difference in health outcomes, there is still hope in fighting the fight to persuade local communities to pay for and drink clean water.

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To Maintain Water Pumps, It Takes More Than a Village

Tina Rosenberg

December 13, 2011 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oklahoma

Water pumps often break and no one locally has the skill or parts to fix them. Two columns on Water Aid’s program in India to train women to be handpump mechanics.

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Keeping the Water Flowing in Rural Villages

Tina Rosenberg

December 08, 2011 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh

In Tanzania, mapping of water points showed that nationally, less than half the existing rural water points were working—of water points that were less than two years old, a quarter had already stopped functioning. British charity WaterAid sets up workshops in poor countries like Tanzania and India to train mechanics in order to have a local fix for these problems. The mechanic position offers employment opportunities for women, fixes pumps for an average of 100 rupees (roughly $2.00), and repaired more than 1,100 pumps in the first 14 months.

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Biogas Offers Poor Countries a Cleaner, Safer Fuel

Amy Yee

October 25, 2011 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nepal

In developing countries, environmentally friendly and practicality don't always go hand-in-hand. Biogas are changing that. With biogas technology, methane is derived from the feces of humans and animals and is used in place of traditional fuel which improves sanitation across these regions and is a benefit for the environment.

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