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The <keyword id="20417468" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="department-of-drinking-water-and-sanitation" source="keywords">Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation</keyword> has received a budgetary allocation of Rs 77,390.68 crores for the fiscal year 2024-2025. This figure reflects a minimal increase of only 0.5 per cent from the revised estimate of Rs 77,032.65 crore announced in budget 2023-2024. A substantial portion of this financial year's allotment for the <keyword id="22519676" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="drinking-water-and-sanitation" source="keywords">Drinking Water and Sanitation</keyword> department is directed towards the <keyword id="19971121" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jal-jeevan-mission" source="keywords">Jal Jeevan Mission</keyword> (JJM), which received Rs 69,926.65 crore, a marginal rise from the revised estimate of Rs 69,846.31 crore in 2023-2024. This flagship programme aims to provide functional household tap connections to every rural household by 2024, focusing on ensuring regular and adequate <keyword id="19939560" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="water-supply" source="keywords">water supply</keyword>. Additionally, the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation (SPM-NIWAS) has been allocated Rs 95 crore, a huge rise from the Rs 3 crore it got in the last revised estimate. The <keyword id="20200832" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="swachh-bharat-mission" source="keywords">Swachh Bharat Mission</keyword> (Gramin), which focuses on maintaining Open Defecation Free (ODF) status and enhancing waste management in rural areas, has been allocated Rs 7,192 crore. This allocation remains consistent with the budget for the previous fiscal year and continues to support <keyword id="22519675" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sanitation-efforts" source="keywords">sanitation efforts</keyword> nationwide. The budget also includes significant funding for water supply and sanitation at Rs 64,302.85 crore, an increase from the previous year's Rs 64,138.41 crore. For economic services, the budget includes Rs 35.78 crore for the Secretariat and capital outlay on general economic services. This is an increase from Rs 32.65 crore in the revised budget, indicating a focus on enhancing administrative and infrastructural capacities. Additional allocations include Rs 7,632.19 crore for Northeast India, aimed at improving water and sanitation facilities in these regions. Grants-in-aid to state governments have been set at Rs 5,169.86 crore, while grants to Union Territories are allocated at Rs 250 crore.

Budget 2024-25: Drinking water and sanitation dept gets a mere 0.5% boost

<ul class="summary-list"><li>RFK Jr. says under President Trump, he'll advise US water systems to remove fluoride.</li><li>The federal government is not in charge of the US water supply. It's a local thing.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/rfk-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>, the man widely expected to become a health leader in President-elect Donald Trump's White House, has promised to lobby to remove fluoride from the American water supply.Nearly 63% of the US population has fluoridated water flowing through their taps, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/php/statistics/2022-water-fluoridation-statistics.html">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC).US health experts describe fluoridated water — a voluntary practice for local water districts — as one of modern medicine's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4850bx.htm">greatest public health achievements</a>, up there with the recognition that smoking is bad for you.Meanwhile, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr-views-vaccines-autism-testing-debunked-2023-7">Kennedy</a>, a former environmental lawyer who was instrumental in the fight to clean up the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.riverkeeper.org/blogs/honoring-our-foundation-in-science/">Hudson River in New York</a>, says there's no need to fluoridate drinking water anymore since most toothpaste contains fluoride. He's not alone. An important debate over fluoride is gaining fresh steam among scientists and legal experts. Some recent studies suggest more research is still needed on safe fluoride levels for kids. Plus, a federal ruling in California this year questioned the US government's recommended dose.While many medical professionals — chiefly dentists — support some level of fluoridation, there is growing agreement that we still aren't sure how much fluoride is too much.<h2 id="73e9cfea-f185-4392-8a29-deb966cdc1f8">120 years ago, fluoride was the mystery culprit behind brown teeth in Colorado</h2><div type="image" title="woman with brown teeth" height="2752" width="1912" msid="115231235" hostid="261" sizebytes="398436"></div>The reason most Americans have fluoride in their drinking water stretches back more than a century to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/fluoride/the-story-of-fluoridation">mysterious outbreak</a> scattered across the Midwest and western US.In the early 1900s, dentists started noticing that children in specific towns, including Colorado Springs, Colorado; Oakley, Idaho; and Bauxite, Arkansas, were developing hard, chocolate-colored teeth.It took more than 20 years, but eventually, researchers discovered that these unusual brown stains were caused by high amounts of naturally occurring fluoride in the drinking water in certain areas of the country.They also found that the fluoride — a mineral compound found in rocks and dirt — was strengthening teeth. It was hardening tooth enamel and helping to repair some early-stage tooth decay.By 1945, scientists had learned enough about fluoride to harness the technique to prevent cavities for the masses. They proposed microdosing the mineral into the public water supply to give kids just enough fluoride to protect their teeth and help heal dental decay without giving them so much that their teeth would go brown.The experiment worked.In 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan, was the first city to purposefully fluoridate its water. In the first 10 years of the program, the rate of cavities in kids decreased by more than <a target="_blank" href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1551218/?page=1">60%</a>. Thus, the idea of fluoridated water as a boon for public health was born.<h2 id="ffc42276-b971-4331-bd76-9f4c2877d29f">US water districts decide their own fluoride levels</h2><div type="image" title="tap water" height="4000" width="6000" msid="115231232" hostid="261" sizebytes="655952"></div>Kennedy has <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1852812012478398923">said</a> he'd aim to convince local authorities nationwide to remove any added fluoride from taps."I think fluoride is on its way out," Kennedy <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/video/rfk-jr-talks-health-care-agenda-following-trump-win-223717957893">told NBC</a> News the day after the election, adding: "I'm not going to compel anybody to take it out, but I'm going to advise the water districts. I'm going to give them good information about the science, and I think fluoride will disappear."The federal government does not control water supplies in the US. That task is up to states and local water systems.The US Environmental Protection Agency does mandate a limit for fluoride in tap water: four milligrams per liter. That limit is meant to prevent crippling health issues caused by excess fluoride intake, like a bone-weakening disease called skeletal fluorosis.<h2 id="e730cbbb-f6d0-4962-9881-0475436e9095">The US lowered fluoride levels in drinking water in 2015</h2><div type="image" title="crest toothpaste vintage ad w nina simone and daughter" height="4416" width="3531" msid="115231221" hostid="261" sizebytes="896112"></div>The amount of fluoride added to a water supply varies not only by city and county but also by the individual water system supplying a given neighborhood.For many years, the federal recommendation fluctuated based on location. In warmer climates — where it was assumed that kids consumed more water to stay cool — officials recommended 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter. Colder areas were advised to add 1.2 milligrams per liter.After reviewing evidence in 2015, the US Public Health Service decided that the discrepancy wasn't needed. The recommendation for fluoridation is now set at 0.7 milligrams per liter nationwide.Most major cities in the US hover around the 0.7 figure. Some places naturally have elevated levels of fluoride in their water due to geological factors. In Lordsburg, New Mexico, for example, water samples collected earlier this year had concentrations of fluoride between <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://cityoflordsburg.com/fluoride-mcl-notice-2024/">5.2 and 6.4 milligrams</a> per liter. Authorities there advise that children under 9 years old shouldn't drink tap water.<h2 id="c03fabfb-6a1d-488a-8229-718ca0e2727d">Places with fluoride-free water generally have worse dental health</h2><div type="image" title="toothbrush with paste" height="3209" width="4813" msid="115231228" hostid="261" sizebytes="238252"></div>Proponents of ditching fluoride often point to the many European countries that do not fluoridate their water. Those countries are not 100% fluoride-free, though: unlike people in the US, many Europeans consume fluoridated salt.Hawaii is the only US state without any fluoride in municipal taps; fluoridated water is only available there on military bases. A <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://health.hawaii.gov/about/files/2013/06/Hawaii-Smiles-Report.pdf">2015 report</a> from Hawaii's health department said the state also has the highest prevalence of tooth decay among 3rd graders in the US."It's obvious; you can see it in the quality of their enamel," Anthony Kim, dental director at the Waimanalo Health Clinic, told the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.civilbeat.org/2020/02/why-hawaii-continues-to-keep-fluoride-out-of-its-drinking-water/">Honolulu Civil Beat in 2020</a>. "Sadly, especially among the kids."Researchers in Canada see the same phenomenon. The rate of cavities detected in Alberta spiked after the city went fluoride-free in 2011, according to a <a target="_blank" href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.17269/s41997-024-00858-w">February 2024 study</a>. Calgary did the same and saw <a target="_blank" href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9542152/">similar tooth issues</a> in kids. The city now plans to re-fluoridate its water supply, but cost issues and global supply chain problems post-pandemic have <a target="_blank" href="https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgary-s-plan-to-reintroduce-fluoride-into-drinking-water-pushed-back-to-2025-1.6845098">created delays</a>.The military supports fluoridation. In 2016, the <a target="_blank" href="https://ilikemyteeth.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DoD-Fluoridation-Memo-March-2013.pdf">US Department of Defense</a> said dental decay was a "significant" reason military personnel were classified as non-deployable. As such, fluoridated water is now mandated on any military base with more than 3,300 people.Rumors have circulated that drinking fluoridated water can lead to bone cancer (osteosarcoma), but long-term studies from both <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/43/1/224/736028">the UK</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1877782111001822">US</a> haven't found any credible evidence of higher rates in areas where people drink fluoridated water.<h2 id="726f1d49-c5ff-447d-b2cc-6cf2412f9906">Is there any truth to claims of IQ issues?</h2><div type="image" title="anti fluoride protesters" height="2574" width="3594" msid="115231239" hostid="261" sizebytes="497810"></div>On November 2, Kennedy said on X that fluoride is an "industrial waste" that is linked to "IQ loss."He linked to a ruling from a federal judge in California in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/17-cv-2162-Food-_-Water-Watch-Inc.-et-al.-v.-EPA-et-al-Opinion.pdf">October.</a> The judge, appointed by former President Obama, said that while he could not "conclude with certainty" that fluoridated water could reduce the IQ of children, there is evidence that it can be "hazardous at dosages that are far too close to fluoride levels in the drinking water of the United States."His ruling came weeks after a headline-grabbing paper in which a group of independent scientists reviewed existing evidence on fluoridation for the <a target="_blank" href="https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2024-08/fluoride_final_508.pdf">US National Toxicology Program</a>. Their review concluded that some studies of fluoride consumption have found links between higher fluoride water levels and lower IQs in kids.There are a couple of big caveats to keep in mind. First, those studies were conducted in other countries, including Canada, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Mexico, not the US.Second, the association with lower IQs was only apparent when children were drinking water loaded with fluoride, at more than 1.5 milligrams per liter. That's double what's recommended in the US and 50% more fluoride than what was first used in Grand Rapids in 1945."More studies are needed to fully understand the potential for lower fluoride exposure to affect children's IQ," the experts said.Those new studies are starting to trickle out. Fluoride and aluminum researcher Ashley Malin, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Florida, recently found <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38767917/">a potential link</a> between a woman's fluoride levels during pregnancy and neurobehavioral problems in her toddler three years later."At this point, I would advise that pregnant women reduce their fluoride intake," Malin told Business Insider.Malin brushes her teeth without fluoride, drinks filtered water (using a reverse osmosis water purifier or buying bottled water), and says that the most fluoride she consumes is probably from the black chai tea she occasionally drinks.<h2 id="5b5f129c-cdf6-4dba-a89c-6887474b296d">Settling on the right dose</h2><div type="image" title="retro photo of kid brushing teeth" height="3000" width="2487" msid="115231240" hostid="261" sizebytes="496682"></div>It's hard to tease out <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cochrane.org/CD010856/ORAL_does-adding-fluoride-water-supplies-prevent-tooth-decay">exactly how beneficial fluoridated water is</a> for preventing cavities, in part because fluoridating water isn't the only way that tooth care has improved dramatically since the 1940s. (The level of fluoride in many toothpastes is much higher than what's in the water.)The California ruling last month didn't get prescriptive about what the EPA should do about all this uncertainty. It only recommended some kind of "regulatory action" on fluoride."It should be noted that this finding does not conclude with certainty that fluoridated water is injurious to public health," the verdict read.A federal judge wants the EPA to better answer now whether 0.7 milligrams per liter of fluoride is safe enough.The EPA has said in the past that reviewing their fluoride numbers is a "low priority" item for the agency. Public health experts and dentists generally agree that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/news-events/nidcr-news/2024/big-hopes-little-teeth">fluoridated tap water</a> is a safe, effortless, and equitable way to ensure people get enough fluoride to prevent most childhood cavities.However, scientists haven't quite settled on the optimal fluoride level in tap water to maintain healthy teeth yet.

