Category: Water Environment

When workers dug up a street in Flint, Michigan, they discovered something that nobody expected – and it explains alot about America’s water problems.

Sometimes the biggest discoveries happen by accident. Like when Alexander Fleming left a petri dish out and accidentally discovered penicillin. Or when a microwave engineer noticed a chocolate bar melting in his pocket and invented microwave cooking.

But the accidental discovery in Flint, Michigan wasn’t nearly as helpful. In fact, it was pretty terrifying.

In 2019, city workers were digging up old water pipes on Kearsley Street to replace them with new ones. This was part of the big effort to fix Flint’s water system after the lead contamination crisis that made national news.

What they found underground made everyone stop and stare.

The “pipes” they pulled out of the ground weren’t really pipes at all. They were more like cardboard tubes that had been wrapped in some kind of tar paper and buried in the dirt decades ago.

Wait, Cardboard Pipes Are Actually a Thing?

Before you think this sounds completely crazy, cardboard water pipes were actually used in some places during the mid-1900s. They were called “fiber conduit” or “bituminous fiber pipe,” and they were made from compressed wood pulp mixed with coal tar.

The idea was that these pipes would be cheaper than metal ones and wouldn’t rust like iron pipes did. Companies that made them claimed they would last 50 years or more.

Spoiler alert: they didn’t.

What Flint workers found were pipes that had started falling apart decades ago. Some had completely collapsed. Others had holes big enough to stick your fist through. A few had literally turned back into something that looked like wet cardboard.

How Did Nobody Know About This?

Here’s the crazy part – city records showed these sections of pipe as “cast iron” or “ceramic tile.” Nobody in the current city government had any idea that cardboard pipes existed under their streets.

The pipes had been installed sometime in the 1950s or 1960s, when Flint was a booming auto manufacturing city. Back then, the city was growing fast and needed to expand its water system quickly and cheaply.

Some contractor apparently convinced city officials that these fiber pipes were just as good as traditional materials but cost alot less. The pipes got installed, covered up with dirt, and forgotten about.

For decades, nobody thought to question what was actually underground. As long as water came out when people turned on their taps, everything seemed fine.

Mike Glasgow, who worked for Flint’s water department for years, told reporters he was shocked when they started finding the cardboard pipes. “In all my time working on water systems, I had never seen anything like it,” he said.

The Gross Reality of What Was Happening

Think about what it means to have cardboard pipes carrying your drinking water for 60+ years.

These pipes had been underground since the Eisenhower administration. They’d been through countless freeze-thaw cycles, floods, construction projects, and everything else that happens underground in a Rust Belt city.

The cardboard material had been slowly breaking down for decades. Pieces of it were flowing through the water system and coming out of people’s taps. The tar coating was leaching chemicals into the drinking water. And because the pipes had holes and cracks everywhere, contaminated groundwater was seeping in.

Dr Laura Sullivan from Michigan State University, who studied Flint’s water crisis, explained it this way: “Imagine trying to drink through a straw that’s made of wet newspaper. That’s basically what was happening.”

Why This Explains So Much

The cardboard pipe discovery helped explain some of the weird problems Flint had been having with its water for years, even before the lead crisis that made headlines.

Residents had complained about:

• Water that tasted like dirt or paper
• Brown or yellow water coming out of taps
• Weird smells that nobody could identify
• Water pressure that would randomly drop for no apparent reason

City officials had blamed these problems on “aging infrastructure” or “seasonal variations.” They never imagined that parts of their water system were literally made of decomposing cardboard.

The cardboard pipes also made the lead contamination crisis much worse. When the city switched water sources in 2014, the new water was more acidic and ate away at pipe materials faster. The cardboard pipes basically disintegrated, releasing decades worth of accumulated junk into the water system all at once.

Other Cities Started Checking Their Records

After news about Flint’s cardboard pipes got out, other cities started wondering what might be buried under their streets.

It turns out Flint wasn’t the only place that used these pipes. Cities across the Midwest and Northeast had experimented with fiber pipes during the post-World War II construction boom.

Detroit found sections of cardboard pipe in some neighborhoods. Parts of Cleveland had them too. Even some suburbs of Chicago discovered they had miles of these pipes that nobody knew about.

Most cities had better record-keeping than Flint, but not all of them. And even in places with good records, the maps sometimes lied. Contractors didn’t always install what they were supposed too, especially if they could save money by using cheaper materials.

The Cover-Up That Wasn’t Really a Cover-Up

Here’s what’s really wild about this story – nobody was actually trying to hide the cardboard pipes. It wasn’t some big conspiracy.

The pipes were installed legally, with permits, by licensed contractors. City inspectors probably even approved them at the time. The fiber pipe companies had legitimate businesses and advertised in trade magazines.

The problem was that over the decades, everyone involved forgot or retired or died. The companies that made the pipes went out of business. The city workers who installed them moved on to other jobs. The records got misfiled or lost.

By the time problems started showing up, nobody was left who remembered what was actually underground.

This is actually a bigger problem than it sounds like. Lots of cities have infrastructure that’s 50, 60, or even 100 years old. The people who built it are long gone, and sometimes the records aren’t as accurate as everyone assumes.

What Happened Next

Once Flint discovered the cardboard pipes, they had to figure out where else these things might be hiding. This meant digging up streets randomly to see what was actually underground, not just what the maps said was there.

