Water & Health Advisory Council |
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This past year, water utility and public health leaders faced many challenges. Among those challenges were aging infrastructure, droughts, wildfires, and emerging contaminants. But our country also made historic progress around drinking water issues.
The passing of President Biden’s Infrastructure Bill in November included $55 billion to expand access to clean drinking water in America. In December, we saw the bill progress when the Environmental Protection Agency announced revisions to the 1991 Lead and Copper Rule, which will usher in lead water service line replacements and upgrades across the country. We are grateful to see U.S. policymakers focusing spending on the infrastructure that so many communities rely on for safe drinking water.
We also saw a lot of focus placed on Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and their effects on drinking water supplies and public health. To help provide clarity and context around these concerns, our Council came together with individual experts to develop four white papers. These white papers explore the science behind the toxicity of PFAS, safe exposure limits, and why it became a concern in the first place.
Our Water & Health Advisory Council encourages policymakers to implement PFAS regulations using a risk- and cost-benefit analysis to determine the most effective path forward for our nation. That is essential to achieving a safe, affordable, and reliable drinking water supply for everyone.
Going into 2022, our nation’s leaders are now in the position to bring monumental change to the communities most in need. With the progress made by lawmakers this year, we are hopeful for a renewed focus on the underserved communities that so desperately need resources to achieve water equity. By taking a science-based approach to identifying and addressing the issues that present the greatest risks, we can take great steps to maintain and improve water and public health protection in the new year.
Sincerely,
Rob Renner
Council Chair
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Water Advisory Research & Resources |
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Research | Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
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To help provide clarity and context around Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and their effects on drinking water supplies and public health, the Water & Health Advisory Council came together with individual experts to develop four white papers. These white papers explore the science behind the toxicity of PFAS, safe exposure limits, and why it became a concern in the first place.
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Resources | Collaboration with the Water Research Foundation |
We collaborated with The Water Research Foundation, the world's leading water research and innovation organization, to bring you the latest research on some of the most pressing issues affecting drinking water today.
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New | Redesigned Research & Resources Webpage |
We are thrilled to announce our new Research & Resources page! In addition to our own research, we compiled the best publicly available information from trusted organizations that can be used to support science-based decision-making regarding safe, reliable drinking water for all.
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Statement | Water and Health Advisory Council on the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions |
Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency announced revisions to the 1991 Lead and Copper Rule which will usher in lead water service line replacements and upgrades across the country. The Water & Health Advisory Council applauds this decision, and strongly endorses science-based risk and cost analysis to ensure funding is allocated towards the greatest risks to our drinking water supply. |
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From emergency climate-induced weather conditions to ongoing aging infrastructure needs, our nation's water supply is at risk. We must prioritize what best protects public health for the greatest number of people. |
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Associated Press: EPA details push to tighten rules for lead in drinking water |
The Biden administration took steps Thursday aimed at reducing lead in drinking water, announcing plans to release $2.9 billion in infrastructure bill funds next year for lead pipe removal and impose stricter rules to limit exposure to the health hazard.“The challenge that we face is, without any question, great. Lead is built into our cities. It is laid under our roads and it is installed in our homes,” Vice President Kamala Harris said in remarks at AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington.
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The Washington Post: US tribes see hope for clean water in infrastructure bill |
In remote tribal communities across the country, running water and indoor plumbing have never been a reality. Now, there’s a glimmer of hope in the form of a massive infrastructure bill signed last month that White House officials say represents the largest single infusion of money into Indian Country. It includes $3.5 billion for the federal Indian Health Service, which provides health care to more than 2 million Native Americans and Alaska Natives, plus pots of money through other federal agencies for water projects.
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Bloomberg: The West's Race to Secure Water |
Even though localities store the melted snow in mountain reservoirs, sometimes there’s just not enough. Many cities aren’t prepared for the water scarcity that lies ahead—their infrastructure isn’t built to handle sustained droughts or withstand an increasing number of wildfires that are magnified by a lack of rainfall. While parts of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains have seen heavy rain and snow recently, other areas in the West remain parched. |
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The Guardian: ‘We’re losing IQ points’: the lead poisoning crisis unfolding among US children
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Today, lead lingers in houses and apartments, yards and water lines, and wherever states and communities ramp up testing, it becomes clear that the nation’s lead problem is worse than we realized, experts say. A study published in JAMA Pediatrics this fall suggested that more than half of all US children have detectable levels of lead in their blood – and that elevated blood lead levels were closely associated with race, poverty and living in older housing. Black children are particularly at risk. |
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