A brief history of America's love affair with fluoridated water — and why it's now up for debate

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Andrew Halter delivers water 1,200 miles by rail to the Navajo Nation from Mississippi.</li><li>Navajo Nation residents struggle with water scarcity, with 30% lacking reliable drinking water.</li></ul>Andrew Halter had been in the railroad business for 25 years, mostly in middle management roles. It was his dream job and all he ever wanted to do.But when the world shut down in 2020, and he got laid off, he needed to figure something else out."It came to me one day like a clap of thunder," Halter, who is based in Pennsylvania, told Business Insider.Halter and his brother had long talked about the possibility of using rail to help alleviate the water crisis in the Navajo Nation. His brother, Chris Halter, runs the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.stbonaventuremission.org">St. Bonaventure Indian Mission and School</a>, located on the southeastern edge of the reservation, which spans more than 27,000 square miles across parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.Nearly a third of <a target="_blank" href="https://nndwr.navajo-nsn.gov/">Navajo Nation</a> residents do not have access to reliable, clean drinking water, according to the tribe. The estimated population was over 165,000 in 2020, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://data.census.gov/profile/Navajo_Nation_Reservation_and_Off-Reservation_Trust_Land,_AZ--NM--UT?g=2500000US2430">census data</a>.The mission was already delivering water via trucks to 250 families, a small portion of the Navajo who are water-scarce. The families receive about 40 gallons of water a day, far less than the 300 gallons the average American family uses. The mission has relied on a local well to get the water, but if something happened to it, all those families would be without any water virtually overnight."To be honest, it was always the thing that would wake me up in the middle of the night," Chris Halter told BI. "If that well shuts down for some reason, what would I do next?"Now, Halter's company, <a target="_blank" href="https://jacobswell8.godaddysites.com">Jacob's Well</a>, in partnership with the mission, delivers thousands of gallons of water each month from Mississippi to the Navajo Nation via the BNSF Railway. The water-by-rail served as a lifeline in 2022 when the well had to undergo repairs that lasted months.The operation has grown quickly, and Halter is focused on expanding, both to provide more water to the Navajo Nation but also potentially to other places in the West, where dried up rivers and reservoirs are leaving communities increasingly desperate for solutions.<div type="image" title="Tank car" height="2049" width="3209" msid="110505100" hostid="261"></div><h2 id="a684fd17-93b4-488f-a009-a0f311e3306b">Some thought the water-by-rail idea was crazy</h2>When Halter first started calling railroads about transporting drinkable water, some thought the idea was crazy.He finally got in touch with Eunice Sun at BNSF, who currently serves as the business development manager of emerging markets."We haven't moved potable water prior to this opportunity, really, because the economics don't necessarily pencil out in order to pay for that water and pay for the transport," Sun told BI. But when Halter came to her, she said he did a great job communicating his vision and business plan.Halter said right now they can transport water, depending on fuel prices and other fluctuating costs, for around 38 cents a gallon. Currently, those costs are covered almost entirely by private donations to the mission. However, as the operation scales up and he transports more tank cars of water, those costs could come down.Getting a public utility to sell him hundreds of thousands of gallons of water per month was another story. "A lot of times, they think you're crazy," Halter said. Still, they were able to work out a deal with the water department of Helena, Mississippi, where Jacob's Well collects its water before it travels 1,200 miles by rail to the southwest.Once it arrives, the Navajo families can pick up water from the mission or have it delivered to their homes, just as the well water is.Originally, Halter said he couldn't even find information about how the water would travel, and it took a lot of testing before and after transport to ensure the supply stayed safe to drink."We've kind of had to wing it and make up our own rules as we go along and figure some things out the hard way, which we did," he said.It took around eight months from when Halter first contacted BNSF for the first shipment to go out, and the operation has only grown since. Halter said they currently average around two tank cars a month, which each hold 21,000 gallons of water, but the operation is capable of delivering 200,000 gallons a month if needed.They sent half a million gallons of water total in 2023. He's hoping to reach 2 million this year.<div type="image" title="Water truck" height="400" width="600" msid="110505104" hostid="261"></div><h2 id="b3ba473f-e5dc-4635-868b-ff5aed905355">Emergency water supply and the water crisis</h2>It's unclear at this point how scalable or economically feasible water-by-rail will be in other places, but those involved are hopeful.Chris Halter said he's currently conducting a study that he hopes will show the project has had a sound return on investment so that he can show tribal, local, and state governments that this is a feasible option.Sun said expanding Jacob's Well wouldn't come without growing pains, but that BNSF is happy to help support the project's growth. "It tugs at your heartstrings," she said, adding that it's not often she gets to work on a project that has such a direct positive impact on a local community.Halter sees water-by-rail as something that could fill a serious need in all sorts of situations, from communities whose wells run dry to natural disasters. He's already been in touch with the state of New Mexico and FEMA. He's hopeful that rail will be among the solutions that help alleviate the broader water crisis.After getting a severe case of COVID-19, Halter lost the use of his right hand and was not able to go back to work on the railroad, so he now runs Jacob's Well full time."It's become a driving mission to give these people water," he said. "I want to be able to provide people with water at the lowest cost possible, and I want it to make enough money to support itself, but I don't need to get wealthy on it."For now the operation is run on donations, but they're hoping they can get grant money or other public funds to help support it in the future."Water is a human right," Halter said. "And they should be able to have it."Have a news tip or a story to share? Contact this reporter at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:kvlamis@businessinsider.com">kvlamis@businessinsider.com</a>.

