Today there are 40,000 chemicals that end up in groundwater, but only a few hundred are regulated by US law.
Consumer and environmental advocate Erin Brockovich spoke about this in a publication for The Guardian.
“My father worked for many years as an engineer at Texaco and then at the Department of Transportation. Before he died, he told me that during my lifetime water will become a commodity more valuable than oil or gold, because there will be so little of it. Unfortunately, I think he was right, ”says Brockovich.
Water in the United States has become so toxic that some cities prohibit residents from using it and send bottled water. Once even the American congressmen had to cut off the water. As it turned out, dangerous levels of lead were found in the water supply system in Washington.
“We are in a water crisis that you cannot even imagine. Pollution and toxins are everywhere from hazardous industrial and agricultural waste. Today we have over 40,000 chemicals on the market, and only a few hundred are regulated. Production by-products have been dumped into the ground and into the water supply system for many years. This crisis affects everyone – rich or poor, black or white, Republicans or Democrats, ”said the human rights activist.
Many of the chemicals in the water are causing irreversible health problems in Americans, she said. The situation is aggravated by drought and other cataclysms of recent years. All of this adds to the pressure on the US water supply system.
“Our resources are exhausted. Corruption is rampant. Officials are trying to cover their tracks. When it comes to the severity of this crisis, people don’t put the pieces together. Senators and doctors call me, they ask what to do, – says Brokovich. “If you are waiting for someone to come to rescue you and purify your water, I am here to tell you: no one will come to save you. The time has come for us to save ourselves. “