it looked like a scene out of the musical “oklahoma.” tom linthicum, owner of seneca ayr farms, drove us up the gravel road to his farmhouse in maryland. the bright november day made the recently harvested soybean fields glow and sway, his green-roofed farmhouse perched above with a dog asleep on the porch. i kept expecting farmhands to burst into song.

“looks old, doesn’t it?” he grinned at us. “it’s a trick. i built our house as an exact replica of the one i grew up in, back at the old farmhouse.” 

tradition runs deep in this family: in architecture, profession and values. tom is the seventh generation of his family to farm here, and continues to practice their most valuable lesson:

“if you take care of your land, the land will take care of you.” 

but not even two weeks later, the american farm bureau federation and the fertilizer institute were garnering support from 21 other states to oppose the new plan, saying it was an overstep of the epa’s power and a misrepresentation of the improvement and data around the issue. in fact, the two organizations have led several initiatives against the epa with accusations like this. if the epa sets limits that are higher than needed, farms could spend a lot of money trying to reduce runoff, and fertilizer sales would plummet as they tried to comply to the new rules.

the pennsylvania courts dismissed it, since the states the laws applied to had agreed to them. but the fertilizer institute is still fighting it today.

now, here’s the thing: these 21 states that oppose the bill are not the seven that these laws apply to. so to me, it doesn’t make sense that they’re the ones who could get these new laws overturned. if they succeed, it will be a huge step back for the people of this watershed who rely on the deteriorating bay for their water and commerce.

standing on tom’s porch, i watched the expanse of soybeans sway around us in the chilly breeze. this feels like such a simple, peaceful life. maybe that’s what makes the bitter fight raging over its practices so jarring. but no one seems to know that the fate of the bay rests on a few debated laws and the good intentions of farmers. at any point, those laws may go away.

tom is doing his part to clean up the bay. but who’s to say that every other farmer would follow his lead without incentive? i’m afraid of the answer and what it will mean for this region. 

that’s one scary statistic.

sound unnecessary? i agree wholeheartedly. in fact, the more i learned about this subject the more upset i became. why is this happening? my mind whirled, and the question became:

armed with a burning question and compelling mission (if i do say so myself) we interviewed royce francis, ph.d., a drinking water infrastructure researcher here at the george washington university, to learn his thoughts on this water crisis.

his solution? “point of use” — or “pou” — treatment: an affordable, adaptable and already-expanding option in developing countries. but his reasons behind the urgency of this were even more compelling to me.

turns out clean water isn’t just necessary for disease prevention — it is also a direct factor in people’s success.

no access to clean drinking water means either taking a dangerous chance on dirty water or searching for better options. that means walking for hours to find a “safe” river or well, a job normally delegated to women. that means more time working and less time for education, jobs or economic development.

finding water takes over people’s lives, francis explained. so with that one stressor removed, they can focus on building their own lives and communities. clean water empowers.

it’s not something we really think about, is it? we take for granted that what we drink will be clean. it’s time we bring that security to the rest of the world.

through incredible new technologies and pioneering organizations, people around the world are getting the comfort of knowing their water is clean for the very first time.

francis is a passionate supporter of engineers without borders, a university organization that sends teams of college students to developing countries to build long-lasting water purification systems. we even have a chapter here at gw. you can donate, spread the word, or heck, even join.

everyone deserves a chance at education, equality, and a better life. as francis explained, that can start with one clean glass of water. will you be the one to turn on the tap?