In late June, the Environmental Protection Agency, with the help of the president, rolled back laws that were put in place to make sure that millions of Americans could have safe drinking water. The Clean Water rule was put in place during 2015.  It was implemented to  clean up heavily polluted federal waterways. The rule, passed under former President Barack Obama, expanded federal authority to include all “navigable” waters under the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act. The rule ultimately would have protected the drinking water of more than 117 million Americans. The Clean Water Act (CWA) establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters. The basis of the CWA was enacted in 1948 and was called the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, but the Act was significantly reorganized and expanded in 1972. “Clean Water Act” became the Act’s common name with amendments in 1972. Millions of Americans receive high quality drinking water every day from their public water systems, (which may be publicly or privately owned). Nonetheless, drinking water safety cannot be taken for granted. There are threats to drinking water: improperly disposed of chemicals; animal wastes; pesticides; human threats; wastes injected underground; and naturally-occurring substances can all contaminate drinking water. Likewise, drinking water that is not properly treated or disinfected, or which travels through an improperly maintained distribution system, may also pose a health risk. So, what does this mean to you? Will your water be safe? Many believe that it will have a direct effect on many households in the US. Another report labels 55 percent of the nation’s waterways as being in “poor” condition and another 23 percent as just “fair.” Only 21 percent of rivers are considered “good” and “healthy biological communities.”  It’s important to remember that water runs downhill, straight into our drinking water sources. Considering all these factors, it is so important to take steps to make sure the drinking water you and your family are consuming is safe. A water filtration system is the best way to ensure safe, clean drinking water. Reverse osmosis drinking water systems will remove the majority of harmful contaminates that may find their way into your drinking water. For more information about RO systems and how Rayne Drinking Water can help protect you and your family visit our website.]]>