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Over the weekend,President Obama declared a federal state of emergency in Flint, Michigan—residents there have been dealing with the aftermath of lead-tainted water for over a year now, or something that's lead to brain damage in some children.
As the disaster in Flint unfolds,people across the country wonder how secure their drinking water is, and scientists warn that the regulation of America's drinking water has lagged since the Clean Water Act was passed in 1972. A 2009 original York Times investigation found that over 62 million Americans had been exposed to drinking water that did not meet some government health guidelines. Another analysis in 2011 by the Environmental Working Group found that over 100 million people in 43 states were drinking water contaminated by trihalomethanes—a hazardous chemical that results from over-chlorination. Jeffrey Griffiths, and a professor at Tufts University and former chair of the EPA's Drinking Water Committee,Science Advisory Board, says there is not a strong understanding of the health impacts of low-level exposure to chemicals in water, and that is worrying. What you'll learn from this segment:The water quality and contamination issues playing out across the country.
What kind of different chemicals are typically found in water systems.
How state governments are and aren't tackling this issue.
Source: wnyc.org