Acts that save lives

Both the Clean Water Act of 1972 and the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 are critically important to public health. The Clean Water Act was initially vetoed by President Nixon, but later congress over road his decision. Prior to the passing of this act, only about 1/3 of the nation's water was safe to fish in or drink. Much of the water in United States had been contaminated by phosphorus, nitrogen, and compounds like dioxin. Water treatment facilities only served about eight million in the United States. Water was so polluted that rivers in Ohio would catch fire. The Safe Drinking Water Act was established to protect the quality of drinking water in the U.S and focuses on all the waters actually or potentially designed for drinking use, i.e. above ground or underground sources. Under the act, the EPA established minimum standards to protect tap water and minimum standards for state programs that protect underground sources of drinking water.

The public health impact of these two acts is beyond words, however there are notable holes within the acts that led to later amendments and controversy. One of the biggest accomplishments of the clean water act was that it established the responsibility of water quality at the federal level. Furthermore, the legislation establish a new way of dealing with our nation's water pollution problem by requiring a government permit to discharge pollutants in the first place. Additionally, the act provided generous financial assistance to state and local governments to construct wastewater treatment facilities.

While these acts are forty years old, the work is still not done and we will continue to see the issues of water quality in the near future. Recent findings of health risks associated with fracking and the contamination of Flint's water source continue to demand enforcement of both acts. A comprehensive new look at substantial research demonstrates that fracking inevitably pollutes water and air and harms people. In Flint, Michigan, residents have been dealing with strange colors and smells from their tap water for more than a year. City officials assured the community that everything was OK. In the last few weeks, the city revealed that the water had indeed been contaminated and the children of flint had been found to have increased lead levels in the blood. The plan is to connect Flint's water source back with Detroit's in order to restore and improve the safety and quality of Flint's water.

We know that water is the basis of life. We also know that consuming contaminated water with lead and other chemicals can lead to poor outcomes. In the past forty years, the acts have substantially increased the quality and safety of the United States' water. Today, more than two thirds of water in the U.S. meet EPA standards. Our overall goal should be 100% water quality; however, we have made progress. We must continue to hold companies accountable for water pollution. We must also continue to frequently test our community's water source to ensure its safety and quality. Finally, as public health experts we know anytime you have to weigh money against the health and welfare of people, it always has to be the health and welfare. In the end, these acts have saved countless lives and continue to do so.