A railroad worker figured out how to send thousands of gallons of drinking water by rail from Mississippi to the Navajo Nation to alleviate the water crisis

<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/financing-a-sustainable-future-2022"></a><div type="image" title="A man fills a cup at a community water kiosk" height="1706" width="2275" msid="91156525" hostid="261"></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Kettie Alinafe Harawa is the Malawi-based director of influence and scale at <keyword id="15300" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="water" source="Orion">Water</keyword> for People.</li><li>The nonprofit works to bring quality <keyword id="11955376" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="drinking-water" source="Orion">drinking water</keyword> and sanitation services to countries in need. </li><li>Harawa leads projects like tapping into groundwater and installing pumps and water infrastructure.</li></ul>Access to <keyword id="11947900" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="clean-water" source="Orion">clean water</keyword> and better hygiene, sanitation, and water resource management is the "centerpiece" for solutions to <keyword id="11964087" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="poverty" source="Orion">poverty</keyword>, gender equality, education, and hunger around the world, said Kettie Alinafe Harawa, the Malawi-based director of influence and scale at <a href="https://www.waterforpeople.org/">Water for People</a>. In <keyword id="12621998" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="malawi" source="Orion">Malawi</keyword>, Harawa is leading projects like tapping into groundwater and installing pumps and other water infrastructure.<div type="image" title="black and white headshot of Kettie Alinafe Harawa" height="1876" width="2502" msid="91156526" hostid="261"></div>Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, the international nonprofit organization works in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Peru, Rwanda, Uganda, and India, and has directors based in each of those countries.To tackle the problem, Harawa works with local governments in Malawi and the national government, non-government organizations, and other groups to carry out Water for People's mission to bring quality <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grIR9KCrGlI">drinking water and sanitation services</a> to Malawi long term that are sustained by communities, businesses, and governments.The nonprofit funds local projects in part from donors like <a href="https://www.charitywater.org/">Charity:Water</a>, <a href="https://www.focusingphilanthropy.org/">Focusing Philanthropy</a>, <a href="https://www.latterdaysaintcharities.org/">Latter-day Saint Charities</a>, and the <a href="https://www.seagrapefoundation.org/">Sea Grape Foundation</a>, which <a href="https://www.waterforpeople.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/WaterForPeople_AnnualReport_2020.pdf">contributed more than $1 million in 2020</a>. Other funding comes from individual and corporate donations and other fundraising. It also negotiates with partners like local governments, education and health departments, and communities, which help pay for water, sanitation, and hygiene projects in their areas."Water issues need to be solved first and everything else will follow," Harawa told Insider.In 2020, two billion people worldwide lacked safe drinking water, 3.6 billion lived without safely-managed sanitation, and 2.3 billion lacked basic hygiene — and 129 countries aren't on track to have sustainably-managed water systems by 2030, according to the<a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal6"> United Nations</a>.Many African countries, like Malawi, which is home to around 19 million people, experience water stress at higher rates than other parts of the world because of higher poverty levels and a lack of water infrastructure, and a <a href="https://www.wri.org/insights/climate-change-hurting-africas-water-sector-investing-water-can-pay">World Resources Institute report </a>suggests that climate change could worsen the problem. In Malawi, around <a href="https://www.waterforpeople.org/malawi/">a third of the population lacks access to basic water services</a> and 75% don't have <a href="https://www.unicef.org/malawi/stories/water-makes-covid-19-treatment-sites-safe">access to sanitation services</a>.Here's a look at how Harawa is working to expand access to clean water, hygiene, and sanitation in her home country.<h2>Ensuring long-term water viability </h2><div type="image" title="students washing their hands in Blantyre, Malawi" height="1706" width="2275" msid="91156527" hostid="261"></div>Water for People <a href="https://www.waterforpeople.org/malawi/">began working in Malawi in 2000</a> and now covers three districts in the country: areas in and around the second-largest city of Blantyre and the rural areas of Chikwawa and Chiradzulu.The nonprofit brings water to communities by drilling and repairing boreholes, which are narrow shafts that reach groundwater, and restoring gravity-fed piped water systems, which pull water upstream from rivers, streams, or catchments.<div type="image" title="a man working on a water pump" height="1706" width="2275" msid="91156528" hostid="261"></div>Ensuring that communities can sustain their water and sanitation services is central to the mission. Harawa said the organization educates community organizations, businesses, and individuals on managing and repairing water points to ensure long-term viability and provides assistance in maintaining the water infrastructure and education along the way."We let them understand where their water is coming from, that water is a finite resource that must be taken care of," Harawa said, adding that citizens are also educated on how to reuse water to grow crops and plant trees.Harawa counts her work in Blantyre among her biggest accomplishments. She was instrumental in bolstering the <a href="https://www.bwb.mw/">Blantyre Water Board</a> and helping establish 10 water users associations that manage 1,000 communal water kiosks in the city.Across Malawi, she also led a team that built more than 360 water kiosks and created a sanitation business chain to offer long-lasting sanitation services in Blantyre.In 2021, Water for People's program costs in Malawi totaled <a href="https://www.waterforpeople.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Water-For-People-2020-Consolidated-Financial-Statements.pdf">more than $4.1 million</a>, according to the organization. An additional $3.3 million was invested by partners and other stakeholders in the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector.<h2>Meeting the UN's water security targets </h2><div type="image" title="a child walks with a water jug on their head" height="1568" width="2090" msid="91156529" hostid="261"></div>Harawa also strives to help Malawi achieve the <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal6">UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6</a> focused on clean water and sanitation. This involves reaching <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal6">several targets by 2030</a>, including expanding safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene access, reducing water pollution, and restoring water-related ecosystems.The country is now a step closer, she added, after Water for People was involved with developing a resilient financing strategy for the water sector. Harawa was instrumental in the drafting process."We provided technical assistance to the government of Malawi with funding from UNICEF to develop a climate-resilient WASH financing strategy. The strategy identified the WASH finance gap and identified three ways of closing the gap," Harawa said. The government has accepted the plan, but it hasn't yet been adopted, as it's awaiting the minister's signature.While she's not sure of the exact timeline, Harawa believes once the strategy is implemented, Malawi will meet the SDG 6 initiative."If we do business as usual, then we're not going to meet it," Harawa said. "But if we change the way we approach things and do things better, then we will be able to achieve SDG 6 in Malawi."

