Tag: Chicago
-
The West should put its straws away. Great Lakes water is not for sale
A cyclist, right, sits under the shade of a tree as others walk along Lake Michigan on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, as a second straight day of hot soupy temperatures approaching triple digits hung over much of the Midwest in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) It is my hope to put to rest the mistaken…
-
Why our water rates are surging – and why black and poor suburbs pay more
Same Lake, Unequal Rates Lake Michigan water rates have been surging throughout the Chicago region in recent years, squeezing low-income residents and leaving them with little, if any, recourse, a Tribune analysis shows. And the financial pain falls disproportionately on majority-African-American communities, where residents’ median water bill is 20 percent higher for the same amount…
-
As Newark Deals With Water Crisis, Another Look at Lead Levels in Chicago
Elevated lead levels in Flint, Michigan, and Newark, New Jersey, have made national news, causing growing concern over water safety in Chicago. Mayor Lightfoot has suspended the city’s water meter installation program after samples showed higher lead levels in homes where a water meter had been recently added. Research has shown that lead levels can…
-
What’s Best for Kids: Bottled Water or Fountains?
Tap water may be better for kids than sugary sodas, but many schools have lead-contaminated water (file photo). This story is part of a special series that explores the global water crisis. For more clean water news, photos, and information, visit National Geographic’s Freshwater Web site. As the U.S. taste for bottled water grows, environmentalists…
-
Brain-damaging lead in tap water, hundreds of homes across Chicago
A Tribune analysis of the results shows lead was found in water drawn from nearly 70 percent of the 2,797 homes tested during the past two years. Tap water in 3 of every 10 homes sampled had lead concentrations above 5 parts per billion, the maximum allowed in bottled water by the U.S. Food and…
