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In Depth Articles

What's On Tap? Grading Drinking Water in U.S. Cities
Report

This June 2003 NRDC study of drinking water quality in 19 U.S. cities finds that pollution and deteriorating, out-of-date plumbing are sometimes delivering drinking water that might pose health risks to some residents -- and unless steps are taken now, tap water will get worse. The report issues grades to each municipal water system studied in three problem areas -- water quality and compliance, source water protection, and right-to-know compliance -- and outlines a plan for protecting the nation's drinking water supply.

Bottled Water: Pure Drink or Pure Hype?
Report

A petition to the FDA and attached report on the results of NRDC's four-year study of the bottled water industry, including its bacterial and chemical contamination problems. The petition and report find major gaps in bottled water regulation and conclude that bottled water is not necessarily safer than tap water.

See the NRDC Policy Solutions section for more expert analysis of environmental issues. You may also wish to view the working materials in the NRDC Document Bank