Environmental Justice and Drinking Water Regulations

Abstract

The Environmental Justice (EJ) movement is relatively new, appearing on the drinking water regulatory policy scene in the early 1990s. It combines concern for environmental protection and for impoverished minority communities. Until recently, water suppliers were only peripherally involved with the EJ movement, which has focused most of its efforts on pollution from industrial sites. The US Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA's) recently issued proposed rule for radon is the first drinking water rule to directly address EJ issues. This article reviews the relevance of EJ to drinking water regulation.

Impact on diarrhoeal illness of a community educational intervention to improve drinking water quality in rural communities in Puerto Rico

“…Drinking water safety in people reliant on very small systems represent a major issue for the public health of people reliant on them for their drinking water, the impact of which may have more serious potential outcomes than just acute diarrhoeal disease [ 22 ]. Given that that many people reliant on such supplies may not have the knowledge or wealth to improve their own water supplies, even in relatively wealthy countries, contaminated rural water supplies represents a major issue for environmental justice and drinking water [ 23 ].…”