Letter to the Editor: Re “Clean Water Laws are Neglected, at a Cost in Suffering” (New York Times)

To the Editor:

Re “Clean Water Laws are Neglected, at a Cost in Suffering” (Front page, September 13, 2009):

There are big challenges facing our public water systems, and the Times coverage makes abundantly clear the impetus to invest anew in these systems.

It’s a difficult argument to make in cash-strapped times, it’s true. Our public water systems need at least $22 billion more each year to keep up with the demands of aging infrastructure, maintenance and growth. But stimulus dollars could not be better spent. A U.S. Conference of Mayors study reports that for every additional $1  spent locally in public water, economic activity increases as much as $2.62 and that adding one job in water can lead to 3.68 jobs in the national economy to support that job.

That's a stimulus that’s good both for public health and our economy.

And the money should be coming from those who create the greatest expense for our water utilities. If major polluters have been unloading their waste at the public’s expense, it should be our expense no longer. The health of our children from West Virginia to the West Coast depends on this type of accountability. The first step toward holding polluters accountable is eliminating their influence on our lawmakers and regulatory agencies.

Sincerely,

Kelle Louaillier
Executive Director