West Virginia University (WVU)’s National Drinking Water Clearinghouse soon will receive more than $1.2 million that U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., included in an appropriations bill last fall.
“Most Americans take safe drinking water for granted. Most Americans simply assume that, when they turn on the faucet, clean water will automatically flow. The terrible truth is that, in the United States, the health of millions of men, women, and children is made vulnerable by their reliance on possibly contaminated water supplies,”Byrd said.
“The WVU National Drinking Water Clearinghouse is dedicated to improving the quality of life for rural Americans who do not have access to clean, safe water from their faucet. By educating rural water providers about the latest treatment and service technologies, WVU is helping to improve the quality of life for rural America,”Byrd said.
Byrd added $1.236 million to the Fiscal Year 2002 Agriculture Appropriations bill for the Clearinghouse operations. The National Drinking Water Clearinghouse (NDWC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping small communities by collecting, developing, and providing timely information about drinking water issues.
“In 21st century America, citizens should not be reliant on antiquated, sometimes hazardous drinking water systems. Unfortunately, that is the case in far too many places. I am proud that West Virginia University is lending a helping hand to communities around the nation where the situation is most difficult to address,” WVU President David C. Hardesty, Jr., said.
“With the continued efforts of the National Drinking Water Clearinghouse and the other nationally recognized environmental services and training programs housed on campus, West Virginia University plays a critical role in improving the quality of life for rural Americans,”Hardesty said.
The National Drinking Water Clearinghouse provides toll-free technical assistance, distributing free and low-cost educational products, and educating drinking water operators and the general public about small system issues. Focus is placed on serving drinking water systems having fewer than 10,000 customers.
Located on the Evansdale campus at WVU , the Clearinghouse includes a comprehensive small system treatment technologies database that can be searched at no charge online or by request. Staff routinely research and distribute information about treatment technologies, water supply and distribution, funding sources and regulations. The NDWC ’s two free publications”On Tap”and”Water Sense”provide thousands of readers with up-to-date information about drinking water concerns.