Videos – Water Quality

Videos & Podcasts

Topic Key

Monitoring Water Quality

Public Health & Water Quality

Testing Parameters

Threats to Water Quality

Water Quality Concepts

Can You Define Safe Water? (Podcast)


"Safe water means water that will not harm you if you come in contact with it. The most common use of this term applies to drinking water, but it could also apply to water for swimming or other uses." This podcast explores how we can define safe water.

To view the transcript of this podcast, click here.

Run time: 2 minutes

Source: USDA

Dolphins are dying at an alarming rate


"Scientists are puzzled by a disturbing trend in the waters along four Gulf Coast states. Almost 300 dead and dying dolphins have washed ashore since February, three times the usual number. Mark Strassman reports."

Run time: 3 minutes

Source: CBS This Morning

Explore More: Water Quality


"The water we drink, the places we swim, and the plants and animals within our environment are increasingly threatened by one thing--pollution. Agricultural practices, household uses, urban runoff, and other sources significantly impact our communities and the world. The ways we use water, the pollutants found in it, and the issues that challenge its quality must be understood if we are to protect this vital resource. This award-winning program examines the threats, surveys the experts, and challenges you to make a difference through the choices you make."

Run time: 29 minutes

Source: Iowa PBS

Flint's water crisis, explained


"Flint, Michigan, tried to save money on water. Now its children have lead poisoning. Joe Posner explains."

Run time: 4 minutes

Source: Vox

Louisiana's Bonnet Carre Spillway


"The Mississippi River drains water from 31 different states, where rain and snowfall make their way south and make the river swell in Louisiana." This video investigates the Bonnet Carré Spillway, a flood control structure designed to prevent flooding from the Mississippi River.

Run time: 2 minutes

Source: WWLTV

Protecting Water Quality


"The quality of water we use and drink determines in large part quality of our lifes. Clean water is essential to the health and well-being of people preserving the integrity of the natural environment and sustaining economies."

Run time: 8 minutes

Source: UNESCO

What is a Watershed?


Watershed concepts are vital to include in any conversation about water pollution. This animated video explains "how watersheds work in the United States and how they impact us on many levels."

Run time: 3 minutes

Source: USDA

When is water safe to drink?


"Water is refreshing, hydrating, and invaluable to your survival. But clean water remains a precious and often scarce commodity – there are nearly 800 million people who still don’t have regular access to it. Why is that? And how can you tell whether the water you have access to — whether from a tap or otherwise — is drinkable?"

Run time: 5 minutes

Source: TED-Ed

Why some don't have clean water


"First Nations reserves across Canada struggle to access clean drinking water from their taps. We explain why this problem has persisted and what the Trudeau government is doing about it.

Run time: 8 minutes

Source: Global News