Water
Discover Water
Swimming in lakes, growing vegetable gardens, and mowing green lawns.
What do all these activities have in common? A reliance on water.
In its purest form, water appears as a clean, nontoxic chemical liquid composed of hydrogen and oxygen (H2O). Source: PubChem
But when it isn't pure, is it safe to drink, swim or bathe? And what if we have too much water? Or what if we don't have enough water? How do we stay safe and survive floods and droughts? If you have experienced any of these conditions, you know the importance of water. It is essential to life.
Select an NNLM Reading Club book and get the conversation started for maintaining, consuming, and preserving water for health and wellness.
Discover MedlinePlus
MedlinePlus is a service of the National Library of Medicine, the largest biomedical library in the world. Use MedlinePlus.gov anywhere, anytime, on any device - for free - to discover high-quality health and wellness information that is reliable, easy to understand, and free of advertising, in both English and Spanish.
Discover NIH
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s medical research agency — making important discoveries that improve health and save lives. NIH is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers, each with a specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems.
The primary NIH organization for research on Safe Water and Your Health is the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). They publish easy-to-read information on environmental health topics online and in print.
Discover More
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the United States administrative agency responsible regulating our nation's water rules such as the Clean Water Act.
- Ground Water and Drinking Water
- Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water
- Drinking Water Activities for Students and Teachers
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the nation's leading science-based, data-driven, service organization that protects the public's health.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), often called the "congressional watchdog," investigates federal spending.
Non-profit organizations and citizen scientists educate and inform the public of water conditions at the local and regional level.
- Test the Waters Family Exploration Kit (All of Us NACP)
- Crowd the Tap (SciStarter)
- Community Healthbook (Erin Brockovich)
- Wellcare Info Sheets (Water Systems Council)
- Exploring the Impact of Reservoirs and Dams on Freshwater Health (International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD))
Children's Book
We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption. Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America.
When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth
And poison her people’s water,
One young water protector
Takes a stand to defend Earth’s most sacred resource.
Click here for an Activity Guide
We Are Water Protectors | Carole Lindstrom (Author); Michaela Goade (Illustrator) | Roaring Book Press | 2021 | ISBN: 978-1250203557 | Winner of the 2021 Caldecott Medal
Featured Books
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Title: Go As A RiverPublisher Spiegel & GrauYear published 2023Book image
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Title: Superman's Not ComingPublisher Penguin Random HouseYear published 2021Book image
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Title: The Covenant of WaterPublisher Grove PressYear published 2023Book image
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Title: What the Eyes Don't SeePublisher OneWorldYear published 2019Book image
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Title: Why We SwimPublisher Algonquin BooksYear published 2020Book image
Terms of use: Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) staff offer these health discussion resources for educational use. The materials included do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the author, publisher, or the sponsoring agencies of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).