Water is used by all people around the world. Though there is not clean water throughout the world and even in places like the United States (US), there are people to lack access to clean water. Although 95% of the United States has access to water through a public utility there are still 43 million people (about twice the population of New York) who rely on private wells. Private wells are less regulated and tend to contain more contaminants. In the US, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the water supply. The EPA passed the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in 1974. The main way water cleanliness is regulated is through the limits set in place on contaminants in drinking water. Though the SDWA has not changed much since 1974, there are concerns that the limits are not stringent enough. Therefore, it is important to test the water quality in your own home to determine if the water you are drinking is safe and find ways to inform your community about their water quality.
Learn about your water quality
The first part of this process is to be educated about the water quality in your community. If your is part of a public utility, then the water quality data should be available to you through your city website. If you cannot find the information there, then try the EWG database or the EPA, as they publish water quality reports. If you are part of a private system, then it can be expensive to test the water quality, although there are many counties around the US that offer free water well testing, therefore try reaching out to the local public health department. If the county you live in does not offer testing, you can contact the EPA to find nearby water testing labs and support with well testing.
Why is it important to improve your water quality?
It is important to understand and improve water quality as it is detrimental to public health. There are toxins in water that are naturally occurring and not always able to be removed by the water treatment plants. These contaminants can have negative health effects such as cancer, neurotoxic effects, and more. Therefore, if you can add additional water filters to your home, it can help improve your health and decrease the risk of long-term exposure to these contaminants.
How to help your community?
Any effort you can make to help your community will be beneficial no matter how small it seems. There are so many ways to help. The first is through education. Through educating yourself on the water quality in your community, you can educate others, help them improve their water quality, and understand the effects of the water they are drinking every day. Also, if you live in a small community or one with private wells, it is important to educate the community on the resources available for water sampling. Private wells are not consistently regulated and tested and therefore tend to have more contaminants than public systems. Therefore, if you can educate people in your community, you can help increase public health and water quality awareness.
Ways to engage other members of your community
The other way that you can engage in the community is through public events. If the water quality standards are changed or updated then the local EPA will hold public meeting to educate and inform the public, and nowadays there is usually a webinar or virtual option of the meeting so you will not even need to leave the comfort of your own home to listen to the updates. Through these meetings, you can share your opinions on matters with the EPA or speak at a public meeting, as your opinion matters and can make an impact. There are also other ways to get involved in the community such as through volunteering. You can get involved in water quality monitoring or even modeling your watershed. It is important to get involved in a way that you find interesting and exciting to so that you continue to stay passionate about water quality and help the community in a way that is fit for you.
Conclusion
Water quality is especially important for public health. Through staying involved and engaging in your community and the water quality reports, you can make a positive impact. Through educating yourself, attending meetings, volunteering, or educating others, your community will benefit. Even if you are not directly involved in water quality in your day-to-day life, staying educated can help to improve the public health of your community.