Essay Example on Public Water Safety: A Growing Concern in US

Introduction

Unsafe water is a public health issue with drinking water pollution seen a major environmental concern in United States. The Environmental protection Agency (EPA) sets water safety while local authorities do the sourcing, treatment and distribution of water. Water and sanitation pose a challenge in most of the communities especially due to lack of water, lack of indoor plumbing in homes and unclean or contaminated water. A survey in 2014 from the American Community survey showed that 1.6 million people lacked access to a toilet, shower or running water and also access to adequate wastewater treatment. Thousands of water systems nationwide have failed to meet the federal safety standards for lead and other harmful substances, an issue brought to light through the crisis over lead-tainted water in Flint, Michigan.

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Current Situation and Incidents of Water Poisoning

The people that are facing difficulty accessing clean water are mostly African-American and Native American i.e. communities of color, low income and indigenous populations (Patel & Laura, 1354). More than 63 million people are exposed to unsafe drinking water. The local water systems are mostly affected by deteriorating water plant and pipe distribution, industrial dumping, pollution from farms and other agricultural activities. Lack of equipment and expertise required to filter out contamination is a big challenge for small and poor minority communities exposing them to lead contamination, bacterial infections and other diseases such as cancer, developmental delays in children, and low oxygen levels in babies, blindness, and anemia, among others. The country's aging water infrastructure also is to blame as it has exposed many to lead contamination and other toxins especially in states with low level of income and small tax revenues. It is therefore poor minority communities that have difficulty accessing clean drinking water making it a social justice issue.

A new NRDC reports shows that an in 2015, an estimated 77 million Americans got drinking water from systems that violated federal protections. Also millions relied on systems that did not comply with standards put in place for health protection. Further investigations by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) show that; lead contamination of drinking water was found in thousands of communities where 1,000 water systems serving 4 million people had excessive lead levels. In Pennsylvania, 17 cities had rates higher than 10% while Flint's average exposure of 3.2% of children tested and highest rate at 6.3% based on 2014 data from the state's health department.

The Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) also reported that approximately 500,000 children of ages between 1-5yrs have excessive lead levels in their blood. Over 8,000 children under 6yrs have been exposed to dangerous levels of lead for a long period, a public health disaster, which will require extra care support for families and additional educational support for schools (Raymond & Brown 66).

The local authorities in Flint, Michigan started using Flint River water for drinking in order to save money by putting more chlorine to kill bacteria and stopped buying water from Detroit. The outcome was corrosion of pipes which led to water contamination as they failed to use appropriate pipe corrosion methods. Children were exposed to more than 18 months to lead poisoning. The worst part is that the situation on lead-tainted water has not been fixed and therefore requires for testing at all levels from schools to care centers. Criminal charges for water debacle, including misconduct and tampering with evidence were reported where 3 government employees assigned to monitor water quality were charged with an assurance for more to be brought to book for endangering lives. EPA warned of bacteria causing Legionnaire's disease which could grow unless chlorine levels were kept at appropriate levels and correct PH levels maintained as means of controlling corrosion (Zahran et al. 1730). The water, though declared safe for drinking and washing still got some residents complaining of rashes and burning sensations during showers.

In Bayonne cases of drinking water and wastewater problems resulting from operating and regulatory problems were reported. The city had to partner with a private firm which offset part of its debts and pledged $157 million to upgrade both drinking water and waste utilities as it faced high debt levels and could not borrow funds after being hit by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Sebring town in Ohio State reported excessive lead found in water samples and issued water advisory where schools closed .Pregnant women were advised not to drink the water also. Sandbranch, Texas, with residents living below poverty threshold, has never had running water since it was established 138years ago. Many struggle to pay for water and wastewater services due to low incomes coupled with high utility rates. In Lowndes County, Alabama, only 20% of the population is connected to a sewer.

Effects of Lead Poisoning in Children

Lead poisoning is most devastating in children due to their small bodies and a still developing brain and exposes them to a lot of damages including the brain, heart and kidney. It also lowers children's IQ, and cause behavioral problems where we see delinquency, violent and antisocial behavior especially in adolescence. Low levels of lead in children cannot be treated but can be eliminated through good nutrition, early-childhood education and regular visits to a pediatrician to monitor emerging health issues. High level of 45 micrograms per deciliter lead can be pulled out through administering drugs called chelating agents but need close monitoring to ensure the kidney, liver and white blood cell count are in good condition ( Hanna-Attisha, et al. 283).

