"Global warming is apparently behind an increase in storms delivering torrential rains resulting in contamination of drinking water -- so much so that there has been an increase in diseases caused by waterborne pathogens, according to a new report."

"More than half of all outbreaks of waterborne diseases in the U.S. occur in the aftermath of heavy rains, which are only increasing as the world is getting warmer, according to a report issued Thursday by the nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

Temperatures have climbed by an average of 2 degrees Fahrenheit in the past 50 years, and rainfall has increased as well, the report said. Warmer air can hold more water vapor, meaning that when it rains, it rains more, UCS scientist Todd Sanford told reporters in a conference call."

Emily P. Walker reports for MedPage Today March 15, 2012. [2]