The Safe Drinking Water Act turns 40

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Guests: Howard Neukrug, Mark Weir, Charles Fishman

Thirsty?  In most parts of the country you can safely fill your glass straight from the tap, but that’s not the situation in much of the world where some 3.4 million people die every year of water-related diseases. Today marks the anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the landmark legislation signed into law by President Gerald Ford to safeguard the nation’s drinking water.  This hour, we’ll look at the significance Safe Drinking Water Act, examine the quality of our tap water today, and explore why it’s so difficult to provide safe drinking water around the world.  We’ll also discuss the challenges water scarcity will pose in the future.  Guest host Jeff Brady talks with HOWARD NEUKRUG, Commissioner of the Philadelphia Water Department, MARK WEIR, an assistant professor in the College of Public Health at Temple University, and CHARLES FISHMAN, author of The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water.

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