They found cardboard pipes in dozens of locations that records showed as having “iron” or “steel” pipes. Some entire neighborhoods had been getting their water through decomposing cardboard for decades.

The city had to replace all of it, which added millions of dollars to their water system repair costs. And since they couldn’t trust their own records anymore, they had to physically inspect thousands of pipe connections to make sure they knew what they were actually working with.

The Bigger Lesson About Infrastructure

The cardboard pipe discovery in Flint is really a story about something much bigger – America’s aging infrastructure and how little we actually know about what we built decades ago.

Cities across the country are full of pipes, bridges, electrical systems, and other infrastructure that’s older than anyone who currently works for the government. The original builders are gone, the companies that made the materials are out of business, and sometimes the records are incomplete or wrong.

This creates a scary situation where cities are maintaining systems they don’t fully understand, using maps that might not be accurate, and making assumptions about materials that could be completely wrong.

Why This Could Happen Anywhere

Before you feel too smug about Flint’s problems, consider this: your city probably has infrastructure mysteries too.

Most American cities built major water, sewer, and electrical systems in the 1950s and 1960s. That was an era of rapid growth, experimental materials, and sometimes questionable construction practices.

Some cities used asbestos cement pipes that are now crumbling. Others used cast iron pipes that have corroded away to almost nothing. A few experimented with early plastic pipes that turned out to have much shorter lifespans than expected.

The scary truth is that most cities don’t actually know exactly what’s underground. They have maps and records that are probably mostly right, but there are always surprises when they start digging.

What You Can Do

This story isn’t meant to make you paranoid about your water, but it is a good reminder that infrastructure problems can hide for decades before anyone notices them.

Here’s what regular people can do:

Pay attention to your water: If it tastes weird, looks funny, or smells strange, don’t just ignore it. Call your water company and ask them to investigate.

Support infrastructure spending: It’s not the most exciting political issue, but cities need money to maintain and replace aging water systems.

Get your water tested: You can buy test kits or hire professionals to check what’s actually coming out of your tap, regardless of what the city says should be there.

Ask questions: If you’re curious about your local water system, most cities have people you can call who will explain where your water comes from and how it gets treated.

The Silver Lining

The one good thing about Flint’s cardboard pipe discovery is that it forced the city to completely rebuild its water system with modern materials and better record-keeping.

New pipes are made of materials that are designed to last 100+ years. Digital records mean future city workers will know exactly what’s underground. And the whole experience has made Flint more carefull about water quality than most cities.

In a weird way, accidentally discovering that your pipes are made of cardboard might be better than never finding out at all. At least then you can fix the problem instead of wondering why your water tastes like wet newspaper.

The Bottom Line

The next time you turn on your tap and clean water comes out, remember that there’s a whole hidden world of pipes, pumps, and treatment systems making that possible.

Most of the time, this hidden infrastructure works pretty well. But sometimes, city workers dig up a street and discover that part of the system is held together with what amounts to 60-year-old cardboard and hope.

Flint’s cardboard pipe discovery is a reminder that our cities are built on layers of decisions made by people who are no longer around to explain them. Sometimes those decisions were good ones. Sometimes they were disasters waiting to happen.

The important thing is to keep checking, keep testing, and keep asking questions. Because if we’ve learned anything from Flint’s experience, it’s that you can’t always trust that what’s supposed to be underground is actually what’s down there.

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This article is based on reports from Flint city workers, Michigan State University research on infrastructure failures, and documentation of fiber pipe use in mid-20th century water systems. While “cardboard pipes” is a simplified term, the technical name for these materials was bituminous fiber pipe or fiber conduit, made from compressed wood pulp and coal tar.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice about water systems or infrastructure. Readers with concerns about their local water quality should contact their municipal water department or consult with qualified professionals.h mentioned reflects ongoing academic and scientific work. Readers are encouraged to consult professionals for specific health concerns.

New research shows that the innocent-looking sponge by your sink could be adding millions of tiny particles to your drinking water every time you wash dishes.

You probably think the biggest water contamination threats come from old pipes, chemical spills, or problems at the water treatment plant. But scientists have discovered something surprising: one of the biggest sources of contamination in your kitchen water might be sitting right next to your sink.

That colorful kitchen sponge you use to wash dishes every day could be releasing millions of microscopic plastic particles and bacteria into your tap water. And most families have no idea it’s happening.

The Surprising Discovery

Dr. Stephanie Losee from Arizona State University was studying microplastics in household water when she noticed something weird. Water samples taken from kitchen sinks often had way more tiny plastic particles than water from the same house’s bathroom or other taps.

At first, she thought maybe it was the garbage disposal or something wrong with the kitchen pipes. But when her team looked closer, they found something nobody expected.

“We started testing water before, during, and after typical kitchen activities,” Dr. Losee explained to reporters. “The biggest spike in microplastic particles happened when people were washing dishes with synthetic sponges.”

Every time someone squeezed a sponge under running water or scrubbed a plate, millions of microscopic pieces broke off and mixed with the water flowing down the drain – and sometimes splashed back into clean dishes and glasses.

What’s Actually Happening

Here’s what scientists figured out: most kitchen sponges are made from synthetic materials like polyurethane foam. These materials seem soft and harmless, but they’re actually made of plastic.

