Protecting Clean Water to Protect Public Health
Since the passage of the Clean Water Act, the United States has made great strides in protecting clean water, but water quality and safety still remains a major concern for public health.REPORT: Water, Health, and Equity
Improving Our Water Infrastructure to Protect Public Health
Poor and failing water infrastructure can have a huge impact on public health. As we see in communities across the country, water can be contaminated by heavy metals like lead through failing infrastructure.
- Read more about infrastructure here
Reducing Pollution from Stormwater Runoff
Stormwater runoff and flooding impacts water quality by polluting water sources and damaging infrastructure. This can lead to contamination of drinking water supplies, increasing the costs of water treatment. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heavy rain events, exacerbating the problem of stormwater pollution.
Protecting Water and Health from the Impacts of Fossil Fuel Extraction and Power Generation
Drilling for oil and gas and mining for coal create massive waste streams. The solutions for managing the huge amount of wastewater are inadequate and often lead to contamination of surface and groundwater. In addition, coal-fired power plants are currently allowed to dump huge amounts of toxic wastewater containing heavy metals like mercury, arsenic, and lead, and other chemicals directly into our rivers, lakes, and bays.
Healthy Communities
Clean water is essential for community health. It keeps children healthy and ensures they arrive at school ready to learn. Families will not accept a future of more polluted rivers and more dirty water flowing through our taps, our communities, and our bodies.
