As we mark the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, we celebrate the tremendous progress our country has made in providing clean drinking water for all Americans - and recommit ourselves to the work that lies ahead.
I am proud to have been one of the Senators who supported this groundbreaking legislation. Before the Safe Drinking Water Act, America's drinking water was unreliable and too often contaminated with industrial waste or pathogens. The law was passed to deal with these problems, and five decades later, our nation enjoys some of the safest drinking water in the world.
Along with Vice President Harris's longtime leadership, I fought to bring the full vision of the Safe Drinking Water Act to fruition by addressing key issues facing our drinking water system today, including toxic lead pipes, PFAS "forever chemicals," aging water infrastructure, and pollution affecting our rivers, streams, and wetlands. Our Administration has combined historic investments - including more than $50 billion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act - and regulatory policies - including the first-ever requirement to identify and replace lead pipes within ten years - to make historic progress in investing in critical water infrastructure, including in Native and rural communities, while creating good-paying jobs and helping to advance environmental justice.
Vice President Harris and I have always believed that every person in this country deserves to turn on the tap and have clean drinking water. And thanks to my administration's investments and actions on water safety, the new legacy of clean, quality drinking water will be felt by our families and communities for generations to come.
Whitehouse/ gnews - RoZ
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