What Are the Threats to Michigan’s Drinking Water?
Conference Highlights First-Ever Reports Documenting Potential Health
Hazards
On Saturday, November 8 in Ann Arbor, Michigan's top Great Lakes official
will deliver the keynote address at a conference where public health
advocates, water quality experts and journalists will learn about
powerful new tools that will allow the public to evaluate the quality of
their drinking water. For the first time ever, federally mandated reports
documenting potential threats to local drinking water will be publicly
available in December. Clean Water Fund and Clean Water Action are
hosting the conference where Ken DeBeaussaert, Director of Michigan’s
Office of the Great Lakes, will speak. Threats to drinking water supplies
include corporate farms, diminishing wetlands, toxic water pollution
discharges, stormwater run-off, sewage overflows, illegal dumping and
contaminated sites.
The reports, known as source water assessments, are the first
comprehensive analysis of multiple types of contamination that threaten
drinking water supplies and are the result of a 1996 amendment to the
federal Safe Drinking Water Act requiring states to analyze drinking
water sources for potential and known sources of contamination. The
reports also detail recommendations to better protect drinking water
sources. They are to be issued for all public drinking water systems,
including wells, lakes and aquifers. Citizen activists and environmental
organizations from around the Great Lakes Basin are expected to attend
the conference. National experts from citizen-based organizations will
lead discussions and workshops. Workshops will focus on utilizing the
assessments to enhance on-going environmental efforts, such as wetland
protection, cleaning up toxic hot spots, curbing sprawl, and preserving
green space.
Who: Clean Water Action, Clean Water Fund
What: Great Lakes Basin Conference on Drinking Water Source
Protection
When: 9am-4pm Saturday, November 8, 2003
Where: Weber's Inn, 3050 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor
Background
Clean Water Action, Clean Water Fund and their allies have been
involved at the federal, state and local levels for nearly a decade
working to make these comprehensive drinking water reports a reality.
Door to door, thousands of Michigan residents were contacted and
subsequently wrote letters in support of making this valuable information
available. Clean Water staff were appointed to federal and state task
forces to oversee the implementation of the reports. Now the groups are
working to ensure citizens utilize the information to its full
potential.
“Its about time Michigan residents have information about existing and
potential sources of contamination to their drinking water,” said Bethany
Renfer of Clean Water Fund. “The assessments are critical tools that
residents can use to protect their local drinking water supplies and
ensure cleaner, safer water now and into the future.”
Citizen activists and environmental organizations from around the Great
Lakes Basin are expected to attend. National experts from citizen based
organizations will lead discussions and workshops. Workshops will focus
on utilizing the assessments to enhance on-going environmental efforts,
such as wetland protection, cleaning up toxic hot spots, curbing sprawl,
and preserving green space.
For more information or to register, contact Bethany Renfer at