How a Malawi-based advocate is working to bring quality drinking water and sanitation services to the African nation

If you step out into <keyword id="19895037" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bengaluru" source="keywords">Bengaluru</keyword> traffic these days, there’s a good chance you’ll discover a bulky water tanker spearheading the all-too-familiar clog in traffic. Amidst the ongoing <keyword id="6355836" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="water-crisis" source="Orion">water crisis</keyword>, India’s Silicon City has mobilised thousands of tankers that zip, almost heroically, across the city, rescuing parched residences from the metro’s urban planning crisis. Bidding to reduce their reliance on the exorb<keyword id="6354185" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="it" source="Orion">it</keyword>ant tankers — a necessary step after the exhaustion of half the city’s groundwater-fed borewells — many residential societies have begun innovating water-saving techniques, with varying degrees of success. However, for the several businesses and industries littering the metropolitan town, it seems like dark days are looming. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="IT in turmoil" comment="subhead" text="IT in turmoil">IT in turmoil</cmsannotation> Hosting over 1,400 tech companies that employ tens of lakhs of employees, Bengaluru has certainly earned its title as India’s ‘Silicon Valley’. Not only has this driven a rapid boom in economic, infrastructural and industrial development, the city has acted as a magnet for people looking for attractive employment opportunities. Unfortunately, this success has also resulted in <a href="https://bpac.in/bangalore-population-growth-consequences-and-possible-solutions/" data-type="tilCustomLink">population levels haphazardly spiking</a> from 2,900 people per square kilometre in 2001 to 4,300 within a single decade. Estimates suggest that this figure may have breached 8,000 by now! In addition to deterring water-cooler conversations, the lack of water in their workplaces have led to several companies already urging employees to work from home. Echoing a growing sentiment among the city’s techies, <a href="https://m.economictimes.com/news/india/it-companies-in-bengaluru-urged-to-give-15-lakh-employees-wfh-option-as-city-grapples-with-water-crisis/articleshow/108761390.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">ex-Chief Justice K Sreedhar Rao also pleaded</a> for temporary remote arrangements for migrant IT workers to depopulate Bengaluru till the water crisis is dealt with. However, many such multinational employees have already begun to preemptively take matters into their own hands by temporarily or permanently moving to other cities, such as the nearby Mysuru. Needless to say, this has disrupted operations for many companies, including some of the top IT firms in Bengaluru. In a surprising turn of tragic events, senior personnel at <keyword id="19969515" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dell" source="keywords">Dell</keyword> have begun skipping meetings to prioritise their procurement of water, reported the Deccan Herald. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Real estate rates to fall; restaurants forced to adapt" comment="subhead" text="Real estate rates to fall; restaurants forced to adapt"><keyword id="6354553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="real-estate" source="Orion">Real estate</keyword> rates to fall; restaurants forced to adapt</cmsannotation> With pleasant weather the year round, Bengaluru has proven itself time and again as an excellent place to settle down and relax. The city’s diverse population is a testament to its uncanny ability to draw people from all over India, even before the city’s notable IT boom. Real estate has now hit an all-time high, with high demand and attractive financial options helping the sector grow exponentially in the past few decades, reportedly recording a staggering nine-year-high 54,000 housing units sold in 2023. However, the city’s recent water woes have left potential property investors second-guessing. According to a recent Deccan Herald poll, around 60% of the respondents noted that they have postponed their move to Bengaluru due to the ongoing shortage, while a similar number of people have also begun evaluating investment options in other cities. Homebuyers have also begun to diligently inquire into <keyword id="55273" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="groundwater" source="Orion">groundwater</keyword> borewell depths and water-saving technologies when consulting developers. While <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/bengaluru-water-crisis-alarms-property-investors-dh-poll-2930539" data-type="tilCustomLink">many contractors remain firm</a> that these reactions are not representative of a long-term trend, some experts have predicted that a fall in property prices may become inevitable. A <a href="https://www.republicworld.com/business/real-estate/bengaluru-water-crisis-property-prices-in-peenya-hsr-layout-marathahalli-to-fall-15-say-experts/" data-type="tilCustomLink">Republic report</a> explains that house rates could fall up to 10-15% in the most water-stressed regions of East and Central Bengaluru, including HSR Layout, Marathahalli, Rajaji Nagar and Peenya. Needless to say, the crisis has also taken a toll on Bengaluru’s various hotels and eateries, many of which are severely dependent on tanker water for cooking, cleaning and drinking purposes. Krishna Raj, owner of the popular <keyword id="21126683" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nisarg-grand-hotel" source="keywords">Nisarg Grand Hotel</keyword>, <a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/india/bengaluru-water-crisis-news-hotels-disposable-utensils-shortage-lok-sabha-polls-karnataka-dk-shivakumar-congress-bjp-11710055127680.html" data-type="tilCustomLink">explained</a> that they might have to begin serving food in disposable utensils if the trend continues into the summer months. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Industrial district parched" comment="subhead" text="Industrial district parched">Industrial district parched</cmsannotation> Located in Northwest Bengaluru, Peenya is home to thousands of industries of varying sizes, producing a host of electronics, textiles, packaging, machines and other consumer items. However, being one of the largest industrial areas in Asia hasn’t protected its businesses from the ongoing crisis. In an <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/bengaluru-water-crisis-to-impact-local-industries-in-coming-weeks-experts-124030601026_1.html" data-type="tilCustomLink">interview with Business Standard</a>, <keyword id="21126682" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="peenya-industries-association" source="keywords">Peenya Industries Association</keyword> President H. M. Arif explained that the area’s micro-industries are strained to the point that many could be forced to close soon if the water crisis continues unmitigated. Many such sectors have also become hopelessly reliant on tanker water, and the associated rising costs have begun to bottleneck the manufacturing process. Prices of several commercial products could go up soon if this trend continues. “Many from the hosiery or garment sector need water for processing,” Arif explains. “You need water for workers as well as other needs. The government is saying it will source recycled water for the industry. But for that, there is a tendering process and at this rate, we will not get water this season.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Solutions and cautious optimism" comment="subhead" text="Solutions and cautious optimism">Solutions and cautious optimism</cmsannotation> This is not to say that the government isn’t taking measures to tackle the crisis. After ordaining centralised control over water tankers and actively regulating prices to ensure the city’s water isn’t hoarded solely by the rich, officials also placed bans on recreational water use. In addition, initiatives are underway to “inject” 1,300 million litres of purified water into the city’s drying lakes per day, which the officials allege will help restore local groundwater levels. <keyword id="19927086" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bwssb" source="keywords">BWSSB</keyword> has also announced plans to build an array of next-gen water treatment plants near restored lake beds to purify and deliver water wherever required. Addressing the harsh summers ahead, Karnataka government officials have expressed optimism that the completion of the Cauvery Five — a massive array of treatment plants that will treat sewage to produce 100 million litres of water a day — will help make up for any deficits by July. Meanwhile, many large corporations, including Microsoft, have begun utilising water-saving tap aerators to control water flow in the Bagmane Business Park offices. The city’s water board, the BWSSB, has also launched four mobile apps to help tackle the city’s water crisis. Attempting to bridge a gap between the water department and the citizens it serves, these apps will help residents book water online, apply for borewell permissions, report water misuse and more. At 24% of its total capacity, reservoirs across Karnataka are also drying up. Despite growing shortages, the state government has assured that the Cauvery River reservoir that supplies water to Bengaluru holds sufficient water levels to last at least until June. After that, the pre-monsoon and monsoon rains are expected to replenish the water resources. However, the supply remains much lower compared to the demand, and the only way to survive this summer could be to adopt drastic water-saving measures and a few good spells of pre-monsoon showers.

