A little boy in a blue school uniform and necktie runs across a crowded East Harlem library and plunks himself down at a table. It's time to officially abandon the rule against the split infinitive. When it comes to the nation's drinking water, there's no punishment for pollution. Each day, millions of Americans turn on their taps and get water that exceeds legal limits for dangerous contaminants. Millions more get water that isn't treated or tested properly, so there's no telling if it's clean.
Many people get sick.
A few of them die. There's no telling precisely how many Americans get sick each year from drinking bad water. But it's safe to say there are a lot more of them than anyone knows about. They need help to survive the onslaught, but rarely do they get the kind of rescue this community has received.