Public drinking water is the very foundation of public health. Support for public services like water is crucial.

Fortunately, in the United States, 85 percent of the population still receives water from taxpayer-subsidized, publicly owned and operated utilities, which are regulated by the EPA using standards of quality that are so high they are used worldwide as the definition of what constitutes safe water.

But, as the Environmental Working Group points out, our municipal water supplies are at risk. We need to strengthen investment and regulation, to keep our water systems safe and our public agencies effective, efficient, and accountable.

Both Food and Water Watch and Corporate Accountability International have ongoing campaigns to support continued public investment in water. Another group that promotes strong public sector water supply is the Municipal Services Project which explores alternatives to the privatization of service provision in the health, water, sanitation, and electricity sectors.

Public agencies and public sector workers are one of the most important sources of knowledge we have about how to safely and sustainably manage drinking water. Public Services International is a trade union federation of over 500 public sector unions in over 140 countries, and their research team, PSIRU provides some of the best research available on the benefits of public investment in water.