The Importance Of Safe Drinking Water

Water is the foundation of life. Ever notice how lifeless a houseplant can look when you forget to water it? But with just a little water it seems to perk back up again. Water is just as essential for humans; it keeps our temperature normal, lubricates our joints, protects our spinal cord, and eliminates wastes from our body. None of this can be accomplished safely without clean drinking water. Clean and safe drinking water is critical to sustain healthy human life. Before 1974, reliable clean drinking water was hard to come by, due to lead piping, relaxed government regulations, and insufficient knowledge of contaminants effect on public health.

Safe Drink Water Act (SDWA) – History

Before the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act, State health departments had the major responsibility for monitoring and regulating the public drinking water supplies. State programs were so severely understaffed and underfunded that they could not give the public water systems the much needed monitoring and technical assistance. The 1969 Survey revealed that one-third of tap water samples had evidence of bacterial or chemical contaminants exceeding the Public Health Service's voluntary limits. These surveys made it clear that state efforts weren't adequate to deal with the health risks and other effects the contaminated drinking water posed to the public.

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson condemned the poor quality of the Potomac River as part of his pledge of “Clean Water by 1975,” and in 1969, a conference in Washington, D.C., declared the river to be “a severe threat to anyone who comes in contact with it.” (book) President Richard Nixon ushered the new decade by reminding the nation that “the 1970s absolutely must be the years when Americ...

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...by Congress to the complaints about the Act’s unfunded mandates. This program helps finance infrastructure projects needed to meet drinking water standards and to address the most serious health risks. The Act authorizes EPA to award annual capitalization grants to the states. States then use their grants (plus a 20% state match) to provide loans and other assistance to public water systems. Communities repay loans into the revolving fund, thereby making resources available for projects in other communities. (citation)

Fresh potable water is a very limited resource that we take for granted. With the twist, pull, or touch of a handle, safe clean water comes flowing out. We don’t question where it came from, how it got to us, or where it’s going after we are done using it. The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, allowed Americans to feel safe in their homes