A fresh look at Clean Water Act

As a nurse, I recognize that clean water is one of the greatest public health advances of the 20th century. While the Clean Water Act has made great advances in the years since its passing, we still have a long way to go. By ensuring clean water for all, we have a significant opportunity to support the health of all Americans.

When the Clean Water Act was passed 50 years ago, it only addressed navigable water. We now know animal and human waste, industrial pollution, and waterborne diseases are found in smaller bodies of water not covered by the Clean Water Act. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corp’s return to the pre2015 water protections were a vital first step to protecting the nation’s drinking water sources. But right now, too many of our waters are at risk. These bodies of water are enormously valuable, and our governmental agencies need to enact policies to further protect them.

Headwaters and streams help provide drinking water to millions of people and feed rivers, lakes, and bays. Wetlands filter out pollutants, protect communities from flooding, and provide habitat for wildlife. Protecting these waterways is essential to the Clean Water Act’s core purpose —

“to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation’s waters.” It’s time for EPA to put public health first. EPA must act quickly to propose and finalize the strongest possible protections for critical bodies of water like wetlands by the end of the year. https://envirn. org/water-and-health/

— Katherine Hughes, Chico