Free Press reporters Joel Baird and Nicole DeSmet discuss the morning’s top headlines. JOEL BAIRD, NICOLE DESMET, ABIGAIL SILIN/FREE PRESS Essex Junction issued a boil water advisory Thursday after a major water line break threatened contamination of drinking water. The notice by the Essex Junction Water Department is for customers who experienced low water pressure, or lost pressure, but the department advised anyone who is unsure if they are affected to boil their water as a precaution. Essex High School sent…

Ensuring all citizens have access to safe drinking water has been a priority for the EU for decades.
It’s crucial for public health and wellbeing, and shortages or contamination can lead to serious social, health and economic problems.
The EU believes that high quality drinking water should be guaranteed for all consumers, which is why it’s one of the main principles included in the European Pillar of Social Rights.
In light of this, the commission has announced its plans to revise legislation to improve the Drinking Water Directive.
Thanks to current legislation, the majority of EU citizens already have very good access to high quality drinking water.
We have heard and heeded their call and carried out a thorough analysis of our existing legislation.
Today we are therefore proposing to modernise our EU law, improving the quality of drinking water and increasing the access of citizens where it matters most.
Ensuring a high level of health protection is crucial, and the EU strives towards making sure that water quality is controlled and monitored based on the latest scientific evidence.
Among the changes are rules that will require all member states to improve access for all their citizens, and especially for vulnerable and marginalized groups in society, who currently have more limited access than the general population.
It’s been predicted that these measures would reduce the potential health risks associated with drinking water from 4% to less than 1%.

Ensuring all citizens have access to safe drinking water has been a priority for the EU for decades. It’s crucial for public health and wellbeing, and shortages or contamination can lead to serious social, health and economic problems. The EU believes that high quality drinking water should be guaranteed for all consumers, which is why it’s one of the main principles included in the European Pillar of Social Rights. It’s strongly agreed that all consumers should have access to both safe water and reliable information about its supply. In light of this, the commission has announced its plans to revise legislation to improve the Drinking Water Directive. To support this cause, the European Citizens’ Initiative have gather over 1.6 million signatures as part of the “Right2Water” campaign, which was introduced to improve access for all Europeans. Thanks to current legislation, the majority of EU citizens already have very good access to high quality drinking water. The last 30 years…

Gov.
Rick Snyder pitched a plan Thursday to raise $110 million per year to fix Michigan’s busted and rusted water and sewer systems — and to replace lead service lines in the wake of Flint’s water crisis.
The funding source: Michigan ratepayers.
Snyder, a Republican, proposed phasing in a state fee on users of public water systems that serve 1,000 or more people.
The fee would start at $1 and increase by another $1 per year until capping at $5 per year in 2024.
Meanwhile, Snyder is pushing a separate proposal that would require some water utilities to replace all of their lead drinking water service lines lines over 20 years.
Much of the money raised under Snyder’s proposal would go to local grants for lead line replacements.
Though Flint is now internationally associated with Michigan’s failing water infrastructure, it’s far from the only example.
In a press release, Snyder’s office called the added fees “affordable.” The plan requires legislative approval.
On Thursday, Snyder’s office said 80 percent of the extra money from extra water system fees would fund projects in the region that collected it.

Gov. Rick Snyder pitched a plan Thursday to raise $110 million per year to fix Michigan’s busted and rusted water and sewer systems — and to replace lead service lines in the wake of Flint’s water crisis. The funding source: Michigan ratepayers. Snyder, a Republican, proposed phasing in a state fee on users of public water systems that serve 1,000 or more people. The fee would start at $1 and increase by another $1 per year until capping at $5 per year in 2024. “Critical updates are necessary to rebuild our state’s failing water infrastructure,” Snyder said in a statement. “Investing in our state’s water infrastructure needs is essential to ensure every Michigander has access to safe drinking water, protect our environment and continue our state’s outstanding economic growth.” In 2016, a commission assembled by Snyder concluded Michigan was short $800 million per year to meet water and sewer system needs…

What is the Commission proposing and why?
This will guarantee that tap water is safe for drinking throughout the EU.
2) A reduced risk for Member States and citizens.
The Commission has worked with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to revise the list of standards (parameters) that define safe drinking water.
How will consumers benefit from this proposal?
The revised rules will improve access to water and water quality as well as further reduce risks to health, by improving water treatment and quality monitoring.
It contains an obligation for Member States to improve access to safe drinking water for all and to ensure access to water especially for vulnerable and marginalised groups.
The proposal to revise the Drinking Water Directive reflects this principle with a new provision that requires Member States to improve access to water for all and ensure access to those belonging to vulnerable and marginalised groups.
Better access to and quality of drinking water, as well as increased transparency requirements obviously entail additional but moderate costs.
However, these will be offset by the positive health benefits for citizens and the possibility for Member States to subsidise a service of public interest, as well as the money saved through lower consumption of bottled water.

