Running low on water but trying to avoid buying plastic water bottles? A UCLA-developed, LADWP-approved app called "WeTap" promises to help Angelenos find the nearest water fountain. more ›

If your tap water smells funky, you can blame a stinky but safe algae bloom taking over our water supply. The problem is affecting taps from east Los Angeles County to Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, and it might go on for a couple of weeks. Some places might be worse than others, according to CBS Los Angeles. more ›

The California EPA has issued the first U.S. public health goal for minimizing the cancer-causing metal hexavalent chromium (or, chromium 6) in drinking water, according to the L.A. Times. more ›

If you live in the Pacific Palisades area you may have noticed that something is a little fishy these days when it comes to your tap water. Customers have reported "a disagreeable odor" at the tap. The LA DWP explains: "the odors are the result of a recent algal bloom in the Santa Ynez Reservoir which serves the Palisades." Next month the reservoir was due to be taken out of service to have a floating cover installed; a cover will "protect the quality of the water in it and prevent any future algal blooms." The DWP says the water might smell foul, but it remains safe to drink. more ›

Millions drink it, but little know what it is or what it does to you. Now, thanks to a yearlong investigative project by California Watch that broke today, the word is getting out. "More than two million Californians have been contaminated with nitrates at levels that surpass the public health limit, and that in small towns and rural settings, schools and families often don’t have access to groundwater treatment that would filter it out..." more ›

A weekly test on Tuesday by officials in Downey resulted in a bacteria hit--coliform bacteria--prompting them to alert residents yesterday early evening (why it took so long, we do not know). The boil-water order could last three days as the city hyperchlorinates the water and lines where the bacteria was found and flushed. more ›

Did you know it's World Water Week? Yup, a whole week to celebrate the stuff that comes out of your tap (and if you're an Angeleno, apparently it's pretty tasty stuff!). Lucky for us we don't have to think too much about where our water comes from, even in the worst So Cal drought conditions. That's not the case for millions of impoverished people around the world, and so restaurants across the nation have decided to take action and do something. more ›

After a 5-month investigation, the Associated Press found that Los Angeles drinking water has traces of Anti-epileptic and anti-anxiety medications. "To be sure," the AP noted "the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose." more ›

One of my favorite food writers, Jeffrey Steingarten, once did an elaborate and methodical taste test of several different varieties of tap and bottled water. After much research and even more adjectives, he came to the shocking conclusion that New York tap water was most pleasing to the palate. more ›

• Five are dead and one person was hurt in an apparent murder-suicide in Yorba Linda, close to the Richard Nixon Library. A 14-year-old called in to report that his father had shot him. Police later found that the gunman shot his wife and 3 of his children before turning the gun on himself.
• As we have pointed out before, it's not a good time to be a Republican. The state GOP is meeting in San Francisco (of all places) to talk about ways to help the party in which a deep rift has developed between those on the right and those to the right of them.
• In a headline nearly as long as the entire article, the Daily News tells us: Yes, you're paying more for gas. Average is now $3.10. We need to invest in alternative fuels. We need to elect a Democrat who will explore alternative fuels. We need to elect a Repuiblican who will drill in Alaska. We need to drive more hybrids. Fuck it, I'm off to catch the bus.
• Is Councilman Herb Wesson gearing up for a mayoral run? Hmmmmm. At least one blog might support some opposition.
• LAX could receive greater scrutiny if a study is approved Monday that would look into diesel emissions and how noise from arriving and departing planes affects surrounding homes. It's something that Bob Hope Airport in Burbank continues to grapple with.
• The nod for best movie may go to "No Country For Old Men," but the award for best tasting tap water has gone to Los Angeles. A panel of 10 journalists and food critics sampled sparkling, tap and bottled water from 19 states and other countries, including New Zealand, Romania, Macedonia and the Philippines before calling it for Los Angeles.
• And speaking of Oscars, if you are reading this, it means you are not reading our Academy Awards Live- Blogging. Even if you are not a fan of the glitz and glamor, I know you like our wit, and it's being served in 10-minute increments. more ›