THE LEDGER-STAR
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 27, 1994 TAG: 9407270607
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY H. JOSEF HEBERT, ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
One in five Americans drinks water that is not adequately treated for toxic chemicals, bacteria, parasites and other pollutants, an environmental group said today.
The Natural Resources Defense Council, in a report entitled ``Think Before You Drink,'' said its examination of nationwide compliance with federal drinking water standards shows that nearly 50 million people are drinking improperly treated water.
Congress has grappled for months with legislation that would rewrite the federal drinking water law, but the NRDC argued that the bills and the Clinton administration's proposals fall short of dramatically improving water quality.
``There is no reason why any American should drink contaminated water. We know how to make water safe and we know how to do it cheaply,'' said Erik Olson, an NRDC attorney who specializes in water quality issues. He said needed improvements would cost most households only $25 a year.
Council researchers said that, using Environmental Protection Agency data, they were able to document 223,042 violations of federal drinking water standards during 1992 and 1993, including 26,275 cases where water was found to be more contaminated than health standards allow.
KEYWORDS: WATER
by CNB