Questions and Answers on the revision of the Drinking Water Directive. Why is the Commission revising the Drinking Water Directive? The European Commission wants to continue to ensure the provision of high-quality drinking water in light of the latest scientific advice, and to help consumers access this water and find reliable information about its supply. Safe drinking water is essential for public health and well-being, and water contamination or shortages can have serious social and economic costs. The proposal is also a response to the successful European Citizens’ Initiative, ‘Right2Water’, which received the support of 1.6 million Europeans. What is the Commission proposing and why? There are four main new elements: 1) Improved standards for the safety of water. The list of standards will be updated and extended in line with the latest scientific knowledge and based on recommendations by the World Health Organisation. This will guarantee that tap water is safe for drinking throughout the EU. 2) A reduced risk for Member States and citizens. By applying a risk-based water safety assessment in the entire EU, authorities will be able to identify possible risks to water sources already at distribution level. It adds an additional layer of protection and at the same time better protects supply sources in the long term. 3) Obligation to improve access to water. People without or with limited access to water will benefit. Overall consumption of tap water – a cheap, safe and environmentally-friendly option – should increase. This will help consumers save money, and it is good for the environment, helping to reduce plastic waste entering our rivers and seas and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. 4) Increased transparency, including on water services. Thanks to new transparency rules consumers will get information online, in a user-friendly way, about the availability of water services in their local area. Empowered consumers are better placed to request good quality services at a fair price. In parallel, the Commission accelerated work on standardisation to ensure that construction products in the water sector across the EU’s internal market, such as pipes and tanks, do not pollute drinking water. What are the new standards to indicate the safety of water? The Commission has worked with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to revise the list of standards (parameters) that define safe drinking water. The new list includes 18 new or revised parameters to better protect against: pathogenic bacteria and viruses; naturally occurring but harmful substances like uranium or microcystins; emerging contaminants from industry like perfluorinated compounds; disinfection by-products or distribution impurities like chlorate, haloacetic acids, or bisphenol A. How will consumers benefit from this proposal? The revised rules will improve access to water and water quality as well as further reduce risks to health, by improving water treatment and quality monitoring. According to estimatesthe new measures would reduce potential health risks associated with drinking water from about 4% to below 1%. More transparency on water supply can compel providers to improve resource-efficiency. Consumers will have online access to information on precious nutrients present in their tap water, such…

BRUSSELS, Belguim – The European Union proposed Thursday giving millions of people in the 28-nation bloc better access to safe tap water and reduce water consumption via wasteful plastic bottles.
The legislation proposed by the European Commission, the EU executive, aims to make safe drinking water a citizen right in line with social rights adopted at a summit in Gothenburg, Sweden in November.
The commission was responding to a petition signed by 1.6 million people demanding better access to potable water, European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said.
"Today we are therefore proposing to modernise our EU law, improving the quality of drinking water and increasing the access of citizens where it matters most," Timmermans added in a statement.
He said around 23 million among Europe’s more than 500 million people are not connected to a public water supply.
The proposals call for member countries to improve access for all people, especially for the vulnerable or marginalised, by setting up systems in public buildings and other public spaces.
They also call for providing information online and elsewhere about the quality and supply of drinking water in their living areas.
Lower consumption of bottled water can also help EU households save more than 600 million euros ($750 million) per year, the commission said.
There will also be reduced plastic waste if people have greater confidence in tap water and consume less bottled water, it added.
Britain’s Prince Charles and others held an EU-backed conference last year for drastic action to stop eight million tonnes of plastic waste polluting the world’s oceans annually.

BRUSSELS, Belguim – The European Union proposed Thursday giving millions of people in the 28-nation bloc better access to safe tap water and reduce water consumption via wasteful plastic bottles. The legislation proposed by the European Commission, the EU executive, aims to make safe drinking water a citizen right in line with social rights adopted at a summit in Gothenburg, Sweden in November. The commission was responding to a petition signed by 1.6 million people demanding better access to potable water, European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said. “Today we are therefore proposing to modernise our…

Revised European legislation proposed by the European Commission today will improve the quality of drinking water and access to it as well as provide better information to citizens.
In addition this proposal seeks to empower consumers ensuring that water suppliers provide consumers with clearer information on water consumption, on the cost structure as well as on the price per litre allowing a comparison with the price of bottled water.
Today we are therefore proposing to modernise our EU law, improving the quality of drinking water and increasing the access of citizens where it matters most.
Together we can and must protect the health and safety of our citizens."
Most people living in the EU enjoy very good access to high quality drinking water.
This results from long standing EU legislation protecting Europeans ensuring that they have access to high quality drinking water.
Another important change in the legislation will give the public easy, user-friendly – including online – access to information about the quality and supply of drinking water in their living area, improving confidence in tap water.
Better management of drinking water from Member States will avoid unnecessary loss of water and contribute to lowering the CO2 footprint.
The new risk-based approach to safety will help to carry out safety checks in a more targeted manner where risks are higher.
The revision of the Drinking Water Directive 98/83/EC was included in the Commission’s 2017 Work Programme, as a direct follow up to the Right2Water European Citizens’ Initiative.