Water crisis affects businesses across Bengaluru; Is there room for cautious optimism?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Amid a summer of record-breaking heat, drinking water left out for migrants in Texas has vanished.</li><li>A human rights group keeps more than 100 barrels of water stocked for migrants in rural Texas.</li></ul>As one of the worst <a href="https://apnews.com/article/at-wave-flood-wildfire-smoke-climate-change-c36078efbcba515a4c67b7d9d0bbb9fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heat waves</a> on record set in across much of the southern United States this summer, authorities and activists in South Texas found themselves embroiled in a mystery in this arid region near the border with Mexico.Barrels of life-saving water that a human rights group had strategically placed for wayward migrants traveling on foot had vanished.Usually, they are hard to miss. Labeled with the word "AGUA" painted in white, capital letters and standing about waist-high, the 55-gallon (208-liter), blue drums stand out against the scrub and grass, turned from green to a sundried brown.The stakes of solving this mystery are high.Summer temperatures can climb to 110 degrees Fahrenheit in Texas' sparsely populated Jim Hogg County, with its vast, inhospitable ranchlands. Migrants — and sometimes human smugglers — take a route through this county to try to circumvent a Border Patrol checkpoint on a busier highway about 30 miles to the east. More than 60 miles from the US-Mexico border, it can take several days to walk there for migrants who may have already <a href="https://apnews.com/article/migration-asylum-venezuela-darien-faith-6c823fc4ce91f310874fc862d2cdb73f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spent weeks crossing mountains and desert</a> and avoiding cartel violence."We don't have the luxury of losing time in what we do," said Ruben Garza's, an investigator with the Jim Hogg Sheriff's Office. Tears streamed down his face as he recalled helping locate a missing migrant man who became overheated in the brush, called for help but died just moments after his rescue.Exact counts of those who die are difficult to determine because deaths often go unreported. The UN International Organization for Migration estimates almost 3,000 migrants have died crossing from Mexico to the US by drowning in Rio Grande, or because of lack of shelter, food or water.Humanitarian groups started <a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-health-coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-spirituality-dc417757c106e6565db7f58e45e441cf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">placing water for migrants</a> in spots on the US side of the border with Mexico in the 1990s after authorities began finding bodies of those who succumbed to the harsh conditions.John Meza volunteers with the South Texas Human Rights Center in Jim Hogg County, where the population of about 5,000 people is spread over 1,100 square miles — larger than the state of Rhode Island. He restocks the stations with gallon jugs of water, trims away overgrown grass, and ensures the GPS coordinates are still visible on the underside of the barrel lids.On one of his rounds in July, Meza said, 12 of the 21 stations he maintains were no longer there.The Associated Press compared images captured by Google Maps over the last two years and confirmed that some barrels that were once there were gone.But to where?<div type="image" title="Sealed jugs of fresh water sit inside a water station for immigrants along a fence line near a roadway in rural Jim Hogg County, Texas, Tuesday, July 25, 2023." height="1300" width="1733" msid="102685697" hostid="261" sizebytes="86606"></div>Wildfires are common in this part of Texas, where dry grass quickly becomes fuel. Road construction crews frequently push or move aside obstructions for their work. But as Garza, the sheriff's investigator, walked along a path designated by GPS coordinates for the barrels, there were no signs of melted, blue plastic. And nothing indicated the heavy barrels had been moved. Though volunteers fill them only partway, they can weigh up to about 85 pounds.The investigator drove up and down the main highway where many of the water stations were installed near private property fence lines making note of the circumstances of each missing barrel.Empty water bottles sat on the ground near the round impression left behind by the heavy barrel in one site. At another, the grass was trimmed, and fresh earth was laid bare to create buffers against fire.Garza suspected state road crews moved three barrels that had been along an unpaved road, but the Texas Department of Transportation denied it. The investigator also noted a "tremendous amount" of wildfires could be to blame. He's also speaking with area ranchers in hopes of showing the disappearances may be a simple misunderstanding, not a crime."They probably have a logical explanation," he said, with no apparent lead.But in other states along the southern border, missing water stations have been ascribed to spiteful intentions.The group No More Deaths in 2018 released video of Border Patrol agents kicking over and pouring water out of gallon jugs left for people in the desert.No More Deaths said that from 2012 to 2015, it found more than 3,586 gallon jugs of water that had been destroyed in an 800-square-mile (2,072-square-kilometer) desert area in southern Arizona.Laura Hunter and her husband, John, started putting out water along popular smuggling routes in Southern California in the 1990s. They note their effort is not affiliated with political or religious groups, but that their work is often attacked."Every single year, we have vandalism, of course, you know, people that don't agree with what we do," Laura Hunter said.The Hunters met with Eddie Canales, the executive director of the South Texas Human Rights Center, about 15 years ago and provided the design for the low-cost water stations. In light of the news, they offered some advice."I would replace them all with some used barrels, just replace them all," John Hunter said. "And then I would put a couple of cameras on those and get the guy's license plates and his face."Canales said he plans to work with volunteers to replace the missing stations in the coming days.The number of migrants crossing through South Texas and subsequent deaths decreased this year after President Joe Biden's administration <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-immigration-ukraine-border-af1fb374771da55b83d88a1598621a84" target="_blank" rel="noopener">instituted new border policies</a>. A medical examiner's office that covers 11 counties, including Jim Hogg has received the bodies of 85 migrants who died this year. It represents less than half the number sent to that office in 2022. Most of the migrants who died this year suffered fatal heat strokes.But that could change, especially if <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-border-asylum-lawsuits-legal-2ed47aaced19f8a57c241d35057c22c7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legal challenges to the Biden administration's policies</a> are successful.For now, the mystery about the barrels' disappearance remains unsolved. But Meza, the volunteer who restocks the barrels in Jim Hogg County, plans to continue his work."If that was intentional, that's a pretty malicious thing. You know what I mean?" Meza asked. "You're saying, 'Let these people die because I don't want to give them access to water.'"Associated Press writer Anita Snow in Phoenix contributed to this report.

Amid extreme Texas heat, barrels of drinking water left out for migrants by human rights groups have vanished

Drinking water in northeastern <keyword id="6355882" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="israel" source="Orion">Israel</keyword> has become turbid after deadly earthquakes hit parts of <keyword id="6354913" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="syria" source="Orion">Syria</keyword> and <keyword id="6372909" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="turkey" source="Orion">Turkey</keyword>, local authorities said. The <keyword id="12339114" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="israeli-ministry-of-health" source="Orion">Israeli Ministry of Health</keyword> issued a statement instructing the residents of the city of Beit She'an and dozens of other localities in the area to boil drinking and cooking water, Xinhua news agency reported. Israel's Mekorot national water company explained that earthquake shock waves caused dirt to enter the water at drilling sites in the area. Powerful earthquakes rocked southern Turkey and its neighbour Syria early Monday, killing at least 2,700 people. The earthquakes were also strongly felt in Israel and Lebanon. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/bharti-airtel-tata-steel-hero-motocorp-adani-ports-among-stocks-in-focus/articleshow/97674964.cms">Sensex, Nifty50 likely to open in the green: Bharti Airtel, Tata Steel, Hero MotoCorp, Adani Ports among stocks in focus</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/ndrf-personnel-with-specially-equipped-trained-dog-squad-departs-for-earthquake-hit-turkey/articleshow/97674680.cms">NDRF personnel with specially equipped trained dog squad departs for earthquake-hit Turkey</a>

