Who’s Keeping Your Drinking Water Safe?
Anywhere in the world, the supply of clean and safe drinking water is becoming a huge problem, especially to the developing nations. Water is becoming contaminated with all the mining and factory tailings being thrown on to the bodies of water and this creates a bigger environmental problem. One question arises from this: who should be in charge in maintaining the cleanliness and safety of our drinking water supply?
The answer lies in the national and local up to the personal level. The national government should have a law which ensures that the water supply for the citizens is safe and clean. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) along with the state water quality agencies join hands in ensuring that the surface water and groundwater are clean to provide the people with water that is safe for drinking.
Partaking in Water Protection Programs in the Community
At the community level, programs are also implemented to make sure that groundwater sources are kept safe. The local government and the local residents can unite to protect water sources by participating in the Wellhead Protection Programs (WHPP) which oversees the maintenance of public water sources. WHPP has a four-step process in making sure that water supply is clean in a particular area: the geologic and hydrologic inspections in the area, definition of protection area boundaries, contaminant source inventory and management plan development.
Doing Your Part in Keeping the Drinking Water Safe
Of course, you as an ordinary citizen can contribute in this worthwhile process of keeping water sources clean and safe. You have rights and responsibilities when it comes to this matter, and you must be able to partake in the entire process to make it more successful.
First of all, you need to know the supplier of your water, where the water comes from and its quality. You can also identify the possible sources of contaminants and report these to your local government so it can be resolved right away. Of course, you have the duty to support the efforts done to maintain safe and clean water in your area. To make your participation more pronounced, you should be attending public hearings to register your concerns and suggestions.
Bottom line
The quest to have a safe, clean and accessible supply of drinking water is not a one-way process. It involves a network of tasks to do, as well as different agencies and groups that must work hand in hand in order to achieve the ultimate goal.
December 12, 2011 at 3:48 pm Comments (0)