Clean Waters Laws Are Neglected, at a Cost in Suffering

People need water to live, and shockingly, can die within three days from a lack of access to clean drinking water.  In the United States, water purity is maintained and protected through the Clean Water Act (CWA), which regulates the amount of toxins and pollutants that can be put into the water either by individuals or parties of people, such as corporations.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.),

The objective of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, commonly referred to as the Clean Water Act (CWA), is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters by preventing point and nonpoint pollution sources, providing assistance to publicly owned treatment works for the improvement of wastewater treatment, and maintaining the integrity of wetlands. (“Clean Water Act” 1).

When coming across a New York Times article, “Clean Water Laws Are Neglected, at a Cost of Suffering” my heart started to beat faster out of fear of what I had discovered. The state of drinking water in some parts of the United States could be likened to less developed countries, simply from a lack of regulation on the Environmental Protection Agencies part, and that of law breaking individuals and parties who disregard the harmful affects their pollution has on drinking water.

According to the New York Times article, published on September 12, 2009, “40 percent of the nation’s community water systems violated the Safe Drinking Water Act at least once.”  (Duhigg 2). Violations range from allowing carcinogens into drinking water to a lack of maintaining proper paperwork, therefore, leaving out pertinent information that could severely harm someone’s health.   According to E.P.A. data, 23 million people have drank water out of municipal systems that have violated health standards.  Cancer, birth defects, and neurological disorders have been linked to contaminants found in drinking water that can accumulate over many years.  (Duhigg 2). In addition to E.P.A. findings, The Times found that the CWA has been “violated more than 506,000 times since 2004, by more than 23,000 companies and other facilities.”   (Duhigg 2). State officials have perpetually held a blind eye to illegal dumping, and the E.P.A., which can prosecute polluters when states fail to act, has not followed through.

Since we need water for survival and we drink water every day, the standards of our municipal systems are of utmost importance to our health and longevity.  We need protection from harmful contaminants that can weaken our bodies.  The E.P.A. needs to step up its implementation and supervision of the CWA, while cracking down on polluters.  Due to the immense disregard for human health on the part of polluters, and the lack of clean water available in the U.S., I felt this article was extremely interesting, important, and alarming at the same time.

 Works Cited 

Duhigg, Charles.  Clean Waters Laws Are Neglected, at a Cost in Suffering.  The New

      York Times, 12 Sept. 2009.  Web.  2 Feb. 2010.

The Environmental Protection Agency.  Clean Water Act.  The Environmental

      Protection Agency, 18 Nov. 2009.  Web. 2 Feb. 2010.