When you squeeze a wet sponge or scrub it against dishes, tiny pieces break off. These pieces are so small you can’t see them, but they’re there. Some get washed down the drain, but others end up on your “clean” dishes or splash back into glasses you’re rinsing.

Think about how many times you’ve filled a glass with water while dirty dishes were soaking nearby, or rinsed a cup right after washing a bunch of plates. Each time, you might be adding microscopic sponge particles to your drinking water.

The Numbers Are Pretty Gross

Researchers tested this by collecting water samples during normal dish-washing activities in regular families’ homes. What they found was pretty shocking.

During a typical dish-washing session, water samples contained anywhere from 10,000 to 4 million microplastic particles per liter. That means if you filled up a regular water bottle from the kitchen sink while dishes were being washed, it could contain millions of tiny plastic pieces.

Even worse, these particles don’t just disappear when you rinse things off. They can stick to wet surfaces and show up in your drinking water hours later.

Dr. Maria Santos from the University of California, who has studied microplastics in households, says the problem is bigger than most people realize. “We’re essentially grinding up plastic every time we wash dishes, and some of that plastic ends up in our food and drinking water.”

It’s Not Just the Plastic

Sponges don’t just release plastic particles. They also harbor bacteria – lots of bacteria.

A study by researchers at Duke University found that kitchen sponges can contain more harmful bacteria than toilet handles. These germs include things like E. coli, salmonella, and other nasty bugs that can make people sick.

When you squeeze a bacteria-filled sponge under running water, those germs don’t just wash away. Some of them splash around your sink area and can contaminate clean dishes, glasses, and even the water coming out of your faucet.

Professor David Kim, who led the Duke study, put it this way: “Your kitchen sponge is basically a bacteria hotel, and every time you use it, you’re giving those bacteria a ride to new places.”

Why Nobody Noticed This Before

You might be wondering why it took so long for scientists to figure this out. The answer is pretty simple: the plastic pieces are so tiny that regular water testing doesn’t look for them.

Most water quality tests check for things like lead, chlorine, and disease-causing bacteria. They don’t usually test for microplastics, especially the kind that come from household activities.

Plus, people have been using synthetic sponges for decades without realizing they were made of plastic. Most families just think of them as “sponges,” not as plastic products that break down over time.

What Are the Long-Term Health Effects of Microplastics?

Scientists are still figuring out exactly what it means for your health to consume these microscopic sponge particles. The plastic pieces are so small that they can get absorbed into your body through your digestive system.

Some research on animals suggests that microplastics can cause inflammation and interfere with normal body functions. But nobody knows for sure what happens when humans eat or drink them regularly over many years.

Dr. Jennifer Thompson, who studies environmental health at Johns Hopkins University, says it’s probably not great. “We know that plastic doesn’t belong in our bodies. Whether these tiny amounts cause immediate harm is unclear, but it’s certainly not something we want to be consuming every day.”

What About Those “Natural” Sponges?

You might think switching to “natural” sponges solves the problem, but it’s not that simple.

Many sponges labeled as “natural” are actually still made from synthetic materials, just colored to look more natural. Real natural sponges (made from actual sea sponges) are expensive and hard to find in regular stores.

Even cellulose sponges, which are made from plant materials, often have synthetic components or are treated with chemicals that can leach into water.

The safest bet is to look for sponges specifically labeled as “100% plant-based” or “biodegradable,” but even then, you need to read the fine print carefully.

Simple Solutions That Actually Work

The good news is that fixing this problem doesn’t require buying expensive equipment or completely changing how you wash dishes. Here are some easy swaps that can make a big difference:

Use washcloths instead of sponges: Old-fashioned cotton washcloths don’t break down into plastic particles, and you can throw them in the washing machine to kill bacteria.

Try bamboo scrubbers: These are made from natural bamboo fibers that don’t release plastic particles when they break down.

Switch to natural bristle brushes: Wooden-handled brushes with natural bristles last longer than sponges and don’t contaminate your water.

Keep your water and dishes separate: Don’t fill drinking glasses or water bottles while dirty dishes are soaking nearby.

The Bacteria Problem Has Easy Fixes Too

To reduce the bacteria issue, you can:

Replace sponges frequently: Throw out kitchen sponges every week, or even more often if you use them a lot.

Microwave wet sponges: Putting a damp sponge in the microwave for 30 seconds can kill most bacteria (but this doesn’t help with the plastic particle problem).

Use separate tools for different jobs: Don’t use the same sponge to wipe counters and wash dishes.

What This Means for Your Family

This research doesn’t mean you need to panic or throw out every sponge in your house today. But it is a good reminder that pollution can come from unexpected places – including things we use every day without thinking twice.

The bigger lesson is that our homes are full of plastic products that slowly break down and end up in our food and water. Kitchen sponges are just one example.

Dr. Losee, the researcher who first noticed this problem, suggests that families think more carefully about the products they use around food and water. “Small changes in your kitchen habits can significantly reduce your family’s exposure to microplastics,” she says.

Looking at the Bigger Picture

The kitchen sponge discovery is part of a larger pattern scientists are finding: microplastics are everywhere in our daily lives, often in places we never expected.

Synthetic clothing releases plastic fibers when we wash it. Plastic food containers shed particles when we heat them. Even car tires release plastic dust that can end up in our water supply.

Kitchen sponges are just one piece of this puzzle, but they’re a piece that every family can easily change.

