An annotated collection of web site links concerned with internationsl drinking water topics.

International Sites or Topics
WaterWorld International	The Internet Portal for Water and Waste. (Use search engine to locate articles of interest)
WaterPartners International	WaterPartners International is a non-profit organization that addresses the water supply and sanitation needs of people living in developing countries. We promote innovative and cost-effective community water projects that have the greatest chance for long-term success. We help people understand the impact of safe water--life's most basic commodity--on the quality of life
Lifewater International	Lifewater International is a non-profit organization of Christian water specialists in the United States and Canada. We have over 100 volunteer well drillers, hydrogeologists, mechanical engineers, environmental scientists and businessmen. Lifewater's volunteers travel to developing countries and train nationals to improve their water supplies. We leave all necessary equipment with a trained crew and continue to provide technical and financial support. The national crews are then able to share the free gift of clean water with their neighbors and break the cycle of disease and poverty caused by unsafe drinking water. Founded in 1979, Lifewater has completed, or is now working on, water projects in thirty countries on five continents. Our volunteers and national crews have installed over 650 successful wells and water systems that are presently serving more than 200,000 people.
CNN	World panel set to address water issues - (August 20,1998) -- Water issues are expected to take center stage in the next century as the world population rises and the demand for water increases. To deal with these issues, a World Commission on Water for the 21st Century has been established. ........ "At the threshold of a new century, few challenges loom as large as the declining availability of fresh water to meet the rising demands of an expanding human family while recognizing the intimate link of that precious resource to the global ecosystems on which human survival depends," Abu-Zeid said. One billion people lack access to safe drinking water in the developing world and up to 10 million people die annually due to diseases caused by dirty water, according to the United Nations.
Water Issues	Drinking Water in the US - Water Issues in Europe - Water Quality Around the World - Desalination. A list of links related to Water Issues. It is a part of the Environment section of About.Com - Expert Guides to Help You Find/Learn/Share
International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation	The purpose of the IFIC Foundation is to provide sound, scientific information on food safety and nutrition to journalists, health professionals, educators, government officials and consumers. IFIC is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C.
InterWATER	InterWATER aims to help you find sources of information about water and sanitation in developing countries. It is maintained by IRC under the auspices of the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council.
CNN	- (CNN, July 16, 1999) -- Most Americans take clean drinking water for granted. But, for close to 7 million people in the United States, what comes out of the tap isn't necessarily clean enough to drink without worrying about getting sick, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This is particularly true in rural areas, and to help improve some of these problems, the Clinton administration July 12 announced nearly $210 million in loans and grants for safe drinking water projects in 40 states.
Globalis	Globalis is a tool which highlights the similarities and differences between the countries of this world, and has been developed by the the United Nations Association of Norway in cooperation with UNEP/GRID-Arendal, the UNU/Global Virtual University and the University College of Hedmark. Globalis uses the UN Millenium Goals as a starting point, and will follow the development towards the year 2015, when, according to plan, these goals of human development and poverty reduction should have been reached. The tool also includes data from different years, allowing you to see for instance how humans have influenced the environment over time. Includes a world map showing access to clean water (on the left select Category 'Water' and the indicator, 'Access to safe water' - the map can be zoomed to region and the 'show ranking' option lists countries by access to safe water).
Scientific American	ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER- In 1848 and 1849 up to a million people in Russia and 150,000 in France died of cholera, the classic disease of contaminated water. Typhoid fever, another disease transmitted through water, was most likely responsible for the deaths of 6,500 out of 7,500 colonists in Jamestown, Va., early in the 17th century; during the Spanish-American War, it disabled one fifth of the American army. Today waterborne disease is no longer a major problem in developed countries, thanks to water-purification methods such as filtration and chlorination and to the widespread availability of sanitary facilities. But in developing countries, waterborne and sanitation-related diseases kill well over three million annually and disable hundreds of millions more, most of them younger than five years of age. Includes a world map showing access to clean water.
World Water Vision	JOIN THE WORLD WATER VISION! Let's ensure a sustainable future for our shared water resources.
