Photo credit: nekidtroll, Flickr, Creative Commons
You’ve heard the infuriating and tragic stories coming out of Flint, Michigan: Stories of corporate abuse, of bad decisions, of passing the buck. All these stories lead to a hard truth: Real people have had their lives and livelihoods devastated by this violation of their human right to clean, safe water.
What’s even more outrageous is that private water corporations like Veolia are now attempting to position themselves as the solution to our nation’s water woes. The audacity is astounding: Veolia is currently facing a fraud lawsuit from the Michigan state attorney general over its role in the Flint crisis.
Flint is just one example. Public water systems all over the United States need massive public investment. That’s why I’m excited to share some good news: Members of Congress have introduced a bill that would provide a huge boost for our public water systems.
The Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability (WATER) Act will provide billions of dollars annually to modernize U.S. water infrastructure. Importantly, it will ensure that the funding goes to publicly owned water systems. And it will be funded by closing a tax loophole on offshore corporate profits. Sounds great, right? It is!
Together, we can make sure our public water systems get the funding they need. We need our representatives to hear loud and clear that this is a top priority. Take action now:
Tell your representative: Stand up for clean, safe water and support the WATER Act!
Clean water is a human right. No one should have to worry about whether their water is safe to drink — or whether a corporate privatizer will attempt to take over their water system for profit.
