Legislation introduced recently in the House and Senate insists that clean, affordable drinking water is a right for U.S. citizens, with proposed resources included to make access more equitable.
The Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity and Reliability (WATER) Act hit the House and Senate floors in February.
Lady Freethinker (LFT) joined more than 500 other organizations in endorsing the legislation, which aims to promote safe, affordable and publicly-controlled water through significant federal investment — including $35 billion annually for drinking water and wastewater improvements and an additional $1 billion each year to update water systems in public schools.
LFT also signed on earlier this year to a related move asking the federal government to end utility shutoffs, due to non-payment, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Lady Freethinker’s mission is to achieve a compassionate world for all animals — including humans,” said LFT Founder Nina Jackel. “Denying access to basic needs like water is cruel and unnecessary in the richest country in the world, especially amid the economic devastation of a global pandemic.”
The WATER ACT, sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Reps. Brenda Lawrence and Ro Khanna, is co-sponsored by more than 70 legislators.
Recent media coverage has noted how water shut-offs during the COVID-19 pandemic due to non-payment, frozen pipes in the South during February’s freak freeze, and continued poisoning in American children from contaminated tap water all have underscored cracks in our country’s system.
“It is beyond belief that in 2021 American kids are being poisoned by tap water,” Sanders said via press release. “Not only do we allow corporations to pollute our waterways, but the government has failed to keep up with critically needed improvements to our drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.”
The legislation reflects the need for “massive investments” from the federal government, Sanders added, saying, “We must support local communities in their work to carry out these necessary infrastructure improvements.”
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Clean drinling water is everyones right.
every person should have access to clean water !! cities like Flint Michigan that still has brown water flowing thru the taps YET the more prosperous wealthy areas have clean water flowing thru their taps –END this disgusting discrimination NOW
As this is written I have no trouble with it. Being without water because the government ruined your job, to make enough to pay bills, is something they should have done long ago. But what what about people with bad wells? I have lived at a place with a bad well, and to hook into the municipal water supply, the city wants thousands of dollars to do it! This could bill could bankrupt some people, or condemn their homes.
Clean water is important for all living things.
Great initiative. Thank you for the post.