The Fight For Clean Drinking Water in Caldwell County The process of testing and purifying water has made it difficult for many groups in North Carolina and Caldwell County to access clean drinking water for a reasonable price. In result, many people have turned to well water, which without proper testing can be harmful over long periods of time. Changes in government have affected North Carolina citizens in negative ways, and there are not many people fighting for revisions. The purification process becomes more efficient year after year, but if these changes are to continue, the only reaction is for price of water to increase, and the only pathway to change is enforcing and making changes to laws and codes already in place. The Clean Water
…show more content…
The government has a list of contaminants and their maximum levels. The 2014 Annual Drinking Water Report by the city of Lenoir, North Carolina has stated that drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants and that the presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water possesses a health risk. The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Public Water Supply (PWS) Section, Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) conducted assessments for all drinking water sources across North Carolina with the purpose to determine the susceptibility of each drinking water source (well or surface water intake) to Potential Contaminant Sources (PCSs). There is a list of 97 NPDWRs that include the potential health risks that correspond to a prolonged exposure to the contaminants ("Summary of the Clean Water Act" 7). Some of the contaminants include: Cryptosporidium, Alachlor, and Chlorobenzene, all of which cause health problems such as, Gastrointestinal illness, eye, liver, kidney or spleen problems; anemia; and an increased risk of cancer. If Caldwell County experiences an increase of these contaminants, the consequences could be …show more content…
The rate of low-income families is 36.2% in North Carolina. It has become increasingly hard for these families to obtain clean water at a reasonable cost. Many of them have resorted to the use of well water, which can be extremely harmful over long period of time if not tested properly and frequently. As North Carolina’s population swells by an estimated 2 million people over the next 15 years, many communities will face tough choices about water use. Based upon current trends we could run out of water within the next 30 years during "normal" years, not just during droughts (“Current Issues” 8). The article, "The Stealthy Takeover of NC Drinking Water." states, “Many corporate-owned systems haven’t consistently complied with water quality standards, despite charging high customer rates. Even for systems without recent violations, there are often water quality problems: small systems are not required to monitor as frequently as larger ones, so violations can slip through the cracks. Among the NC neighborhoods served by for-profit water utilities, low-income, minority, and rural communities are particularly vulnerable to steep rate hikes and poor service.” The article "Water Challenges Face NC Apartment Dwellers and Mobile Home Park
The government has a list of contaminants and their maximum levels. The 2014 Annual Drinking Water Report by the city of Lenoir, North Carolina has stated that drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants and that the presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water possesses a health risk. The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Public Water Supply (PWS) Section, Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) conducted assessments for all drinking water sources across North Carolina with the purpose to determine the susceptibility of each drinking water source (well or surface water intake) to Potential Contaminant Sources (PCSs). There is a list of 97 NPDWRs that include the potential health risks that correspond to a prolonged exposure to the contaminants ("Summary of the Clean Water Act" 7). Some of the contaminants include: Cryptosporidium, Alachlor, and Chlorobenzene, all of which cause health problems such as, Gastrointestinal illness, eye, liver, kidney or spleen problems; anemia; and an increased risk of cancer. If Caldwell County experiences an increase of these contaminants, the consequences could be …show more content…
The rate of low-income families is 36.2% in North Carolina. It has become increasingly hard for these families to obtain clean water at a reasonable cost. Many of them have resorted to the use of well water, which can be extremely harmful over long period of time if not tested properly and frequently. As North Carolina’s population swells by an estimated 2 million people over the next 15 years, many communities will face tough choices about water use. Based upon current trends we could run out of water within the next 30 years during "normal" years, not just during droughts (“Current Issues” 8). The article, "The Stealthy Takeover of NC Drinking Water." states, “Many corporate-owned systems haven’t consistently complied with water quality standards, despite charging high customer rates. Even for systems without recent violations, there are often water quality problems: small systems are not required to monitor as frequently as larger ones, so violations can slip through the cracks. Among the NC neighborhoods served by for-profit water utilities, low-income, minority, and rural communities are particularly vulnerable to steep rate hikes and poor service.” The article "Water Challenges Face NC Apartment Dwellers and Mobile Home Park