Statement from President Joe Biden on the 50th Anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act
Today, as we commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, we celebrate the tremendous progress our country has made in bringing clean drinking water to all Americans – and we recommit ourselves to the work still to come.
I am proud to have been one of the Senators who supported this landmark legislation. Before the Safe Drinking Water Act, America’s drinking water was unreliable and too often polluted with industrial waste or disease-causing contaminants. The Act was passed to meet these challenges head-on, and five decades later, our nation enjoys some of the safest drinking water in the world.
Along with the long-standing leadership of Vice President Harris, I have fought to ensure that the full vision of the Safe Drinking Water Act is realized by tackling the key challenges facing our drinking water system today, including toxic lead pipes, PFAS “forever chemicals,” aging water infrastructure, and pollution impacting our rivers, streams, and wetlands. Our Administration combined historic investments – including more than $50 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – and regulatory policies – including the first-ever requirement to identify and replace lead pipes within ten years – to make historic progress investing in key water infrastructure, including in Indigenous and rural communities, while also creating good-paying jobs and helping advance environmental justice.
Vice President Harris and I have always believed that every person in this country deserves to turn on a faucet and have clean drinking water. And because of my Administration’s investments and actions in water safety, a new legacy of clean, high-quality drinking water for our families and communities will continue to be felt for generations to come.
