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Clean drinking water is a human right, and and environmental necessity. But U.S. pipes are old and full of lead, not to mention other poisons whille politicians in D.C. do nothing. Sign here to tell Congress to pass the WATER Act and fix our broken water system!
Friend,
Politicians in D.C. are asleep at the switch to America's clean water: Their indifference has left Flint residents without solutions and losing hope after the worst lead-poisoning crisis in American history. And their continued inaction on climate change and critical infrastructure makes another poisoned water crisis not just likely, but inevitable.1
Water pipes in some U.S. cities are as old as Ford's first Model T car. And too many are still made of lead. These aging pipes are putting the health of entire communities in danger – especially children’s health. And to make matters worse, private water corporations are taking advantage of this crisis to push for the privatization of water systems across the U.S.2
We don't need private companies to buy up our right to water and then charge us a fee to remove the chemicals and pollutants they put in it. We need action from Washington, D.C. that takes on the heart of this challenge. And that's why we're joining a big coalition of partners to support the Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity and Reliability Act (WATER Act, H.R. 5313). This bill would provide a good start on solving our nation's clean water problem by providing dedicated funding to keep our water and sewer systems up to date. And it won't cost you (or other taxpayers) a penny since it's already paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes.3
Tell your representative to support the WATER Act and fix our aging water systems!
Poisoned drinking water hits low-wealth communities of color, like Flint, the hardest. But Flint isn't alone, and the problem isn't just in big cities. Consider Matheny Tract, a poor and largely Latino town in California where the water comes out of the tap poisoned with arsenic and other chemicals.4 Roughly a third of Metheny Tract's residents live in poverty -- and they simply cannot afford to pay for bottled water; especially after they've already paid for poisoned water out of the tap!
This is not just a matter of environmental necessity (though it is) -- it's a matter of Justice. The government must protect people from this form of environmental injustice and ensure safe, affordable drinking water. But right now, neither Congress nor the President have a plan to fund the major overhaul our nation's water system needs.
It's time for the politics to change by putting people before polluter profit. Click here to sign our national petition supporting the WATER Act to fix our aging water systems! We'll deliver all the names to Congress later this summer at a big event that will put Flint, Metheny Tract and all other impacted communities back in the spotlight were they belong.
Click here to sign on to our national petition supporting the WATER Act to fix our aging water systems!
Thanks,
Drew and the Clean Water Drinking Club at Environmental Action
1 - Danny Vinik, Is Washington creating more Flints?, Politico Agenda, May 25, 2016
- Jiquanda Johnsonm Victims of Flint water crisis sound off on lack of faith in government, MLive.com, June 14, 2016
2 - Danny Vinik, SURVEY: Time for water to become D.C.’s problem, Politico Agenda, May 25, 2016
3 - H.R. 5313: Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Act of 2016, Govtrack.us, May 24, 2016
4 - Patricia Leigh Brown, The Flint of California The Agenda, Politico Agenda, May 25, 2016
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