What happened in Flint, Michigan eight years ago today is appalling, outrageous and frightening – and it shouldn't have happened.
Flint’s safe water source was switched to the polluted Flint River. The water wasn't properly treated, lead leached from the system’s old pipes, children got lead poisoning and at least 12 people died from a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak. Many people continue to suffer from serious health and financial consequences today.
Even though Flint finally got some federal funding to remove its lead pipes, those responsible still have not been held accountable. There’s much more work to be done to stop a crisis like this from ever happening again.
People shouldn't have to worry about whether their water is safe to drink or if their communities' water infrastructure can withstand the test of time. We need real, permanent federal investment in our water and wastewater infrastructure to prioritize community safety and promote climate resilience.
The WATER Act is the only permanent solution to our nation’s water funding woes, providing $35 billion each year to restore our public water infrastructure. This includes:
💧 $15.2 billion a year to the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to upgrade and improve drinking water systems, including removing lead pipes and treating PFAS contamination;
💧 $15.7 billion a year to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to pay for publicly-owned wastewater system upgrades;
💧 $1.1 billion a year to fix drinking water infrastructure in schools, including replacing lead pipes and fixtures.
💧 $1.2 billion a year to help update and install household septic systems and household wells;
💧 $1.4 billion to protect drinking water sources from pollution; and
💧 $349 million a year for technical assistance to rural, small or Indigenous wastewater and drinking water providers.
Without dedicated funding to upgrade and maintain our water systems, many communities lack the resources to keep their water clean and safe. That’s where the WATER Act comes in.
Food & Water Watch and its affiliated organization, Food & Water Action, are advocacy groups with a common mission to protect our food, water and climate.
This email was sent to [email protected]— and we're glad you got it because it's one of the most important ways you can reclaim political power, hold elected officials accountable and resist corporate control.We're excited to keep working together to make an impact! But if you need to, you can
adjust your preferences or unsubscribe.