World Health Organization	Mission Statement - The objective of WHO is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Health, as defined in the WHO Constitution, is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Use the Search page to find items of interest; drinking water, cholera, etc. Cholera Information Dealing with a Cholera Emergency: Essential Information. A case of cholera should be suspected when: 1) In an area where the disease is not known to be present, a patient, 5 years of age or older, develops severe dehydration or dies from acute watery diarrhoea. 2) In an area where an epidemic is occurring, a patient, 5 years of age or older, develops acute watery diarrhoea, with or without vomiting. Cholera - basic facts for travelers - Cholera outbreaks occur every year in different parts of the world. Although potentially fatal, cholera can be easily prevented and treated. By following some simple and sensible rules, the traveler can avoid infection. Here are the basic facts about cholera. What is cholera? - Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease caused by the bacterium V. cholerae. A person can become infected by drinking water or eating food contaminated by the bacterium. Common sources of infection are raw or poorly cooked seafood, raw fruit and vegetables, and other foods that have been contaminated during preparation or storage. {Article goes on to address treatment and avoidance}
The Copper Page - A service of the worldwide copper and brass industries	Copper In Human Health Topics in this document: We can't live without it - How Much Copper In Your Body? - How Does It Work? - Do We Get Enough? - Can We Have Too Much? - What Are Copper Rich Foods? - Copper In Medicine - Copper Toxicity - Copper For Health - Further Reading and - Acknowledgments.
WWF Canada's Web Guide to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals	World Wildlife Fund is dedicated to saving life on Earth, through the conservation of nature and ecological processes. Introduction to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals - The world's biological diversity cannot be conserved in an environment filled with harmful chemicals. Since the advent of the chemical industry in the 1940s, thousands of chemicals have been produced and released into the air, water and food. Chemicals now contaminate even the remotest parts of the globe and the newly born. Everyone reading this has over 100 chemicals in his or her body that were not in anyone's body 50 years ago.
Yarra Valley Water	>Blue Water - Corrosion in customer's copper pipes can lead to elevated copper levels in water which may have an appearance of blue water when taps are first turned on. Blue water is a potential health hazard and must not be consumed by drinking or used in the preparation of food.
Yarra Valley Water - Blue Water	Corrosion in customer's copper pipes can lead to elevated copper levels in water which may have an appearance of blue water when taps are first turned on. Blue water is a potential health hazard and must not be consumed by drinking or used in the preparation of food.
The Sydney Morning Herald	There are over a month of stories detailing the contamination of Sydney Australia's water supply by Cryptosporidium archived on The Sydney Morning Herald Water Crisis page. Fortunately, despite a two day delay in informing the population, there had apparently been no reported cases of death or illness linked to the contamination by September 7.
CNN	Tainted water scare envelopes Sydney - SYDNEY, Australia (CNN, - July 31, 1998) - Panicked residents in Australia's largest city stocked up on bottled water Friday amid fears that a treatment plant was pumping parasite-polluted water into homes, businesses and hospitals. Tests earlier in the week in the city of 3.7 million people turned up signs of contamination in a small area of downtown. But emergency warnings were expanded to include suburban areas after the outbreak was found to be much more widespread than originally thought.
Cooperative Research Center (CRC) for Water Quality and Treatment	The CRC for Water Quality and Treatment focuses on issues relating to water quality management and health risk reduction, from catchment and reservoir management and water treatment to the distribution of drinking water to consumers' taps. The mission of the CRCWQT is to help the Australian water industry produce high quality water at an affordable price. HREF="http://www.med.monash.edu.au/epidemiology/crc/guide.htm">Australian Drinking Water Guidelines
Yarra Valley Water	Yarra Valley Water is a retail water company providing water and sewerage services to over 1.5 million people who live and work in the Yarra River catchment area of Melbourne, Victoria.
Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound Health Unit	Fluoride (Fluoride is a common element in the earth's crust, and is present in groundwater naturally from trace concentrations to 5 mg/l.)
Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound Health Unit	A local public health agency in Ontario, Canada - Site has fact sheets on Water Treatment Devices, Sodium, Nitrates, Drinking Water Safety, and Fluoride (Fluoride is a common element in the earth's crust, and is present in groundwater naturally from trace concentrations to 5 mg/l.)
World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF)	The World Wildlife Fund is dedicated to saving life on Earth, through the conservation of nature and ecological processes. The two sites below contain a tremendous amount of information WWW Canada's Guide to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals - The world's biological diversity cannot be conserved in an environment filled with harmful chemicals. Since the advent of the chemical industry in the 1940s, thousands of chemicals have been produced and released into the air, water and food. Chemicals now contaminate even the remotest parts of the globe and the newly born. Everyone reading this has over 100 chemicals in his or her body that were not in anyone's body 50 years ago. A Guide to Avoiding Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals - The mounting evidence of hormone disruption in wildlife and humans serves as a starting point for efforts to reduce exposure to synthetic chemicals considered to be hormone disruptors. Making informed consumer choices, modifying eating and lifestyle patterns, and pressing for alternatives can help reduce your exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals.
