Water science news, explainers, and statistics covering freshwater, hydrology, lakes, rivers, groundwater, ice, and Earth’s connected water systems.
Lake Tahoe looks so vast and deep that a dam seems almost irrelevant, yet gates at its outlet influence when water enters the Truckee River. The lake itself is a natural body of water. Fault movement created its mountain basin millions of years before people built the structure at Tahoe City. The apparent contradiction comes…
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Boiling can reduce the chlorine smell in tap water, but the outcome depends on the disinfectant flowing from the faucet. Heat helps ordinary free chlorine leave water, while chloramine persists much longer. A quick boil therefore cannot promise the same result for every public water supply. The difference affects taste and any specialized use that…
Clear water in a dehumidifier bucket can look surprisingly pure. Yet the safe answer is simple: do not drink dehumidifier water. A household dehumidifier is built to control indoor humidity and its collection path is not designed to protect drinking-water quality. The liquid can acquire microbes and other contaminants before it reaches the bucket, then…
A glass filled from a softened tap may look and taste much like any other drinking water. For many healthy adults, an occasional glass is unlikely to be a concern. Regular use deserves a closer look because a common type of home softener exchanges hardness minerals for sodium. The amount added can vary widely from…
