M5.2 The public health importance of safe drinking-water

Water is essential to the human body. We would die of thirst before of hunger. Therefore, saving and protecting our drinking-water sources and the water we use for industries, energy, and for sustaining life and plants is important and vital. The Clean Water Act has somewhat helped to protect our water resources in alleviating many environmental public health issues that were happening during the time when the law was passed. Even till today, the act’s main goals are to restore and maintain the integrity of navigable waters in the U.S. in order to protect living species in the water, wildlife, and recreation on the water. The act also requires that waters are to be restored so they are safe for swimming and fishing activities. This act helps prevent and alleviate so many environmental and public health issues but perhaps the most important contribution and impact it has is on the water quality in term of reducing and preventing water pollution. This act sets out goals and standards that states have the responsibility to fulfill in order to ensure the quality of all surface water in the state. From an individual’s point of view, through this act, people are more reassured when they go swimming or doing water activities in lakes or rivers. This would create more opportunities and encourage people to spend more time outdoor doing water activities and recreations especially during the summer. Or when they have fish or shellfish for dinner that was caught in the local river, they know that their fish came from a clean water source.