I’m not
sure if there has been anything as pivotal regarding water safety than the
Clean Water Act of 1972. There are still many improvements to be made, but I
was shocked to learn that before this bill was passed only 1/3 of the nation’s
water was safe for drinking and water plants only served 8 million people. While
I am not well versed in these policies whatsoever, the idea that clean drinking
water is a right AND a responsibility of the government really resonated with
me. It became a foundation for many other bills and while its subsequent
policies were challenged to due to their “high cost,” it is nice to see it is a
bipartisan issue, as clean water is beneficial to the economy and affects
EVERYONE, regardless of whether you’re rich or poor.
That being said, clean water does tend to flow toward money and power. Ensuring every community has safe drinking water can prevent so many chronic conditions, and one striking point was that our state’s poorest communities have resorted to buying extremely expensive bottled water with money they don’t have because their tap water is so unhealthy. So many public health solutions are shot down because of the economy, but the issue of clean drinking water needs to stand the test. Safe water has both short and long term public health impacts as both the acute and chronic illnesses related to dirty water can be completely prevented.
That being said, clean water does tend to flow toward money and power. Ensuring every community has safe drinking water can prevent so many chronic conditions, and one striking point was that our state’s poorest communities have resorted to buying extremely expensive bottled water with money they don’t have because their tap water is so unhealthy. So many public health solutions are shot down because of the economy, but the issue of clean drinking water needs to stand the test. Safe water has both short and long term public health impacts as both the acute and chronic illnesses related to dirty water can be completely prevented.
I was also shocked that before the Act, only 1/3 of the water was safe for drinking! It's a stark contrast to how much water we are overusing now. Clean water is definitely a right for every human being and to have to fight for it (such as during the Flint, Michigan water crisis) reveals moral deficit in those who calls off clean water as too costly. It's totally ridiculous because it would not be the same conversation if it's the quality of water that's affected for those with money.
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