Drinking water in Israel becomes turbid after Turkey-Syria quake

Making <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/kitchen/how-to-make-espresso" target="_blank" rel="noopener">espresso at home</a> is a work of art, but usually requires training and the <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/kitchen/best-espresso-machine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best espresso machines</a> that use steam and a massive amount of pressure to produce the ideal shot. If you don't have the space or budget to invest in a true espresso maker, the <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/kitchen/best-nespresso-machine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best Nespresso machine</a> might be an ideal alternative."A Nespresso machine works the same way an espresso machine does, using pressure, but on a much smaller and potentially less-consistent scale," says <a href="https://www.insider.com/author/owen-burke" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Owen Burke</a>, former senior reporter and espresso expert at <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/insider-reviews-expertise-in-product-reviews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insider Reviews</a>. "It is incredibly easy for someone to use, and while it doesn't produce espresso by definition, it's as close as you're going to get for as little effort as possible." According to Burke, the "espresso" that comes out of a Nespresso machine doesn't have enough TDS, or total dissolved solids, to qualify as a true espresso. That being said, it does create a fantastic base for espresso-style drinks like lattes and cappuccinos and is a reasonable substitute for those longing for a demitasse of this rich and intense decoction.<h2>Setting up a Nespresso machine</h2>Before its first use, it's important to rinse and clean the water tank, filling it with fresh drinking water. Switch the Nespresso on and let the machine warm up for about 25 seconds — its lights will blink green as it's warming up then turn solid green when it's ready. Place a cup under the spout and once the light is steady, run the machine without a capsule using the Lungo setting — the one that uses the most amount of water, symbolized by the tallest cup — in order to clean the machine. Repeat three times, throwing out the expelled water.<h2>Our top picks for Nespresso machines</h2><div type="image" title="Three Nespresso machines, including the Vertuo Pop+, VertuoPlus, and Lattissima One, against a green gradient background." height="600" width="1200" msid="103643569" hostid="261" sizebytes="34998"></div>We researched and reviewed the <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/kitchen/best-nespresso-machine">best Nespresso machines</a>. Check out our picks: <ul><li>Best overall: Nespresso VertuoPlus - <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-52783-20&amp;h=ffb957439878e479b6796698712ed149f360b05f80f5c9468c4a8b3166a9c185&amp;postID=628f975fa2374776c7e8823c&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fkitchen%2Fhow-to-use-nespresso-machine&amp;site=in&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FNespresso-VertuoPlus-Deluxe-Espresso-DeLonghi%2Fdp%2FB01NAHO017" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See at Amazon</a></li><li>Best budget: Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ - <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-52783-20&amp;h=17b225b4913434e4a5627e736ba7d48c26c7b496d9bde9308ca92b753558d280&amp;postID=628f975fa2374776c7e8823c&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fkitchen%2Fhow-to-use-nespresso-machine&amp;site=in&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FNespresso-Vertuo-Espresso-Machine-Breville%2Fdp%2FB0C5ZP4TX7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See at Amazon</a></li><li>Best for cappuccinos and lattes: Nespresso Lattissima One - <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-52783-20&amp;h=fd9e3376cb8b130e722c5c4e527941388c52245665ba643a86c2eba677c6f93e&amp;postID=628f975fa2374776c7e8823c&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fkitchen%2Fhow-to-use-nespresso-machine&amp;site=in&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08VTG33NZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See at Amazon</a></li></ul><h2>What do the settings mean?</h2><div type="image" title="A closeup of two coffee size selection buttons on a Nespresso machine" height="2471" width="3295" msid="103643570" hostid="261" sizebytes="153746"></div>Depending on the model, you'll see anywhere from two to five or more buttons indicating drink sizes. The Original line Nespressos, like the <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-52783-20&amp;h=7e61dce7601e3308be7e7b978e3bd337062d34d6b2c371078a4baa6e69ebdf73&amp;postID=628f975fa2374776c7e8823c&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fkitchen%2Fhow-to-use-nespresso-machine&amp;site=in&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FNespresso-Aluminum-Espresso-Machine-DeLonghi%2Fdp%2FB07QMX4LYT%2F" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Pixie</a>, <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-52783-20&amp;h=c4fe2cefd5cf17cc4f6a9689a03df3ea9573b7328b7f6f9aed9237aabb13bde3&amp;postID=628f975fa2374776c7e8823c&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fkitchen%2Fhow-to-use-nespresso-machine&amp;site=in&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FNespresso-Essenza-Machine-DeLonghi-Black%2Fdp%2FB06ZYSM2GR%2F" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Essenza mini</a>, and the <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-52783-20&amp;h=ef2068bc8f43f2aefa239f6c14db347c9e8850ac6054a28dbb6e194b21755175&amp;postID=628f975fa2374776c7e8823c&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fkitchen%2Fhow-to-use-nespresso-machine&amp;site=in&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FNespresso-CitiZ-Espresso-Machine-DeLonghi%2Fdp%2FB01M68FHZ4" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Citiz</a>, only make espresso and will have two to three buttons. The <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-52783-20&amp;h=1582346704d2d9a3262af771a7a8313cbc625743a153c47465d1e38dc5942cd1&amp;postID=628f975fa2374776c7e8823c&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fkitchen%2Fhow-to-use-nespresso-machine&amp;site=in&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB01MCYAFOD" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored nofollow sponsored nofollow sponsored nofollow sponsored">Vertuo</a> line includes all three espresso settings, plus additional options for regular coffee, symbolized by a tall coffee mug. And the <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-52783-20&amp;h=21bbba8ffe360e8928b12b35bbe270220b30fd56afb942c88a6fe0c9fde92a9e&amp;postID=628f975fa2374776c7e8823c&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fkitchen%2Fhow-to-use-nespresso-machine&amp;site=in&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FNespresso-Lattissima-Original-Espresso-DeLonghi%2Fdp%2FB079WD2QZN%2F" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Latissima</a> line, which has a self-contained milk frother, offers additional one-touch settings such as latte, macchiato, cappuccino, and flat white, each with distinctive symbols that show their respective ratios of milk to espresso. Here are the basics:Ristretto (Italian for "restricted") uses the least amount of water and is the most concentrated. It produces a 25-milliliter or .84-ounce shot and is symbolized by a small espresso cup. The Espresso setting will give you a 40-milliliter or 1.35-ounce pour and is depicted as a medium-sized espresso cup.Lungo pours are 110 milliliters or 3.72 ounces and have a large portion of water added, making them most similar to an Americano. It is symbolized by the largest espresso cup of the three.<h2>What pods should I use?</h2><div type="image" title="Three coffee pods sitting in a pile of whole coffee beans" height="1414" width="1885" msid="103643571" hostid="261" sizebytes="160830"></div>Nespresso makes its <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-52783-20&amp;h=44319c0b90273593117d9e1b599e7242c4a886e69e6b8308a13e5ba9aade2c54&amp;postID=628f975fa2374776c7e8823c&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fkitchen%2Fhow-to-use-nespresso-machine&amp;site=in&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nespresso.com%2Fus%2Fen%2Fvertuo-coffee-pods" target="_blank" rel="noopener">own brand</a> of aluminum pods meant to be used with their machines, available directly through their website or through several major department stores and retailers. The range of coffees spans single-origin to flavored blends, with seasonal and special edition releases throughout the year. What's important is that Original line machines only take Original pods, and Vertuo models are only compatible with Vertuo pods. Burke says that there are also several other alternatives that make Nespresso Original-compatible pods, as well as reusable versions that can be refilled at home, like <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-52783-20&amp;h=aa6bf769629262e75e5bc7f9212431fa946f3e371ab57b0ed7850a81f2e80676&amp;postID=628f975fa2374776c7e8823c&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fkitchen%2Fhow-to-use-nespresso-machine&amp;site=in&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FReusable-Nespresso-Capsules-Refillable-OriginalLine%2Fdp%2FB00WOWZ74Q" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Seal Pods</a>. Note that Keurig K-Cups, Vittoria Espressotoria, K-Fee, and soft pods will not work in a Nespresso machine. <h2>How to use a Nespresso machine</h2><div type="image" title="A cappuccino and a pair of hands as viewed from above" height="1414" width="1885" msid="103643573" hostid="261" sizebytes="137536"></div><ol><ol><li>Turn on the machine and insert the Nespresso pod. Leave the cover open as the machine heats up and lights blink green. Place a cup under the coffee spout.</li><li>Choose a beverage size. For a traditional espresso pour, select the Espresso button. For a more concentrated shot, pick the smaller Ristretto setting, and for a more diluted shot, opt for Lungo.</li><li>Once the light is a steady green, close the cover. It will automatically start brewing, sending the desired sized pour into the cup below the spout.</li><li>Wait until you hear the capsule ejecting. Some coffee may continue to flow out of the spout until the spent capsule drops, so keep a cup or the drip tray there until the machine has stopped completely. Some models, like the Pixie, require manual ejection of the capsule. Simply open the pod chamber again and it will fall to the waste bin.</li><li>Dispose or recycle the used capsule. The aluminum capsules can be <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-52783-20&amp;h=7e7b3e5db7b022eedb1ade49cd537a54285d0f09419d32d8b98e91e4cfd865bb&amp;postID=628f975fa2374776c7e8823c&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fkitchen%2Fhow-to-use-nespresso-machine&amp;site=in&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nespresso.com%2Fus%2Fen%2Fhow-to-recycle-coffee-capsules" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saved for recycling</a> or thrown away.</li></ol></ol><h2>Insider's takeaway</h2>Nespresso machines are an extremely user-friendly way to replicate the coffeehouse experience at home. While they don't make a true espresso, it's as close to a true espresso as you'll get without having to invest in a full espresso system. With one of the <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/kitchen/best-nespresso-machine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best Nespresso machines</a>, you can enjoy lattes, cappuccinos, Americanos, and more right in the comfort of your own home in just a few easy steps.