Making Better Choices

The next time you’re shopping for kitchen supplies, take a minute to read labels and think about what you’re buying. That bright, cheap sponge might seem like a good deal, but it could be adding plastic to your family’s drinking water every single day.

Natural alternatives might cost a little more upfront, but they last longer and don’t contaminate your water. Plus, you won’t have to replace them as often, so they might actually save money in the long run.

The Bottom Line

Your kitchen sponge probably isn’t going to make you seriously sick tomorrow. But over months and years, those millions of microscopic plastic particles and bacteria add up.

The cool thing about this problem is that it’s completely within your control to fix it. You don’t need to wait for the government to pass new laws or for your water company to upgrade their treatment systems. You can solve it today by making different choices about what you use to wash your dishes.

Sometimes the biggest environmental improvements come from the smallest changes. Switching from a synthetic sponge to a natural washcloth might not seem like a big deal, but for your family’s daily water quality, it could make a real difference.

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This article is based on research from Arizona State University on microplastics in household water, Duke University studies on bacteria in kitchen sponges, and ongoing research into microplastic contamination in domestic environments. While the health effects of consuming microplastics are still being studied, reducing unnecessary exposure through simple household changes is recommended by environmental health experts.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The research mentioned reflects ongoing academic and scientific work. Readers are encouraged to consult professionals for specific health concerns.

New research is turning the bottled water industry’s biggest selling point upside down – and the results might shock you.

Walk into any grocery store and you’ll see walls of bottled water with labels promising “pure,” “natural,” and “clean” water. The message is clear: this expensive water in plastic bottles is somehow better and safer than what comes out of your tap.

But what if that wasn’t always true? What if some of the water you’re paying a dollar or more per bottle for actually has more contaminants than the free water coming out of your kitchen faucet?

That’s exactly what scientists are discovering when they test bottled water side-by-side with tap water from certain cities across America.

The Great Water Test-Off

Environmental Working Group researchers have been comparing bottled water to tap water for years, and their findings are pretty surprising. In some cases, municipal tap water actually contains fewer harmful chemicals than popular bottled water brands.

Dr. David Andrews, a senior scientist with EWG, explains what they’re finding: “We’ve tested bottled waters that contain higher levels of certain contaminants than the tap water in well-managed municipal systems.”

This doesn’t mean all bottled water is worse than all tap water. But it does mean the simple assumption that “bottled equals better” isn’t always right.

Where Tap Water Wins

Some cities have invested so much in their water treatment systems that their tap water is cleaner than many bottled water brands. Here are some examples:

New York City has famously good tap water that comes from protected watersheds in the Catskill Mountains. The city’s water consistently tests better than many bottled waters for things like bacteria, chlorine byproducts, and heavy metals.

Seattle gets its water from the Cedar River and South Fork Tolt River watersheds. The city’s treatment system removes more contaminants than some bottled water companies do.

Boston has upgraded its water treatment facilities significantly over the past decade. Their tap water now often tests cleaner than bottled water for several types of chemicals.

San Francisco draws water from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park. The combination of clean source water and modern treatment makes their tap water rival expensive bottled brands.

The Bottled Water Reality Check

Here’s something the bottled water industry doesn’t advertise: they don’t have to follow the same strict testing rules that cities do.

Municipal water systems have to test their water constantly and report the results to the public every year. If something goes wrong, they have to tell everyone immediately and fix it fast.

Bottled water companies? They test their products less frequently, and they don’t have to tell you the results unless something goes really wrong.

Plus, about 25% of bottled water actually comes from municipal sources anyway. That means you might be paying $1.50 for water that originally came out of someone else’s tap – just filtered again and put in a plastic bottle.

The Plastic Problem Nobody Talks About

Here’s where things get really interesting. Remember those studies about microplastics that we’ve been hearing about? Well, it turns out that bottled water often contains more tiny plastic particles than tap water.

A recent study by researchers at Columbia University found thousands of plastic particles in popular bottled water brands. These nanoplastics are so small they can get into your body’s cells.

Meanwhile, tap water – which travels through mostly metal or concrete pipes – typically has far fewer plastic particles.

So while you’re trying to avoid chemicals by buying bottled water, you might actually be getting more plastic contamination than if you just drank from the tap.

The Money Math

Let’s talk about what this costs. The average American family spends about $600 per year on bottled water. For that same $600, you could:

• Install a really good water filter system for your whole house
• Get your tap water professionally tested multiple times
• Buy a top-of-the-line countertop filter that removes more contaminants than most bottled water companies do

If your local tap water is already pretty clean (which it is in many places), you could be saving hundreds of dollars every year while actually getting cleaner water.

When Bottled Water Makes Sense

This doesn’t mean bottled water is always bad or unnecessary. There are definitely times when it makes sense:

Emergency situations when your local water system is damaged or contaminated Travel to places where you don’t know about the local water quality Areas with known water problems that haven’t been fixed yet Convenience when you’re out and about and need something to drink

The key is understanding that bottled water isn’t automatically better just because it costs more and comes in a plastic container.

How to Know What You’re Really Getting

If you want to know whether your tap water or bottled water is actually cleaner, here’s what you can do:

For your tap water:

• Look up your city’s annual water quality report online
• Get your water tested independently if you’re curious
• Check if your area has any current water advisories

For bottled water:

• Look for brands that publish detailed testing results
• Check the source – is it from a protected watershed or just filtered tap water?
• Read the fine print on labels to see what’s actually been removed

The Environmental Bonus

Here’s an extra benefit that many people don’t think about: choosing tap water over bottled water is way better for the environment.

