Water Pollution

Unlike many of the earth's inhabitants, who must haul bacteria laden water from nearby lakes, creeks, and wells, we enjoy the convenience of having seemingly clean water at out immediate disposal. We expect it to be there for drinking, cooking, bathing, swimming, fishing. But in recent years, we have become increasingly concerned about chemical pollution of our water. For example, on June 12, 1973, the federal government warned parents in Duluth, Minnesota, not to allow their children to drink the municipal water, which was found to be laced with asbestos fibers.

According to the report published in 1975, half of the water supplies that serve fewer than 500 people did not meet minimum health standards, and nearly 25 percent exceeded federal standards for contamination. In May 1978, four wells in Bedford, Massachusetts, which provide 80 percent of the town's drinking water, were found to be contaminated with toxic chemicals. And as of November 1982, 54 public wells on Long Island had been closed because of organic chemical contamination that exceeded state guidelines.