How to use a Nespresso machine to make espresso drinks at home

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US Navy said it recently found E. coli bacteria in the drinking water of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.</li><li>It said this week that there have been no confirmed cases of illness related to the contamination.</li></ul>The US Navy acknowledged that it recently found E. coli bacteria in the drinking water aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Sailors first noticed an "odor and cloudy appearance" in the ship's water on September 21, the Navy said in a <a href="https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Press-Releases/display-pressreleases/Article/3187904/update-on-uss-abraham-lincoln-potable-water/">statement</a> released Thursday, weeks after the initial discovery. The next day, testing aboard the ship indicated that E. coli bacteria was present in several of the ship's potable water tanks.The Navy did not go into detail on the severity of the water contamination by E.coli, of which some strains and concentrations can be life-threatening. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, E. coli <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/ecoli-symptoms.html">infections</a> can be very mild, but others can be severe. Symptoms of an infection can include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. The sea service did say though that it isolated the tanks, made bottled water available to the crew, and has had no confirmation of related illnesses."The odor and cloudiness in the water abated by Sept. 22.," the Navy explained in its statement. "However, since the presence of E. coli was not related to the reports of odor and cloudiness in the water, on Sept. 24, additional water samples were sent to Orange Coast Analytical, Inc., a laboratory certified by the state of California's Department of Health, for further testing."The Navy said the results came back on September 26 and that the water was within the required drinking standards. "All potable water tanks currently in service to the crew have been tested and are clear of E. coli," the service said, further explaining that "the affected water tanks remain isolated and will be deep-cleaned and inspected during the ship's ongoing maintenance period."The Navy said that although there have been no confirmed cases of illness related to the contamination of the ship's water, the crew is being monitored. The carrier returned earlier this month to Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, where the flattop is connected to the city's water supply. A Naval Air Forces spokesperson did not immediately respond to Insider's request seeking more information, including why the Navy waited multiple weeks to publically acknowledge that E. coli had been detected in the water supply and whether or not the ship is encouraging people to seek precautionary medical attention.Contaminated water on Navy ships is not unique to the Abraham Lincoln, which discovered its contaminated water shortly after another aircraft carrier did the same. Last month, just a few days before problems with the water were found on the Abraham Lincoln, the Navy said it <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-finding-jet-fuel-traces-uss-nimitz-aircraft-carrier-water-2022-9">found</a> what it described as "traces" of jet fuel in the drinking and bathing water on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. A sailor and their parents later told Insider that the issue was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-jet-fuel-traces-uss-nimitz-sailor-says-worse-problem-2022-9">way worse</a> than what the service originally said publically and argued that the issue was downplayed."We were exposed to an unhealthy amount of JP-5," the Nimitz sailor said, referring to a type of kerosene-based jet fuel that is used in military aircraft and is a go-to for the Navy's carrier air wings.Multiple Navy and Marine Corps <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jet-fuel-contaminated-water-us-navy-flattops-decades-veteran-sailors-2022-10">veterans</a> told Insider that jet fuel contaminating water on Navy flattops is actually a decades-long issue and one which has spanned many ships."When you go to take a shower, it smells a lot like jet fuel. It tastes like jet fuel. It was terrible," recalled one veteran sailor who served on the Forrestal-class carrier USS Ranger in the 1980s.

The US Navy found E. coli in aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln's drinking water after another carrier discovered jet fuel in its water supply

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Jackson, Mississippi's main water treatment facility began to fail on Monday.</li><li>The president of the Jackson Teachers Association told Insider that he is worried children may become displaced due to the water crisis.</li></ul>Jackson, Mississippi, is still without safe drinking water and some parts of the city do not have enough water pressure to flush toilets after the city's main <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/30/us/jackson-water-system-failing-tuesday/index.html">water treatment facility began failing</a> on Monday. George Stewart, the president of the Jackson Teacher's Association, told Insider that teachers in Jackson are "very concerned about our students" because "this is a time where students can become displaced," making them less likely to participate in school. The organization also wants state and local leadership "put the funding in place to fix infrastructure issue that caused this causing this," Stewart said.Gov. Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency on Tuesday and said the state is "cash flowing" funds to support emergency maintenance, repairs, and improvements on the city's water treatment facility to get it back to fully operational as quickly as possible.Stewart is an independent studies teacher at Whitten Middle School in Jackson. All schools in the Jackson Public School District transitioned to virtual learning for the first time this year on Monday after Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba declared a <a href="https://www.insider.com/jackson-water-crisis-state-of-emergency-declared-2022-8">state of emergency</a> due to the water crisis.<h2>Water crisis exacerbates remote learning problems</h2>Stewart said that making sure all of his students have access to Wi-Fi has been an issue since the transition and parents have told him that finding access to childcare during the day has been hard, which can force parents to leave the city with their children."We have quite a few students who are experiencing no water at all," he added.JPS did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.Jackson had already been under a boil water notice from the Mississippi State Department of Health for a month when the water system started to fail.Reeves warned residents; "Do not drink the water. In too many cases, it is raw water from the reservoir being pushed through the pipes," in a press release on Tuesday.Stewart lives in Byram, a suburb about 12 miles South West of Jackson which uses the same water and sewer systems that the city does. Stewart estimated that his family spent "maybe about $100 to $200" on bottled water for his family to use to drink and brush their teeth since the boil water notice took effect.All Jackson public schools are still offering breakfast and lunch to students that can be picked up at all school sites except Forest Hill High School and are offering portable restrooms at athletic events.Are you a resident of Jackson dealing with this water crisis? Email this reporter at kniemeyer@insider.com to share your story.

