Water quality

Contractors conduct groundwater sampling in March 2022 as part of an effort to provide alternative water supplies for areas affected by PFAS contamination near Ellsworth Air Force Base. (U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center)

Pentagon to halt use of firefighting foam that contains PFAS as cleanup costs mount

BY: and - March 16, 2023

WASHINGTON — Battered by years of criticism from U.S. lawmakers and environmental advocates, the Department of Defense will stop purchasing PFAS-containing firefighting foam later this year and phase it out entirely in 2024.  The replacement for Aqueous Film Forming Foam has yet to be determined, and advocates are frustrated it’s taken so long to halt […]

These boxes can be buried almost entirely underground, leaving room to remove the lid, and are spliced into a drain tile system. Structures in the boxes can be used to raise the level of drainage outlets, helping to retain more water in the soil during dry times. (Courtesy of SDSU)

Researcher says simple fix could help farmers retain water and nutrients, but few are using it

BY: - February 6, 2023

Few farmers have installed a control system to manage water discharged from underground pipes, even though it could benefit their bottom line and the environment, according to research underway at South Dakota State University.  “Drain tile” is the common name for perforated pipes that many farmers bury under their fields to remove excess water. John […]

Workers with East Bay Municipal Utility District install new water pipe on April 22, 2021, in Oakland, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

White House launches new push to help states remove lead pipes that carry drinking water

BY: - January 27, 2023

WASHINGTON — The White House on Friday announced plans to speed up the use of infrastructure law funds to replace lead pipes in underserved communities, with a focus on Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin beginning this year. The four states, each led by Democratic governors, will be part of what’s called the Lead Service […]

Sioux Falls as seen from Falls Park, on the Big Sioux River. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight)

Drought causing more minerals to enter Sioux Falls drinking water source

BY: - December 4, 2022

A state water quality report says the part of the Big Sioux River that Sioux Falls uses for drinking water contains dissolved solids beyond the standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. A city water official says the drought is causing the uptick in minerals, like salt. The state Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources […]

Wastewater treatment plant in Buena Vista, Georgia, on July 29, 2020.

Town of Hermosa fined for spraying too much wastewater over farm fields

BY: - November 17, 2022

The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) has fined Hermosa $13,000 for Surface Water Discharge permit violations. The city of 373, located about 20 miles south of Rapid City, failed to submit documentation before spraying wastewater on agricultural land, the DANR said. It also failed to monitor that wastewater and went over […]