# How Can Clean Drinking Water Be More Available in Rural Communities? - Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2018/06/how-can-clean-water-be-more-available-in-rural-communities/ - Published: 2018-06-10T00:50:57-04:00 - Author: greenlivingguy To introduce , Clean drinking water is a fundamental human right. Too many of the world’s population takes it for granted. Out of the seven billion people living on Earth, over a quarter of the population — 2.1 billion — lack access to clean water. Safe drinking water or clean water defined as free from contamination and available at home when needed. First off! Over half of the world’s population is 4.5 billion. It does not have adequately managed sanitation. Hence, Unsafe sanitation services defined as when excrement. So they cannot be treated or disposed of safely. ![Water-wise communities: including empowering citizens, increasing professional awareness of water and enabling policy makers to take water-wise action.](https:// i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/wp-1466464517978.jpeg?resize =270%2C180&quality=52&ssl=1) Unsafe clean water for drinking and sanitation are closely linked. They spread diseases, such as dysentery, hepatitis and diarrhea. People live in rural communities are at the largest risk. [Millions of rural Americans drink unsafe water](https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/trouble-in-farm-country.php). This happens with illegal levels of contaminants. Yes folks, from harmful chemicals used in agriculture to coal mining or just caused by bad pipes. **Keep WOTUS Intact** The Clean Water Rule is the Waters of the U.S. WOTUS for short. It clarifies which waterways protected under the 1972 Clean Water Act. ![clean Water](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/waterconservation. jpg?resize=270%2C270&quality=52&ssl=1) Trump and his administration are working toward repealing WOTUS for clean water. Furthermore, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said “while government works to repeal and replace WOTUS for two years, it Isn’t applicable.” [Delaying the rules is risky for water supplies](https://www.keramida.com/blog/epa-delays-wotus-two-years), especially in rural areas. The last version of Clean Water WOTUS was released back I n 2015. It included a 408-page technical report. The report offered scientific reasoning. This is for which waterways included or excluded from regulation. Trump’s repeal proposal does not mention anything about the report. That’ll be a real fact there folks! **Update Public Health Infrastructure** ⌊Clean Water for People at Water for people. org and #iHeartWater⌉⌊Clean Water for People at Water for people. org and #iHeartWater⌉ People most commonly think of water crises in cities where large populations get affected. Wrong! For example, they think like Flint, Mich., and Cape Town South Africa. Check this out though! However, most of the unsafe water is in small, poor communities that large media outlets do not cover. Most believe it does not affect a real number of people. In 2015 more than [5,000 drinking-water systems racked up more than 8,000 health-based violations](https://www.nrdc.org/experts/rhea-suh/our-drinking-water-crisis-goes-far-beyond-flint). Also, more than 50 percent of the water systems serve 500 people or less. One solution to this problem is government update public health infrastructure. People living in rural communities are more likely uninsured. They live far from hospitals. Of the states on America’s mainland, [16 percent live 30 miles or more from a hospital with emergency care](https://web.archive.org/web/20180212215718/http://www.cnn.com:80/2017/08/03/health/hospital-deserts/index.html). Those 30 or more miles could have a life or death difference and leaves rural areas poorly equipped to discuss the diseases that come with unsafe drinking water. If the government invested in the failing infrastructure, it would help people in rural communities seek treatment for hazardous water. It’ll also create jobs. **Increase Clean Energy Use** Clean and renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy must be the government’s priority — not fossil fuels like coal mining and natural gas that can pollute [clean water](https://greenlivingguy.com/2014/02/algenols-algae-energy-tape-bares-all/). ![Children People most commonly think of water crises in cities where large populations were affected like Flint, Mich., and Cape Town South Africa — however, most of the unsafe water is in small, poor communities that large media outlets do not cover since it’s not affecting a substantial number of people. In 2015 more than 5,000 drinking-water systems racked up more than 8,000 health-based violations and more than 50 percent of the water systems serve 500 people or less One solution to this problem is for the government to update public health infrastructure. People](https:// i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/img_0151.jpg?resize=135% 2C202&quality=52&ssl=1) When Coal, gas or oil gets used to power thermal, biomass or geothermal power plants, water is the agent for cooling. Additionally, wind and solar energy systems do not need water to generate electricity. Consider priorities for clean water during a drought or heating! Water should not be used to generate electricity in power plants. The 25-percent-by-2025 [renewable energy standard generates more than three times as many jobs](https://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/smart-energy-solutions/increase-renewables/clean-energy-green-jobs.html). We are talking about 300,000 jobs. Protect Water For A Better Future Clean water and sanitation systems are crucial to society’s health. It is government’s responsibility to make sure that rural and urban area, and everywhere have access to safe water. Clean water paired with proper sanitation systems help build healthier and more equitable communities. Bio: Emily Folk is a freelance writer and blogger from Lancaster, PA. She covers topics in conservation, sustainability and renewable energy. See her latest posts. Check out her blog, Conservation Folks, or follow her on Twitter.