Journalists can help rural communities by reporting on local drinking water data and quality

The EPA maintains the Safe Drinking Water Information System. Users can click on states or use search tools.

Rural communities need journalists who investigate and report on local and more regional drinking water issues, from tainted wells to water that runs brown and few people would voluntarily drink.

The Safe Drinking Water Information System is online, searchable and a place to start exploring area-specific data. SDWIS data is managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and required by the Safe Drinking Water Act, writes Joseph A. Davis for the Society of Professional Journalists. Access SDWIS here.

The act requires more "public disclosure than almost any other environmental law. The data is all there (mostly), although SDWIS is not that easy to use," Davis explains. "It really helps if you know the official name of the drinking water system you are interested in."

U.S. water systems come in all sizes, and some regional water services have surprising regulations. Davis writes, "A Girl Scout summer camp’s well system may not even operate year-round. But it’s still a 'community water system' that must meet the act’s requirements."

For communities with more than 10,000 residents, the Consumer Confidence Report contains vital data. "It tells people whether the water meets standards (or doesn’t), and what the contaminants of concern are," Davis writes. Reporters may want to remind readers that not all contaminants are regulated.

Other tips include looking into lead and bacterial levels. Davis adds, "Groundtruth everything you can. Talk to water users and system operators instead of relying merely on data. Go to utility board meetings. Taste the water. Visit the source."

Apply by Monday for Rural Computer-Assisted Reporting fellowship to Investigative Reporters & Editors Bootcamp

Monday, May 8 is the deadline for rural jouralists to apply for free tuition at the Data Journalism Bootcamp of Investigative Reporters & Editors Aug. 7-11 in Columbia, Missouri.

Established by IRE member Daniel Gilbert in 2011, this fellowship is for reporters at small news organizations pursuing data-driven investigative stories that provide a public service for people in rural communities. The fellowship is offered in conjunction with the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky (which publishes The Rural Blog). The goal of the fellowship is to foster investigative reporting in rural areas by assisting small news organizations that lack the resources to send reporters to an IRE data journalism bootcamp.

The fellowship is open to U.S.-based professional journalists working for:

• a newspaper with circulation fewer than 40,000 with a significant rural audience
• a television or radio station outside the top 100 Nielsen markets with a significant rural audience
• a nonprofit news organization with demonstrated rural coverage and readership
• freelance journalists who have: a clearly defined project with rural impact; a small, rural news organization committed to publishing the story; and who get most of their income by producing independent journalism.

The fellowship includes registration (up to $1,100 value), a travel stipend ($500) and a one-year IRE membership or renewal ($70 value).

Applicants must have a LinkedIn page or a link to their resume; links to two clips showcasing their best investigative and public-service work; a letter describing an investigation you’re working on and the data skills you need to pull it off; a letter from a supervisor or other appropriate person supporting attendance at the training. The letter should include why you are deserving of the fellowship.

To apply, go here. If you would like to contribute to this fellowship, you can donate through IRE’s online donation form and indicate the name of the fund in the form.