Benzinger: What’s in your drinking water? This website finally lets NY residents know for sure.
Access to clean water is a basic human right, but it can be tough for average people to know how safe their water really is. A new tool launched by NYPIRG, however, can help to fill the void of government agencies when it comes to informing constituents about water safety. “What’s in my Water?” allows New York state residents to search the source and quality of their drinking water or view a map of potential threats to drinking water in their area. By making information about water accessible and easy to understand — something the state and federal governments have neglected — the New York Public Interest Research Group is making it easier for people to ensure their right to clean water is being met. “NYPIRG set out about a year ago to begin this project because we think that access to clean drinking water is not a privilege, and that access to clear information about water shouldn’t be either,” said Megan Ahearn, a program director at NYPIRG. Government transparency is necessary for active and conscientious citizenship, especially when it comes to environmental issues. And New York state residents are at a disadvantage if they do not have the information required to be active constituents and hold government agencies accountable. Andy Mendes | Digital Design Editor “Whether it be industrial business that is affecting public water, or if there is a chemical in a water test…