Making all those plastic bottles uses huge amounts of energy and oil. Shipping them around the country burns more fuel. And even though plastic bottles can be recycled, most of them end up in landfills or, even worse, in rivers and oceans.

When you drink tap water, you’re not creating any plastic waste at all.

What Cities Are Doing Right

The cities with the cleanest tap water have a few things in common:

Protected water sources that don’t get polluted in the first place Modern treatment facilities that use the latest technology Regular testing that goes beyond what’s legally required Investment in infrastructure to keep pipes and systems updated

These cities have figured out that it’s cheaper to prevent water problems than to fix them later. And their residents get to enjoy clean, safe water straight from the tap.

The Bottom Line

The next time you’re reaching for an expensive bottle of water, ask yourself: do you actually know what’s in it? Have you checked how it compares to your local tap water?

You might be surprised to learn that the water coming out of your kitchen faucet is just as clean – or even cleaner – than what you’re paying premium prices for in plastic bottles.

This doesn’t mean you should never buy bottled water again. But it does mean you should make that choice based on real information, not just assumptions about what’s better.

Your wallet, your health, and the environment might all benefit from giving your local tap water a fair chance. After all, in many places across America, it’s already better than bottled – and it’s been flowing right into your kitchen all along.

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Environmental Working Group analysis of municipal water quality reports and bottled water testing shows that well-managed city water systems often produce cleaner water than many bottled water brands. Cities like New York, Seattle, Boston, and San Francisco have invested in advanced treatment systems that remove more contaminants than some bottled water companies. However, water quality varies significantly by location, and consumers should check their local water quality reports and bottled water sources to make informed decisions.

What started as a routine water test in Jewell, Oregon has turned into a nightmare that won’t end – and it could happen to any small town in America.

Imagine if you couldn’t drink water straight from your tap for an entire year. No quick glass of water when you’re thirsty. No brushing your teeth without thinking twice. No making coffee or tea without boiling water first.

That’s exactly what’s been happening to the 200 residents of Jewell, Oregon, a tiny logging town tucked away in the Coast Range mountains. For over 12 months now, they’ve been living under a boil water advisory that just won’t go away.

How It All Started

It began like a lot of water problems do – with a routine test that came back with bad news.

In early 2024, the Oregon Health Authority found E. coli bacteria in Jewell’s water supply. E. coli is the kind of bacteria that can make people really sick, especially kids and older adults. When it shows up in drinking water, health officials don’t mess around.

The town immediately issued a boil water advisory, expecting to fix the problem in a few days, maybe a week at most. That’s how these things usually go.

But Jewell’s problem turned out to be much bigger than anyone expected.

When Quick Fixes Don’t Work

At first, the town tried all the usual solutions. They flushed the water lines. They added more chlorine to kill the bacteria. They tested and retested, hoping to get the all-clear from health officials.

But every time they thought they had it beat, the E. coli came back.

“We’ve tried everything we can think of,” said Jewell’s water system operator during a recent town meeting. “This isn’t something you expect to deal with for months and months.”

The problem seems to be that the bacteria found a way to hide deep in the town’s aging water pipes. Every time the chlorine treatment kills most of the E. coli, some survives in little pockets and grows back.

What Daily Life Looks Like

Living under a permanent boil water advisory changes everything about your daily routine.

Jewell residents have to:

• Boil water for at least one minute before drinking it
• Use boiled or bottled water for brushing teeth
• Boil water for washing dishes or use bottled water
• Be extra careful when giving water to pets and babies
• Always have bottled water on hand for emergencies

Sarah Chen, who moved to Jewell just before the water crisis started, says it’s exhausting. “You don’t realize how much you just turn on the tap without thinking until you can’t do it anymore,” she explained. “Everything takes longer. Everything costs more.”

The town’s small café had to switch to bottled water for everything – coffee, tea, even washing vegetables. The owner says it’s added hundreds of dollars to her monthly costs.

The Money Problem

Small towns like Jewell face a unique challenge when water problems drag on this long. They don’t have big budgets or teams of engineers like major cities do.

The town has already spent thousands of dollars on:

• Extra water testing (required every few days)
• Additional chlorine and water treatment chemicals
• Bottled water for residents who can’t afford to buy their own
• Consultants to help figure out what’s wrong

But the real solution – completely replacing the old water pipes where the E. coli is hiding – could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. For a town of 200 people, that’s an impossible amount of money.

Why This Keeps Happening

Jewell isn’t alone. Small towns across America are struggling with aging water systems that were built decades ago and never properly updated.

Dr. Michael Rodriguez, who studies water systems at Oregon State University, explains the problem: “Many small communities built their water systems in the 1950s and 60s. Those pipes are now 60 or 70 years old, and they’re starting to fail in ways we didn’t expect.”

Old pipes develop cracks, rough surfaces, and deposits where bacteria can hide. Modern water treatment can kill most germs, but if bacteria find the right hiding spot, they can survive and multiply.

The Bigger Picture

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there are about 50,000 community water systems in the United States. About 82% of them serve fewer than 3,300 people.

