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Lynn Sherr discusses the joys of swimming and the effect it has on our lives. Swim: Why We Love the Water looks at how swimming has changed over the millennia, how this ancient activity is becoming more social today, and our relationship with the water.

When people think of Michigan's economy, they generally think of places like Detroit and Flint, and of the state's once great automobile manufacturing sites. But Martina Guzmán of WDET takes a closer look at the economic benefits of one of the Great Lakes State's most tried and true resources: water.

Water rates could go up by 7 percent for about 836,000 customers in New York City beginning on July 1.

We're kicking off a series of Please Explains on how to save the world—ways to approach complex global problems such as climate change, food supply, garbage disposal, population control, and violence. Today's topic is how to protect the world's water supply. Upmanu Lall, Director of the Columbia Water Center, and Sandra Postel, founder of the Global Water Policy Project and National Geographic Freshwater Fellow join us to discuss the state of fresh water around the globe.

It's all that's left at this grocery store in Park Slope on Saturday morning.

The simple pleasures of a home-cooked meal and hot shower have been out of reach for more than 800 Harlem residents whose gas was never restored following a water main break nearly two weeks ago.

Alex Prud'homme tells the evolving story of freshwater—as the climate warms and the world population grows, demand for water has surged, but supplies of freshwater are static or dropping, and new threats to water quality appear every day. The Ripple Effect: The Fate of Fresh Water in the Twenty-first Century investigates the state of our water infrastructure, the supply and quality of water, how secure our water supply is, new sources of water, and discusses whether the wars of the 21st century will be fought over water.

Randy Newman captured a moment of national anger in "Burn On," a song about the polluted Cuyahoga River catching fire in 1969. That environmental disaster pushed Congress and the Nixon administration to create the Environmental Protection Agency and pass laws like the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. But today's guest warns that these laws are woefully outdated, and that clean water is becoming increasingly scarce. Access to freshwater, he argues, is the most urgent problem we face in the twenty-first century.

Massive development and urbanization are jeopardizing China's water supply. Upmanu Lall, director of the Columbia Water Center and professor of Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University, and Christina Larson, contributing editor at Foreign Policy magazine and fellow at the New America Foundation, discuss China's efforts to deal with this challenge, and urbanization and water issues worldwide.

The city's Department of Environmental Protection is telling New Yorkers to run their taps for 30 seconds before drinking, cooking or using tap water for baby formula. That's because tests have shown elevated levels of lead in some older buildings.

Scientists believe they may have discovered a planet that is capable of holding water on its surface; if true, it strongly implies life could exist there as well. 

The planet orbits a dim red star called Gliese 581, some 20 light years away from us.

The city is setting its sights on reducing sewer overflows by 40 percent over the next 20 years.

Swimming is one way to beat the heat – but it can be dangerous for those who don't have a basic knowledge of how to handle themselves in the water. Olympic swimmer Cullen Jones knows this all too well: When he was five years old he almost drowned at an amusement park. This summer the gold medalist has been traveling around the country with the USA Swimming Foundation in a six-city tour called "Make a Splash with Cullen Jones." At each stop Jones meets with community leaders and teaches basic water safety to parents and children.

New York City closed an underground water tunnel on Monday that's been used for the past 10 years to flush out the notorious Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. The closure is supposed to pay off in the long-term by allowing $135 million worth of improvements to take place, though it also introduces some short-term risks while the tunnel is out of operation.

The city closed an underground water tunnel Monday morning that's been used for the past 10 years to flush out the notorious Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. The closure is supposed to pay off in the long-term by allowing $135 million worth of improvements to take place, though it also introduces some short-term risks while the tunnel is out of operation.

New Yorkers used to the cost of living constantly going up can brace for another increase.

Legislators are coming out against a plan to raise water rates by 13 percent.

It's a situation reminiscent of the old line: "Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink."  A new report from our partner, The New York Times, says that might be a fair description of some U.S. water supplies.  Since 2004, the water provided to more than 49 million Americans has contained illegal concentrations of chemicals like arsenic or uranium, as well as dangerous bacteria often found in sewage.

Charles Duhigg is a New York Times business reporter, and tells us what to be worried about, and why violations weren't caught sooner.

NASA recently found water on the moon; maybe they can help California find some now. Experts are expecting record lows for the amount of water that they'll be able to deliver next year: a measly 5% of what cities and farms are requesting. What can Californians and Gov. Schwarzenegger do? We talk with Eric Garner, managing partner of Best, Best & Krieger. He's one of the leading experts on water in California, having litigated many water disputes and negotiated many agreements in the Golden State. He's also seen many other countries around the world sucessfully deal with the same problems as California.

As the planet heats up, water shortages are becoming an important environmental issue. You've been told to reduce your carbon footprint—but what about your water footprint? To help explain this new means of measuring consumption, we turn to Matthew McDermott, Senior Writer for Treehugger.

Continue reading to see the water footprint of some popular foods and beverages.