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Still from film of Amara Strande, caption: "Despite her illness, she testified to the State Legislature"

Water is Treasure – and so is our global community

January 21, 2025 | By Avonna Starck
A documentary film crew from Japan visited our community to screen their made-for-television film, Water is Treasure – Fighting PFAS Contamination! Fight for Life. The film chronicles how mothers in Japan are leading efforts to raise awareness about PFAS contamination in their drinking water, which they attribute to U.S. military bases and the use of PFAS-based firefighting foam, and weaves in stories from the United States.
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Environmental Effects of Salt

September 29, 2021 | By Tiffany Bui
While it is possible for salt levels to stabilize in freshwater systems, this will take decades of stabilized and reduced road salt usage. This problem will only grow more difficult to fix if action is not taken.
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Road salt ends up in Minnesota lakes and rivers. Photo: flickr.com/mango_sparrow (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Rusting and Corroding Pipe

Salt: Health and Safety

September 29, 2021 | By Tiffany Bui
Excess salt in the environment does not only threaten safety when it is consumed. Corrosion costs more than $22 billion each year to just the public water supply alone. In addition, chlorides can damage bridges, pavement, cars, and storm water facilities, leading to a host of different safety concerns.
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How Salt Gets in the Environment

September 29, 2021 | By Emily Ranson and Tiffany Bui
Human inputs of salt increase concentrations far beyond naturally occurring levels, threatening ecosystem balance. While salt can enter the environment through many different activities, road salt usage is the most significant contributor to salt pollution.
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List of chloride impaired waters

How Salty is Maryland?

September 29, 2021 | By Emily Ranson and Tiffany Bui
The Potomac River, which supplies drinking water to more than 5 million people, is three times saltier than 30 years ago. It is crucial that we halt this trend before more people lose access to safe drinking water.
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