These small systems face challenges that big cities don’t:

• Limited budgets for repairs and upgrades
• Fewer trained staff to handle complex problems
• Difficulty getting help from experts
• Less political influence when asking for state or federal aid

When things go wrong in a small town’s water system, they can stay wrong for a very long time.

What Jewell Is Doing Now

The town isn’t giving up. They’ve applied for state and federal grants to help pay for new water pipes. They’re working with engineers to design a completely new water system.

They’ve also gotten help from neighboring communities. The larger town of Seaside, about 30 miles away, has donated bottled water. Local churches and community groups have raised money to help families who are struggling with the extra costs.

But even with all this help, town officials estimate it could be another six months to a year before they have a permanent solution.

What Other Towns Can Learn

Jewell’s story is a warning for small communities everywhere. Water systems need regular maintenance and updates, even when everything seems to be working fine.

Experts recommend that small towns:

• Test their water more frequently than the minimum required
• Set aside money each year for water system repairs
• Work together with neighboring towns to share costs and expertise
• Apply for grants before emergencies happen

Living With Uncertainty

For now, the people of Jewell are getting used to their new normal. Kids have learned to brush their teeth with bottled water. Families keep big pots on their stoves for boiling drinking water. Everyone has gotten really good at reading expiration dates on water bottles.

But they’re also learning something about community. Neighbors check on each other more often. People share resources and help however they can. When one family runs out of bottled water, someone else always has extra.

“It’s not the way we wanted to bring the community together,” says longtime resident Bob Martinez. “But in some ways, we’re closer now than we’ve ever been.”

The Reality for Small Town America

Jewell’s year-long water crisis shows what can happen when small towns don’t have the resources to maintain basic services that everyone depends on.

It’s a problem that goes beyond just water. Small communities across the country are struggling to maintain roads, bridges, power systems, and other infrastructure that’s getting older every year.

The people of Jewell are hopeful that help is coming. Grant applications are pending. Engineers are working on solutions. Community fundraisers continue.

But for now, they’ll keep boiling water, buying bottles, and supporting each other through a crisis that has lasted far longer than anyone ever imagined it could.

Next time you turn on your tap and clean, safe water comes out, remember the folks in Jewell, Oregon. They’re a reminder that the basic things we count on aren’t always as reliable as we think – and that sometimes, small problems can turn into big ones that last much longer than anyone expects.

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Jewell, Oregon has been under a boil water advisory since early 2024 due to persistent E. coli contamination in their water system. The town of approximately 200 residents is working with state officials and engineers to find a permanent solution, but the process could take another 6-12 months. This situation highlights the challenges faced by thousands of small water systems across the United States.ests show accuracy rates comparable to some professional laboratory equipment. boiling and basic filtration can reduce some PFAS levels, though effectiveness varies by PFAS type and water chemistry.

🔥 America’s Water Systems Are Failing in Climate Disasters — Here’s What’s Really Happening

When wildfires hit Los Angeles earlier this year, thousands of families fled their homes — but the danger didn’t end when the flames died down. For many who returned, the real threat was hiding underground: their tap water may no longer be safe to drink.

After the fires, several neighborhoods received boil-water advisories or were told not to use the water at all. In Santa Monica, bold red warnings were taped to doors: “Do not drink the tap water.” Why? When extreme heat melts plastic pipes or drops water pressure, smoke, ash, and even toxic chemicals can seep into the system. It can take weeks or even months to flush everything out and make the water safe again.

This kind of disruption isn’t rare anymore. From the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California to the 2023 Lahaina fire in Hawai’i, wildfire-related water contamination has become a recurring crisis. And it’s not just fires. Hurricanes, heat waves, floods, and droughts are now testing the limits of the U.S. water system in ways it simply wasn’t built for.

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💧 When Disaster Strikes, Water Can Disappear

After Winter Storm Uri slammed Texas in 2021, millions were left without clean water as treatment plants failed and pipes burst across the state. In Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria (2017) knocked out power and water for weeks in some communities. And in Colorado, the 2021 Marshall Fire melted service lines and led to long-term contamination concerns.

These kinds of breakdowns are happening more frequently. But according to experts, the U.S. still doesn’t have a strong system in place to manage them.

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🚨 Who Decides What Counts as a “Water Emergency”?

The Safe Drinking Water Act gives the EPA authority to set standards for clean water. But when it comes to emergencies, the rules are vague and inconsistent. There’s no national law that defines when a “water emergency” begins or what kind of warning must be sent out. That means states and local governments are left to figure it out themselves—and not all of them are ready.

“Disasters expose just how patchy our system really is,” says Dr. Andrew Whelton, a water safety expert at Purdue University. He’s worked with dozens of communities recovering from wildfire damage in California, Colorado, and Hawai’i.

After the Lahaina fire, Whelton found that many residents used contaminated water before receiving official warnings, simply because no one told them soon enough.

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🧪 What Can Get Into the Water?

It depends on the disaster.

• Wildfires can melt plastic pipes and let in ash, smoke, benzene (a cancer-causing chemical), and other toxins from burned homes and cars.
• Floods can overflow sewers, mixing wastewater with drinking water.
• Heat and drought can crack pipes and allow contaminants to seep in over time.
• Storms often cause power outages, which reduce water pressure. That creates suction that pulls dirty water into clean pipes — a major contamination risk.

