Do we know our H2O?

When I was perusing around the New York Times Web site the other day, I came across an brilliantly crafted, investigative reporting series on a subject that really affects everyone -- water.

"Clean Water Laws Are Neglected, at a Cost in Suffering," by Charles Duhigg, which brings to light the modern-day realities of the dangers in the water circulating some parts of the U.S., was originally published on Sept. 12 and has already accumulated more than 478 comments.

From the get-go I immediately had flashes of the Erin Brokovich movie, as the story line was eerily similar -- unsuspecting citizens, unfortunate health trends, ignoring public policy. Except in this case Julia Roberts wasn't the main character, but instead innocent people like you and I took the lead.

"Because most of today’s water pollution has no scent or taste, many people who consume dangerous chemicals do not realize it, even after they become sick, researchers say."

The lengthy article is brimming with statistics and information that make you want to turn off your sink and pick up that bottled, guaranteed-to-be-uncontaminated water. Instead of sitting here summarizing the article (instead, just go read it. Really.) I think that the best part was the interactive sidebars. I was able to look up the state of Florida and see that it was freckled with places that have had recorded water violations. Including one right here in Gainesville. Fabulous. Additionally, accompanying the article was a map listing the number of water facilities coupled with the number of those that have proof of violating the Clean Water Act. In Florida, there are 477.5 water facilities. Of that number, according to the New York Times Web site, 133.8 have violated the Clean Water Act. Though compared to other states this number is low, that is still 133.8 potentially harmful facilities in the state.

If you don't have time to check out the full article, take 3 minutes and 27 seconds out of your day and watch the video. The New York Times uploaded it to YouTube and you can watch it here.