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Water Supply to Become More Corrosive

Michael Reilly, Discovery News

Increasing toxicity due to acid and heavy metals is just one of a suite of problems facing water utilities in the American west, Kathleen Miller of the National Center for Atmospheric Research said.

"There's been a lot of work done on the impacts of climate change on water water resources, but not so much on water quality," Peter Gleick of the Pacific Institute in Oakland, California said. "If this study is right, it suggests there are additional risks associated with climate change, other than flood and drought."

Gleick added that the two laws that govern water quality in the United States -- the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act -- are outdated, and don't consider the effects of climate change on the country's water supply.

"They were written 40 years ago, and there are all sorts of things they don't take into account; among them is climate change," Gleick said. "We need to revise water quality laws so some of the threats posed by climate change can be addressed."

Related Links:

U.S. Geological Survey

National Center for Atmospheric Research

Pacific Institute

Discovery Earth Live

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