New York Times, September 12, 2009: Tests on tap water in The US city of Charleston, West Virginia reveal it contains arsenic, barium, lead, manganese and other chemicals at concentrations federal regulators say could contribute to cancer and damage the kidneys and nervous system. The situation is so bad that residents have stopped showering, and avoid all contact with the water.

Those who do come into contact with the water cover their skin with lotion afterwards to avoid painful rashes.

Research done by the newspaper  shows that an estimated one in 10 Americans have been exposed to drinking water that contains dangerous chemicals or fails to meet a federal health benchmark in other ways.

“How can we get digital cable and Internet in our homes, but not clean water?”

says Mrs. Hall-Massey, resident and a senior accountant at one of the state’s largest banks.

Read more at the New York Times website.

The story illustrates that the modern technical society shares the challenges of providing water in a secure way with developing countries.