Drinking Water Protection
Drinking water is by far the most precious resource we have in the world, yet it is a resource that is often taken for granted. It’s not unusual for people to give little thought to water even though, through history, civilizations have risen and fallen depending on the availability of an adequate supply of water that is safe to drink. That’s still the case today. As we look at the problemsboth health-related and economicin many third-world nations, the lack of a safe supply of drinking water is often a major factor.
We have many ways of protecting drinking water. Protecting water sources, treating the water, and taking samples of the treated water to assure its safety are necessary. Another important means of protecting water is by promoting awareness of the subject, that safe drinking water doesn’t happen by accident and that all of us play a role in protecting it.
Toward this end, the Minnesota Department of Health has issued a report regarding the state of drinking water in Minnesota each year since 1995. These reports summarize the results of testing done the previous year, provide an overview on the role of the department’s drinking water program in monitoring and protecting drinking water, and examine emerging issues.
We are fortunate in Minnesota that drinking water supplies are in good shape and that we have an adequate supply of water that is safe to drink. For this to continue, we have to remain vigilant and address issues that are a threat to drinking water. One of the threats is complacency, and it with this in mind that we communicate on drinking water in several ways, including the issuance of this annual report.
Individual drinking water systems also provide annual reports to their citizens. Contact your local water utility to receive a copy of the latest report.
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