New water quality bill for Chicago

Water quality appears to have climbed the political agenda in Chicago this month, according to reports.

State environmental regulators have just launched new environmental legislation to make the reporting policies of public water departments more stringent, introducing penalties for those that fail to publicise contamination of local sources, WBBM reported.

The news - which has been hailed as a great day for the environment by the head of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency - comes after poisonous pollutants were found in the drinking water of south suburban Crestwood in April, due to Lake Michigan water having been mixed with water from a tainted well for decades.

Under the new bill, communities will have to pay fines of $5 (£3) per day per customer if they do not notify residents of any pollution within five days of learning about it.

In related news, the Salt Lake Tribune reported that a recent report on water quality in US freshwater streams, lakes and wetlands conducted by the US Geological Survey could provide a good guideline for local authorities in Utah.

Written by Lauren Steadman