
Protecting Our Waters
In a greener, healthier world we would treat our waterways as the precious life-giving resources they are.

Clean water is vital to our ecosystems, our health and our quality of life. Unfortunately inadequate protections and lax enforcement still leave far too many of our rivers, lakes and streams vulnerable to pollution. Areas of the Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes have dead zones which no longer support aquatic life, and thousands of incidents of illegal pollution have gone unpunished.
This pollution can put the drinking water for millions of Americans at risk. To make matters worse, our drinking water frequently travels through pipes and fixtures that contain lead, a potent neurotoxin, which threatens healthy brain development. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 24 million children are at risk from lead contamination.
To protect our waterways, create healthy ecosystems and ensure clean drinking water for everyone we need to strengthen, not weaken, clean water laws, tighten pollution permits, and hold polluters accountable when they violate the law. And we need our leader here, and in Washington, to make critical investments in clean water infrastructure.

Updates
New study: PFAS found in freshwater fish
Judge in North Dakota halts clean water protections in 24 states
PennEnvironment responds to Delaware River area chemical spill
Congressional committee votes to repeal clean water protections
Team
Rumpler

John
Rumpler
Clean Water Director and Senior Attorney, Environment America
Metzger

Luke
Metzger
Executive Director, Environment Texas
Chapman

Dyani
Chapman
State Director, Alaska Environment Action
Wein
Stephanie
Wein
Water and Conservation Advocate, PennEnvironment
Find Out More

How the environment fared at the Texas Legislature (88th regular session)

Six ways Congress should protect the environment in 2023

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