Celebrating the Legacy of the Safe Drinking Water Act
/ Radhika Fox, Principal North Star Strategy, Former Assistant Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water // DECEMBER 9, 2024 /
Clean and safe drinking water is essential to our everyday lives. From the moment we wake up to the time we go to sleep, we rely on clean water for everything from cooking and cleaning to drinking and bathing. Americans consume more than a billion glasses of tap water daily, highlighting the sheer impact and importance of safe, accessible water.
December 16 marks the 50th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). This legislation has delivered significant progress to safe drinking water and the health of our families, communities, and businesses. Prior to this monumental legislation, there were few national enforceable rules or requirements governing the safety of life’s most essential resource. The U.S. Public Health Service established and revised the few standards there were, but as of 1969, surveys showed only 60 percent of drinking water systems were meeting them. A lack of scientific understanding and regulatory oversight led to widespread exposure to dangerous and harmful substances, causing significant health issues for children and adults alike.
The SDWA empowered the Environmental Protection Agency to set national drinking water standards for a wide range of harmful pollutants like lead, arsenic, and nitrates. This ensured that drinking water systems had nationwide, consistent, and enforceable criteria to meet, which significantly reduced contamination levels and improved water safety.
In addition to safer drinking water coming out of the tap, the SDWA protected the rivers, lakes, and aquifers that are water sources. Through initiatives like the Source Water Assessment Program, communities are empowered to proactively identify and mitigate risks to their drinking water, resulting in improved water quality and cost savings. Water regulations have led to a cleaner environment for all.
The SWDA also required regular testing and monitoring of public water systems for contaminants, ensuring that potential health risks could be identified and addressed quickly. Further, this legislation contributed to funding for essential infrastructure improvements, reducing contamination, and ensuring safer drinking water, especially for small and rural communities with limited resources.
Our nation depends on more than 50,000 community water systems across the country for safe, reliable water every day. Let us celebrate and feel empowered by the fruits of this incredible legislation. Our predecessors, the clean water advocates of the past, have prevented diseases and set a cleaner drinking water standard for countless Americans.
50 years of the SDWA have led to more than 91 percent of the U.S. population receiving drinking water that meets all health-based standards, but there’s still a significant percentage that don’t. To bridge this gap and get ahead of trends, the next 50 years are just as important as the previous.
Continued focus on addressing disparities among communities that have access to safe and affordable drinking water and those that don’t is critical. Faster adoption of innovative water solutions, and further investment in climate-resilient water infrastructure are also important. We have made significant progress and there is more work ahead to get to a future where every single American has reliable access to safe drinking water.