Each year, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and an alliance of organizations, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), sponsor Drinking Water Week to highlight the importance of tap water and the need to reinvest in our water
infrastructure.
Tap water plays a critical role in the success of a society, from meeting the basic public health needs of providing safe drinking water — and adequate sanitation, along with supporting industrial, agricultural, medical, and recreational activities.
Drinking water comes from a variety of sources including public water systems, private wells, or bottled water. Ensuring safe and healthy drinking water may be as simple as turning on the tap from an EPA-regulated public water system such as the City of Torrington’s. The current Water Quality Report can be found on the City’s website, www.torringtonwy.gov .
There is no government agency (federal, state, or local) that regulates water quality from private drinking water wells in Wyoming. This means that the water quality of these wells is not regularly checked unless the owner takes action to sample and test their water and protect and maintain their well. It is important to know where drinking water comes from, how it’s been treated, if it’s been inspected, and if it’s safe to drink.
During the past century, many improvements in the health, prosperity, and longevity of the U.S. population can be attributed to improvements in water quality. One hundred years ago, life expectancy in the United States was only 47 years (now life expectancy is 78 years)! This short life span was partially due to sickness and death from diseases spread through drinking water, like typhoid fever. Though these diseases are still common in lesser developed countries, over the last century, treatment, disinfection, and the environmental regulation of water contaminants have made U.S. tap water one of the safest drinking water supplies in the world.
Despite the safety of our tap water, new challenges require us to continue to work to protect our water supply. A primary concern is the fact that our drinking water infrastructure, which includes the pipes that bring water to our homes, is aging (up to 100 years old in some cases!) and needs to be upgraded or replaced. Other challenges include climate change impacts on water availability and quality, chemical and toxin contamination of water sources, and the increasing need to reuse and
recycle water.
As we celebrate May 7-13, 2017 as Drinking Water Week, one final thought. With its many uses for drinking, recreation, sanitation, hygiene, and industry, water is our most precious global resource. Clean and safe drinking water is critical to sustain human life and without it waterborne illness can be a serious problem. Often, water’s vital role is most apparent during an emergency or disaster.
