John Yang:
There's a city of 150,000 people where for years residents have been periodically advised to boil the tap water. And for a week last summer, there was no reliable water service at all. It's not in a developing nation. It's here in the United States. Jackson, Mississippi. While extreme, it's not an isolated case.
Last year, drinking water was found to be tainted in parts of New York City, Baltimore and the state of Hawaii. Of course, Flint, Michigan is still coping with the effects of its lead contamination.
Why are so many cities having problems with drinking water? Shannon Marquez is Dean of Global Engagement and professor of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene at Columbia University. Shannon, I'm just going to start with that question. Why does one of the most prosperous nations in the world have trouble delivering safe drinking water into everyone's home?
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