And once these chemicals or bacteria get into the system, every home hooked up to it can be affected.

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🧑‍🤝‍🧑 When the System Breaks, Volunteers Step In

In 2023, when Lahaina’s water system was contaminated, residents had to rely on bottled water deliveries. The same thing happened in Texas in 2021 — and in countless smaller towns across the U.S. since.

In places where local governments can’t respond quickly, community groups and volunteers often step up. One well-known example is BeLoved Asheville, a grassroots organization in North Carolina that has helped distribute water, food, and hygiene supplies during extreme weather events. Their work shows how important local action can be when official plans fall short.

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🛠️ How Some Cities Are Fighting Back

Some towns are taking action to prevent the next crisis. After the Camp Fire, the city of Paradise, CA, began installing backflow prevention devices — special valves that stop dirty water from flowing backward into clean pipes.

In Louisville, Colorado, officials started installing automatic shutoff systems so workers won’t have to risk their lives turning off valves during future fires. Many cities are also investing in backup generators to keep water systems running when the power goes out.

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🧭 What Needs to Change

Experts like Elin Betanzo, founder of Safe Water Engineering, say it’s not just about better plumbing — it’s about rethinking how we prepare for climate change.

“If we’re not building for what’s already happening,” she says, “we’re going to keep falling behind.” That means:

• Creating national standards for disaster water safety
• Giving local utilities the resources and training they need
• Rethinking development plans in high-risk areas
• And making sure the public is informed early and clearly when water becomes unsafe

Because in a world where fires burn hotter, storms hit harder, and droughts last longer, we can’t afford to treat clean water as guaranteed anymore.

Picture this: you’re living in a coastal town, and every few weeks your street floods. Sometimes it’s during a regular rainstorm, other times on perfectly sunny days when the tide rolls in. You call city hall, but officials tell you flooding only happens a few times per year according to their data. Sound frustrating? It turns out you’d be right to question those numbers.

A groundbreaking study by researchers from North Carolina State University and UNC-Chapel Hill just shattered our understanding of how often coastal flooding actually occurs. The results are eye-opening: communities are getting flooded 10 times more frequently than government agencies realize.

The Shocking Discovery

Dr. Katherine Anarde and Dr. Miyuki Hino didn’t trust the official numbers. These researchers suspected that the tools scientists use to predict flooding—mainly tide gauges that measure ocean water levels—were missing something important. So they decided to find out for themselves.

Their team placed custom sensors directly in storm drains and along roads in three North Carolina coastal towns: Beaufort, Carolina Beach, and Sea Level. What they discovered during one year of monitoring (May 2023 to April 2024) completely upended conventional wisdom about coastal flooding.

The jaw-dropping results:

• Beaufort experienced flooding on 26 days
• Carolina Beach saw 65 days of flooding
• Sea Level endured a staggering 128 days of flooding

Meanwhile, NOAA’s official high-tide flooding predictions suggested these same communities would only flood about 9 days per year. In Carolina Beach’s case, the prediction was just 1 day. The scientists weren’t just a little off—they were dramatically underestimating the problem.

Why Scientists Got It So Wrong

The issue isn’t that tide gauges are broken. These instruments work perfectly fine for measuring ocean water levels. The problem is that flooding on land involves much more than just high tides.

Dr. Anarde explains it simply: “They’re designed to measure the tides or water levels of oceans and bays, and that means it’s imperfect or not intended to actually capture flooding on land.”

What tide gauges miss:

• Rainwater that can’t drain properly because of high tides
• Groundwater that gets pushed up when sea levels rise
• Old drainage systems that can’t handle today’s conditions
• The way different neighborhoods flood differently

Think of it this way: if you wanted to know how often your basement floods, would you measure the water level in the river across town? That’s essentially what scientists have been doing with coastal flooding.

The Real Story Behind the Numbers

When the researchers dug deeper into their data, they uncovered some surprising patterns:

Sunny day flooding is real: Many flood events happened during clear weather when tides were high. Residents would step outside on a beautiful morning to find their streets underwater.

Duration matters: It’s not just how often flooding occurs, but how long it lasts. Some areas stayed flooded for hours longer than tide predictions suggested.

Local factors dominate: Each community flooded differently based on their unique combination of infrastructure, elevation, and drainage systems.

It’s getting worse: Sea levels along the Southeast coast have risen more than 6 inches since 2010 alone—equivalent to what happened over the previous 50 years.

Dr. Hino puts it bluntly: “Our data highlight that the problem of sea level rise is not for future generations, it’s a now problem.”

What This Means for Coastal Communities

This research reveals that millions of Americans living in coastal areas face flooding far more often than anyone realized. The implications are massive:

Infrastructure planning: Towns have been designing drainage systems and roads based on wildly inaccurate flood predictions. No wonder so many coastal roads seem to flood “unexpectedly.”

Property values: If flooding happens 10 times more often than people think, how does that affect real estate in coastal areas?

Emergency response: First responders and local officials need better data to prepare for and respond to flooding events.

Climate adaptation: Communities trying to prepare for sea-level rise need accurate information about current conditions, not outdated estimates.

The researchers emphasize that their North Carolina findings likely reflect what’s happening along coastlines throughout the Southeast and Gulf Coast. “The problems we are seeing here are extremely likely to be problems we are seeing elsewhere,” Dr. Hino notes.

