Drinking water

Dentists say adding fluoride to drinking water is a major benefit for healthy teeth, but opponents are having some success with local and statewide bans.

Lawmakers are making it more difficult to take water out of Missouri.

Utah's governor recently signed a bill into law banning the addition of fluoride into Utah's public water systems.

A new law required local school districts to test drinking water for lead. After many did find lead above the state threshold, St. Louis environmental justice advocates are asking for more accountability for remediation.

The statewide effort to clean up drinking water was prompted by a 2022 Missouri law, and more than $27 million has been set aside to fix the problems.

As the EPA gets close to finalizing rules related to PFAS, some providers in Missouri could be forced to clean up their drinking water.

The St. Louis University team discovered microplastics in water and sediment in a cave that had been mostly closed to humans for 30 years.

St. Louis’ water has been tested for toxic chemicals by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources over the past decade and found to be safe. But the new EPA rules would set higher safety standards, and St. Louis will be retested.

Nonpoint source pollution is the biggest threat to water quality today — but the Clean Water Act isn’t fully capable of tackling it, two Mizzou researchers say.

A cross-disciplinary study suggests the multiple laws and regulations designed to protect water aren’t working, and a new focus on drinking water can fix that.