You knew that it looked “off” in the past, but you assumed that things were okay because you trusted your water service provider, and they certainly wouldn’t allow you to be harmed.   

What if you have a private well…and noticed that your water started to look or smell different recently?  Do you just “hope” that it clears up and goes back to normal? Would you still let your children drink it?   

What if you live in the Marcellus Shale region of Pennsylvania where there are well-documented (but less public) accounts of water-related illnesses in people, pets, and livestock BUT regulation of oil & gas exploration has seemingly made protection of public health secondary?   

Living on the east coast for most of my life, and as an environmental practitioner for 20 years, I’ve come across a broad range of sites, situations, people, and have seen surface & groundwater look as clear as a mountain stream, rusty as iced tea, and as yellow as Mountain Dew; but it usually takes “current” (and very public) drinking water issues (e.g. Flint, MI; Newark, NJ) to bring these concerns to the forefront, unfortunately.   

Because this topic can cover a lot of ground, the logical starting point is to consider whether the current local, state, and federal regulatory programs are adequate, and if the protection of our water supplies AND ultimately, human health and the environment are at the top of the list.  They certainly should be, but avoid becoming consumed by the vastness of the matter (global scale). Start by reaching out to your local public officials to educate yourself on current and future measures, programs, and initiatives in your town, county, and state because in our complex society, there will be crusaders on both sides of this battle but access to clean drinking water shouldn't be compromised. 

As contentious as this topic can be, stay tuned for future updates and musings, as well as others, from Cardinal Environmental. We hope that you find these posts informative, and relatively useful, and your feedback is always welcome. For further information please don't hesitate to contact us at tfrancis@cardinallsrp.com, or www.cardinallsrp.com.