Module 5.2 Public Health Importance of Clean Drinking Water

Potable water lies at the center of every aspect of our life. The purpose of the clean water act is to control and protect the quality of drinking water in the United States. It is our government's responsibility to maintain the public's health through standardized regulations. I have previously worked as a laboratory analyst in a water quality laboratory. Some laboratory tests I performed on drinking water samples are the presence of lead and metals, and turbidity. This module was interesting where I can see the public health policy side of this subject.

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) of 1976 was passed in order to raise the standards and quality of drinking water in the United States. The law was amended in 1986 and 1996. To ensure our drinking water is safe, one of the major steps in protection is setting regulations on pollution. The act separates three distinct types of pollution into, point-source pollution, non-point source pollution, and infill material. Point-source pollution is created by discernable confined and discrete conveyance. Examples of point-source pollution are waste materials coming out from a factor or a sewage facility emitting wastes. An example of non-point-source pollution is runoff that comes from a diffused source, such as construction sites, parking lots, and other areas of sources. Infill material point is placing material in a wetland or other water sources for the purpose of creating dry land section. An example of the EPA regulation is that the SDWA makes it a federal crime to discharge from a point source without an explicit permit. Another example of the SDWA is the importance of regulatory testing to ensure that community water systems are responsible for the contaminants in water to not exceed standards.