VWWA Position Statement

Adopted February 27, 1999

Position 5: Drinking Water and the Protection of Public Health

American citizens have a right to use the best source of potable water available.

In many cases, the best source of potable water is a private water well.
Public systems, when in use, must be required to be in full compliance with all drinking water safety standards, and such standards must be based on issues of public health and safety, and not on minimizing the cost of public water.
Large centralized public water systems inherently have water quality and quantity problems which, for the most part, do not exist in properly constructed private water wells. Decentralization of large water systems should be undertaken as a strategy for solving problems of both water quality and supply.

Rationale

Private water wells are a source of fresh water. Because they are privately owned and are constructed as small closed systems, wells are easily tested. Problems, either with water quality or system functions, are quickly diagnosed and treated. Well owners can choose whether or not they wish to add chemical treatments to the system.

Centralization of systems, whether public water systems or otherwise, has rarely proved to be an effective way of dealing with society's problems. Clearly, there is evidence that shows public water systems to be increasingly unreliable and the water, in some situations, undrinkable. The larger and more centralized the system, the more likely it is to be subject to deliberate contamination, deteriorating infrastructure and increased use of chemicals to guarantee potability. The larger the system the more widespread and devastating problems can be.

Millions of public water users are turning to bottled water for drinking purposes. Clearly this is but one indication they want to take control of their health where drinking water is concerned. Denying citizens the right to have and use a properly constructed private water well for drinking purposes is an infringement not only on property rights, but also on a person's right to control the most vital part of human health -- fresh, clean drinking water.

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