The Walt Disney Co.’s ABC Owned Television Stations group, working with corporate siblings ABC News and National Geographic, is producing a three-part documentary series on the water crisis in the U.S.
Our America: Trouble on Tap will debut on ouramericaabc.com on April 21. It will air on the eight ABC-owned TV stations and stream on Hulu starting April 22, which is Earth Day. Promos for the series begin appearing Thursday.
The documentary series looks at how pollution, climate change and an aging infrastructure are making it harder to get safe drinking water in many American communities.
“Our America: Trouble on Tap is a powerful and thoughtful exploration of the growing issues surrounding Americans’ access to clean drinking water. The series brings together the talent and expertise of the amazing teams from ABC Owned Television Stations, National Geographic and ABC News with national and local experts and leaders to ask what we can do to solve these problems and protect the health of people across the country, said Debra OConnell, president, Disney Entertainment Networks. “I’m incredibly proud of the work these teams have done to bring this informative and timely topic to light.”
Data from the ABC Stations’ Data Journalism unit is used to show the severity of the contamination levels of water across the U.S.
“Issues around access to clean water vary across the country,” said Chad Matthews, president, ABC Owned Television Stations. “Our Data Journalism team is looking at information specific to local markets and working to help tell stories that offer viewers greater context and understanding around how water -- or lack of water -- may be impacting them. We focus on specific problems, possible solutions and tell the stories of those living it firsthand.”
The series’ first episode, “Life With Forever Chemicals,” looks at per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance contamination in North Carolina. Years after the contamination was first publicly revealed, the region continues to grapple with ongoing health concerns, multiple lawsuits, and constructing costly water treatment plants as it struggles to cope with decades of chronic exposure.
Episode 2 is entitled “Chicago’s $8 billion Water Problem” and will premiere in July. It examines water infrastructure and whether bills such as Senator Cory Booker’s Water Infrastructure Funding Act will help alleviate some of the financial strain on communities that are predominantly Black, Latino and indigenous.
The third episode will appear in August. “Drilling into California’s Water Crisis” focuses on the effects of drought. It checks in with a family in Orosi, California, whose water supply from the state is set to expire in four months.
In addition to co-producing Our America: Trouble on Tap, ABC News will have robust reporting for Earth Week, with network-wide coverage leading up to Earth Day. Network coverage will also feature ‘The Power of Water’ initiative, centered around reporting on water issues around the world
Our America: Trouble on Tap is produced by Tracy J. Wholf, coordinating producer of the climate unit at ABC News, and Justin Allen, executive producer with ABC Owned Television Stations.
