Given that water is precious to our existence it is important to protect the potable water at its source. The What is Ground Water? video explained the difference between surface water and ground water, and how each source is equally important. The protection of both sources of water is crucial because our day-to-day life and the food we buy are dependent on both sources of water.
The Clean Water Act of 1972 was enacted to protect the water in the US. It sought to improve the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of our nations water. The act defined water pollution in three ways: 1) point source (e.g., industrial pipe run-off) , 2) non-point source (e.g., agriculture run-off), and 3) filling (creating dry land). Each type of pollution was regulated to ensure the integrity of our water. For instance, with point source pollution, each company needed a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to drain their run-off into a water source. This regulation among others was able to improve water quality from less than 1/3 of the water meeting standards back in 1972 up to 2/3 of the water in the nation meeting standards according to the Clean Water Act.
Given the known hazards in our nations water, the Safe Drinking Water Act was implemented to protect public health from natural and man made toxins that were commonly found in our drinking water. This act required the protection of ALL our drinking water sources. This includes rivers, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and ground water. The SDWA provides the national maximum of contaminants allowed in our drinking water and sets standards on how the EPA, state, and people can work together to ensure safe drinking water. States are required to meet the US EPA standards. In addition, this act provides an outline of barriers to pollution and prevention of contamination.
Both the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act are essential to public health because it tries to ensure that Americans are exposed to safe water. Because both ground water and surface water are equally important to our health, these acts try to limit the amount of contaminants in these water systems, and thus in our bodies.
Both the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act are essential to public health because it tries to ensure that Americans are exposed to safe water. Because both ground water and surface water are equally important to our health, these acts try to limit the amount of contaminants in these water systems, and thus in our bodies.
Good points on your post. It is inconceivable that more people have a cell phone than a faucet to access clean water. The public health importance of both Acts is key to ensure that our water meets safety standards for human use. Both Acts together created a legal foundation in which the EPA can require industries how to deal with foreseeable pollutants that could affect our environment.
ReplyDeleteYour post points out the important aspects of the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. It's very disappointing that the current administration is rolling back many of the protection laws placed by the previous administration. We know how important it is to keep our waters safe, but it seems that his information is being ignored by our current administration.
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