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Peruvian Water Supply in Peril
In late fall, the rainy season in Peru is just picking up. In addition to the usual fears of floods and landslides, residents in and around the capital of Lima are now concerned that heavy rains could weaken man-made receptacles of mining waste, called “tailing ponds” and lead to the contamination of their water supply.
In May, the Canadian owner of the mine, Gold Hawk Resources, suspended operations as a preventative measure. The company, looking for profits from gold, silver, zinc and lead deposits, was hit with plummeting stock prices and laid off local workers.
This didn’t solve the problem of existing waste however, and in July the Peruvian government issued a state of emergency in the area, ordering the company to relocate the processing plant and tailing ponds. Gold Hawk now says the new facilities are ready for business, but is still waiting for a permit from the government before it can proceed. Storm clouds rumble in over the Andes and while the fate of the mine hangs in the balance, both shareholders and citizens of Lima are nervous about the outcome.
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Maybe this is why the bottled water industry should be regulated...
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 24, 2009
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A dozen students complained of feeling sick after drinking bottled water from a junior high school vending machine, but the FBI said Friday that no sign of tampering was found and initial tests detected no contamination.
Students at La Mesa Junior High School in Santa Clarita complained of nausea or discomfort on Thursday. They were examined at hospitals and released, Principal Pete Fries said Friday.
''It was kind of cloudy and it tasted kind of funny,'' eighth-grader Cody Commons told KTLA-TV from a hospital Thursday night. ''A couple hours later I started feeling cramps.''
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/04/24/us/AP-US-Contaminated-Water.h...
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Boston Tea Party--or rather, Boston Bottled Water Party
They came in colonial garb to Boston Harbor today not to dump tea - but to dump what they say is overpriced unnecessary water.
Noting that tap water in Boston and most Eastern Massachusetts’ communities that comes from the Quabbin Reservoir passes a slew of rigorous standards for safety and purity – and costs less than a half cent per gallon – ten members of the Think Outside the Bottle campaign performed the tongue-in-cheek demonstration at Christopher Columbus Park in the North End. The vast majority of Massachusetts’ municipal water systems are also safe to drink from and are regularly tested.
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Mexico City turns off tap to millions as water reserves dip to historic lows
The two-day shutdown of a main pipeline starting Thursday affects at least 5 million of the 20 million people in the Mexico City valley. It is the third time this year the metropolis has temporarily turned off the tap to conserve water.
The water restrictions come as many residents are out of town for Holy Week.
An unusually dry rainy season last year left the city's Cutzamala water system at 47 percent capacity compared to 85 percent in previous years. The system supplies 20 percent of the area's water.
The government says it will restore 50 percent of service Saturday and full service by Wednesday.
4-9-09
http://www.startribune.com/world/42765092.html?elr=KArks%3Cimg%20src=
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Native Balinese water management deserves recognition + FLOW producer Steven Starr on projects in Bali
Indonesia's ancient water conservation system may hold one of the keys for water protection in a world facing an arid future, according to US-based film producer Steven Starr. However, as the global population grows and pollution of the world's rivers and seas increases, such indigenous practices could be under threat from the growing water trade that is turning this essential resource into a commodity. The subak system, a 1,000-year-old Balinese practice that gives all farmers equal access to the water needed for rice cultivation, as an example of how grassroots systems can be well in advance of modern technology and deserving of support to ensure their maintenance.
Trisha Sertori 04/07/2009
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/04/07/taking-water-barons.html
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