Causes of Unclean Drinking Water in Poor Communities

There several factors that affects the quality of drinking especially in poor communities. One of the causes is low levels of income of residents which means most cannot afford to install proper water filtration and wastewater methods in their homes. This can be seen by poor indoor plumbing systems and sewer water running in their backyards. The low levels of income also places a huge burden on the poor masses as they cannot afford the cost changing lead pipes that distribute water in their homes.

Another issue stem from the county and state level in that they lack funds to fix the water infrastructure due to slim budgets and small levels of tax revenues. Small water utilities with fewer customers also cannot afford to upgrade and end up facing violation issues resulting in penalties which they cannot afford to pay. The aging water infrastructure often results in high failure rates of pipes and corrosion leading to contamination. Poor water distribution system where pipes next to sewer lines are most likely to be contaminated with bacteria and industrial and agricultural pollutants from farms which include; perfluorooctanoic acid methylcyclohexane methanol, micro-cystin (bacterial toxin) and hydraulic fracturing from oil industries reduces chances of getting clean water that is not contaminated. Climate change is also an issue as it causes longer and frequent droughts causing lack of water or little water and thus increases chances of contaminations especially from bacteria. Population increase strains the water system maintenance, treatment and distribution.

Challenges and Recommendations on Solving Unclean Water Crisis

The effects from contaminated water have led to several attempts that can lead to improved regulation, monitoring and treatment of drinking water. Several lawsuits have been filed in regard to water poisoning. These include; one by NRDC, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, Concerned Pastors for Social Action and Flint resident Melissa May for the federal intervention to fix Flint situation and replace all lead service lines and another by NRDC that sued the EPA that demanded action on standard setting for perchlorate in drinking water.

The Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act, an overhaul of the 40 year old Toxic Substance Act was signed into law by the then president Obama which enhanced EPA authority to regulate new chemicals found in everything from consumer products to industrial manufacturing. All chemicals have to be tested before entering the market with studies prioritizing their health hazards and proximity to drinking water sources. This makes setting standards under Safe Drinking Water Act effective. The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act also facilitate cities that receive federal stimulus funds under it to be allowed to supplement that money with tax-exempt bonds.

An infrastructure upgrade is important from the aging one that dates back to 1930s for proper piping and treatment of water sources. The cost of upgrading the US aging water infrastructure is estimated at $30 billion for fixing pipes and 1 trillion for water mains. It is also estimated that due to population growth, the cost would be $507 billion south n $237 west from 2011-2035 by American Society of Civil Engineers due to over consumption. To maintain and upgrade the water distribution pipes and water treatment plants, the EPA estimates the cost at $384 billion through 2030. It is costly but the only way out of the water contamination crisis.

The government should assume more roles in mediating water disputes in states as well funding water infrastructure which can help alleviate the crisis and also create more jobs for these communities. Water treatment systems should be established that are efficient and well maintained and monitored. Research on health effects of toxic chemical and other substances is elevated so that proper standards can be put in place. New chemicals entering the market should be tested to ascertain the health hazard involved.

Conclusion

Clean drinking water is essential and its access should be prioritized as it affects our everyday live. With the changing trends in climate due to global warming, water conservation is encouraged and should be done in appropriate ways and its distribution be safe for utilization. The poor communities that have little or no access to clean drinking water should be looked into and the federal state act to ensure equity and access to clean drinking water by all. Privatizations will only the burden on the already burdened low income earners. Education and strategic means of communication also will help reduce the effects of contaminated water as more can be informed on time to avoid health hazards. The federal government needs to upgrade the water infrastructure and such are constrained and cannot meet the cost involved on their own except they incur huge debts.

Works Cited

Hanna-Attisha, Mona; LaChance, Jenny; Sadler, Richard Casey; Champney Schnepp, Allison. "Elevated Blood Lead Levels in Children Associated With the Flint Drinking Water Crisis: A Spatial Analysis of Risk and Public Health Response". American Journal of Public Health. December 21, 2015. 106 (2): 283-290.

Patel, Anisha I, and Laura A Schmidt. "Water Access in the United States: Health Disparities Abound and Solutions Are Urgently Needed." American journal of public health vol. 107,9 (2017): 1354-1356. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2017.303972

Raymond J, Brown MJ." Blood Lead Levels in Children Aged <5 Years - United States, 2007-2013." MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 63 (2016), 66-72. DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6355a6

Rosen, Michael B et al. "A discussion about public health, lead and Legionella pneumophila in drinking water supplies in the United States." The Science of the total environment vol. 590-591 (2017): 843-852. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.02.164

Zahran, Sammy et al. "Assessment of the Le...