The public health importance of the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act.

The Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act was critical to preserving the integrity of our water with many provisions in place that protect our water from industry pollution and requires permits for disposal methods previously unregulated by law. Congress supported the act despite 2 presidents opposing the bill.

Before the act, it was common practice to dump waste water directly into fresh water sources which led to dangerous levels of toxins inside of water commonly used by the public. In Chicago the river population started to grow after these acts were in place and humans and animals were able to enjoy the water as life began to flourish in the river.

The clean water act aims to protect the public from toxins in water but serious updates are needed to our outdated sewer and storm drain systems because there are still many pollutants reaching our clean water systems.

Wastewater Facilities in Richmond, CA.

There is one wastewater treatment center in Richmond, CA by the name of Veolia Water.

Some facts and figures for Veolia include:

• Veolia Water has been operating in Richmond since 2002.

• Veolia employs 30 people in Richmond.

• The Veolia Richmond facility serves approximately 68,000 residents.

• Veolia manages sewer collection for the City of Richmond through 185 miles of underground pipes and the City's 197-mile storm water drainage system.

• Veolia has helped the City of Richmond reduce overflows by 84% in the last four years.

• Veolia processes a "dry weather average flow" of 6.5 million gallons of wastewater for the City of Richmond each day.

• Veolia has increased the facility's permit compliance record from 67% to 97% since taking over the 50+ year old plant.

• Veolia has implemented $43 million in capital improvements to the City of Richmond's sewer collection system.

• Veolia has implemented $14 million in capital improvements to the City of Richmond's wastewater treatment facility.

• Veolia has implemented $1.6 million in capital improvements to the City of Richmond's storm drain system

What is needed for an ideal Chemical Public Health Policy?

I think that a better codification of harmful chemicals should be developed for the public to be able to make quick and easy decisions about which items they choose to interact with in their everyday lives. For example when TV Ratings came out, they were slowly adopted as an easy way to identify what you were getting as far as content from your favorite TV shows so you could make better decisions on how to protect your kids from inappropriate content. The same could apply to household products, beauty items and other items and devices that use chemicals. Whether its a color code or numerical rating, this helps touch on the Louisville Charter's recommendation for full right-to-know disclosure. By letting consumers know what they're buying in a way that is easier to understand, we help empower them with information access with less barriers, and potentially creating a healthier environment free of dangerous chemical interactions with the public.

Environmental Racism in Richmond, CA

I am not even the slightest bit surprised that the Richmond Chevron Refinery made the list for corporations taking advantage of communities through Environmental Racism. I can still remember the 2012 Chevron refinery fire. This place is a stain on our community. Chevron likes to give back to the community they poison by sponsoring many school programs that focus on science and engineering at local schools. But that can not be equated with the damage there plant has been doing to Richmond for decades. They are regularly involved in the politics of the city of Richmond, which was on full display during Richmond's last election where Richmond spent millions of dollars to get pro-Chevron candidate Nat Bates elected as Mayor, an election he subsequently lost.

Richmond is a pioneer and one of the most innovative cities in the country; Richmond residents are getting smarter about these deceptive strategies by Chevron every day and the last election is a strong indicator of that.

Fernando's Water Quality

I was surprised to learn that my water comes all the way from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I always assumed as a Richmond resident that my water comes from the San Pablo Reservoir just because of its close proximity to where I live.

Another interesting thing that I learned was that sometimes water is sent from the Sacramento River to my home during times of high-demand or during drought periods. Furthermore, my water can be treated at a variety of different water treatment plants including Orinda and El Sobrante before the water reaches my faucet. I always assumed that my water was treated at the giant East Bay Mud head quarters in Oakland.

I discovered that the quality of my water meets all the standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the State Board and that the water is only tested to meet the standards set by those institutions. Which I am not sure if is a good or bad thing since doing the bear minimum to pass their tests is the equivalent to doing enough studying to pass a quiz as opposed to striving to ace the test.

I do not filter my water regularly, but I have tried to purchase a Brita Water Filter Container because I once had a friend who used one on his tap and it tasted delicious. I used it for 1 month before it broke and it was too expensive for me to try and get another one.

I will say that I was presently surprised by the comprehensive report on water quality in my area. It seems as if the report genuinely tries to inform you of how and why your water arrives to your faucet the way it does and I am glad that my water received a passing grade.

As far as bottled water goes, I literally drink AT LEAST 5 bottles of water a day. But I also drink at least 5 bottles of tap water a day as well. I didn't realize that so many brands (even the high end ones) are misleading in their marketing tactics on just how healthy their product is. I will definitely think twice about what kind of water I will drink the next time I am at the super market.