Thirty-five years after the U.S. Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act, some regulators and environmentalists state the law is now so obsolete that it fails to protect people from the most obvious threats.
In the USA, the NY Times reported on violations of the Clean Water Act, a federal law which governs water pollution, and has shown household water that is contaminated with lead, nickel, and other heavy metals. (Some extreme side-effects of this contamination have resulted in skin burns, rashes, and eroded tooth enamel).
The NY Times has since compiled a database of violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act, finding 40% of the nation's community water systems in violation at least once, exposing millions to potentially harmful chemicals, toxins, and heavy metals.