Protect Texas' Drinking Water: An Editorial

As the article prefaces the topic with the controversial incident of Flint, Michigan and the idea of clean water for all, Sara Smith writes her TribTalk article on the essential topic on our potable resource and the need to maintain and upkeep the ways native Texas receive it. With World Water Day occurring on March 22nd and a quirky topic of discussion, Sara reaches out to those worried about the conditions of drinking water systems with a horrifying quote, "EPA now estimates that communities face a $384 billion backlog to repair drinking water infrastructure across the country". She follows up with local examples of the impending trouble, a City named Keller applying for a loan of $12 million to replace four decade old pipes in aging asbestos-cement that supplies water for 42,000 people. Furthermore, Smith refers to a report by the Environmental Integrity Project that states drinking water systems that service 51,000 people have "exceeded Safe Drinking Water standards for arsenic." 

Sara Smith, staff attorney for Environment Texas makes a potent case for the indispensable resource that Texans have access, and furthers her own agenda by listing ways to protect it with "green infrastructure and ... low impact development." While certainly biased, established by a quick glance to her former articles and her current occupation, Smith does give sound evidence on why drinking water systems might be a quintessential issue that Texas will need to focus on as the structure slowly grows weak from negligence. Flint might be the spark that brings to light the harsh truth that drinkable water is far too often taken for granted.