Whether it’s flowing out of your kitchen faucet or along a creek near your campground, we expect our water to be safe.  

But sometimes our water can make us sick. Waterborne diseases are a growing problem as Minnesota’s climate warms. And we’re only now beginning to understand the health consequences of “forever chemicals” called PFAS that have seeped into our waterways.  

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a state epidemiologist about how you can avoid getting sick from swimming in lakes or pools. And a public health professor explains his research into human-made chemicals in the water supply.  

Guests:  

• Trisha Robinson is an epidemiologist and the supervisor of the Waterborne Disease Unit with the Minnesota Department of Health.   




• Matt Simcik is a professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. His research focuses on how and why organic pollutants end up in the atmosphere and water.  

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Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.