The Week in Water: May 12-18, 2012

The Week in Water brings you blue living news from around the web.

U.S. Bottled Water Sales Break Record

Bottled water vending machine

U.S. bottled water sales in 2011 broke the record for sales in 2007, the previous record-holder. In 2011, 9.1 billion gallons of bottled water were sold in the U.S., topping the 8.8billion gallons sold in 2007.

A Use for Zebra Mussels – Making Beaches

Zebra mussels

Zebra mussels are an invasive species in the U.S. and many other countries. Attempts to control them have proven futile. They’re apparently here to stay for a while, but what use are they? One innovative Lake Michigan resident has an idea – use them to make beaches.

All the Earth’s Water

All the water on the Earth

How much water is available on Earth? A surprisingly small amount. This visual from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute really brings that home.

Tar Creek Superfund Site

The Tar Creek Superfund Site is an area along the Kansas/Oklahoma border which was mined for lead and zinc for much of the twentieth century. When the price for ore dropped, the mining companies went bankrupt or closed up and left behind some of the worst polluted land in the U.S.