Environment Canada	We are a science-based government department whose business is helping Canadians live and prosper in an environment that is properly protected and conserved. It's our goal to help make sustainable development a reality in Canada and, by doing so, make our country an example to the world. Clean Water
Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound Health Unit	A local public health agency in Ontario, Canada - Site has fact sheets on Water Treatment Devices, Sodium, Nitrates, Drinking Water Safety
Health Canada	Health Canada is involved in a number of activities related to Canadian drinking water quality. Some of these activities are conducted jointly with the Provinces and Territories. I found that one has to use the search engine, "drinking water", for instance, to find topics of interest. The home page had no mention of water related topics. Health Risks of Drinking Water Chlorination By-products: Report of an Expert Working Group - A number of recent epidemiologic studies, including a 1995 study sponsored by Health Canada, have found a modest increase in the risk of bladder cancer among people who had drinking water that included high levels of chlorination by-products. Other studies of water chlorination by-products have suggested possible increased risks of colon and rectal cancers, as well as adverse reproductive and developmental effects, such as increased spontaneous abortion rates and fetal anomalies. Also: Health Canada Chlorinated Disinfection By-Products (CDBP) Task Group National Survey of Chlorinated Disinfection By-Products in Canadian Drinking Water, 1995, 85 (PDF documents) A One-Year Survey of Halogenated Disinfection By-Products, 1996 (PDF documents)
Lifewater Canada	Lifewater Canada is a Christian, non-profit organization of people from across Canada who are bound together by a common desire to ensure that people everywhere have access to adequate supplies of safe water. Members include hydrogeologists, well drillers, educators, engineers, environmental scientists, businessmen and many other people with diverse skills and training.
Thrive	Lead alert Parents Mar 1997 - There are an estimated 1.7 million children age 5 and under in the United States, across all socio-economic groups, who have unsafe levels of lead in their bodies. Even minute amounts of the metal are extremely toxic to humans, and children are particularly vulnerable. Lead poisoning can cause retardation, behavioral problems, and death. Lead paint or water pipes in older homes is a common source of lead contamination, as is soil near lead-painted homes or near highways…….
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)	The OECD is a Paris-based intergovernmental organisation whose purpose is to provide its 29 Member countries with a forum in which governments can compare their experiences, discuss the problems they share and seek solutions which can then be applied within their own national contexts. The Organization is thus entirely at the service of its Member countries. It forms a homogeneous entity in that each Member country is committed to the principles of the market economy and pluralistic democracy. Co-ordination of Endocrine Disrupters Assessment Activities. This report is a contribution to the OECD Endocrine Disrupters Coordination Activity as part of the OECD Test Guidelines Programme. Conduct effects driven studies into exposure assessment in humans comprising epidemiological (including case-control) stud... {Self loading Word document}. OECD Test Guidelines play a critical role in ensuring efficient and effective procedures are available to identify chemical hazards. The focus of the DRP is on test methods for sex-hormone disrupting chemicals capable of affecting the reproductive process....{Self loading Word document}
CNN	Urban sprawl threatens Istanbul drinking water - ISTANBUL, Turkey (CNN, July 26, 1997) - -- Istanbul is a city virtually surrounded by water, but none that is good enough for drinking. What to the uninitiated visitor in Istanbul may look like a gas station is in fact a water station, where people fill up containers for their homes. Many people living in the city do not want to drink tap water because they say it's muddy and makes them sick.
Atlas Of Medical Parasitology	Information on cryptosporidia, giardia, and a host of other parasites from The Carlo Denegri Foundation and the Infectious Diseases Clinic, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Torino, Italy. cryptosporidia and other protozoal parasites
NAP	Mexico City's Water Supply: Improving the Outlook for Sustainability (1995)
Thrive	What's in your water? Mademoiselle Sep 1996, According to a recent study, some 16.5 million Americans are supplied by water systems containing excessive amounts of harmful microorganisms, and 12 million by systems containing excessive levels of pollutants and chemicals. Well water is generally riskier than municipal systems, but even state-of-the-art treatment plants can't stop some problems. Ask your local water supplier for its latest report on water contaminants.
IFIC Foundation	Risks Misjudged in Cholera Epidemic - Health officials in Peru appear to have misjudged the relative risks of water chlorination on one hand and microbial contamination on the other, which may have helped begin a cholera epidemic that is now sweeping Peru and other countries in South and Central America.
