Water is the foundation of life. Have you ever noticed how lifeless a houseplant can look when you forget to water it? But with just a little water it seems to recover. Water is equally essential for humans; it keeps our temperature normal, lubricates our joints, protects our spinal cord and eliminates waste from our body. None of this can be safely accomplished without clean drinking water. Clean and safe drinking water is essential to sustain healthy human life. Before 1974, clean, reliable drinking water was difficult to find, due to lead pipes, relaxed government regulations, and insufficient knowledge of the effects of contaminants on public health. Safe Drink Water Act (SDWA) - History Prior to the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, state health departments had primary responsibility for monitoring and regulating public supplies of drinking water. State programs were so severely understaffed and underfunded that they could not provide public water systems with much-needed monitoring and technical assistance. The 1969 investigation revealed that a third of tap water samples had evidence of bacterial or chemical contaminants that exceeded voluntary Public Health Service limits. These investigations made it clear that state efforts were inadequate to address the health risks and other effects that contaminated drinking water posed to the public. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson condemned the poor quality of the Potomac River as part of his “Clean Water by 1975” pledge, and in 1969, a conference in Washington, D.C., declared the river “a grave threat to anyone come in contact." (book) President Richard Nixon ushered in the new decade by reminding the nation that “the 1970s must absolutely be the years in which America… at the heart of the document… of Congress to complaints about the law's unfunded mandates . This program helps fund infrastructure projects needed to meet drinking water standards and address major health risks. The law authorizes the EPA to make annual capitalization grants to states. States then use their grants (plus a 20% state contribution) to provide loans and other assistance to public water systems. Communities repay loans into the revolving fund, thus making resources available for projects in other communities. (quote)Fresh drinking water is a very limited resource that we take for granted. With the twist, pull or touch of a handle, clean, safe water flows out. We don't wonder where it came from, how it got to us, or where it will go after we're done using it. The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 allowed Americans to feel safe in their homes