Most people in America find themselves drinking a nice glass of water that has a clean and refreshing taste to it. Most people do not have the privilege of drinking safe water. Contaminated drinking water has been linked to illnesses and deaths within the United States each year. We can solve this problem by finding new ways to clean water such as filtration and using diluted chlorine. Using these methods can lead to a much healthier way of living for those who suffer from contaminated drinking water in the United States. Contaminated water can be classified as water that contains pathogens, mercury, and even arsenic.
Often times it is the higher authority who do not take initiative in public health matters such as providing clean water to the people of America. The Safe Drinking Water Act is a federal law that provides many Americans with clean, safe drinking water. According to The New York Times article written by Duhigg, he mentions, “The problem, say current and former government officials, is that enforcing the Safe Drinking Water Act has not been a federal priority” (Millions in U.S. Drink Dirty Water, Records Show). Through this quote, it shows how government officials they do not find safe, clean drinking water a priority or an obligation to enforce. This can cause many problems for people who live in America expecting to have clean drinking water for their families. They will find themselves drinking water that has not been cleaned. With this problem, it can result in consequences such as health problems. It is the job of higher authority to ensure it’s obligation to the people and public health.
The problem of not having clean drinking water has led to many diseases in America. In Gleick’s academic journal titled ...
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...or the population of America. Clean water is vital to live on this earth.
Works Cited
Duhigg, Charles. “Millions in U.S. Drink Dirty Water, Records Show” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 8 Dec. 2009. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.
Gibbs, Lois. “Learning From Love Canal: A 20th Anniversary Retrospective” A Forest Of Voices. Ed 2nd. Ed. Chris Anderson and Lex Runciman. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield, 2000. 550-554. Print.
Gleick, Peter H. "Global Water." Environment 43.2 (2001): 18. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
Roberts, Amanda S. "Technology: New Ways For Clean Water." Technology & Engineering Teacher 71.4 (2011): 4-9. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
Schneider, Paul. “Clear Progress: 25 Years of the Clean Water Act” A Forest Of Voices. Ed 2nd. Ed. Chris Anderson and Lex Runciman. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield, 2000. 390-401. Print.
The Clean Water Act of 1972 (CWA) was originally the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948. The original objective behind this act was to “to prepare comprehensive programs for eliminating or reducing the pollution of interstate waters and tributaries and improving the sanitary condition of surface and underground waters.” (U.S Fish and Wild Life Service, 2013). Throughout the duration of this paper the various amendments and their effects will be discussed, those involved both on the side of support and opposition and what influenced the amendments to be made and passed.
Humans need water. In a world that is overpopulated, we use a lot of water and other natural resources. Currently, in our world, clean water is getting scarce. Recently, for example, Flint, Michigan, had a water crisis. In early 2016, the water was discovered to be tainted with lead and other toxins. Long before that, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and Governor Rick Snyder along with his council, knew about the lead, but to save money for the city of Flint in early 2014 Snyder had changed the city’s water source to the Flint River which had corroded pipes, causing people of all ages to be sick from the high amounts of lead
Such is the condition of Texas waterways. The surging population in Texas, the numerous pharma, chemical and oil industries, landowners, farmers and other residents have been recklessly using water. Water is a limited resource and our best efforts in recycling, reusing and conserving water have not yielded the desired results. Climatic changes over the past few decades may have resulted in unpredictable rainfall in Texas. It is important to conserve water without polluting it. It is shocking to know that the drinking water has traces of arsenic, cyanide, nitrates, asbestos and mercury and lead. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Geological Survey after conducting studies have shown that water samples containing growth hormones, various antibiotics,birth control drugs, and many other chemicals end up in ground water. The Trinity River is highly polluted with bacteria from sewage. The high water pollution in Texas State by various sources causes environmental hazards and life threatening diseases like cancer and nerve damage; thus the government and community should intensify their efforts to reduce pollution and make drinking water safe.
Congress enacted legislation now known as the Clean Water Act. During the Truman era, originally called the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. The bill Congress passed in 1972 was an overhaul of the original act. The Clean Water Act set limits on the amount of pollutants industries and cities could discharge and gave the Environmental Protection Agency the power to sue and penalize polluters that exceeded those limits. Congress banned DDT, reduced emissions and sued major cities.
7. Bartram, Jamie, World Water Day Report, World Health Organization, 2001, web. 6 Dec. 2009 http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/takingcharge.html
---. “The Clean Water Act—Is it Successfully Reducing Water Pollution?- Final Draft.” UTSA: WRC 1023, 11 Apr 2014. Print.
This is because only a small part of the population, particularly in developing countries, have access to water of acceptable quality. It is estimated that in some countries only 20% of the rural population has water of satisfactory quality. Based on these statistics, it is clear the urgent need for awareness about caring for water use. Almost without realizing it, we are seriously jeopardizing this essential resource, not for us but for our children's children and their generations, aware that in other parts o...
Clean water supply is accessible right out of the tap for the majority of Canadians; for some Indigenous people in Ontario, Canada, safe drinking water is a luxury that they cannot afford. Water resources in Indigenous communities are often polluted by chemical materials such as uranium and mercury. As stated in Article 25 of the University Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being”; however, according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, First Nations’ water systems are in danger that would lead to acute health problems. Seventy-three percent of their water systems are at medium or high risk level of contamination (CPAA n.p.). The access to safe drinking water
"Water Pollution." Current Issues: Macmillan Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 5 May 2014.
Clean water is needed for good human and animal health, but as DoSomething.org states, over 1 billion people worldwide don’t have a means of getting clean drinking water, an...
Hennigan, Robert D. "Water Pollution." Oxford University Press 19.11 (1969): 976-78. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
Approximately 844 million people (one tenth of the population) in the world do not have access to clean and 2.3 billion do not have access to a decent toilet. This poor sanitation and contaminated water quality is the cause of death for over 289 000 children under the age of 5 every year.
Having clean water to drink means that water must have microbial, chemical and physical characteristics that meet WHO guidelines or national standards on drinking water quality. Around 780 million people in the world don’t have access to clean drinking water (Millions Lack Safe Water). More than 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related causes. Nearly all deaths, 99 percent, occur in developing countries. Around the world, diseases in unclean water kill about 1,400 children every day (Clean Drinking Water). There are many organizations that raise money in order to help develop ways or create ways for people to obtain clean drinking water. However, many people are unaware that this is even a problem in other countries because we take clean water for granted.
The. Drinking Water: A History. New York: Overlook Duckworth, 2012. Print. The.
"Water Crisis & Solutions." Water Crisis & Solutions. Water For People, 2011. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. http://www.waterforpeople.org/extras/crisis/water-crisis-and-solutions.html