Bubbling to the surface: public water supply issues

摘要

Significant forces including public criticism and publicity about water quality problems have caused public issues about water supply to be raised. Consequently, the "silent service" has begun a dialogue with the public. Currently, the industry's voice is only a whisper, and sometimes it's hoarse, but progress has been made— especially on the local level. For more effective analysis and response, this article characterizes public water supply issues as outsider, insider, local, and latent. Because many of these issues are fundamental to sound social and public policy, the water supply industry should play a more active role in setting public policy.