Foundation for Water Research	Papers on Cryptosporidium and Giardia from the Foundation for Water Research
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health	Cryptosporidium - Just as Cryptosporidium in drinking water is a relatively new problem, so this is a new application of the Chartered Institute's website. Whereas in the past the website as been used principally to present information about our organisation and its activities, this is our first attempt to put it to use as an on-line source of information on a professional topic. Whether you are faced with having to control an outbreak yourself or your interest in Cryptosporidium is more academic, we hope you will find it both interesting and helpful.
Hormone Disrupting Chemicals Home Page	These pages provide an introduction to the effects of hormone disrupting chemicals on man and the environment. Other terms used to describe these chemicals include xenoestrogens, oestrogenic (estrogenic), hormone mimicking and endocrine disrupting chemicals. The chemicals involved include pesticides such as DDT, lindane and atrazine, the food packaging chemicals, phthalates and bisphenol A, alkylphenol ethoxylate detergents and the chemical industry by-products, dioxins. hese pages are aimed at anyone interested in the subject, and include references to other research and reviews for those interested in investigating the field further. The pages focus particularly on those chemicals which are not organochlorines, but some information is also provided on organochlorines. The material in these pages has been written by Dr Michael Warhurst, an Environmental Chemist who works for Friends of the Earth in London, UK.
Running Water	An educational site for 8-13 year olds developed at the Department of Computer Science, University of Exeter for South West Water (United Kingdom).
Bristol Water	Education Page - The Water Cycle - Welcome to the education part of the Bristol Water 'wet' site. If you are studying water we hope that you might find some of the answers here.
WaterAid	WaterAid is the UK's specialist development charity working through partner organisations to help poor people in developing countries achieve sustainable improvements in their quality of life by improved domestic water supply, sanitation and associated hygiene practices.
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health	The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health is an independent professional body which represents around 9,000 members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The majority work for local authorities, but members also work in central government, industry, the armed forces and academia as independent consultants and in positions overseas.
Foundation for Water Research	Welcome to the FWR Home Page An independent, non-profit making organization that promotes and disseminates research on all aspects of water, wastewater and related environmental issues. Publication List Review of the toxicology of aluminum with reference to drinking water - OBJECTIVES - To review all the relevant literature on the toxicity in drinking water of aluminium to man, and to discuss the level of aluminium that the WHO should set in its drinking water guideline. In the Publlication List section look under the Drinking Water Quality & Health section for a number of articles about the effect of many chemicals on human health, including: disinfection byproducts, lead, fluoranthene, beryllium, formaldehyde, asbestos, etc.
Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions Drinking Water Information (RDWI)	Summary of 1997 Report by the Drinking Water Inspectorate: The overall quality of water in England and Wales remains very high with further improvements on the situation reported for 1996 and previous years. During 1997 the 29 companies carried out a total of 2,980,737 tests at treatment works and service reservoirs and in water supply zones. Around 70% of the tests were carried out in water supply zones and 80% of these were carried out on samples taken from consumers' taps. Of the almost three million tests, 99.75% demonstrated compliance with the standards. This is a good result which, when compared with previous years, reflects the ongoing impact of the enforcement process which results in the improvement programmes. . 1998 water report
Bristol Water	Over one million people in an area of about 1,000 square miles depend on Bristol Water . Today, we are one of the UK's largest and most successful water supply companies, yet our basic role has remained unchanged since we were founded in 1846. Bristol Water is here to supply drinking water.
Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions Drinking Water Information (RDWI)	.Our main job is to check that the water companies in England and Wales supply water that is safe to drink and meets the standards set in the Water Quality Regulations. We also investigate complaints from consumers and incidents which affect or could affect drinking water quality. Our investigations of incidents can lead to water companies being prosecuted. Annual reports, Drinking Water Information Leaflets, and other publications.
Office of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland	4 June 1999 - Environment Minister Lord Dubs today welcomed the publication of the Drinking Water inspectorate's second annual report. Toasting the fact that 99% of drinking water in Northern Ireland is of good quality, Lord Dubs said: "I am pleased for Northern Ireland consumers that we have attained a good standard. A lot of time and energy goes into making our water safe to drink. We will though not be resting on our laurels and it is my intention that much more capital will be spent on the safe treatment and distribution of our drinking water." There are no links to water topics on the home page (type drinking water into the search box to get reports and other info.).

International Sites or Topics