On June 23rd, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the The Raw Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know Act (H.R. 2452). Currently there is no federal law requiring sewage operators to monitor for sewage releases or notify the public. American Whitewater was in Washington DC the week of June 16th to educate members of Congress on the importance of this issue to the whitewater paddling community.
Whitewater paddlers have a particular interest in the issue given the fact that few people in modern America have as much direct contact with river water as paddlers do. River water enters our bodies every time we go paddling through our mouths, noses, ears, eyes, and any cuts or scrapes we may have. Few of us would scoop up a glass of water from the rivers we paddle and drink it, but in many ways that is exactly what we do every time we go paddling. Of particular concern is the fact that many of us go out paddling when flows are high when sewage releases are most likely.
We are now one step closer to getting the information we need when there’s a sewer spill that could affect public health. Sewage Right-to-Know is a straightforward way to ensure that people stay safe while enjoying their rivers. It will require sewage treatment plants to monitor their systems and alert the public when there’s a potentially harmful spill.
The action now moves to the Senate and you can take action today by encouraging your Senator to support passage of the Sewage Overflow Right-to-Know Act (S. 2080).