Mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.
The United States enjoys one of the world’s most reliable and safest supplies of drinking water. Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in 1974 to protect public health, including by regulating public water systems.
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires EPA to establish and enforce standards that public drinking water systems must follow. EPA delegates primary enforcement responsibility (also called primacy) for public water systems to states and Indian Tribes if they meet certain requirements.
Over 155,000 public water systems provide drinking water to most Americans. Customers that are served by a public water system can contact their local water supplier and ask for information on contaminants in their drinking water, and are encouraged to request a copy of their Consumer Confidence Report. This report lists the levels of contaminants that have been detected in the water, including those by EPA, and whether the system meets state and EPA drinking water standards.
About 10 percent of people in the United States rely on water from private wells. Private wells are not regulated under the SDWA. People who use private wells need to take precautions to ensure their drinking water is safe. Learn more about private wells
On March 22nd, World Water Day 2017, Pope Francis will inspire a global conversation. His address from the Vatican will help shift how the world values and understands its single most precious resource: water. Immediately following the Papal address, at 10:30 a.m. CET, 400 thought leaders from around the world will convene at WATERSHED. These policy makers and academics, together with students, artists, business leaders and men and women from the most at-risk populations will begin an unprecedented dialogue around the value and values of water.
Sonny Perdue’s confirmation for secretary of the US Department of Agriculture is likely to occur without a fight, so we need to move fast to put our vision for a better food system on the table. Take action now to demand he put healthy food and farms first.
ACTION ALERT
Tell the Agriculture Secretary Nominee to Put Healthy Food and Farms First
Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue is President Trump’s nominee to lead the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA plays a vital role in our food system, a system that right now is fueling chronic health problems, damaging farmland, and spewing chemical runoff into our waterways.
You can bet Governor Perdue is hearing from the usual agribusiness lobbyists working to keep the status quo, and he has a history of siding with them. Because he is likely to be confirmed after his hearing this week without much of a fight, we need to ensure the first thing he hears upon assuming office is a demand for smarter public investments to make healthy foods more affordable, to improve children’s health and well-being, and to encourage farmers to adopt science-based, sustainable farming practices.
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