The High Cost of Drinking Water

When it comes to human health, there are no easy choices. It is difficult to endorse anything that provides less than optimal levels of protection against contaminants. In the case of drinking water, factors need to be addressed including the cost to both utilities and their customers, feasibility of implementing regulations, and especially difficult impacts on small communities. Fundamentally, we have to answer the underlying question of whether improving drinking quality to such high levels is really going to significantly better human health? Some experts are saying that federal funds and regulations could be directed to other environmental hazards that might make a bigger difference in improving human health. Ultimately, the public is going to have to decide how much it wants to pay for clean water and how pure it wants that water to be. The responsibility rests with the public to become involved in the process and let their feelings be known on this key issue.