WISER › Extension Materials & Guides › Drinking Water & Water Quality Series
Understanding Drinking Water & Water Quality
Clear, practical, and science-based resources for understanding drinking water quality and making informed decisions about water.
Developed through WISER, the series translates research and technical information into accessible resources on drinking water, testing, contaminants, health, treatment, and water-quality issues affecting households and communities across California.
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Project support: The Drinking Water & Water Quality Series has been supported through GrizzlyCorps and the CIWR Student Employee & Fellowship Program .
About the Series
In 2012, California recognized the human right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible drinking water through Assembly Bill 685. Yet households and communities across the state continue to face challenges related to drinking-water quality, aging infrastructure, private wells, affordability, and emerging contaminants.
CIWR and UC Merced’s FEWS-US Lab began developing Extension resources to make drinking-water science and technical information easier to understand and use. These materials support households, educators, students, community organizations, water professionals, and others seeking reliable information about water quality and drinking-water safety.
The series is designed to grow over time as new factsheets are researched, reviewed, designed, and published on contaminants, testing, treatment, drinking-water standards, private wells, and other water-quality topics.
A growing WISER factsheet series for understanding drinking water and water quality in California.
Explore the Factsheet Series
Browse the current Drinking Water & Water Quality factsheets. New resources can be added directly to this library as the series expands.
References / Referencias
Supporting sources and references for the Drinking Water & Water Quality Factsheet Series.
Drinking Water Quality Workshop
A free, ready-to-use, hands-on water-science lesson for grades 6–12 with instructor materials, slides, student worksheets, water-testing activities, and supporting resources.
Additional Drinking Water Resources
California Water Quality Monitoring Council · Drinking Water Safety →
California State Water Resources Control Board · Private Well Testing →
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Ground Water and Drinking Water →
Project Team & Contributors
The Drinking Water & Water Quality Series brings together student research, UC Merced expertise, science communication, and project coordination through WISER and the California Institute for Water Resources.
Student Research & Science Communication
Natalia Wilson and Celeste Navarrete
Natalia contributes current student research, content development, and science communication for the series. Celeste contributed to the project as a GrizzlyCorps Fellow based at UC Merced from 2024–2025.
UC Merced Collaborator
Colleen Naughton
Colleen contributes UC Merced expertise to the development of the Drinking Water & Water Quality Series. She is an Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Merced.
Project Coordination
Erik Porse, Erika Cassio Madrazo and Hope Hauptman
Erik, Erika and Hope, coordinate the series’ research direction, editorial development, technical review, student mentorship, and connection to CIWR and WISER programs.
Follow New WISER Resources
New factsheets, videos, stories, and educational materials are added as the Drinking Water & Water Quality Series continues to grow.
Connect with WISER
Questions about the Drinking Water & Water Quality Series, educational resources, or opportunities to collaborate? Connect with the CIWR team.