| Show Should Share Water Wader Pollution Cost The Presidents President's Federal Water Pollution Control Advisory Advisory Ad Ad- visor Board met Nov 20 1970 in Manteo N N. C. C and adopted resolutions urging the President to take action on three broad fronts of water pollution control THE BOARD expressed its firm belief that the Federal Federal Federal Fed Fed- eral Government should continue continue continue con con- to share in the costs of of mun municipal cipal waste treatment treatment treat treat- ment plant construction and urges that that the Congress enact enact enact en en- act suitable legislation aut authorizing au- au t term long appropriations for the grants program at the rate of at least 1 billion billion billion bil bil- bil- bil lion per year The r The Coast Guard and the f Federal deral W Water ter Qua Quality lit Adment Ad- Ad ment m the Nati National Contingency Plan for the Removal of Oil from interstate and and or r navigational navigational navigational nav nav- waters THE TIlE BOARD recommended I that additional funds be sought from the Congress to implement implement implement ment the plan without requiring requiring requiring re re- re- re quiring the agencies to finance finance fi finance fi- fi nance it through appropriations at the current operating level Further the board recommended recommended recommended mended that immediate steps be taken to activate the oil removal revolving fund within with with- in the U. U S. S treasury as authorized authorized authorized au au- au- au by the Water Quality Improvement Act THE TIlE BOARD put i its stamp of approval on the F voluntary national inventory of industrial wastes and recommended recommended recommended rec rec- rec- rec full cooperation between be between between be be- tween EP EPA A and State water pollution control agencies However the board also called for EPA to take immediate immediate immediate im im- im- im mediate action requiring compliance compliance compliance com com- from industries that do not voluntarily provide the necessary waste discharge data BUT IT wasn't one of those a anti progress conservationists addressing that seminar last March it was Charles C. C Johnson head of the PHS Consumer Protection and Environmental Health Service And then to confuse the issue even further in July of 1970 the Department of Health Education and Welfares Welfare's Welfares Welfare's Welfares Welfare's Wel Wel- fares fare's Bureau of Water Hygiene issued an interesting little report called the Community Water Supply Study THE REPORT contained the results of a survey of public water supply systems serving 18 million people in nine states And it said of the one Forty percent systems surveyed were delivering water of inferior quality to 25 million people people were being eing supplied with potentially dangerous dangerous dangerous dan dan- or dangerous water SIX THIRTY percent of 2600 individual tap water samples amples contained one or more bacteriological or chemical chemical chemical chem chem- ical constituents exceeding the limits in the recommended Public Health Service Drinking Drinking Drinking Drink Drink- ing Water Standards Nine percent of the 2600 2600 2600 2 samples contained ba bacterial bacterial bac bac- contamination at the consumers consumer's tap evidencing potentially potentially potentially po po- po- po dangerous quality THIRTY percent of the 2600 2600 2600 2 samples amples contained at least one of the chemical limits indicating indicating indicating in in- waters of inferior quality Eleven of the percent samples samples samples sam sam- ples drawn from 94 systems using surface waters as a source of supply exceeded the recommended organic chemical limit of parts per billion SEVENTY seven percent of water plant operators were inadequately trained in fundamental fundamental fundamental funda funda- mental water microbiology and 46 percent were deficient in chemistry relating to their plant operation Seventy nine percent of the water systems were not in in- by state or county authorities in 1968 IN 50 percent of the cases plant officials did not remember remember remember ber when if ever a state or local health department has last surveyed the water sup sup- ply Unlike Mr Johnsons Johnson's comprehensive comprehensive comprehensive com com- warnings the report report report re re- re- re port made the water pollution water-treatment water issue a very personal thing especially in inthe inthe inthe the nine rune states involved and the public started worrying a little little about the drink of water little Johnny was getting But Butas Butas Butas as usual after the i a I 1 flurry of concern the root problems remained largely unchanged eral Government will protect u uS s right Wrong that clear liquid coming out of your faucet simply doesn't have havethe havethe havethe the glamour the aura aural prestige prestige pres pres- ti tige e or profit incentive Of f things like say an SST that'll get you to Paris three hours quicker than youve you've gotten there lately And therefore it should be perfectly understandable that the Federal Governments Government's drinking water program is limited to a small staff in inthe inthe inthe the Bureau of Water Hygiene with a budget of 27 million for fiscal 1970 compared to the million for the next stage of the SST IT SHOULD also be understandable understandable understandable under under- that the Administrations Administration's Administrations Administration's Administrations Administration's Admin Admin- budget request for 1971 asks for a cut cutin cutin cutin in the Bureaus Bureau's funds Inflation you know Some people are concerned with what's apt to be going on inside little Johnnys Johnny's gizzard gizzard gizzard giz giz- giz- giz zard after he takes a drink of water One of the most current current current cur cur- rent efforts to do something about it is HR introduced introduced introduced intro intro- by Florida Congressman Congress Congress- man Paul Rogers THERE IS virtually no chance of any action on the bill during this session so it will die But Rogers says it will be reintroduced during during during dur dur- ing the next session Until there are disasters or epidemics we assume that the drinking water in inthis inthis inthis this nation is pure Rogers said But there is increasing increasing increasing ing evidence that a good portion of our drinking water is not safe and that a great portion is on the border of being potentially harmful if not dangerous OUR ENTIRE coverage of drinking water is a patchwork patchwork patchwork patch patch- work of laws with large holes at every level local state and national And as a result our drinking water supply is suffering from bacteria virus hazardous substances Our severe neglect to our drinking water problems is chiefly responsible for this condition If we do not turn this inattention around in the very near future there could be a WE HAVE already seen examples More than people in Riverside calif alif were affected by waterborne diseases in 1965 and 30 percent percent percent per per- cent of the people in Angola N. N Y suffered from gastroenteritis gastroenteritis gas- gas 1 in 1968 Rogers s said id The evidence of the need for increased attention to our water supply is obvious We Weare Weare Weare are polluting all our water systems with effluents and we shortly thereafter draw on this very same water for drinking HR would establish a minimum quality for drinking drinking drinking drink drink- ing water including any waters which humans come into contact with and a maximum level permissible for any chemical biological physical radiological or other contaminants and then establish establish establish es es- es- es enforcement pro pro- visions State standards would have to meet Federal standards but could be stronger A testing testing testing test test- ing and surveillance program program pro pro- gram is also included l MEANWHILE LE drink up If you cant can't prove its it's hurting you theres there's nothing to worry about Right |