The Technology That Revealed the Truth

The breakthrough came from thinking outside the box. Instead of relying on ocean measurements, the research team created a network of land-based sensors specifically designed to detect when roads actually flood.

Their innovative approach:

• Waterproof sensors placed inside storm drains
• Cameras positioned above ground to visually confirm flooding
• Custom software that transmitted real-time data wirelessly
• A year-long monitoring period to capture seasonal patterns

This wasn’t just a quick study—it was a comprehensive monitoring system that tracked every single flood event, no matter how brief or minor.

The sensors defined flooding as any time water spilled onto nearby roads, which matches what residents actually experience. Previous methods often missed these “nuisance” floods that significantly impact daily life.

Why Traditional Methods Failed

Government agencies rely on two main approaches to predict coastal flooding: NOAA’s High Tide Flooding threshold and the National Weather Service’s minor flood threshold. Both use tide gauge data to estimate when flooding might occur on land.

But here’s the problem: coastal flooding isn’t just about high tides anymore.

The missing pieces:

• Rainfall runoff: When storms coincide with high tides, drainage systems can’t handle the combined water load
• Groundwater intrusion: Rising seas push groundwater up through the soil
• Aging infrastructure: Many coastal drainage systems were designed decades ago for lower sea levels
• Local topography: Each neighborhood has unique elevation and drainage characteristics

Dr. Anarde describes these traditional methods as “poor indicators of flooding” because they don’t account for the complex interactions happening on land.

The Human Impact

Behind all these numbers are real people dealing with flooded streets, waterlogged cars, and the constant stress of unpredictable flooding.

Sea Level, North Carolina—the community with 128 flood days—is a rural area where residents often can’t afford to constantly replace flood-damaged belongings. Carolina Beach deals with flooded tourist areas that hurt local businesses. Beaufort struggles with flooding that disrupts daily commutes and emergency services.

“People know where it floods and a lot of people can put numbers to how frequently it floods, but as scientists, we just had no idea what ‘all the time’ meant,” Dr. Hino admits.

This disconnect between lived experience and scientific understanding has left communities feeling unheard and unprepared.

Looking Ahead: What Needs to Change

The researchers aren’t just pointing out problems—they’re working with communities to develop solutions. But first, we need better data.

Immediate needs:

• More land-based flood monitoring systems
• Updated flood prediction models that account for multiple factors
• Infrastructure assessments based on actual flood frequency
• Community-specific adaptation strategies

Long-term implications:

• Rethinking coastal development patterns
• Upgrading drainage systems for current reality
• Adjusting flood insurance rates based on accurate risk
• Preparing for even more frequent flooding as seas continue to rise

The researchers stress that every community faces unique challenges. “There’s no one-size-fits-all solution,” Dr. Hino explains. “But with more accurate data, we can help communities assess what response strategy is best for them, now and in the future.”

The Bigger Picture

This study represents more than just better flood measurement—it’s a wake-up call about how quickly our coastal environment is changing.

The Southeast has experienced some of the fastest sea-level rise on Earth since 2010. Communities that thought they had decades to prepare are discovering they’re already living with the consequences of climate change.

The acceleration is real: High-tide flooding in the Southeast now happens about five times more often than it did in 1990. Projections suggest it could be 15 times more frequent by 2050.

But the researchers found something even more concerning than increased frequency: some areas are approaching “permanent inundation,” where water levels rarely recede completely.

What Residents Can Do

If you live in a coastal area, this research suggests you should trust your own observations about flooding frequency rather than relying solely on official predictions.

Practical steps:

• Document flood events in your neighborhood with photos and dates
• Share information with neighbors to build community awareness
• Contact local officials about infrastructure needs
• Consider flood-proofing measures for your property
• Stay informed about local adaptation planning efforts

The researchers continue working with communities to develop better monitoring systems and adaptation strategies. Their “Sunny Day Flooding Project” aims to help more coastal areas understand their true flood risks.

Bottom Line: A New Reality Requires New Approaches

This groundbreaking research proves that coastal flooding is already a much bigger problem than scientists realized. Communities face inundation far more frequently than government data suggests, and traditional prediction methods are inadequate for today’s reality.

The key takeaways:

• Actual flooding happens 10 times more often than tide gauges predict
• Many flood events occur during normal weather, not just storms
• Current infrastructure wasn’t designed for today’s sea levels
• Communities need better data to make informed decisions

What this means for you:

• If you live near the coast, flooding is likely more frequent than official estimates suggest
• Planning for sea-level rise needs to start now, not in future decades
• Local knowledge often trumps distant scientific predictions
• Better monitoring and adaptation strategies are urgently needed

As Dr. Anarde puts it: “I view it as a harbinger of what’s to come.” The question isn’t whether coastal flooding will get worse—it’s whether communities will get the accurate information they need to adapt effectively.

This research shows that understanding the present is just as important as predicting the future. Only by accurately measuring today’s flood reality can coastal communities prepare for tomorrow’s challenges.

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Learn More

• Follow the research – The Sunny Day Flooding Project continues monitoring coastal communities
• Document local flooding – Help build community awareness by tracking events in your area
• Contact officials – Share local knowledge with planners and emergency managers
• Prepare your property – Consider flood-proofing measures based on actual local conditions

Sources: Nature Communications Earth & Environment, North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Washington Post | Last Updated: June 24, 2025

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