Jackson teacher's union president says they fear kids will be displaced as the city is still without drinking water

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US Navy recently acknowledged it found jet fuel in the drinking water aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.</li><li>Veteran sailors and Marines told Insider that contaminated water has been endangering crewmembers for decades. </li></ul>Sailors aboard a US Navy aircraft carrier recently found themselves drinking and bathing in water contaminated with jet fuel. Veterans say this problem is one that has spanned decades and many different ships. After Navy officials revealed in late September that the service <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-finding-jet-fuel-traces-uss-nimitz-aircraft-carrier-water-2022-9">found</a> what it described as "traces" of jet fuel in USS Nimitz's water, a sailor on the ship — and their parents — shared photo evidence and testimony with Insider that the problem was significantly <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-jet-fuel-traces-uss-nimitz-sailor-says-worse-problem-2022-9">worse, with more than just "traces" of fuel in the water.</a>"We were exposed to an unhealthy amount of" jet fuel, the sailor said last week, arguing that the seriousness of the issue was initially downplayed by the Navy, even as some of the carrier's crewmembers developed rashes and other troubling symptoms.<div type="image" title="USS Nimitz" height="2008" width="3032" msid="94664257" hostid="261"></div>Nearly a dozen veterans have since reached out to Insider to share that they also came in contact with water contaminated by jet fuel during their service aboard US warships. Insider spoke with a handful of these veterans — sailors and Marines who served aboard aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships — about their experiences.Some spoke on the condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisal in their current roles.These veterans served across four different decades, and all of them said that at some point during their service, they drank or bathed in water contaminated by jet fuel. Some recalled showers that reeked of gasoline and buying flavor packets to try and dilute the fuel taste from their tap water. Some of them said their leaders failed to properly address it, saying that they were told the problem would go away and not to worry about it.Others said they weren't sure if there was a good solution, suggesting this occupational hazard may just be a fact of life for service members aboard Navy vessels."I believe this has been going on for quite a while," a sailor who served on the Forrestal-class carrier USS Saratoga in the 1970s said of the contaminated water on the Nimitz. "It's not the first time. It probably won't be the last."<div type="image" title="Flight ops aboard USS Saratoga (CVN-60) during a 1969 demonstration of NATO firepower." height="671" width="894" msid="94664258" hostid="261"></div><h2>'It was just terrible.'</h2>The veterans who spoke to Insider about their service said that they definitely could smell and taste the jet fuel in the water, though it wasn't always visible. Some said they were told by leadership that jet fuel had gotten in the water. Contaminated water could be found in water fountains, sinks, and showers on the ships, they said, and it was also used to cook the food they ate. Some identified the fuel as either JP-5 — also called jet propellant-5 — or Jet A. Along with JP-8, these are types of kerosene-based fuel that the military uses in jets and helicopters deployed on flattops like carriers and big deck amphibs.According to a 2017 <a href="https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp121-c1-b.pdf">report</a> by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, an agency under the Department of Health and Human Services, these fuels are all flammable and smell like kerosene, and they can enter an individual's body through skin contact, the digestive tract, or the lungs. Once jet fuel enters the body, it can spread throughout."When you go to take a shower, it smells a lot like jet fuel. It tastes like jet fuel. It was terrible," a sailor who served on USS Ranger, another Forrestal-class carrier, in the 1980s said. They said because the drains didn't work in the showers, a few inches of water would build up on the floor, and the whole bathroom "smelled like you were in a gas can."<div type="image" title="USS Ranger years after it was decommissioned in 1993." height="573" width="1024" msid="94664259" hostid="261"></div>Steven Dockstader, who held the rank of a lieutenant during his time on the Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli in the 1990s, said it was "one thing" to bathe in the contaminated water and smell like jet fuel but another thing entirely to drink it.He said that whenever his ship was in port, sailors and Marines would collect fresh water to bring back so they didn't have to drink the water on the ship. <div type="image" title="Aerial shot of USS Tripoli during a deterrence exercise." height="665" width="887" msid="94664260" hostid="261"></div>A Marine who sailed on the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer during the 2010s said their ship eventually ran out of bottled water, so they bought caffeinated flavoring packets to try and dilute the taste of jet fuel in the water because they were told they would just have to keep using the water supply until the traces of jet fuel washed out. The USS Saratoga sailor, who was a seaman apprentice at the time, said they tried not to drink the contaminated water and would stick to fountain drinks or milk from the mess hall. "Everybody knew," the USS Ranger sailor said of the contaminated water. "Everybody talked about it, everybody complained about it. We all knew that it was happening."As with the latest incident aboard the Nimitz, it's not always clear how jet fuel gets into a ship's water supply. Bryan Clark, a former Navy officer and current defense expert with naval engineering experience, told Insider that one way this can happen is if the fuel tanks and the potable water tanks get cross connected."It would not be hard to do, since the piping is set up to allow for a freshwater flush," he said. "The most likely scenario is the piping was set up for a flush at some previous time, and was not realigned afterward. In that case one or two valves out of position could put fuel into the potable water system."<div type="image" title="The amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) is underway during exercise Dawn Blitz 2013." height="1420" width="1894" msid="94664262" hostid="261"></div><h2>'We were just told that it'll go away.'</h2>The USS Saratoga sailor said that when their fellow sailors approached the vessel's leadership about the issue, they were told, "Don't worry about it. It's not going to hurt you.""They were aware of the situation and didn't really do anything about it," the sailor added. Sailors said they believed the medical teams on their respective ships were aware of the problem as well but said they didn't remember noticing any widespread health issues being reported at the time. Three of the service members Insider spoke with said they don't think that they've had any complications as a result of their suspected exposure to jet fuel.One said they get the shakes, which they feel may be a result of the contaminated water, and responded affirmatively when asked if they knew other Navy personnel who have also dealt with various complications. Dockstader, one of the ones who hasn't had any complications, said he saved a sample of the contaminated water as an "insurance policy" while hoping he didn't develop any health issues. "We were just told that it'll go away," said the Marine who served on USS Boxer and left the service as a corporal.The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry said in its 2017 <a href="https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp121-c1-b.pdf">report</a> that "very little" is known about the health effects of jet fuel exposure. But going off accounts from people who have been exposed to kerosene, the agency cited reports of "harmful effects" on an individual's nervous system, respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal tract. "The observed effects included cough and difficulty breathing, abdominal pain and vomiting, drowsiness, restlessness, and convulsions," the agency said in its report.These symptoms are consistent with some <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-jet-fuel-traces-uss-nimitz-sailor-says-worse-problem-2022-9">accounts</a> from a USS Nimitz sailor, as well as statements from Navy officials on the conditions of Nimitz personnel who recently reported falling ill after jet fuel was detected in the water supply. Accounts of jet fuel in the water aboard Navy vessels are far from the only times that individuals serving in the US military have been exposed to potentially toxic and hazardous substances.Last year, for instance, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/red-hill-shutdown-2021-12">petroleum</a> leaked into the Navy's water supply at a base in Hawaii, putting sailors and their families at risk, and former service members who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and were exposed to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/senate-passes-pact-act-providing-aid-veterans-exposed-burn-pits-2022-8">burn pits</a>, where sewage, trash, and medical waste was disposed, have experienced adverse effects.<h2>'The sad truth of the matter'</h2>Some veterans suggested that there may not be a good solution to the problem and that their ship's leadership didn't have a way to fix the problem and did the best they could under the circumstances. The Marine who sailed aboard the Boxer acknowledged that it would have been a challenge for their ship to offload everyone to land and clean out the system.Still, "I don't think it was adequately addressed because I shouldn't have been drinking water that tasted like jet fuel for two weeks," they said.Clark, a defense expert at the Hudson Institute, said it isn't common for jet fuel to contaminate a ship's water supply, but it happens often enough that the Navy has procedures in place for troubleshooting it. The views expressed by veterans — that the issue shouldn't have happened at all — were reflected in comments from a USS Nimitz sailor and their parents, who all said the contaminated water situation was downplayed by Navy leadership and wasn't initially seen as a pressing issue.Insider reached out to the Navy for comment on the concerns raised by former service members but has not yet received a response."The sad truth of the matter," Dockstader said, is that "people that serve our country don't necessarily have their complaints fall on the ears of those that are willing to do something about it right away. And this is potentially a big deal."

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