Friday, May 20 2011 9:51AM
Officials are working to improve water standards.
President Barack Obama and his administration have announced their continued comprehensive commitment to keeping the nation's waterways clean and providing safe drinking water to Americans across the country.
One of the key ways to manage the process of overseeing waters in the U.S. is the Clean Water Act, which outlines a number of steps the government should follow to address water problems in the country.
"Clean water and healthy waterways are vital to the health and vibrancy of our communities and the strength of our economy," said Nancy Sutley, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "Working with our partners across communities, governments and sectors, we are taking comprehensive action to ensure Americans have the clean and healthy waters they need and deserve."
The steps the government is following to ensure that waterways are kept safe include promoting partnerships for water projects, restoring essential water bodies, advocating water efficiency, reducing water contaminants, promoting water-based activities and updating federal water laws.
Government representatives also say that included in their plans will be efforts to spur
green infrastructure development by providing resources to farmers, ranchers and forest landowners, who are often prevalent in rural communities.