Water Links
U.S. EPA Water (www.epa.gov/ebtpages/water.html) is a comprehensive gateway to all water-related EPA offices, programs, and online resources. Browse by subtopic (aquatic ecosystems, storm water, water quality monitoring, etc.) to find fact sheets, reports, technical documents, news, links, program information, and educational materials.
U.S. EPA Office of Wastewater Management (OWM) (www.epa.gov/owm) supplies detailed information on OWM activities and policies, which focus primarily on the regulation of wastewater discharges from point sources into surface waters. In addition to FAQs, wastewater publications, and links to information on water infrastructure security, the website has a Featured Information page—a good starting point for browsing.
U.S. Geological Survey: Water Resources (USGS) (water.usgs.gov) accesses water resources data from the National Water Information System, with surface water and groundwater measurements from approximately 1.5 million sites across the United States and in Puerto Rico. The USGS also offers a substantial collection of reports, fact sheets, geographic information system (GIS) datasets, applications software, glossaries, and much more.
The Water Environment Federation (WEF) (www.wef.org) is a nonprofit technical and educational organization serving the water-quality community. The website includes water-quality news and in-depth features, numerous discussion groups, and access to WEF papers and articles (for a fee). Users will also find information on the Water Environment Research Foundation, which manages water-quality research for municipal agencies across the United States.
The United Nations University International Network on Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) (www.inweh.unu.edu/inweh) is based at McMaster University in Canada and is funded largely by the Canadian government. UNU-INWEH focuses on improving water-management practices in developing countries. The site provides program information, reports, and various map-based data sets and information directories.
UNICEF Water, Environment and Sanitation (www.unicef.org/wes) webpages describe UNICEF’s worldwide water and sanitation programs and provide related fact sheets, links, and brief news items. Users can also download UNICEF’s flagship report The State of the World’s Children, which includes water and sanitation statistics.
The American Water Works Association (AWWA) (www.awwa.org), a nonprofit research and education organization, claims a membership of more than 50,000 from all sectors of the drinking-water community. Online resources include news, a job bank, and detailed information on each of AWWA’s core program areas (advocacy, communications, conferences, education and training, science, and technology, etc.). The site also links to the AWWA Research Foundation, which supports research designed to increase public access to safe and affordable water.
The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) (www.amwa.net) works with the federal government on regulatory, legislative, and security aspects of municipal drinking-water systems. AMWA’s “e-briefs” offer the latest news in water infrastructure, treatment, conservation, and other issues. AMWA members can access additional bulletins and policy reports. The website also contains a full-text version of the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act, with a side-by-side analysis of major issues.
NSF International (www.nsf.org), a nonprofit public-health organization (formerly known as the National Sanitation Foundation), has information for businesses and consumers on NSF environmental standards, product testing, and certification programs. For example, clicking on “bottled water” in the consumer section brings up information on bottled water types and treatment, an online product database, FAQs, and more.
The National Rural Water Association (www.nrwa.org) is an alliance of state rural water associations that provides programs and on-site help for water and wastewater utility operators. The site has a frequently updated archive of regional, national, and world news, plus a job bank, links, membership information, and free access to Rural Water Magazine—“the only national publication targeted at the operators and board members of rural and small municipal water and wastewater utilities.”
The Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA) (www.amsa-cleanwater.org) represents more than 300 public agencies and organizations committed to environmentally sound wastewater treatment and reclamation practices. The AMSA website offers news, information on AMSA advocacy work, links, job listings, meeting announcements, and access to the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) e-Library—a collection of federal, regional, and state publications referenced in Creating Successful TMDLs…An AMSA Handbook (2004).
The Natural Resources Defense Council (www.nrdc.org/water), a nonprofit environmental advocacy group, has a well-designed website for news and in-depth information on drinking water, oceans, water pollution, restoration, and conservation.
The U.K.’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) (www.defra.gov.uk/environment/water) provides detailed information on water issues, including water quality, flood management, conservation, and marine resources. Each section contains summary program information with links to additional resources such as reports, news, and policy manuals.
The Surfrider Foundation (www.surfrider.org), a nonprofit environmental organization, reviews its advocacy and education programs and provides reference information on a range of ocean-related topics. The site also links to Surfrider Foundation publications, including its annual State of the Beach report.
