There are two water-related stories of note:

First, the Los Angeles Times reports of an authoritative study released by the National Research Council that has concluded that perchlorate (a chemical most often associated with the military, NASA and related contractors) poses "a health threat because it can interfere with the human thyroid gland, which controls how the brain develops in infancy." That's pretty straightforward. But the story gets a bit more complicated, when you consider who is determining levels of danger and who is accused of manipulating the numbers.

From the LAT:

The Natural Resources Defense Council, which filed a lawsuit to obtain records from the White House, Defense Department and EPA, contends that the administration waged a "behind-the-scenes campaign" to limit the scope of the study and help select panel members favorable to industry.

So where's the D.C. connection, besides the White House/EPA allegations? As was reported last year, traces of perchlorate showed up in ground tests near the Dalecarlia Reservoir, down the hill from a former World War I-era munitions testing ground -- where American University and exclusive Spring Valley stand today. And later, tests from the Washington Aqueduct showed traces of perchlorate, poking holes in the theory supported by the Army Corps of Engineers saying that World War I-era munitions weren't leaking into the D.C.'s water system.

Others say the threat isn't that big. Or maybe everyone's wrong. So let's turn to our other water woe: elevated lead levels.

Beware of the water in the U.S. Capitol, its office buildings or the Library of Congress. The Environmental Protection Agency found elevated levels of lead in certain drinking fountains and bathroom faucets on the Capitol campus. The Post reports that everyone is free to drink from fountains and faucets, as only water units where elevated lead levels were found have been taken out of service. Roll Call first reported the new lead worries on Monday.

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